Scan barcode
leafblade's review against another edition
4.0
Every time someone asks me about this book I say the same thing but I'm genuinely so excited for enby readers. This is the first ownvoices enby book published by one of the US' big five publishers, and that means a whole lot. It's a privilege to live in a time where this can happen, and I'm so glad enby readers can have this kind of representation and support.
I wish you all the best was a fantastic debut. The characters were well rounded, and the online friendship present was very well done, which is something that doesn't happen often. Too many times we've seen authors that don't really have an online presence try to explain what long distance friendships are like and fail, but Mason got that absolutely right. This is the first book I've read with internet friends meeting irl after I've met my internet friends irl and that has nothing to do with this review but I just wanted to put that out there lol
Though the story has some inherent enbyphobia (Ben is kicked out of their house by their parents when they come out as nonbinary), Mason did a fantastic job creating a supportive environment. Sometimes the easy way out is making it all about the cis characters reacting to the trans one coming out, but they drew the line there. It was enlightening to see how Ben's parents reacted vs how everyone else did, because it made me see the difference in acknowledging your (cis) feelings and feeling bad for misgendering a trans person, and fucking it up. Nathan's reaction TEARED ME APART what a good boy, honestly.
Speaking of Nathan, I've been having trouble with thinking about (original) characters whose marginalizations I don't share. Like, it's a part of their lives but I don't feel like it's my place to talk about those issues. And Mason WINGED IT with Nathan. He's black (or biracial?), and even though racism is not discussed, it's not glossed over. It's not Mason's place to talk about these issues and they acknowledged it and didn't touch the topic, period. This while managing to treat Nathan in a respectful way (same w Meleika and Sophie, but they're minor characters).
I ABSOLUTELY ADORED TO AN EXTENT I CAN'T EVEN DESCRIBE the natural diversity in this book. There were POC and queer and mentally ill characters all around. And it didn't feel forced, it didn't feel like they wanted diversity points, it didn't interfere with the story at all. I wish I can write like that sometime. Pansexuality was mentioned in passing, like, twice and my wig flew out the window like... THEY DID THAT!!! There is a queer therapy group and they take the time to write a paragraph about the members and the intersectionality you can see in that one paragraph made me want to read a book about those characters. Mason I'm BEGGING you
The gendered language talk sprinkled in the book was so relevant??? Like, misgendering is not just about pronouns. You can call someone they/them but if you use gendered words they're not comfortable with YOU'RE STILL MISGENDERING THEM. And Mason made that point VERY clear. Also the rawness in "well, then maybe you understand how it isn't a fucking joke?" is so out of the court I want it tattooed on my forehead. I deal with queerphobic parents and Ben dealing with theirs made me cheer for them ten thousand times more. Cut those bitches off my darling you deserve it!!!!!
I'm so glad I won this book in a giveaway and I'm so glad I have it in my hands because it's literally a piece of queer history and I'll cherish it forever.
I wish you all the best was a fantastic debut. The characters were well rounded, and the online friendship present was very well done, which is something that doesn't happen often. Too many times we've seen authors that don't really have an online presence try to explain what long distance friendships are like and fail, but Mason got that absolutely right. This is the first book I've read with internet friends meeting irl after I've met my internet friends irl and that has nothing to do with this review but I just wanted to put that out there lol
Though the story has some inherent enbyphobia (Ben is kicked out of their house by their parents when they come out as nonbinary), Mason did a fantastic job creating a supportive environment. Sometimes the easy way out is making it all about the cis characters reacting to the trans one coming out, but they drew the line there. It was enlightening to see how Ben's parents reacted vs how everyone else did, because it made me see the difference in acknowledging your (cis) feelings and feeling bad for misgendering a trans person, and fucking it up. Nathan's reaction TEARED ME APART what a good boy, honestly.
Speaking of Nathan, I've been having trouble with thinking about (original) characters whose marginalizations I don't share. Like, it's a part of their lives but I don't feel like it's my place to talk about those issues. And Mason WINGED IT with Nathan. He's black (or biracial?), and even though racism is not discussed, it's not glossed over. It's not Mason's place to talk about these issues and they acknowledged it and didn't touch the topic, period. This while managing to treat Nathan in a respectful way (same w Meleika and Sophie, but they're minor characters).
