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books_and_raves's review
5.0
tell me again YA isn't literature, i dare you.
i had the easiest, yet a difficult time reading this book. not only bc the narrative is so infused with envigorating commentary on racism, ageism, the exploration of accountability in place of shaming, mental illness among Black people, on self-love & acceptance and loving people despite their mistakes if they're willing to learn. but bc it's so closely associated with the strands of my being, my personhood. Kacen really dives into the nuances of being a human; the care, hurt, love, resentment, bitterness, everything splayed out in the page for us to see.
and i will never tire of books like this, that challenge my worldviews, that make my thoughts clanker around in my head and make me ponder over my belief system. that make me think about bettering myself.
what started as an accidental Twitter confession of an unrequited love turned into a raw tumultuous explosion of feelings, emotions, dissecting the depths and dimensions of teenager-ing, of people who want a better world, a world made of acceptance, understanding, love, that realizes the actionable benefits of guilt.
it almost unnerved me how well the book charted the dichotomy of revolutions & uprisings, the cost of them on both sides. and plunges so deeply, exhaustively into the volatile influencial culture, into the rise of social media as our separate personality, our incessant need to present a faux-positive spin on our image online. into cancel culture, threads of shaming & accountability, & how one is not the substitute for the other. into calling in vs calling out.
and as someone who's perceived as and maybe is perpetually angry at the world, i felt this jab of inherent connection at the messaging that being loud, unrepentent & unapologetically transparent about your trauma & hurt & all the ways the world has failed you does matter. it felt tailor-made for me, at a time when the value in speaking up against the oppression and genocide of another marginalized people held under illegal apartheid is grossly ignored.
kacen's prose almost glides off the margins of the pages, soothing in its simplicity but clobbering in its power to say that our anger & hurt do have a place. and the world does need to hear it. and that people are capable of changing and learning and growing.
this kind of freewriting, its simple and chaotic nature with a constant flow of thoughts actually brilliantly paints the picture of a neurodivergent person's brain who might have ADHD, autism or both. which was Lark.
i want to extoll about so many things in detail here. should i talk about how kacen poignantly presented humanity in two valleys of characters? there is Kasim and his group of friends who are fiercely uncontrite about their identity, about dismantling systems of racism, queerphobia, bigotry rooted in suffocating patriarchy. and then there's Lark who's more of a pacifist and believes in a love-for-all approach, who doesn't probably know how to love themself yet.
and it's sublime to witness both sets of teenagers slowly adopt & absorb the other's definitions, if not wholly, but at least enough to understand and accept their differences.
speaking of, Lark's luminous growth into someone who believes in their worth & accept themself, well, luminous. i still ended up sobbing over how beautifully Lark's character was sewn up, how gorgeous, precious, pure their very soul was. i would protect them with EVERYTHING I HAVE. it kinda charred my heart into barely-there ash to see them bullied, buried under racist rhetoric, not just from white people but from their own community too. it unhinged my soul to see them dissolve into self-loathing and suicidal thoughts.
also, the symbolism of Birdie was a majestic touch imo. i believe Birdie was as much the protagonist for Lark's novel as a form of their subconsciousness who could tell them the harsh, grimy truth they're not completely ready for but need to hear. i love that.
it seems incredible to me that there are people, like Lark, who haven't been splintered apart by the archaic systems that were designed with the sole purpose of breaking them. who could still pull through and find the grace to see hope, love another person. they inpire me.
but still, those on the other side of the fence, who can't help wearing their anger and trauma and hurt resentment on their skin like tattoos, who want to disrupt the peace until peace for everyone is achieved, whose only viable attempt of being seen as a whole human being is being loud about it? they're incredibly valid too. kacen does such beautiful justice to both sides.
another thing i applaud it for: how this was one of the VERY few books that painted the picture and aftermath of a pandemic & post-COVID world, instead of maintaining the world hadn't tangentially shifted in 2020.
i also positively swooned over Lark and Kasim, growing from former/estranged best friends to lovers, beijg SO precious and WHOLESOME?? how an unrequited love jumpstarted whole story, but never became the center of it. this is why YA's pull on me is so strong still. it's not just about teenagers figuring out their love lives; YA stories juggle so many real-life, necessary themes accessorized with our adult lives within their rhetorics. the romance doesn't take up all the space in the story.
so while Kasim and Lark's feelings developing or newly emerging were done in subtle strokes, still the intensity of said feelings overrode their short page-time for me. the way they cared for each other and understood each other despite all the disagreements was the ultimate bliss. they were content and soothing personified.
also i didn't know this would be a triad (or didn't actually have much idea of triad or polyamory)? i admit i haven't read many of these relationships, but getting it here was such a pleasant surprise. i really liked knowing their dynamics & love for each other and understanding how they made it work.
among other things, the novel was partially focused on them as an aspiring writer and their writing process and those chapters giving detailed view into the ableism/ageism/queerphobia of the publishing industry was one of my favorite parts.
so my final thoughts? i really need everyone to read this book. people say fiction doesn't do shit. but these books relay the real experiences of real people, of real communities and how they have been hurt. racism happens. bullying happens. it's all been happening and burying them under ignorance isn't how you escape it. maybe through lark and kasim we can process it, explore our own failings and traumas and come as much close to healing the world and ourselves as we can.
i had the easiest, yet a difficult time reading this book. not only bc the narrative is so infused with envigorating commentary on racism, ageism, the exploration of accountability in place of shaming, mental illness among Black people, on self-love & acceptance and loving people despite their mistakes if they're willing to learn. but bc it's so closely associated with the strands of my being, my personhood. Kacen really dives into the nuances of being a human; the care, hurt, love, resentment, bitterness, everything splayed out in the page for us to see.
and i will never tire of books like this, that challenge my worldviews, that make my thoughts clanker around in my head and make me ponder over my belief system. that make me think about bettering myself.
what started as an accidental Twitter confession of an unrequited love turned into a raw tumultuous explosion of feelings, emotions, dissecting the depths and dimensions of teenager-ing, of people who want a better world, a world made of acceptance, understanding, love, that realizes the actionable benefits of guilt.
it almost unnerved me how well the book charted the dichotomy of revolutions & uprisings, the cost of them on both sides. and plunges so deeply, exhaustively into the volatile influencial culture, into the rise of social media as our separate personality, our incessant need to present a faux-positive spin on our image online. into cancel culture, threads of shaming & accountability, & how one is not the substitute for the other. into calling in vs calling out.
and as someone who's perceived as and maybe is perpetually angry at the world, i felt this jab of inherent connection at the messaging that being loud, unrepentent & unapologetically transparent about your trauma & hurt & all the ways the world has failed you does matter. it felt tailor-made for me, at a time when the value in speaking up against the oppression and genocide of another marginalized people held under illegal apartheid is grossly ignored.
kacen's prose almost glides off the margins of the pages, soothing in its simplicity but clobbering in its power to say that our anger & hurt do have a place. and the world does need to hear it. and that people are capable of changing and learning and growing.
this kind of freewriting, its simple and chaotic nature with a constant flow of thoughts actually brilliantly paints the picture of a neurodivergent person's brain who might have ADHD, autism or both. which was Lark.
i want to extoll about so many things in detail here. should i talk about how kacen poignantly presented humanity in two valleys of characters? there is Kasim and his group of friends who are fiercely uncontrite about their identity, about dismantling systems of racism, queerphobia, bigotry rooted in suffocating patriarchy. and then there's Lark who's more of a pacifist and believes in a love-for-all approach, who doesn't probably know how to love themself yet.
and it's sublime to witness both sets of teenagers slowly adopt & absorb the other's definitions, if not wholly, but at least enough to understand and accept their differences.
