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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
elwirax's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Rep:Afro-Latino MC gay, Latino bi LI, non-binary SC, asexual SC.
It was sweet, had great representation ( I was glad to see an asexual character) and it was a great story of queer POC joy.
However, I couldn't really connect to the main characters since most of what they talked about involved comic books and video games which I know nothing of (can't blame the book too much as that was the premise but it did get excessive at times). I liked the main characters, Issac and Diego but they often came of as whiny and there was not enough character development for me to be fully invested in them. I thought they had a great friendship and a cute romance but wanted a bit more nuance in their characterisation instead of their select few traits. I loved the friendship/ family dynamics though I wish the author had given them more attention, the conflict was wrapped up so quickly. Some of the side characters were interesting but weren't established as well as they could've been
In terms of plot, not much happened for a good 70% of the book. The writing was fine but I feel like the author was trying really hard to sound like a teenager and the dialogue came across as forced and sometimes strange.
Overall, it was a sweet, enjoyable read. I'm in no doubt that many who read this book will love it and feel seen and I'm glad for it. Personally, I needed a bit more plot.
It was sweet, had great representation ( I was glad to see an asexual character) and it was a great story of queer POC joy.
However, I couldn't really connect to the main characters since most of what they talked about involved comic books and video games which I know nothing of (can't blame the book too much as that was the premise but it did get excessive at times). I liked the main characters, Issac and Diego but they often came of as whiny and there was not enough character development for me to be fully invested in them. I thought they had a great friendship and a cute romance but wanted a bit more nuance in their characterisation instead of their select few traits. I loved the friendship/ family dynamics though I wish the author had given them more attention, the conflict was wrapped up so quickly. Some of the side characters were interesting but weren't established as well as they could've been
In terms of plot, not much happened for a good 70% of the book. The writing was fine but I feel like the author was trying really hard to sound like a teenager and the dialogue came across as forced and sometimes strange.
Overall, it was a sweet, enjoyable read. I'm in no doubt that many who read this book will love it and feel seen and I'm glad for it. Personally, I needed a bit more plot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
betweentheshelves's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
Honestly, if you're looking for something cute to read after watching Heartstopper, but don't necessarily want to read Heartstopper again, I'd recommend this! It's a cute, friends-to-lovers romance with some mental health rep thrown in. It is absolutely a delight to read, and gives off the perfect summer reading vibes!
While I do think it could have been a bit shorter, I loved the characters in this. I also loved the comics vibes throughout, as Isaac is absolutely obsessed with a comic series throughout this. The characters felt relatable, and the moments between Isaac and Diego were heartfelt and the way their relationship evolved felt natural. Plus, the cover just gives you all the happy vibes as well. Julian Winters is great at writing adorable MLM romance, and this book just proves it!
While I do think it could have been a bit shorter, I loved the characters in this. I also loved the comics vibes throughout, as Isaac is absolutely obsessed with a comic series throughout this. The characters felt relatable, and the moments between Isaac and Diego were heartfelt and the way their relationship evolved felt natural. Plus, the cover just gives you all the happy vibes as well. Julian Winters is great at writing adorable MLM romance, and this book just proves it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Mental illness
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Infidelity
bookcrushin's review
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
A summer romance full of growth and learning...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Minor: Racism, Mental illness, and Homophobia
foreverinastory'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
4.0
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Right Where I Left You follows Isaac Martin, he's just graduated high school and has one last summer until he's headed off to college. Isaac should be excited, except his best friend, Diego, isn't coming with him. Isaac doesn't know what he'll do without Diego to help him. He wants to have the best summer ever with Diego before they're separated. The two plan to go to Legends Con, but when Isaac is distracted by a cute boy and misses getting tickets, their summer plans are derailed. Instead Isaac is made part of The Six, the crew Diego games with. Isaac is wary, cue the social anxiety, but Diego's friends are all bad.
This was such a sweet book. I really enjoyed Isaac as a character. His social anxiety is different from mine, but damn was it still relatable. I loved how Isaac explores his family relationships during this book. The way he reconnects to his older brother really pulled on my heart strings.
Then there are the fandom elements! Isaac is a comic fan and Diego is a gamer. Between the two of them there are tons of fandom references, and even though it's a made up fandom for the book, I loved it! I loved how Charm and Reverb's story plays out alongside Isaac's, it was such a great way to parallel the book.