I ABSOLUTELY ADORED TO AN EXTENT I CAN'T EVEN DESCRIBE the natural diversity in this book. There were POC and queer and mentally ill characters all around. And it didn't feel forced, it didn't feel like they wanted diversity points, it didn't interfere with the story at all. I wish I can write like that sometime. Pansexuality was mentioned in passing, like, twice and my wig flew out the window like... THEY DID THAT!!! There is a queer therapy group and they take the time to write a paragraph about the members and the intersectionality you can see in that one paragraph made me want to read a book about those characters. Mason I'm BEGGING you
The gendered language talk sprinkled in the book was so relevant??? Like, misgendering is not just about pronouns. You can call someone they/them but if you use gendered words they're not comfortable with YOU'RE STILL MISGENDERING THEM. And Mason made that point VERY clear. Also the rawness in "well, then maybe you understand how it isn't a fucking joke?" is so out of the court I want it tattooed on my forehead. I deal with queerphobic parents and Ben dealing with theirs made me cheer for them ten thousand times more. Cut those bitches off my darling you deserve it!!!!!
I'm so glad I won this book in a giveaway and I'm so glad I have it in my hands because it's literally a piece of queer history and I'll cherish it forever.
ghooghoo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sharkboyfinn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
melvilp's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
andieobrien99's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
OH MY GOD!!!!!
Ugh no book has ever made me emotional like this one has. I see so much of myself in Ben. As a non binary person myself who’s struggled with coming out and struggled with even coming to terms I related so much to Ben. I understood their fear, anxiety and doubt. I was rooting for Ben and Nathan the whole book! I’m so glad they ended up together!
Navigating the world as an adult who comes out as non binary is difficult.. I could not imagine being a teenager who’s trying to navigate life, family and friends and on top of that their identity. I feel like Ben did an incredible job at trying to get through everything.
Can we talk about how horrible their parents are though? All any LGBTQ+ person wants is to be accepted by the people who are suppose to love them. I was so angered by their reaction to Ben. The blatant disrespect for them and their identity hurt me as if it was being done to me.
Everyone needs a Hannah! Everyone needs a Nathan! Everyone needs a Mariam! Everyone needs a Dr Taylor!
This has become one of my fave books now. I finally found a book where I, a non binary person who uses they/them, can feel seen and represented.
Thank you Mason Deaver. Thank you.
Ugh no book has ever made me emotional like this one has. I see so much of myself in Ben. As a non binary person myself who’s struggled with coming out and struggled with even coming to terms I related so much to Ben. I understood their fear, anxiety and doubt. I was rooting for Ben and Nathan the whole book! I’m so glad they ended up together!
Navigating the world as an adult who comes out as non binary is difficult.. I could not imagine being a teenager who’s trying to navigate life, family and friends and on top of that their identity. I feel like Ben did an incredible job at trying to get through everything.
Can we talk about how horrible their parents are though? All any LGBTQ+ person wants is to be accepted by the people who are suppose to love them. I was so angered by their reaction to Ben. The blatant disrespect for them and their identity hurt me as if it was being done to me.
Everyone needs a Hannah! Everyone needs a Nathan! Everyone needs a Mariam! Everyone needs a Dr Taylor!
This has become one of my fave books now. I finally found a book where I, a non binary person who uses they/them, can feel seen and represented.
Thank you Mason Deaver. Thank you.
marttendaali's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
r3dgiant's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mayankamal18's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not a fan of tearjerkers, in theory.
I do not like angst, also in theory.
I want action packed not slow character build up, or that is; what I believe I want.
However, time and again, regardless of my efforts to avoid slow burn heartache inducing tales, whenever I get myself reading one (always by mistake because I'll avoid a book like the plague if I'm conscious it's even a little bit sad) I always end up fall in love with these tales and getting attached. This book had an emotional grip on me from start to finish, I've had some unpleasant experiences with panic attacks and depression myself, and whenever Ben got hurt even the slightest bit, I was bawling my eyes out. Like seriously I cried way more than I care to admit.
Side note; prior to reading this I had little to no information about non-binary people and their experiences so this was rather enlightening for me.
I do not like angst, also in theory.
I want action packed not slow character build up, or that is; what I believe I want.
However, time and again, regardless of my efforts to avoid slow burn heartache inducing tales, whenever I get myself reading one (always by mistake because I'll avoid a book like the plague if I'm conscious it's even a little bit sad) I always end up fall in love with these tales and getting attached. This book had an emotional grip on me from start to finish, I've had some unpleasant experiences with panic attacks and depression myself, and whenever Ben got hurt even the slightest bit, I was bawling my eyes out. Like seriously I cried way more than I care to admit.
