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sallysocker's review against another edition
3.0
“I don’t care if it doesn’t make sense to other people. It makes sense to me.”
Was I the only person who did rejoice when Elsie and Joan confessed how they felt? It’s not like I didn’t root for them, I wanted them to end up together. But something was missing, I didn’t get that feeling you get when two people you’ve been waiting for to kiss finally does. It was just ‘oh, nice’ not screaming in happiness. It was a good story nonetheless, it was real and the romance was good. It just wasn’t fireworks and explosions. I don’t really mind that though, I enjoyed reading it.
I think it’s worth mentioning that this book is very diverse and I love it. It brings in different ethic groups and show the lives and problems of different people and how LGBTQ+ people are seen in different cultures. I think is something that’s very important to learn about.
“Maybe it's the gay friends I have but they're all like... Sex! Exclamation mark exclamation mark! Which is extremely wonderful for them - I'm not saying they should be any other way - but. They're good at casual sex. I can't even imagine having it. I don't think any of my friends could put up with dating a guy who doesn't want to have sex. It's hard enough feeling like you're an outsider with most people because you're gay! And so you have to work harder to find your people. But you do it, you meet other gay guys, you manage to become friends with some of them, and then it still turns out you don't fit in. You're still different. What do you do then?”
Was I the only person who did rejoice when Elsie and Joan confessed how they felt? It’s not like I didn’t root for them, I wanted them to end up together. But something was missing, I didn’t get that feeling you get when two people you’ve been waiting for to kiss finally does. It was just ‘oh, nice’ not screaming in happiness. It was a good story nonetheless, it was real and the romance was good. It just wasn’t fireworks and explosions. I don’t really mind that though, I enjoyed reading it.
I think it’s worth mentioning that this book is very diverse and I love it. It brings in different ethic groups and show the lives and problems of different people and how LGBTQ+ people are seen in different cultures. I think is something that’s very important to learn about.
“Maybe it's the gay friends I have but they're all like... Sex! Exclamation mark exclamation mark! Which is extremely wonderful for them - I'm not saying they should be any other way - but. They're good at casual sex. I can't even imagine having it. I don't think any of my friends could put up with dating a guy who doesn't want to have sex. It's hard enough feeling like you're an outsider with most people because you're gay! And so you have to work harder to find your people. But you do it, you meet other gay guys, you manage to become friends with some of them, and then it still turns out you don't fit in. You're still different. What do you do then?”
linnea1801's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
THE BEST BOOK EVER!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Racism
Moderate: Death
rakkaussipsi's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
4.0
ladygagita's review against another edition
5.0
i so deeply and earnestly wish that i’d been able to read “if you still recognise me” when i was 16. i recognize so many parts of myself in elsie. and i love her dearly for it. this is one of those books that heals that part of me that is still a lonely gay high schooler looking for connection and finding it, in many ways, through fandom. this was extremely cute, surprising, and complicated. a few loose ends could have been handled better— i felt like ritika sort of dropped out of the story partway through — but oh man. i’m in tears! i loved it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Racism
alindeman's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
goldenelegy's review
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
lumiilvonen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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? No
3.75
miriam_berg99's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
p4skud4's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
kaynova's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There was a moment in the book where I was close to DNF'ing because the main character was very self centered, but I am glad I kept pushing forward because the romances and storylines outside of the main character were too compelling to stop.
I still do believe the main character, Elsie, is self-centered and never really regards her friends in the best manner. The scene that made me almost DNF was near the beginning when they were planning a trip and she didn't even consider her friend's thoughts or feelings, just loading more on her on why she should do things for Elsie. It annoyed me so much and the main reason she is in search of reconnecting a lost connection BETWEEN PEOPLE SHE DOES NOT KNOW is because she wants to believe she can also fall in love. If that's not self-centered, I don't know what is. I wanted to believe she had good intentions, but at some point, she neglected other people's opinions and didn't even tell Ada what she was doing when it involved ADA'S LIFE. I didn't like that part of the plot, but I will say that I love seeing two people reconnect again and are able to be in love even if they haven't talked in decades.
I found the family dynamics more compelling and riveting that Elsie and Joan's relationship. I believe Joan has feelings for Elsie, but Elsie...not so much. I think a lot of the time as I reading she saw herself in Joan and wanted to reclaim that as well as reclaim her old childhood friend. She didn't even really think about her feelings until someone else told her to look in front of her. Whereas with Joan, I always felt it with her, like she had feeligns for Elsie, it was kind of hinted in the beginning when they reconnected, too.
Back to the family issues, I loved reading the complexity of coming out to parents who are stuck in their ideologies even if the rhetoric is so outdated. I also love the author didn't force a quick remedy on broken bonds, because realistically, it's not always going to be better from one conversation and in this book, it is repeated that failed connections take time to repair. I enjoyed Uncle Kevin, Elsie's mom, and even Po Po. They made the book (even Ada, who is a gem, though she is not related to Elsie).
I think if Elsie wasn't so self-centered at times, I would've liked this more, but alas, the subplots made this enjoyable to me.
I still do believe the main character, Elsie, is self-centered and never really regards her friends in the best manner. The scene that made me almost DNF was near the beginning when they were planning a trip and she didn't even consider her friend's thoughts or feelings, just loading more on her on why she should do things for Elsie. It annoyed me so much and the main reason she is in search of reconnecting a lost connection BETWEEN PEOPLE SHE DOES NOT KNOW is because she wants to believe she can also fall in love. If that's not self-centered, I don't know what is. I wanted to believe she had good intentions, but at some point, she neglected other people's opinions and didn't even tell Ada what she was doing when it involved ADA'S LIFE. I didn't like that part of the plot, but I will say that I love seeing two people reconnect again and are able to be in love even if they haven't talked in decades.
I found the family dynamics more compelling and riveting that Elsie and Joan's relationship. I believe Joan has feelings for Elsie, but Elsie...not so much. I think a lot of the time as I reading she saw herself in Joan and wanted to reclaim that as well as reclaim her old childhood friend. She didn't even really think about her feelings until someone else told her to look in front of her. Whereas with Joan, I always felt it with her, like she had feeligns for Elsie, it was kind of hinted in the beginning when they reconnected, too.
Back to the family issues, I loved reading the complexity of coming out to parents who are stuck in their ideologies even if the rhetoric is so outdated. I also love the author didn't force a quick remedy on broken bonds, because realistically, it's not always going to be better from one conversation and in this book, it is repeated that failed connections take time to repair. I enjoyed Uncle Kevin, Elsie's mom, and even Po Po. They made the book (even Ada, who is a gem, though she is not related to Elsie).
I think if Elsie wasn't so self-centered at times, I would've liked this more, but alas, the subplots made this enjoyable to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia