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ophycore's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Bullying, Violence, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Body shaming, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Death, Sexual content, and Drug abuse
kirsten_marie's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.75
Here The Whole Time was just such a sweet, innocent and heartwarming story wich takes place over the 15 days of winter break. For me it was a little slow, especially in kind of the middle of the book. But it definitely picked up for the ending. I have never read a book like this, with a main character as relatable as Felipe. His character and the romance comforted me in several ways.
Would recommend for anyone in the mood for something cute and relaxing with good representation.
Also, I have never ever read a book with this many movie and book references in my life.
(not a bad thing)
🦩📚
Would recommend for anyone in the mood for something cute and relaxing with good representation.
Also, I have never ever read a book with this many movie and book references in my life.
(not a bad thing)
🦩📚
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, and Fatphobia
Minor: Alcohol, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Sexual content
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
3.25
here the whole time is a cute and funny read w/ great rep and a sweet main couple that explores important issues, and i do wish i liked it more but rn the book feels like it's missing a lil sth.
first of all, it's great to have a fat main character like felipe, for all the rep and perspective he brings. his issues, thoughts, and insecurities are painfully relatable, and i feel them all vicariously thru him, so familiar they are. as for the characters, i esp enjoy felipe's refreshing relationship w/ his mom, the will-they-wont-they w/ caio, and the unique, mildly chaotic vibe of those 3 tgt. various issues like fatphobia, homophobia, and bodyshaming presented are also nuanced, and serve as a good reminder that everyone has their own issues, no matter how great their life seems to be.
it's a shame, therefore, that i feel like this book's missing sth; just some spark that could elevate it to a whole other level. i think the book should've been at least a lil longer, as the ending - though not wholly abrupt - feels too quick still; an "after" chapter wouldve been great. and although the novel's an enjoyable enough read, i feel it has even more potential left unlocked from many possible plot points and threads introduced yet not fully explored, like eddie from the community center or caio w/ his family. rn it seems like many scenes are shown but not utilized enough.
w/ a cute romance, funny moments, and good exploration of some serious issues, this is a nice queer read that nevertheless has its flaws.
first of all, it's great to have a fat main character like felipe, for all the rep and perspective he brings. his issues, thoughts, and insecurities are painfully relatable, and i feel them all vicariously thru him, so familiar they are. as for the characters, i esp enjoy felipe's refreshing relationship w/ his mom, the will-they-wont-they w/ caio, and the unique, mildly chaotic vibe of those 3 tgt. various issues like fatphobia, homophobia, and bodyshaming presented are also nuanced, and serve as a good reminder that everyone has their own issues, no matter how great their life seems to be.
it's a shame, therefore, that i feel like this book's missing sth; just some spark that could elevate it to a whole other level. i think the book should've been at least a lil longer, as the ending - though not wholly abrupt - feels too quick still; an "after" chapter wouldve been great. and although the novel's an enjoyable enough read, i feel it has even more potential left unlocked from many possible plot points and threads introduced yet not fully explored, like eddie from the community center or caio w/ his family. rn it seems like many scenes are shown but not utilized enough.
w/ a cute romance, funny moments, and good exploration of some serious issues, this is a nice queer read that nevertheless has its flaws.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Homophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Lesbophobia, and Body shaming
leahhartjacobs's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
5.0
This book is absolutely adorable. I great exploration of self-acceptance in love in one of the most awkward time of someone’s life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
ariam's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I really liked how felipe and caio progressively opened up to each other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Homophobia
Moderate: Lesbophobia and Cursing
lessthelonely's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
So, since Scandal got in the mix and this week I started Season 4 just because - I'm going to episode 3 sometime soon, I hope, can't say -, I entered what people could call a reading slump. I've been a bit uncomfortable with doing anything at all, extremely bored, but at the same time, I wanted to do something that at least contributed to something nice. Obviously, watching a TV show counts because I'm not looking to do something that will change the course of human life, just something that made me feel less than depressed. Reading a book counts too.