Side note; prior to reading this I had little to no information about non-binary people and their experiences so this was rather enlightening for me.
joanna1905's review against another edition
5.0
After approximately 78 thousand years I've finally gotten my hands on this book. Okay well maybe that's a bit dramatic but I found out about this book not long after it was announced and was instantly intrigued. But because publishing sucks ass when it finally came out...it was only in hardback (which I hateee). It is perhaps my greatest pet peeve that so many amazing queer ya books are initially released only in hardback for like $30 and we always have to wait a year+ for a paperback.
Anyway, as I said I DID MY WAITING - and after finally reading it. I ain't even that mad about it - I mean, I am because I could have enjoyed this masterpiece ages ago but at least the wait was WELL worth it.
Honestly, for a debut this novel is spectacular and I adored the style of writing as well as how well developed the story is.
I loved our MC Ben, they're such a kindhearted person and it was so hard to see them going through so much and feeling so isolated. Our love interest Nathan is an absolute cutie who just has the purest heart and kindest intentions.
The family plot lines were hard to read but were so well executed it felt real and relevant and it didn't overwhelm the plot in misery.
I loveeeed the discussions of mental health and I think the normalisation of teenagers (especially LGBTQ+ teens) is so so important and so I loved the way this book handled it.
I think this is probably a fantastic book for cis readers to read to get some insight into what it's like being non-binary, it's a very accessible book and one that would be perfect for school libraries. I think this book would probably do a good job in helping young adults questioning their gender and those who already identify as non-binary feel seen and validated. However, I am cis so highly encourage checking out reviews from non-binary readers.
I two things I would have liked a tad more of is; I would have liked to see a convo between Ben and Nathan where they discuss Nathan's bisexuality. It just would have been interesting since up until the end I kind of assumed Nathan already knew he wasn't straight but then it was revealed that it was something he didn't fully accept until he went to the meetings with Ben. A discussion about his identity and how it relates to dating Ben would have been cool since there's so much misinformation about bisexuality. However, this book does do a good job of challenging that stereotype even without this being an actual conversation.
I also would have liked just a little more romance, I just loved these two and when the main couple doesn't get together until the very end I always yearn for more. But that's just my preference and I understand that this book had more important things to talk about without letting the romance overshadow things.
Also, the non-binary Muslim rep was so lovely to see!
All in all, this was a great read, and I cannot wait to support any and all of Mason's future works!
Anyway, as I said I DID MY WAITING - and after finally reading it. I ain't even that mad about it - I mean, I am because I could have enjoyed this masterpiece ages ago but at least the wait was WELL worth it.
Honestly, for a debut this novel is spectacular and I adored the style of writing as well as how well developed the story is.
I loved our MC Ben, they're such a kindhearted person and it was so hard to see them going through so much and feeling so isolated. Our love interest Nathan is an absolute cutie who just has the purest heart and kindest intentions.
The family plot lines were hard to read but were so well executed it felt real and relevant and it didn't overwhelm the plot in misery.
I loveeeed the discussions of mental health and I think the normalisation of teenagers (especially LGBTQ+ teens) is so so important and so I loved the way this book handled it.
I think this is probably a fantastic book for cis readers to read to get some insight into what it's like being non-binary, it's a very accessible book and one that would be perfect for school libraries. I think this book would probably do a good job in helping young adults questioning their gender and those who already identify as non-binary feel seen and validated. However, I am cis so highly encourage checking out reviews from non-binary readers.
I two things I would have liked a tad more of is; I would have liked to see a convo between Ben and Nathan where they discuss Nathan's bisexuality. It just would have been interesting since up until the end I kind of assumed Nathan already knew he wasn't straight but then it was revealed that it was something he didn't fully accept until he went to the meetings with Ben. A discussion about his identity and how it relates to dating Ben would have been cool since there's so much misinformation about bisexuality. However, this book does do a good job of challenging that stereotype even without this being an actual conversation.
I also would have liked just a little more romance, I just loved these two and when the main couple doesn't get together until the very end I always yearn for more. But that's just my preference and I understand that this book had more important things to talk about without letting the romance overshadow things.
Also, the non-binary Muslim rep was so lovely to see!
All in all, this was a great read, and I cannot wait to support any and all of Mason's future works!
graveyardpansy's review against another edition
5.0
I have never cried so much over a book in my life. I have absolutely no bad things to say. These characters feel like my friends, I want to hug them all so badly and Ben feels like the nonbinary sibling I never had. I have nothing but praise for this book and for Mason themself. I can’t get over it. New favourite book? Maybe.