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this_momma_is_booked's review
emotional
funny
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
3.75
I really loved this book and the exploration of one's identity and sexuality.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Racism
hue's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.0
A 'oh no, I was accused of lying about something I've been lying about' drama starring an entitled, selfish, self-centered main character with the personality of a bagel who doesn't care about real-life responsibilities. I know it sucks to get a job and pay for your own stuff as a teenager but if you spend 400 dollars a week you should probably get off your ass and do something.
The whole fake-dating scenario was cringe at best. They had no chemistry and honestly, I've seen this trope of 'I used you for clout' so many times before and it's never good. What more can I say? Noah was a terrible person who only cared about himself. Sorry pal, you're not the center of the universe. Why did he hate his brother's girlfriend again? Why was he such a dick to Becca? I thought he'd at least atone at the end of the book but nah.
A wasted seven hours. I don't think I'll pick up another book from the same author again.
The whole fake-dating scenario was cringe at best. They had no chemistry and honestly, I've seen this trope of 'I used you for clout' so many times before and it's never good. What more can I say? Noah was a terrible person who only cared about himself. Sorry pal, you're not the center of the universe. Why did he hate his brother's girlfriend again? Why was he such a dick to Becca? I thought he'd at least atone at the end of the book but nah.
A wasted seven hours. I don't think I'll pick up another book from the same author again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racism
ti_cups's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Its very easy to read, I hasn't been able to read a good this fast in years heh. Even with the reviews that said Noah was unlikeable, honesty I think its worth it to stick with with, at least for me.
Spoliers:
I think this book was really at portraying a toxic relationship, where I felt Drew was giving off red flags since the moment, he came into the picture, Noah was adamant that Drew was great, as he tries to convince himself of this statement. Drew slowly starts appearing a lot worse for himself. and that last moment where Noah finally leaves him is wonderful.
Devin is great, E is a great character :) I loved watching E and Noah's relationship built.
Becca and Brain where also lovely character I really enjoyed them
Spoliers:
I think this book was really at portraying a toxic relationship, where I felt Drew was giving off red flags since the moment, he came into the picture, Noah was adamant that Drew was great, as he tries to convince himself of this statement. Drew slowly starts appearing a lot worse for himself. and that last moment where Noah finally leaves him is wonderful.
Devin is great, E is a great character :) I loved watching E and Noah's relationship built.
Becca and Brain where also lovely character I really enjoyed them
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Racism, Vomit, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
wahlpapers's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.5
I was not immediately hooked because I didn't like Noah all that much. He is careless with his parents' money, a problem which is only barely solved. Thankfully his other flaws gave him a place to grow from. As Noah started to face consequences and learn from them, I got hooked on Meet Cute Diary. He has a problem with boundaries, rash decisions, and living in the real world. All realistic for a teen and all of these helped to build the story. Noah is lucky to have a good support system and learns not to take it for granted.
For every queer Tumblr kid (past and present), Meet Cute Diary is going to feel like a familiar setting. The site functions are described well, the users are painfully real, and Noah's stress over follower numbers really took me back to high school. Emery Lee handles world building in a way that connects for both those in-the-know and those that aren't. E seems to be very good at world building in general. I have never been to Colorado, but I could understand what the summer camp, mountain, bookstore, and more were like. I could step into Noah's summer and didn't want to leave any more than he did.
I know there are others out there, but this is the first contemporary YA romcom (my favorite genre) that I've read with a trans main character. I've read some in the genre by trans authors, but it makes me happy to read about a trans teen finding love, especially with a genderqueer love interest. By halfway through the book, Noah finds himself in a love triangle. Drew, a fan of the blog, and Devon, his summer camp co-worker. Devon uses the same pronouns as Lee, E/Em/Eir/Eirs. Throughout the book, Noah and Devon inspire each other to be their more authentic selves. For Devon, this includes experimenting with pronouns. Noah never bats an eye. I am a cis person, so it is not my place to rank how well the trans experience was incorporated into the book, but I will say that it made me feel happy and as though everything flowed well.
Remember that messy characters do not equal a messy book. Characters make mistakes which makes them that much more real. For the Tumblr kids and those that want to see more trans love stories, check Lee's book out!