Yesterday I tried three different books until I landed on this one - I'm not going to disclose the others. I'm going to try and finish the second one I tried because even though it didn't grab me like I wanted it to, it still wasn't bad and maybe I just need to give it another fair shot. Either way! Here The Whole Time is a Brasilian published book in the Queer lit genre, which, as someone whose mother language is (European) Portuguese, is a good thing because I got to read the book in Portuguese. I'm not going to be addressing the book by its Portuguese title, Quinze Dias, which just means 15 Days, though I would say that the English title, though it's something that sticks with you, I don't see it fitting the book itself. But then again, many YA English books sometimes go for the good-sounding title instead of the meaningful one.
This book is a light read. A very, very light read. We're talking Buzzfeed kind of light - there isn't a plot, just one simple premise. Felipe is a teenager in what I believe is either High School or Middle School (since the Brasilian term for the age range Felipe is in is Ensino Médio (Middle School), I'd say he's in the latter. In European Portuguese, Ensino Médio is probably Segundo ou Terceiro Ciclo (Second or Third Cycle). But education systems aside, Felipe's whole deal is that he's fat and he has very low self-esteem from ears being mistreated and bullied in school, which, fair enough!
The fat jokes are left and right in this book - very prevalent -, and used as comic relief. Though I felt uncomfortable with some of them, not because they weren't "good" (in the sense of badly written), more because it went into that area of self-deprecation where laughing at the joke isn't the point, it's the goal. They don't want you to laugh with them, just because of them. At their expense. So that was uncomfortable but I wouldn't say it's tactless at all, though, at first glance, I did think it was. Going a bit more into the book, I understood that this was the point, it was uncomfortable because it was supposed to be uncomfortable. You're lured in by the first few minor jokes but at some point, the exaggeration comes and you don't realize that it's not funny anymore, no, you realize it's never been funny.
On the other hand, this book is 100% devoid of plot. That's OK, I'd compare this to Simon vs. The Homosapiens Agenda because what makes this book is the feel-good intention and pop culture references. I remember reading Simon and loving it because it was the first-ever book that was unabashedly queer that I could get my hands on (the first one that was queer in any way was Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green and David Levithan - stay away from it). Simon had Oreos and other references - I believe Harry Potter was there somewhere -, this one has a bit of Twitter, Lord of The Rings, and a lot of gay culture that I, as a gay can recognize, but it doesn't make up for the fact that this book didn't have any real character development.
There were some moments I laughed, I'll give that to Mister Vitor Martins. Some banter between Felipe and his mom, Rita, was very good. The inclusion of a therapist was also amazing, but the sort of values this book tries to push are very much giving Disney Channel Original Movie. The turning point of Felipe is at a festa junina (the Brazilian equivalent of what in Portugal are called Santos Populares - these parties centered around Saints): two of his bullies decide to, well, bully him, and he stands up and tells them to fuck themselves. Literally, that's it. I don't know how the English translation put it, but in Portuguese it was Vão-se foder, and that means Fuck you.
So it's very I used to not do anything because I'm not courageous but I said a swear word and stood up for myself and my problems disappeared. The book does make a point to show that the bullies will continue bullying Felipe in school, but it still frames this as a giant win. Here's the thing, though, this would be better if I was 12 and believed this shit. This book has a very clear target audience and that's OK, but I do still have a need to call this sort of how to deal with bullies technique problematic because I'm sure we all know that if some people want to ruin our day, they'll do it to the bitter end no matter what swearwords we throw at them. I do consider, however, this book to be harmless for kids more on the older side (15 and up, I'd say).
Outside of that, the romance - I'm usually not one to enjoy romances where the crush is settled from the very first page, but this one was OK. It understood the assignment that if you want to make a crush sell you're going to have to roll in a good dose of romantic pining. Felipe likes Caio and you begin to understand why, while at the same time understanding why he's so terrified of interacting with him, so those parts are fun.
On another hand, the Mom is probably the second-best part of this book after the little romance. She's a basic human mom with a little bit of personality. Perfect for this kind of book. If you want to try a bit of translated queer lit, this can be it!