speaking of, Lark's luminous growth into someone who believes in their worth & accept themself, well, luminous. i still ended up sobbing over how beautifully Lark's character was sewn up, how gorgeous, precious, pure their very soul was. i would protect them with EVERYTHING I HAVE. it kinda charred my heart into barely-there ash to see them bullied, buried under racist rhetoric, not just from white people but from their own community too. it unhinged my soul to see them dissolve into self-loathing and suicidal thoughts.
also, the symbolism of Birdie was a majestic touch imo. i believe Birdie was as much the protagonist for Lark's novel as a form of their subconsciousness who could tell them the harsh, grimy truth they're not completely ready for but need to hear. i love that.
it seems incredible to me that there are people, like Lark, who haven't been splintered apart by the archaic systems that were designed with the sole purpose of breaking them. who could still pull through and find the grace to see hope, love another person. they inpire me.
but still, those on the other side of the fence, who can't help wearing their anger and trauma and hurt resentment on their skin like tattoos, who want to disrupt the peace until peace for everyone is achieved, whose only viable attempt of being seen as a whole human being is being loud about it? they're incredibly valid too. kacen does such beautiful justice to both sides.
another thing i applaud it for: how this was one of the VERY few books that painted the picture and aftermath of a pandemic & post-COVID world, instead of maintaining the world hadn't tangentially shifted in 2020.
i also positively swooned over Lark and Kasim, growing from former/estranged best friends to lovers, beijg SO precious and WHOLESOME?? how an unrequited love jumpstarted whole story, but never became the center of it. this is why YA's pull on me is so strong still. it's not just about teenagers figuring out their love lives; YA stories juggle so many real-life, necessary themes accessorized with our adult lives within their rhetorics. the romance doesn't take up all the space in the story.
so while Kasim and Lark's feelings developing or newly emerging were done in subtle strokes, still the intensity of said feelings overrode their short page-time for me. the way they cared for each other and understood each other despite all the disagreements was the ultimate bliss. they were content and soothing personified.
also i didn't know this would be a triad (or didn't actually have much idea of triad or polyamory)? i admit i haven't read many of these relationships, but getting it here was such a pleasant surprise. i really liked knowing their dynamics & love for each other and understanding how they made it work.
among other things, the novel was partially focused on them as an aspiring writer and their writing process and those chapters giving detailed view into the ableism/ageism/queerphobia of the publishing industry was one of my favorite parts.
so my final thoughts? i really need everyone to read this book. people say fiction doesn't do shit. but these books relay the real experiences of real people, of real communities and how they have been hurt. racism happens. bullying happens. it's all been happening and burying them under ignorance isn't how you escape it. maybe through lark and kasim we can process it, explore our own failings and traumas and come as much close to healing the world and ourselves as we can.
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Yet another stunning work of art from Kacen Callender <3 Gosh, I actually cannot get over how talented and incredible they are. Ever since I closed this book, I can't stop thinking about it.
I know it was published in 2022, which was *only* two years ago, but its messages around social media, perceptions, accountability versus shaming, and self-introspection were so fucking powerful, timely, and honestly could act as a primer for anyone joining public online spaces especially. I think this work will be relevant for years to come, as social media evolves and the visceral awareness of which we all have in recognizing we are fallible, we will mess up, and it will likely be recorded. It's uncomfortable, but it's life, and we need to try our best to move forward in ways that do not perpetuate further harm.
UGH I ADORE THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I feel like I'm totally botching this review (I'm sorry, I'm not a writer, I'm just a peasant who loves to read) and nothing can do the book justice. It was just so staggeringly authentic and poignant about the time we are living in (I'm grateful for it, don't misinterpret that!)! I really urge everyone to read this, as KC brings up so many important conversations that we should ALL be having (if not already<3).