For every queer Tumblr kid (past and present), Meet Cute Diary is going to feel like a familiar setting. The site functions are described well, the users are painfully real, and Noah's stress over follower numbers really took me back to high school. Emery Lee handles world building in a way that connects for both those in-the-know and those that aren't. E seems to be very good at world building in general. I have never been to Colorado, but I could understand what the summer camp, mountain, bookstore, and more were like. I could step into Noah's summer and didn't want to leave any more than he did.
I know there are others out there, but this is the first contemporary YA romcom (my favorite genre) that I've read with a trans main character. I've read some in the genre by trans authors, but it makes me happy to read about a trans teen finding love, especially with a genderqueer love interest. By halfway through the book, Noah finds himself in a love triangle. Drew, a fan of the blog, and Devon, his summer camp co-worker. Devon uses the same pronouns as Lee, E/Em/Eir/Eirs. Throughout the book, Noah and Devon inspire each other to be their more authentic selves. For Devon, this includes experimenting with pronouns. Noah never bats an eye. I am a cis person, so it is not my place to rank how well the trans experience was incorporated into the book, but I will say that it made me feel happy and as though everything flowed well.
Remember that messy characters do not equal a messy book. Characters make mistakes which makes them that much more real. For the Tumblr kids and those that want to see more trans love stories, check Lee's book out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racism, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, and Bullying
Minor: Drug use, Dysphoria, and Vomit
fanboyriot's review against another edition
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
5.0
A rom-com about a helpless romantic who falls in love in an unexpected place and with an unexpected person?? With a Trans dude MC and a Non-Binary MC??
♡ Trans Rep
♡ Rom-Com
♡ Great Humor
♡ Friends to Lovers
♡ Slight Angst but with a Happy Ending
This book was adorable with a rom-com worthy ending all the while keeping things realistic. Honestly, it took me a while to get into the story but that might have just been my readers block; however things did improve once Devin was brought into the picture. There were many lovable characters Brian and Becca being on that list, but Devin is seriously one of my new favorite fictional characters eir personality was just so pure and definitely had the: “Lovable Sunshine Character (with Anxiety)” vibes about em. I could literally go on about how much I loved em and how thoughtful e was, such an underrated character.
While the blog posts were formatted really nicely and I enjoyed them being added they were so frustrating to read when the drama with the blog started, I have never wanted to scream at the book more like: “Hush, it’s not like that and it doesn’t concern you stop being so dramatic bestie.”
Noah might have come off as annoying at first but to be honest he was realistic. He was a helpless romantic without an adult (or anyone but Becca and Brian (kinda)) in his life at the time to tell him: “Hey, if you’re trying to force the relationship because this is what you think you should feel…maybe it isn’t true love.” He wanted to believe it was real and fell in love with the idea of being in love. So while it was annoying reading about him finding all this out—it was kinda nice to see a romance book have that realness to it.
I was a bit nervous near the ending, I was a bit unsure how things were going to play out and it took a lot for me not to just read the last page and basically spoil it for myself but I continued on and it was absolutely lovely. The ending was great and it definitely had a rom-com worthy ending and I am for sure going to read more by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cursing, Transphobia, and Vomit
Minor: Alcohol, Bullying, Drug use, Racism, and Suicide attempt
parasolcrafter's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
2.5
this book would have been better if the motivation for it were a LOT clearer earlier on. like, at first i thought the book was going to focus more on the 'troll' who's harassing Noah and his blog online, but it like...didnt? i thought it was going to end up being one of the characters (becca or drew) but it wasnt, and it just felt like a plotpoint that served no real purpose, as well as drew. like, what were his motivations as a character? he says hes not gay, so why did he start dating Noah in the first place? just because of the meet cute diary? it doesnt make any SENSE. noah and devin are fine characters, but i literally felt no chemistry between them. this book was just weak overall, which is unfortunate because the writing was good
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Transphobia, Bullying, Suicide attempt, Cursing, and Racism
Minor: Drug use, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, and Vomit
caelinsullivan's review
funny
hopeful
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Minor: Racism
matheo's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Vomit
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, and Dysphoria
Minor: Suicide attempt, Drug use, Bullying, and Alcohol
longlost's review
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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
fun book. appreciated the subversion of romance tropes. emery lee's writing style was also very engaging and bouncy and id def be interested to read more of eir books. on that note i very much appreciated that a major character uses neopronouns.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Vomit, Transphobia, Cursing, and Mental illness
Minor: Racism, Drug use, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, and Bullying
rey_therese07's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Transphobia, and Vomit
Minor: Suicide attempt, Bullying, and Racism