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moshang's review
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.75
missprint_'s review
3.0
CeCe Ross and her girlfriend Silvie Castillo Ramírez are social media influencers. They have the cute outfits, the followers, and the endorsement deals to prove it. Plus, the girls are total relationship goals--hashtag Cevie forever. Until Cevie is over and CeCe is left mourning what she had thought was a perfect relationship while also figuring out how to handle the public nature of the breakup with her followers.
CeCe is always worried about her online engagement and obsesses over every post. She wonders if anyone would follow her to hear about the issues she cares about instead of the new hand cream she's been sent to try. She wonders if her followers will like her without Silvie.
Enter Josh the new guy in town who is smart, musical, has great taste in donuts, and no clue about social media. CeCe has always known she's bisexual so falling for Josh isn't a surprise, but as her feelings for Josh grow she wonders if she has to tell Josh about her internet fame.
When CeCe's efforts to keep her public persona a secret go spectacularly wrong CeCe will have to answer uncomfortable questions from Josh and confront the media attention centered around who she chooses to date and the version of herself she chooses to share in Follow Your Arrow (2021) by Jessica Verdi.
At the start of Follow Your Arrow CeCe is struggling as she deals with the breakup and tries to ignore her increasing anxiety when it comes to maintaining her online presence and giving her followers the content they want and expect. Readers see some of this content in social media posts that appear between chapters. After years of defining herself in relation to Silvie and curating her public persona, CeCe isn't sure who she is when she's no longer part of a couple--especially one as visible as Cevie.
Verdi doesn't shy away from showing the work that goes into curating an online presence as an influencer. It's a hustle and it can be exhausting--which CeCe knows all too well. But it can also lead to some lasting and genuine friendships like CeCe's long-distance best friend in Australia.
While bisexuality is much more mainstream now it is still often sidelined or erased in the larger LGBTQ+ community where bisexuals can be accused of “passing” in heterosexual presenting relationships. Follow Your Arrow tackles that head on as CeCe is forced to publicly justify both her relationship choices and her social media persona.
Follow Your Arrow is a fast-paced story filled with humor and compassion. Come for the behind-the-scenes look at life as an influencer and the sweet romance, stay for the thoughtful commentary on both bisexual erasure and the separate spheres of public and private life.
Possible Pairings: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo, Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender, Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan, You Have a Match by Emma Lord, Radio Silence by Alice Oseman, Odd One Out by Nic Stone, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell
CeCe is always worried about her online engagement and obsesses over every post. She wonders if anyone would follow her to hear about the issues she cares about instead of the new hand cream she's been sent to try. She wonders if her followers will like her without Silvie.
Enter Josh the new guy in town who is smart, musical, has great taste in donuts, and no clue about social media. CeCe has always known she's bisexual so falling for Josh isn't a surprise, but as her feelings for Josh grow she wonders if she has to tell Josh about her internet fame.
When CeCe's efforts to keep her public persona a secret go spectacularly wrong CeCe will have to answer uncomfortable questions from Josh and confront the media attention centered around who she chooses to date and the version of herself she chooses to share in Follow Your Arrow (2021) by Jessica Verdi.
At the start of Follow Your Arrow CeCe is struggling as she deals with the breakup and tries to ignore her increasing anxiety when it comes to maintaining her online presence and giving her followers the content they want and expect. Readers see some of this content in social media posts that appear between chapters. After years of defining herself in relation to Silvie and curating her public persona, CeCe isn't sure who she is when she's no longer part of a couple--especially one as visible as Cevie.
Verdi doesn't shy away from showing the work that goes into curating an online presence as an influencer. It's a hustle and it can be exhausting--which CeCe knows all too well. But it can also lead to some lasting and genuine friendships like CeCe's long-distance best friend in Australia.
While bisexuality is much more mainstream now it is still often sidelined or erased in the larger LGBTQ+ community where bisexuals can be accused of “passing” in heterosexual presenting relationships. Follow Your Arrow tackles that head on as CeCe is forced to publicly justify both her relationship choices and her social media persona.
Follow Your Arrow is a fast-paced story filled with humor and compassion. Come for the behind-the-scenes look at life as an influencer and the sweet romance, stay for the thoughtful commentary on both bisexual erasure and the separate spheres of public and private life.
Possible Pairings: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo, Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender, Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan, You Have a Match by Emma Lord, Radio Silence by Alice Oseman, Odd One Out by Nic Stone, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell
zombi02's review
3.0
Hell yeah bi-rep! And hell yeah for punching bi-phobia in THE FACE! I thought this was a fun quick read. The constant use of # was a bit annoying but, it fit the theme.
laauura's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
wunder's review
3.0
Nice bi rep, but I wish it was in a better book. Had to slog through 70+ pages of CeCe talking to herself about herself between a break-up and a meet-up. Then we have a big canned speech at the end instead of actually interacting with people. And we are supposed to believe that both she and her buddy are in the 4% of Instagram users with over a million followers? Really? And what is with "the app". Just say it. It was work to finish this and it wasn't really worth it.
cocoa_puppy320's review
2.0
I thought it was ok. Its technically a YA however I felt like it could be better suited as a middle grade book, if the characters ages were like 14. They really didn't act their age and honestly it was a little to vanilla for me. I won't be picking it up again.
lazygal's review
3.0
Another book about teen influencers, this one part of a portmonteau couple "Cevie" who blog about fashion, being lesbian teens and other positive things. Then they break up. How is CeCe going to manage without Stevie, without the online life she's created? Following her life from the breakup to discovering who she is, both online and off, is filled with the kind of moments that feel real, like her watching tv with her mother or her struggling to explain the online life to someone who is never online. There's backlash over some of her decisions, support over others.
Not having grown up in this online environment, I don't know what I or my friends would have done had we had access to Instagram or TikTok or name-your-program. As a result, it's sometimes difficult to know what advice to give a teen today. Perhaps this book will provide some of the answers?
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
Not having grown up in this online environment, I don't know what I or my friends would have done had we had access to Instagram or TikTok or name-your-program. As a result, it's sometimes difficult to know what advice to give a teen today. Perhaps this book will provide some of the answers?
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
consultantames's review
3.0
I appreciate the topics that were galked about in this book, slightly similar to my own experience considering the topic about bisexuality. I loved the chemistry between the protagonist and her love interest. Some things were too much on the nose for me, because I imagine this story was opted for 17+years. Some things got spelled out a little too much for my liking. Nevertheless important topics and interesting characters, just not my demographic. Would love to see some "adultish" work from the author
kathrynkaupa's review
5.0
Oh my, what a perfect LGBTQIA+ YA novel, about bi-erasure and the pressures of social media (not in a preachy way either!), and the joys of young love.
Perfect
Perfect