Lark, our Black main character, is a sweet little naive idealist angelbaby who wants everyone to reach for love first, and wholeheartedly believes everyone comes from love, and that hate is taught. They have amassed thousands of followers (I think about 20k at the beginning of the book) online, and they know that once they reach 50k followers, they will be more enticing for agents to respond to and to actually take their debut manuscript seriously. Lark desperately wants to be a published writer, and their first novel centers around YA main character Birdie, who not only lives on the pages of their manuscript, but is also present with them (sort of as an imaginary firend, but moreso Lark's coping mechanism of talking through their feelings in their head) and who we see on-page in this novel, especially during awkward moments (and there are plenty in this book lol!).
Lark is also still quietly reeling from the fallout of a formative friendship in the past year with Kasim, who acts as a foil of Lark. Kasim is perpetually unimpressed, does not have faith in systems, and is generally pessimistic. He thinks Lark's commitment to love and light is corny, and I don't blame him. He is in a relationship with Sable, who is also neurodivergent and begins to play a bigger role in Lark's journey. Sable doesn't necessarily extend an olive branch out to Lark, but she gives them the time of day, which is more than Kasim's other friends Patch and Micah, can say. They continue to call out Lark online and in person, antagonizing them every chance they get, without ever really trying to open a dialogue, and we see how this exhausts and confuses Lark even further.
The book follows a narrative of someone accidentally posting on Lark's account about "loving someone but being too afraid to tell them," and everyone thinks Lark is in an unrequited love situation. So, because they are scared of optics and think it will help their brand, they lie and say they did post that, and end up confessing their love for Eli, someone they *had* been crushing on, but weren't particularly *in love with* yet. The longer and longer the lie goes, the more and more Lark fumbles with thoughts that they post (like some really cringe-worthy stuff, but that absolutely does snowball into some folks entirely missing the plot ughhh), and the more that Lark must confront if the person they are, is 1) possible in the current world and 2) if they want to evolve and expand their perspective/mindset.
I really enjoyed this book because it speaks to me as a public bookstagrammer; look, I'm a nobody, please nobody roast me hahaha, I just really do get the aspects of navigating an online social media account with many eyes watching you and honestly, sometimes seemingly hoping you will fuck up? Anyway, I love the idea of exploring what it means to truly be an abolitionist; what it means to let go of punitive measures; what it means to be "redeemable" or worthy of a second chance; what it means to be in community with folks & what we owe each other; and what it means to implement these ideals into our daily lives, both on and offline.
There is so much that this book covers with immense care, hope, and passion:
Yet another stunning work of art from Kacen Callender <3 Gosh, I actually cannot get over how talented and incredible they are. Ever since I closed this book, I can't stop thinking about it.
I know it was published in 2022, which was *only* two years ago, but its messages around social media, perceptions, accountability versus shaming, and self-introspection were so fucking powerful, timely, and honestly could act as a primer for anyone joining public online spaces especially. I think this work will be relevant for years to come, as social media evolves and the visceral awareness of which we all have in recognizing we are fallible, we will mess up, and it will likely be recorded. It's uncomfortable, but it's life, and we need to try our best to move forward in ways that do not perpetuate further harm.
UGH I ADORE THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I feel like I'm totally botching this review (I'm sorry, I'm not a writer, I'm just a peasant who loves to read) and nothing can do the book justice. It was just so staggeringly authentic and poignant about the time we are living in (I'm grateful for it, don't misinterpret that!)! I really urge everyone to read this, as KC brings up so many important conversations that we should ALL be having (if not already<3).
Lark, our Black main character, is a sweet little naive idealist angelbaby who wants everyone to reach for love first, and wholeheartedly believes everyone comes from love, and that hate is taught. They have amassed thousands of followers (I think about 20k at the beginning of the book) online, and they know that once they reach 50k followers, they will be more enticing for agents to respond to and to actually take their debut manuscript seriously. Lark desperately wants to be a published writer, and their first novel centers around YA main character Birdie, who not only lives on the pages of their manuscript, but is also present with them (sort of as an imaginary firend, but moreso Lark's coping mechanism of talking through their feelings in their head) and who we see on-page in this novel, especially during awkward moments (and there are plenty in this book lol!).
