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abitbetterbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
I wish I could rate the first half and second half of the book separately! I found the first 40-50% really slow and frustrating to get through, and I just kept waiting for things to happen. However, once things picked up in the second half, I really loved it and found the story so engaging! I was even tearing up a little towards the very end and had a big smile on my face too.
This books strengths are: strong, complex characters whose queerness and race / culture are foundational to who they are and yet not everything about them, a solid cast of side characters, the understanding and foregrounding of fandom & online culture and the importance it plays in young folks lives, family dynamics, and the complicated feelings that come with coming into adulthood & decisions around post-secondary education.
However I did find being in Isaac’s head very repetitive and frustrating at times, and the short time span of the novel made it feel like every detail was moving very slowly. As someone who has never experienced social anxiety, I found it difficult to understand some of Isaac’s motivations / fears / decisions, and the distance & miscommunications between him & Diego. Just talk to each other! Even if it’s not about how you feel romantically, talk about your expectations and needs! I know they’re young and still learning how to communicate things, but it felt like there was such little build up from when they were walling each other off from jealousy until they were confessing their feelings.
This books strengths are: strong, complex characters whose queerness and race / culture are foundational to who they are and yet not everything about them, a solid cast of side characters, the understanding and foregrounding of fandom & online culture and the importance it plays in young folks lives, family dynamics, and the complicated feelings that come with coming into adulthood & decisions around post-secondary education.
However I did find being in Isaac’s head very repetitive and frustrating at times, and the short time span of the novel made it feel like every detail was moving very slowly. As someone who has never experienced social anxiety, I found it difficult to understand some of Isaac’s motivations / fears / decisions, and the distance & miscommunications between him & Diego. Just talk to each other! Even if it’s not about how you feel romantically, talk about your expectations and needs! I know they’re young and still learning how to communicate things, but
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Infidelity
Minor: Pregnancy and Biphobia
20sidedbi's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.25
This was a sweet book that told a lovely story of queer brown love. It was a little cheesy at times, but in an endearing way. Personally, I found Isaac to be deeply relatable, as an anxious nerd with a lot going for him struggling to come into his own. The cherry on top of this story was that there was no homophobia anywhere to be found! It's refreshing to read LGBT stories that don't center on trauma.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Grief
Minor: Infidelity and Biphobia
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Abandonment, and Biphobia
bookwormbi's review
emotional
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.5
This book was touch and go for me the entire time, largely because I struggled with Isaac. But ultimately, Winters’s commitment to creating complex teenage queer characters of color paid off. Isaac irked me in places, like any real person would, because they’re real and real is messy. I struggled a little bit with the pacing, but overall I really enjoyed this and I hope to read more of his work soon!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Racism, Homophobia, and Biphobia
aexileigh's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Infidelity, Biphobia, and Sexual content
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