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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
I enjoyed this! I really liked Felix and Ezra as characters. My main gripe with Felix is that he was very rude to his dad a lot of the time and his dad definitely didn’t deserve that. But the story itself was very good. I hadn’t predicted who was messaging Felix mean things and was surprised. This is a good read, especially for pride month!
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-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
The perfect Pride month read! But of course since queer stories matter year round, I recommend this one year round :)
“Felix Ever After” follows trans teen Felix Love as he navigates anonymous transphobia at school, falling in love for the first time, and questioning his gender identity
Felix is a messy, imperfect main character, and I loved him for it. He’s at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities being Black, queer, and trans, and watching him find joy in spite of oppression was heartwarming.
I also found the cast of equally messy and dramatic teenagers at his arts school in NYC to be a fun rollercoaster to ride along with. Their dynamics are so real to adolescence and the way each is exploring their identity within the LGBTQ+ community was eye-opening for me.
I mostly appreciated that “Felix Ever After” is a trans story, with Felix’ gender identity being central to the plot, but it’s also a story of acceptance, love, and finding yourself that I think anyone can relate to. Thank you Kacen Callender for sharing this deeply personal story and Felix with us, and happy Pride!
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
4.25 stars - Didn't think I'd write a lengthy review, but here we are. Reading Felix Ever After in June just hits different and is the perfect time to do so. It's a beautiful coming-of-age about self-discovery, self-love, and altogether embracing who you are. I loved Felix - MY SHAYLA, anyone who hurts him has to get past me (and Ezra) first.
Felix goes from being anxious about speaking up and sweeping certain things under the rug to not make others uncomfortable (even though they do make him feel like that), to standing on business by the end of the book. I LOVED when he finally told Ezra what Marisol said, and Ezra set her straight. Same with James. I was also side-eyeing Hazel hard.
The characters were well fleshed out. I liked Ezra and Leah especially, and I love how they both had Felix's back. The relationships they all had, be it platonic or previous romantic ones, blended in well with the story. When Felix started catfishing whoever he taught outed him, I thought it would turn out a certain way (enemies to lovers). It eventually turned out in a different way, making it unpredictable (which I like). I liked that Felix also could eventually see where Ezra came from when he vented about his parents.
I also noticed how Felix craved real, heartbreaking love but was simultaneously scared of it, which made him unaware of certain thingssuch as not seeing Ezra being head over heels for him. At first I thought "How the hell can he not see that Ezra is in love with him?!" but we see that he 1. didn't realize he was in love with Ezra himself, and 2. was scared to lose Ezra if it didn't work out, possibly bringing up feelings of his mom leaving. The fear of rejection was also seen in him delaying his portfolio and applying for Brown.
What stood out to me are the conversations between the friends and the ones held at the LGBT Centre. The depth they had was very good,and unfortunately you could see the prejudices jump out of some characters, even the ones who hang out with Felix (who are also LGBT). As a whole, the conversations are well written. What didn't work for me were some of the redundant repetitions. I think it was mentioned about three times that Declan's grandfather offered to sell the house to pay for Declan's tuition. And while texting, it was confusing to see who said what. There were some other repetitions that I remembered thinking didn't need repeating.
I knew whoever outed Felix wasn't far as I went back and forth between people, and I like that it wasn't predictable. Once we find out it was Austin, he acted as if Felix was the problem. As if him being freely and unapologetically himself was unfair to Austin, because he [Austin] was not able to do so bcs of his parents. It reminds me that people get weird — and often even jealous — when someone is themselves and does not care what anyone thinks. They think that the courage to be oneself comes easily, but it takes a lot of time, thinking, doubting, self-discovery, and acceptance. This is bravery not just anyone has, and so when someone does have it, they try to knock them down to their own low level.
Kacen perfectly portrays that it hurts when the very community that you'd think would accept you casts you out, when the majority of people outside of the community already do that on the daily. If you're just a smidge different than whatever standard is seen as "normal", some people immediately treat you as an outcast. I had a lot of "Felix, get behind me" moments bcs people can just be so ugly.
Love that this is set in New York! There were some funny scenes I liked as well. Very glad I read this one!
Felix goes from being anxious about speaking up and sweeping certain things under the rug to not make others uncomfortable (even though they do make him feel like that), to standing on business by the end of the book.
The characters were well fleshed out. I liked Ezra and Leah especially, and I love how they both had Felix's back. The relationships they all had, be it platonic or previous romantic ones, blended in well with the story. When Felix started catfishing whoever he taught outed him, I thought it would turn out a certain way (enemies to lovers). It eventually turned out in a different way, making it unpredictable (which I like). I liked that Felix also could eventually see where Ezra came from when he vented about his parents.
I also noticed how Felix craved real, heartbreaking love but was simultaneously scared of it, which made him unaware of certain things
What stood out to me are the conversations between the friends and the ones held at the LGBT Centre. The depth they had was very good,
I knew whoever outed Felix wasn't far as I went back and forth between people, and I like that it wasn't predictable.
Kacen perfectly portrays that it hurts when the very community that you'd think would accept you casts you out, when the majority of people outside of the community already do that on the daily. If you're just a smidge different than whatever standard is seen as "normal", some people immediately treat you as an outcast. I had a lot of "Felix, get behind me" moments bcs people can just be so ugly.
Love that this is set in New York! There were some funny scenes I liked as well. Very glad I read this one!
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
Za mě zklamání.
Felix mi přišel otravný a ukňouraný, ale ok, je to teenager, možná kdybych to četla před 10 lety, tak budu mít víc smilování.
Hlavní přednost knihy je, že představuje trans hrdinu, té reprezentace je určitě potřeba víc, ale tady mi občas přišlo, že se snaží problematiku moc vysvětlovat a nevyzní to vždycky uplně přirozeně, jako by se postavy mezi sebou bavily. Taky mi přišlo, že Felix svou identitu občas využívá jako výmluvu/vysvětlení pro všechno - viz “Declan mě nemá rád, protože je transfob, ne protože bez následků kašlu na svoje povinnosti”, “táta mě nechápe, protože mě nepřijal, ne protože v pubertě maj témeř všichni pocit, že je rodiče nechápou” a my favourite “mám pocit, že si nezasloužím lásku kvůli svým identitám, ne protože mam trauma, že mě opustila máma” - k tomu poslednímu ještě fakt nechápu jeho odmítavý postoj k terapii, kterou očividně potřebuj, když se pohybuje v sociální bublině, kde je stigma k psychoterapii asi uplně nejmenší… To be fair, aspoň tam k ňákýmu vývoji došlo, ale zase bych řekla, že až nerealisticky snadno a rychle. Neřikám, že člověk nemůže překonat přesvědčení, že si nezaslouží lásku bez terapie, ale stejně to vyžaduje dlouhobější práci na sobě jiným způsobem, ne pomocí kouzelnýho proutku/toho spravnýho člověka. Dávat mladým lidem takovou iluzi může taky mít neblahé následky..
To rozuzlení bylo dalším zklamáním, popravdě zhruba v třetině jsem myslela, že se na knihu vykašlu, ale zaujala mě ta linka s Declanem, tak jsem vytrvala.
Neřikám, že měli zůstat spolu, v tom asi souhlasim, že to fungovat nemohlo. Ale že se daj dohromady s Ezrou? Vážně? To lidi nemůžou být prostě nejlepší kamarádi? Na můj vkus moc cheesy. A mnohem radši bych viděla, jak je možný zachránit přátelství, kdy jedný straně přerostou city v něco víc, ale z druhý jsou platonický…
Felix mi přišel otravný a ukňouraný, ale ok, je to teenager, možná kdybych to četla před 10 lety, tak budu mít víc smilování.
Hlavní přednost knihy je, že představuje trans hrdinu, té reprezentace je určitě potřeba víc, ale tady mi občas přišlo, že se snaží problematiku moc vysvětlovat a nevyzní to vždycky uplně přirozeně, jako by se postavy mezi sebou bavily. Taky mi přišlo, že Felix svou identitu občas využívá jako výmluvu/vysvětlení pro všechno - viz “Declan mě nemá rád, protože je transfob, ne protože bez následků kašlu na svoje povinnosti”, “táta mě nechápe, protože mě nepřijal, ne protože v pubertě maj témeř všichni pocit, že je rodiče nechápou” a my favourite “mám pocit, že si nezasloužím lásku kvůli svým identitám, ne protože mam trauma, že mě opustila máma” - k tomu poslednímu ještě fakt nechápu jeho odmítavý postoj k terapii, kterou očividně potřebuj, když se pohybuje v sociální bublině, kde je stigma k psychoterapii asi uplně nejmenší… To be fair, aspoň tam k ňákýmu vývoji došlo, ale zase bych řekla, že až nerealisticky snadno a rychle. Neřikám, že člověk nemůže překonat přesvědčení, že si nezaslouží lásku bez terapie, ale stejně to vyžaduje dlouhobější práci na sobě jiným způsobem, ne pomocí kouzelnýho proutku/toho spravnýho člověka. Dávat mladým lidem takovou iluzi může taky mít neblahé následky..
To rozuzlení bylo dalším zklamáním, popravdě zhruba v třetině jsem myslela, že se na knihu vykašlu, ale zaujala mě ta linka s Declanem, tak jsem vytrvala.
this made me cry so much, but in the best way possible. i can't believe i had the pleasure to read a book like this, i will keep thinking about it for a very long time
A solid LGBTQIA+ YA book. It has the typical love triangles, the best friend groups and enemies, but...it’s a focused around a black, queer, demiboy and his world. I wish I had more books like this to read when I was a teenager.
I loved the writing style and voice of this book, and I loved the characters so much!
Particularly loved that this friend group was all queer kids of different identities and marginalizations; there was good representation all around.
Felix's story was so genuine and heartfelt. It captured the complexities of figuring out identity while also simply talking about simple teen issues like what to do after high school and how to connect with your parents.
This book also does great work dismantling the idea that queer is a unifying identity; it talks about the intersections between race and intersectionality and how different it is when you're queer and brown, and the different set of issues that come from that.
I also loved the different talks about love here, and the different ways Felix fell in love. It was honest and also just very relatable. Teens don't know everything and they should make more mistakes in YA novels!!!
To the producers of Love, Simon and Love, Victor: don't be shy, adapt this one!!!!!!!
Particularly loved that this friend group was all queer kids of different identities and marginalizations; there was good representation all around.
Felix's story was so genuine and heartfelt. It captured the complexities of figuring out identity while also simply talking about simple teen issues like what to do after high school and how to connect with your parents.
This book also does great work dismantling the idea that queer is a unifying identity; it talks about the intersections between race and intersectionality and how different it is when you're queer and brown, and the different set of issues that come from that.
I also loved the different talks about love here, and the different ways Felix fell in love. It was honest and also just very relatable. Teens don't know everything and they should make more mistakes in YA novels!!!
To the producers of Love, Simon and Love, Victor: don't be shy, adapt this one!!!!!!!