Lark is also still quietly reeling from the fallout of a formative friendship in the past year with Kasim, who acts as a foil of Lark. Kasim is perpetually unimpressed, does not have faith in systems, and is generally pessimistic. He thinks Lark's commitment to love and light is corny, and I don't blame him. He is in a relationship with Sable, who is also neurodivergent and begins to play a bigger role in Lark's journey. Sable doesn't necessarily extend an olive branch out to Lark, but she gives them the time of day, which is more than Kasim's other friends Patch and Micah, can say. They continue to call out Lark online and in person, antagonizing them every chance they get, without ever really trying to open a dialogue, and we see how this exhausts and confuses Lark even further.
The book follows a narrative of someone accidentally posting on Lark's account about "loving someone but being too afraid to tell them," and everyone thinks Lark is in an unrequited love situation. So, because they are scared of optics and think it will help their brand, they lie and say they did post that, and end up confessing their love for Eli, someone they *had* been crushing on, but weren't particularly *in love with* yet. The longer and longer the lie goes, the more and more Lark fumbles with thoughts that they post (like some really cringe-worthy stuff, but that absolutely does snowball into some folks entirely missing the plot ughhh), and the more that Lark must confront if the person they are, is 1) possible in the current world and 2) if they want to evolve and expand their perspective/mindset.
I really enjoyed this book because it speaks to me as a public bookstagrammer; look, I'm a nobody, please nobody roast me hahaha, I just really do get the aspects of navigating an online social media account with many eyes watching you and honestly, sometimes seemingly hoping you will fuck up? Anyway, I love the idea of exploring what it means to truly be an abolitionist; what it means to let go of punitive measures; what it means to be "redeemable" or worthy of a second chance; what it means to be in community with folks & what we owe each other; and what it means to implement these ideals into our daily lives, both on and offline.
There is so much that this book covers with immense care, hope, and passion:
- polyamorous relationships and explorations
- being autistic, having ADHD, and (undiagnosed) neurodivergence
- navigating if YOU are indeed the toxic villain that others say you are while genuinely trying to self-examine and explore why you keep fumbling, and how you can do better
- miscommunication in friendships, and how this can snowball into something so much bigger
- the writing / querying journey of trying to get your manuscript into someone's hands; simply hoping someone can give you a chance, amidst all of the rejection of being told "not Black enough," "not realistic," "too self-aware or deep FOR A YA CHARACTER," etc. it's brutal out here!
- social media: growing a following, the downfall of influencers/being "cancelled," shaming versus holding accountable, optics, how to move forward after making a mistake
- absent parents (due to incarceration and systemic racism)
- naming feelings, being transparent, opening dialogues, and fostering braver spaces
Quotations that stood out to me (I have 80 highlights, so dwindling this down to 8 was a *journey* and extremely painful hahaha):
I nod, staring at the polished stone. “I think that’s what scares me the most. Being honest, just to be rejected. What’s the point of that?” I ask her. “I don’t want to show anyone my true self, just for other people to say I’m not good enough.”
Sable considers me, her gaze soft. “But being vulnerable is the only way you can really connect to anyone. How’re you supposed to connect with someone as a false version of yourself?”
There’s something about Sable—her energy, maybe—that makes me feel safe, makes me feel like I can practice showing her the real Lark.
“I’m sorry for judging you,” I finally say.
“It’s okay.” They walk back over and lean against their desk, staring hard at their phone.
I kind of wish they would apologize, too, because I don’t think I was the only one who made a mistake— Birdie leans against the doorframe. “Is expressing yourself in a non-harmful way ever a mistake?” —and my feelings are hurt also, but I don’t know how to ask for an apology, and I don’t want them to be mad at me, not anymore, not ever again.
