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__helena__'s review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Homophobia and Bullying
Minor: Alcohol, Medical content, and Cursing
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
ollie_again's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
- 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, Fatphobia, and Bullying
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Alcohol and Religious bigotry
imstephtacular's review
emotional
funny
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Fatphobia, and Homophobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, and Mental illness
Minor: Racism
iamcupid_'s review
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? Yes
5.0
this book. wow. this... book.
I've been putting off reading this book because I knew I would like it so I kept waiting for the right time to read it and when's a better time than when it's so hot your sweat is practically gluing you to your chair because the power went out?
First of all, the cover. The beautiful, wonderful, amazing, pretty, gorgeous, eyecatching cover. That was why I was so nervous going into this book, my experience with pretty book covers is that they almost always end up being better than the actual content of the book. But not in this case, oh no, Vitor said what you see is what you get.
Second of all, the poc and queer and fat rep. Need I say more?
Third of all, Felipé, our main character. There's a fine line between relatable and annoying when it comes to fictional characters, especially when they're a teenager. I have no problem with annoying teenage characters because real teenagers really ARE annoying. But you don't want to read about a character who annoys you, do you? But I didn't find myself being annoyed at Felipé. In fact, as someone who is the same age, it felt like I was reading about a friend. Because I picked this up when I'm the same age as the main characters, it became more personal to me. I was laughing, crying, and smiling with him. I just love him very much.
Lastly, everything else. It didn't feel like this book was trying too hard. It was just a story about an insecure and bullied teenager trying to get through life and maybe find some romance along the way. It didn't try to be something else. It was straightforward and I appreciated that. I'm definitely rereading this again soon.
I've been putting off reading this book because I knew I would like it so I kept waiting for the right time to read it and when's a better time than when it's so hot your sweat is practically gluing you to your chair because the power went out?
First of all, the cover. The beautiful, wonderful, amazing, pretty, gorgeous, eyecatching cover. That was why I was so nervous going into this book, my experience with pretty book covers is that they almost always end up being better than the actual content of the book. But not in this case, oh no, Vitor said what you see is what you get.
Second of all, the poc and queer and fat rep. Need I say more?
Third of all, Felipé, our main character. There's a fine line between relatable and annoying when it comes to fictional characters, especially when they're a teenager. I have no problem with annoying teenage characters because real teenagers really ARE annoying. But you don't want to read about a character who annoys you, do you? But I didn't find myself being annoyed at Felipé. In fact, as someone who is the same age, it felt like I was reading about a friend. Because I picked this up when I'm the same age as the main characters, it became more personal to me. I was laughing, crying, and smiling with him. I just love him very much.
Lastly, everything else. It didn't feel like this book was trying too hard. It was just a story about an insecure and bullied teenager trying to get through life and maybe find some romance along the way. It didn't try to be something else. It was straightforward and I appreciated that. I'm definitely rereading this again soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Bullying, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Alcohol
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
alyssasopenbook's review
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
Moderate: Fatphobia, Bullying, and Homophobia
Minor: Alcohol
lizardbet's review
emotional
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
3.5
This book is absolutely such an adorable read, following a charming cast of characters over about two weeks during school break. Felipe is a fat teenaged boy who is bullied for his weight and his appearance at school, resulting in his general isolation and anxiety. He has a crush on his neighbor and former childhood friend, Caio, and is suddenly forced to spend 15 days in close quarters with him when Caio's parents go away on vacation and don't want him to stay home alone.
The relationship between Felipe and Caio, and his mother, his schoolmates, and his opinion of himself are the focus of the story, with the chapters following one day at a time over this school break. There isn't a lot of plot, it's mostly the characters wandering around town or hanging out in the house and getting to know each other. This isn't my usual cup of tea, as I tend to prefer plot-driven stories but enough does happen that it doesn't seem to drag and I was able to stay invested.
I absolutely loved the representation in this book, and it becomes really evident that this is an important sticking point for the author. First off, and most importantly in the story, Felipe is fat. He doesn't shy away from this idea, nor from the word itself. Felipe has a pretty poor opinion of himself and is generally treated really poorly by his peers as well, and much of the story is him struggling to accept himself and stand up for himself, and also learn to believe that someone else may also love him, not just his mother.
Felipe is also gay. This is neither a surprise to those around nor to himself and his coming out and self acceptance of his sexuality is not a major part of the story. While this is touched upon with Caio's storyline, it's really refreshing to see an LGBTQIA YA story that isn't focused on coming out.
The rest of the characters are also extremely diverse and charming, and they're honestly a joy to learn about. Felipe and his mom have a beautiful and healthy relationship as they love and support each other through the whole book. Caio's best friend Becky and her girlfriend seem to be introduced to push and inspire Felipe and Caio's relationship and provide more friends for Felipe to have by the end of the story, but they're just as lovable and independent as you might hope as well.
The development of the romance between Felipe and Caio is really awkward and clumsy but so lovely and real, especially for a fumbling teenaged sort-of strangers to friends to lovers story set over a couple weeks. The emotional rollercoaster Felipe feels, the complications and interactions and stumbling blocks, all feel very real and relatable and I really love every bit of it.
The part where this book falls a bit flat for me is the writing itself. First person books aren't my favorite style, but more of my issues come with the smaller scale stuff. I feel like it's probably a result of the fact that this is a translated work, and sometimes that can create difficulties in the interpretation. I really loved the story and the style, but sometimes it felt like the translator's interpretation took me out of it a bit.
The relationship between Felipe and Caio, and his mother, his schoolmates, and his opinion of himself are the focus of the story, with the chapters following one day at a time over this school break. There isn't a lot of plot, it's mostly the characters wandering around town or hanging out in the house and getting to know each other. This isn't my usual cup of tea, as I tend to prefer plot-driven stories but enough does happen that it doesn't seem to drag and I was able to stay invested.
I absolutely loved the representation in this book, and it becomes really evident that this is an important sticking point for the author. First off, and most importantly in the story, Felipe is fat. He doesn't shy away from this idea, nor from the word itself. Felipe has a pretty poor opinion of himself and is generally treated really poorly by his peers as well, and much of the story is him struggling to accept himself and stand up for himself, and also learn to believe that someone else may also love him, not just his mother.
Felipe is also gay. This is neither a surprise to those around nor to himself and his coming out and self acceptance of his sexuality is not a major part of the story. While this is touched upon with Caio's storyline, it's really refreshing to see an LGBTQIA YA story that isn't focused on coming out.
The rest of the characters are also extremely diverse and charming, and they're honestly a joy to learn about. Felipe and his mom have a beautiful and healthy relationship as they love and support each other through the whole book. Caio's best friend Becky and her girlfriend seem to be introduced to push and inspire Felipe and Caio's relationship and provide more friends for Felipe to have by the end of the story, but they're just as lovable and independent as you might hope as well.
The development of the romance between Felipe and Caio is really awkward and clumsy but so lovely and real, especially for a fumbling teenaged sort-of strangers to friends to lovers story set over a couple weeks. The emotional rollercoaster Felipe feels, the complications and interactions and stumbling blocks, all feel very real and relatable and I really love every bit of it.
The part where this book falls a bit flat for me is the writing itself. First person books aren't my favorite style, but more of my issues come with the smaller scale stuff. I feel like it's probably a result of the fact that this is a translated work, and sometimes that can create difficulties in the interpretation. I really loved the story and the style, but sometimes it felt like the translator's interpretation took me out of it a bit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Fatphobia
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Alcohol
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
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