I absolutely adored The Six. I was immediately a fan of Alix and Zelda, because they're the coolest. I also have a thing for quiet girls with cutting words (Alix). I really liked seeing Isaac branch out. He has a hard time letting people in, but by the end of this he has made other friends besides Diego. I really loved watching him grow!
Rep: Afro-Latine gay cis male MC, bisexual Iranian-American cis male side character, bisexual Puerto Rican gus male side character, BIPOC queer nonbinary side character with two dads who are drag queens, questioning white male side character, asexual white female side character, autistic Puerto Rican male side character, various Black and Latine side characters.
CWs: Mental illness (anxiety), parental abandonment. Minor: homophobia/homomisia, racism, infidelity.
Right Where I Left You follows Isaac Martin, he's just graduated high school and has one last summer until he's headed off to college. Isaac should be excited, except his best friend, Diego, isn't coming with him. Isaac doesn't know what he'll do without Diego to help him. He wants to have the best summer ever with Diego before they're separated. The two plan to go to Legends Con, but when Isaac is distracted by a cute boy and misses getting tickets, their summer plans are derailed. Instead Isaac is made part of The Six, the crew Diego games with. Isaac is wary, cue the social anxiety, but Diego's friends are all bad.
This was such a sweet book. I really enjoyed Isaac as a character. His social anxiety is different from mine, but damn was it still relatable. I loved how Isaac explores his family relationships during this book. The way he reconnects to his older brother really pulled on my heart strings.
Then there are the fandom elements! Isaac is a comic fan and Diego is a gamer. Between the two of them there are tons of fandom references, and even though it's a made up fandom for the book, I loved it! I loved how Charm and Reverb's story plays out alongside Isaac's, it was such a great way to parallel the book.
I absolutely adored The Six. I was immediately a fan of Alix and Zelda, because they're the coolest. I also have a thing for quiet girls with cutting words (Alix). I really liked seeing Isaac branch out. He has a hard time letting people in, but by the end of this he has made other friends besides Diego. I really loved watching him grow!
Rep: Afro-Latine gay cis male MC, bisexual Iranian-American cis male side character, bisexual Puerto Rican gus male side character, BIPOC queer nonbinary side character with two dads who are drag queens, questioning white male side character, asexual white female side character, autistic Puerto Rican male side character, various Black and Latine side characters.
CWs: Mental illness (anxiety), parental abandonment. Minor: homophobia/homomisia, racism, infidelity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Mental illness
Minor: Racism, Infidelity, and Homophobia
melaniereadsbooks'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? It's complicated
4.25
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an arc of this book.
Isaac wants to spend his whole summer break hanging out with his best friend, going to cons and pride, before he goes off to college next year and his friend stays home. But they are torn apart by a crush and a mistake and have to find ways to reconcile what's happening. And then there is love.
This was so cute! Honestly the whole time I was begging the narrator to see what was right in front of him, but I guess that is part of the trope. I liked the character development but what I really loved was the focus on cons and comics and video games and queer inclusive spaces and found family and ALL OF THAT!
Honestly was really jealous of the teen pride event though, like...I wish I had had that when I was a teen.
I felt like not all of the tension between the two characters was resolved at the end of the book and that was upsetting for me. Like I feel like more apologies/recognition of wrongdoing would have gone a long way for me at the end!
I also felt like....not enough was happening for most of the book, and then everything got crowded into one little chunk of space? I don't know. Don't get me wrong, I really loved lots of aspects of this book! But those were a few of my thoughts.
Pub date: March 15, 2022
Isaac wants to spend his whole summer break hanging out with his best friend, going to cons and pride, before he goes off to college next year and his friend stays home. But they are torn apart by a crush and a mistake and have to find ways to reconcile what's happening. And then there is love.
This was so cute! Honestly the whole time I was begging the narrator to see what was right in front of him, but I guess that is part of the trope. I liked the character development but what I really loved was the focus on cons and comics and video games and queer inclusive spaces and found family and ALL OF THAT!
Honestly was really jealous of the teen pride event though, like...I wish I had had that when I was a teen.
I felt like not all of the tension between the two characters was resolved at the end of the book and that was upsetting for me. Like I feel like more apologies/recognition of wrongdoing would have gone a long way for me at the end!
I also felt like....not enough was happening for most of the book, and then everything got crowded into one little chunk of space? I don't know. Don't get me wrong, I really loved lots of aspects of this book! But those were a few of my thoughts.
Pub date: March 15, 2022
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Mental illness
Minor: Homophobia and Racism
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