It’s been over a year of this. This growing anger and resentment and hurt. And for what? Why? Because we didn’t know how to communicate yet, to ask each other questions and get clear answers? Jesus. How much might’ve been different if we’d just figured out how to talk about our feelings?
So, here’s one thing about being neurodivergent: When I find an obsession, I really find an obsession, and for some people those obsessions might be something fun and upbeat and cool, like penguins or ice cream, but no, for me, right now, it’s trauma. Maybe that’s not something I should say out loud. “I’m obsessed with trauma.” Ha. Ever since the last class with Mr. S, where he talked about characters and trauma, I’ve started to wonder if I’m a character in a story, and if I need to figure out what my trauma is to start to grow, to change, to learn how to really and truly love myself. I scroll online as I read different web-sites. Trauma is legit stored in our bodies. It’s in our cells, which means that we have our ancestor’s traumas, too, and, holy shit, that’s a lot of fucking trauma—too much for me to even understand. When you heal your own trauma, you’re healing your ancestors’ traumas, too. That’s beautiful. Beautiful enough to make me cry.
White people write novels of dystopian futures and fantasies where they have to escape these systems of oppression, evil monarchs and corrupt governments. They don’t realize that Black people are the actual main characters. We’re the humans with magic in our blood, dismantling the systems from the inside out. We’re the godly beings, taught to be hated and feared. We’re the rebels, fighting for our lives in the streets. Surviving, even when so many want us dead. Thriving, even with what they have done to the people who came before us. It’s a miracle that I’m here. I’m a miracle. Black people are miraculous. That alone should be a reason for me to love myself. Why isn’t it enough?
Instead of wanting to discuss what I said, even if they disagreed with me, they jumped at the chance to attack me in a race for as many likes and retweets as possible, like it’s a competition or a game. What’s scariest of all? I really could be the harmful narcissist in this, trying to convince myself that I’m not. This is such a mindfuck. I’m confused and hurt and frustrated, and I don’t even know if I’m allowed to have those feelings.
Guilt is about action. Guilt lets us focus on what we need to do to make up for our mistake and how we can limit the harm we caused, while knowing with all the confidence in the world that we’re still worthy of love. Each and every one of us.
“No. I like awkward. I like uncomfortable. That’s where the hard conversations happen. That’s where we’re forced to be honest with ourselves and each other. That’s when we start to learn and grow together.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Ableism, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Racism, Transphobia, and Police brutality
selinaleona_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
5.0
amerasuu's review against another edition
5.0
I want to read everything Kacen writes. I'm so glad this book exists. I wish it had existed when I was in high school. It's beautiful book and it really filled my heart with joy. First 5 start of the year.
mavemarie's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
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
4.0
A bright and uniquely frustrating exploration of intersectionality in a contemporary young adult setting.
The initial characterizations left me wondering if I was hopelessly out of touch, or if the author was, with today's teens. Every line felt just close enough to believable that it teetered on stereotypical, clearly through the lens of social media. But with a nd sibling who was caught in the throes of pandemic academic life, I think those characterizations might be more accurate than I might have thought to begin with, beyond also being a part of a community I am not steeped in.
The meta of a story about a writer learning about writing and exploring that journey for themselves (and why a story shouldn't do that) was enough to tickle me silly, but compounding that with the narrative voice of a truely neurodivergent mind was a beautiful ride that leaves me craving more. The ride of Lark's trailing mind felt so close to home that being done with this book feels like loosing it's companionship. Where else will I get Hamilton lyrics spliced with intense emotional dialogs?
The exploration of diversity within a single racial community was charming and eye opening on a number of levels, and the social issues addressed and explored by so many different views leaves a lot to dwell on, particularly as a white reader. Sometimes it was a challenging read listening to an echo chamber that mirrors the hatred these characters, (and black society as a whole) were raised in, but undoubtedly worth it. Algorithms keep us in our own corners, and being exposed to the harsher sides of another's is a quick one-two (three, four, five-six) to the gut, which is a reoccurring experience throughout this narrative. But listening and putting defensiveness to the side is necessary for growth, love, and change.
The challenges these characters face are ones we can all learn from regardless of class or creed. From race, age, sexuality, or any other identity we hold, this story is important for you.
Would have rated higher for personal taste in pace and wants for the exploration of character growth, as well as lasting taste in my mouth. Much of this, I think, is attributed to it being for teens. Would have rated it lower if not for how enjoyable a read it was.
For a book that explores accountability, much of it was extreamly surface level, and left me wanting for the main love interest to have found more meaningful progress, specifically in his hand in causing 90% of the harm in this book. He literally begged Lark to keep his secret, and it never gets adressed later, after eveything snowballs. Lots of "sorry"s go around, but Lark is so idyllic that real accountability is rarely given to them. (This can be said for many of the characters.) The snowball of negativity surrounding bullying through social media never really gets addressed as well, except in broad terms that, while realistic given the plot, leave me feeling less than hopeful for it's impact on young readers, and if I didn't enjoy the book as much as I did, I would have rated it lower for it.
The initial characterizations left me wondering if I was hopelessly out of touch, or if the author was, with today's teens. Every line felt just close enough to believable that it teetered on stereotypical, clearly through the lens of social media. But with a nd sibling who was caught in the throes of pandemic academic life, I think those characterizations might be more accurate than I might have thought to begin with, beyond also being a part of a community I am not steeped in.
The meta of a story about a writer learning about writing and exploring that journey for themselves (and why a story shouldn't do that) was enough to tickle me silly, but compounding that with the narrative voice of a truely neurodivergent mind was a beautiful ride that leaves me craving more. The ride of Lark's trailing mind felt so close to home that being done with this book feels like loosing it's companionship. Where else will I get Hamilton lyrics spliced with intense emotional dialogs?
The exploration of diversity within a single racial community was charming and eye opening on a number of levels, and the social issues addressed and explored by so many different views leaves a lot to dwell on, particularly as a white reader. Sometimes it was a challenging read listening to an echo chamber that mirrors the hatred these characters, (and black society as a whole) were raised in, but undoubtedly worth it. Algorithms keep us in our own corners, and being exposed to the harsher sides of another's is a quick one-two (three, four, five-six) to the gut, which is a reoccurring experience throughout this narrative. But listening and putting defensiveness to the side is necessary for growth, love, and change.
The challenges these characters face are ones we can all learn from regardless of class or creed. From race, age, sexuality, or any other identity we hold, this story is important for you.
Would have rated higher for personal taste in pace and wants for the exploration of character growth, as well as lasting taste in my mouth. Much of this, I think, is attributed to it being for teens. Would have rated it lower if not for how enjoyable a read it was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Transphobia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Racial slurs, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Biphobia, Police brutality, Bullying, Classism, Homophobia, Mental illness, Body shaming, and Hate crime
golden_hanne's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
waitingforthesecondstar's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The representation in this book was fantastic--utterly unsurprising, considering how talented Callender is at incorporating a myriad of identities into stories. I really struggled with the first half of this book, as the setup and initial characterization of most people was difficult for me to get into. However, by the last fourth of the book, I felt that the story really redeemed itself, and I enjoyed seeing how much Lark grew and learned along the way.
fraeuleinhallo's review against another edition
5.0
Wirklich toll, mal nicht - binären Charakteren in einer Geschichte zu folgen. Ich hab das lesen als sehr empowernd empfunden, gerade durch die sehr intensive Auseinandersetzung mit psychischer Gesundheit und Queer - Themen. Die Empfindung, Lark durch demm permanentes Gedankenkarussell als anstrengend zu lesen hatte ich oft, das Buch motiviert aber sehr, sich Gedanken darum zu machen warum das so ist. Spannend fand ich auch die anderen Personen mit teils genderneutralem Namen, da ich es schwierig fand, mir die Person beim Lesen vorzustellen.
lierenprotectionsquad's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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? Yes
3.5
writingcaia's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
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
I really like the thematic of Kacen’s books I’ve read so far. Family, romance, race, and most of all self-acceptance, self-love, finding one self.