Yesterday I tried three different books until I landed on this one - I'm not going to disclose the others. I'm going to try and finish the second one I tried because even though it didn't grab me like I wanted it to, it still wasn't bad and maybe I just need to give it another fair shot. Either way! Here The Whole Time is a Brasilian published book in the Queer lit genre, which, as someone whose mother language is (European) Portuguese, is a good thing because I got to read the book in Portuguese. I'm not going to be addressing the book by its Portuguese title, Quinze Dias, which just means 15 Days, though I would say that the English title, though it's something that sticks with you, I don't see it fitting the book itself. But then again, many YA English books sometimes go for the good-sounding title instead of the meaningful one.
This book is a light read. A very, very light read. We're talking Buzzfeed kind of light - there isn't a plot, just one simple premise. Felipe is a teenager in what I believe is either High School or Middle School (since the Brasilian term for the age range Felipe is in is Ensino Médio (Middle School), I'd say he's in the latter. In European Portuguese, Ensino Médio is probably Segundo ou Terceiro Ciclo (Second or Third Cycle). But education systems aside, Felipe's whole deal is that he's fat and he has very low self-esteem from ears being mistreated and bullied in school, which, fair enough!
The fat jokes are left and right in this book - very prevalent -, and used as comic relief. Though I felt uncomfortable with some of them, not because they weren't "good" (in the sense of badly written), more because it went into that area of self-deprecation where laughing at the joke isn't the point, it's the goal. They don't want you to laugh with them, just because of them. At their expense. So that was uncomfortable but I wouldn't say it's tactless at all, though, at first glance, I did think it was. Going a bit more into the book, I understood that this was the point, it was uncomfortable because it was supposed to be uncomfortable. You're lured in by the first few minor jokes but at some point, the exaggeration comes and you don't realize that it's not funny anymore, no, you realize it's never been funny.
On the other hand, this book is 100% devoid of plot. That's OK, I'd compare this to Simon vs. The Homosapiens Agenda because what makes this book is the feel-good intention and pop culture references. I remember reading Simon and loving it because it was the first-ever book that was unabashedly queer that I could get my hands on (the first one that was queer in any way was Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green and David Levithan - stay away from it). Simon had Oreos and other references - I believe Harry Potter was there somewhere -, this one has a bit of Twitter, Lord of The Rings, and a lot of gay culture that I, as a gay can recognize, but it doesn't make up for the fact that this book didn't have any real character development.
There were some moments I laughed, I'll give that to Mister Vitor Martins. Some banter between Felipe and his mom, Rita, was very good. The inclusion of a therapist was also amazing, but the sort of values this book tries to push are very much giving Disney Channel Original Movie. The turning point of Felipe is at a festa junina (the Brazilian equivalent of what in Portugal are called Santos Populares - these parties centered around Saints): two of his bullies decide to, well, bully him, and he stands up and tells them to fuck themselves. Literally, that's it. I don't know how the English translation put it, but in Portuguese it was Vão-se foder, and that means Fuck you.
So it's very I used to not do anything because I'm not courageous but I said a swear word and stood up for myself and my problems disappeared. The book does make a point to show that the bullies will continue bullying Felipe in school, but it still frames this as a giant win. Here's the thing, though, this would be better if I was 12 and believed this shit. This book has a very clear target audience and that's OK, but I do still have a need to call this sort of how to deal with bullies technique problematic because I'm sure we all know that if some people want to ruin our day, they'll do it to the bitter end no matter what swearwords we throw at them. I do consider, however, this book to be harmless for kids more on the older side (15 and up, I'd say).
Outside of that, the romance - I'm usually not one to enjoy romances where the crush is settled from the very first page, but this one was OK. It understood the assignment that if you want to make a crush sell you're going to have to roll in a good dose of romantic pining. Felipe likes Caio and you begin to understand why, while at the same time understanding why he's so terrified of interacting with him, so those parts are fun.
