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smileyhugs's review against another edition
5.0
ughh i knew this book was going to be amazing but it was that and MOREEE!!
“to think of yourself as inseparable from someone is nothing than an invitation for the world to pull you apart.” no words. (actually that lady gaga gif of all the praising adjectives)
an eerily similar, but somewhat flipped, version of my own life. i loved and related to like all of the characters (ESPECIALLY elsie, joan and felix) !!!!
“keeping her in my life is all that matters” MY HEARTTT
i just want my joan back in my life
“to think of yourself as inseparable from someone is nothing than an invitation for the world to pull you apart.” no words. (actually that lady gaga gif of all the praising adjectives)
an eerily similar, but somewhat flipped, version of my own life. i loved and related to like all of the characters (ESPECIALLY elsie, joan and felix) !!!!
“keeping her in my life is all that matters” MY HEARTTT
i just want my joan back in my life
itisnotsera's review against another edition
4.0
It’s been awhile since a book made me feel this way, but this is a coming of age book that was just build to create the feelings of closure and the comfort it brings to someone , who had a build up of anxiety and for people who relies on their small happy circle of fandom as a form of escapism.
The characters are so relatable and the family dynamics felt so real and just very personal to someone hiding their queerness from their asian family. Its amazing how much their characters development gave me hope and the feeling of acceptance.
10/10 read
The characters are so relatable and the family dynamics felt so real and just very personal to someone hiding their queerness from their asian family. Its amazing how much their characters development gave me hope and the feeling of acceptance.
10/10 read
amelia_forest3's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
misha_ali's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this well enough but there were a few things that made it significantly less enjoyable for me than it could have been.
First, Joan should have been fleshed out more. Even by the end, despite periodic dry updates on how her crusade to win over her dad along with her stepmother towards being at least less homophobic, I didn't really have much of an idea of her as a person.
Second, the subplot with Ritika
I enjoyed the book overall but Elsie's POV doesn't work for me because she's incredibly self-involved so we don't really get to flesh out other characters as much as I would have liked to see.
First, Joan should have been fleshed out more. Even by the end, despite periodic dry updates on how her crusade to win over her dad along with her stepmother towards being at least less homophobic, I didn't really have much of an idea of her as a person.
Second, the subplot with Ritika
Spoiler
having a crush on Elsie for all of two minutes and then being completely over it and fine was very strange. This would have been a more meaningful conflict for me if Ritika had pointed out that Elsie was being a poor best friend and she felt sidelined in favor of her old friend just popping up and being invited on their best friends end of school trip together, not to mention the additional mission of finding Elsie's internet crush's grandmother's old friend during the trip. It would legitimately have been a plot point for Elsie's growth as a person and friend to be less self-absorbed and focus a bit more on her friend and what she needs. Suddenly having Ritika question her sexuality because of Elsie and then get over it immediately after seems like forced conflict to me and very unnatural in the pace of the story.I enjoyed the book overall but Elsie's POV doesn't work for me because she's incredibly self-involved so we don't really get to flesh out other characters as much as I would have liked to see.
tejanafeminist's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Long-lost childhood friends, crushes on tumblr besties , elder queers, and beautiful writing about food. Literally what more could I have asked for? Excited to read more by Cynthia So!
(Beware: estranged family is a big subplot of this book.)
(Beware: estranged family is a big subplot of this book.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
yay_its_erin's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
ma_sousa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
cristalwrites's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
jennireadz's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 Stars!
It took me a minute to get into this book but then I could not put it down. This is a beautiful YA book filled with sapphics, lost loves, past friendships, and a queer summer!
Elsie has found herself online, reading comics and making friends within the comic fandoms she's interested in, including fanfic writer Ada. Ada lives in NY, and Elsie, in London, pines after her. She has a huge crush on Ada and wants to figure out how to tell her, but just cannot figure out the right way. Ada tells Elsie about these letters her grandmother exchanged with another woman and the sapphic undertones. The woman lives in the town that Elsie is traveling to with friends this summer, so she thinks this is the perfect way to woo Ada!
But in comes Joan, Elsie's best friend who had moved to Hong Kong 8 years ago, when they promptly lost contact, even after promising to write letters. They've both changed, almost swapping styles, but they still have that same connection they've always had. She joins on the trip and is along for the plan to reunite these women and see if true love might exist between them still, if it ever did!
This book was so beautiful and handled so many topics without feeling overwhelming. So often a book will try to handle a lot and it'll feel unfinished, but I felt like it all existed in harmony and nothing felt forgotten. It was a beautiful story with a lot of queerness, including an ace-spec side character. The queer elders were wonderful to read about and to see Elsie seeing happy queer adults felt like something she truly needed.
I definitely recommend this - it's such a beautiful summer sapphic read, including lots of letters, a lot of fandom/comic talk, and some of the best friends a girl could ask for! Though there are definitely some tougher aspects, like previous toxic relationships, homophobia in family dynamics, and a death of a grandparent, it all felt balanced and complete.
It took me a minute to get into this book but then I could not put it down. This is a beautiful YA book filled with sapphics, lost loves, past friendships, and a queer summer!
Elsie has found herself online, reading comics and making friends within the comic fandoms she's interested in, including fanfic writer Ada. Ada lives in NY, and Elsie, in London, pines after her. She has a huge crush on Ada and wants to figure out how to tell her, but just cannot figure out the right way. Ada tells Elsie about these letters her grandmother exchanged with another woman and the sapphic undertones. The woman lives in the town that Elsie is traveling to with friends this summer, so she thinks this is the perfect way to woo Ada!
But in comes Joan, Elsie's best friend who had moved to Hong Kong 8 years ago, when they promptly lost contact, even after promising to write letters. They've both changed, almost swapping styles, but they still have that same connection they've always had. She joins on the trip and is along for the plan to reunite these women and see if true love might exist between them still, if it ever did!
This book was so beautiful and handled so many topics without feeling overwhelming. So often a book will try to handle a lot and it'll feel unfinished, but I felt like it all existed in harmony and nothing felt forgotten. It was a beautiful story with a lot of queerness, including an ace-spec side character. The queer elders were wonderful to read about and to see Elsie seeing happy queer adults felt like something she truly needed.
I definitely recommend this - it's such a beautiful summer sapphic read, including lots of letters, a lot of fandom/comic talk, and some of the best friends a girl could ask for! Though there are definitely some tougher aspects, like previous toxic relationships, homophobia in family dynamics, and a death of a grandparent, it all felt balanced and complete.
cher_reads09's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
3.0