On this one we have a very eager to please, 17-year-old, Black, neurodivergent, non-binary Lark, who seems to be very confused about who they are and what is really important, which seems to have happened along with their distancing from their best friend, the Black and trans Kasim.
When their Twitter blows up with a recent unrequited love declaration tweet that they realise Kasim wrote on their account by accident instead of coming clean, afraid of the blow back, they perpetuate the lie. Inevitably their lies and the confrontation with their self comes crashing, but not before starting dating with Eli, their crush, and making new friends they might lose if the lie is discovered.
It’s a very interior book, with a lot of inner dialogue, not surprising with a character in the spectrum who wants to be a writer, but there’re external debates too that expand on their thoughts, about truth, race, love, forgiveness, acceptance and accountability.
It has YA tone more than Felix Ever After, just so you know, but it wasn’t juvenile or lame, I actually loved the little quips Kacen added about being a YA vs an adult, and the criticism of one and a the other as readers and people.
Having said that, it did become a bit repetitive towards the middle and I was getting a bit bored with Lark and the constant similar thoughts and actions, but I guess it was the objective to showcase their personality, issues and difficulties, as it then shifts some and the pacing accelerates according to the events that start to occur in and outside Lark’s mind. Still, it did put me off for a bit, luckily I persevered, because the story is worth it.
Last, although we don’t have Kasim’s POV he is very much a present character, and his issues of abandonment, race and depression, plus his own reckoning were some of my favourite parts. In truth, the cast is excellent, and you get a real feel for all of them and their own struggles.
A beautiful story that I’d definitely recommend to teens, and adults who are not afraid to learn and reckon their own selves— bias, prejudices, superiority with seniority will not be tolerated, so buckle up.
On this one we have a very eager to please, 17-year-old, Black, neurodivergent, non-binary Lark, who seems to be very confused about who they are and what is really important, which seems to have happened along with their distancing from their best friend, the Black and trans Kasim.
When their Twitter blows up with a recent unrequited love declaration tweet that they realise Kasim wrote on their account by accident instead of coming clean, afraid of the blow back, they perpetuate the lie. Inevitably their lies and the confrontation with their self comes crashing, but not before starting dating with Eli, their crush, and making new friends they might lose if the lie is discovered.
It’s a very interior book, with a lot of inner dialogue, not surprising with a character in the spectrum who wants to be a writer, but there’re external debates too that expand on their thoughts, about truth, race, love, forgiveness, acceptance and accountability.
It has YA tone more than Felix Ever After, just so you know, but it wasn’t juvenile or lame, I actually loved the little quips Kacen added about being a YA vs an adult, and the criticism of one and a the other as readers and people.
Having said that, it did become a bit repetitive towards the middle and I was getting a bit bored with Lark and the constant similar thoughts and actions, but I guess it was the objective to showcase their personality, issues and difficulties, as it then shifts some and the pacing accelerates according to the events that start to occur in and outside Lark’s mind. Still, it did put me off for a bit, luckily I persevered, because the story is worth it.
Last, although we don’t have Kasim’s POV he is very much a present character, and his issues of abandonment, race and depression, plus his own reckoning were some of my favourite parts. In truth, the cast is excellent, and you get a real feel for all of them and their own struggles.
A beautiful story that I’d definitely recommend to teens, and adults who are not afraid to learn and reckon their own selves— bias, prejudices, superiority with seniority will not be tolerated, so buckle up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Bullying, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, and Gaslighting
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Police brutality