On another hand, the Mom is probably the second-best part of this book after the little romance. She's a basic human mom with a little bit of personality. Perfect for this kind of book. If you want to try a bit of translated queer lit, this can be it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia and Homophobia
Minor: Alcohol and Lesbophobia
marit_1305's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
fresatriste's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
A cute and genuine queer coming of age story that we all deserve. This story will warm your heart while simultaneously healing your inner child, especially if you have ever dealt with body image issues, fatphobia, or just ever felt unlovable for any reason related to your body. Not only is the story well written and filled with lovable characters, but it serves as such an important reminder that we’re all deserving and worthy of love for simply being who we are.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
foreverinastory's review
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
5.0
This is the July pick (Translated to English) for the #WickAndJaneBookClub on Instagram.
*Cries forever*
This book was so soft and so sweet. I loved every damn second of it.
Felipe is fat. He has always known this, but it doesn't stop school bullies from making fun of him. He's eagerly awaiting school break, 15 days of sweet vacation where he can be alone. But when he gets home from school, his mom tells him their neighbor, Caio, will be staying with them while his parents are on vacation. Which would be fine except Felipe has had a crush on Caio for as long as he can remember, a list of body insecurities and no idea how to entertain a neighbor who is practically a stranger.
I love Felipe with my whole heart. Honestly, my feelings can be summarized in this emoji: 🥺🥺🥺. Felipe is TOO PRECIOUS. I want to protect him. I loved seeing a friendship develop between him and Caio. While things start out slow and awkward, I loved seeing Felipe come out of his shell. I loved the challenges his therapist set for him and how they encouraged him to grow. Felipe still has insecurities by the end of the book, this is not a "romance cures all" book by any means. But with the bond Felipe carves with Caio and Becky, things do get easier.
Then there's Felipe's mom. Rita was also precious. I loved her so much. I loved seeing such a loving and unconditionally accepting parent/child relationship. Plus the way she adopted Caio was so adorable. Basically I loved this book with my whole heart. It's a slow burn of a book, but it's the best kind of burn.
Rep: Fat Brazilian gay male MC, Brazilian gay male love interest, Fat Black/Brazilian lesbian female side character, bisexual female side character, various other BIPOC side characters.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, biphobia, body shaming, fatphobia, homophobia, lesbophobia, mental illness (anxiety), grief.
*Cries forever*
This book was so soft and so sweet. I loved every damn second of it.
Felipe is fat. He has always known this, but it doesn't stop school bullies from making fun of him. He's eagerly awaiting school break, 15 days of sweet vacation where he can be alone. But when he gets home from school, his mom tells him their neighbor, Caio, will be staying with them while his parents are on vacation. Which would be fine except Felipe has had a crush on Caio for as long as he can remember, a list of body insecurities and no idea how to entertain a neighbor who is practically a stranger.
I love Felipe with my whole heart. Honestly, my feelings can be summarized in this emoji: 🥺🥺🥺. Felipe is TOO PRECIOUS. I want to protect him. I loved seeing a friendship develop between him and Caio. While things start out slow and awkward, I loved seeing Felipe come out of his shell. I loved the challenges his therapist set for him and how they encouraged him to grow. Felipe still has insecurities by the end of the book, this is not a "romance cures all" book by any means. But with the bond Felipe carves with Caio and Becky, things do get easier.
Then there's Felipe's mom. Rita was also precious. I loved her so much. I loved seeing such a loving and unconditionally accepting parent/child relationship. Plus the way she adopted Caio was so adorable. Basically I loved this book with my whole heart. It's a slow burn of a book, but it's the best kind of burn.
Rep: Fat Brazilian gay male MC, Brazilian gay male love interest, Fat Black/Brazilian lesbian female side character, bisexual female side character, various other BIPOC side characters.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, biphobia, body shaming, fatphobia, homophobia, lesbophobia, mental illness (anxiety), grief.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Mental illness
Moderate: Grief
bestnarryever's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
This was the first book that made me cry! Happy tears! I need some time to take it in and make the best review possible because this book is so important ugh <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Body shaming
Moderate: Mental illness and Homophobia
Minor: Misogyny, Racism, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol