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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
Omg gosh this book was beautiful! It made me laugh, cry, and squill with happiness.
Let's talk about thing that toke away half a star which is the religion aspect. First here is some background I am a pansexual and demisexual girl who is Mormon and lives in Lehi, Utah which is about five minutes away from Provo, Utah. There was alot of moments that I felt like they where saying that everyone In the Mormon religion is homophobic and evil which is so not true. It felt like there was alot of time that if felt like they where just attacking the Mormon religion.
But besides that I loved this book and related to it so much. I loved the characters and the romance.
It was just so beautiful!
Update 9/27/21
I wrote this review forever ago on Goodreads and now I'm moving over here but alot has changed since I wrote this review... I'm now a gender fluid, non-binary, pansexual, and demisexual Hellenic eclectic witch and so some of my opinions have changed and I do want to reread this book to see what I think of it now.
Let's talk about thing that toke away half a star which is the religion aspect. First here is some background I am a pansexual and demisexual girl who is Mormon and lives in Lehi, Utah which is about five minutes away from Provo, Utah. There was alot of moments that I felt like they where saying that everyone In the Mormon religion is homophobic and evil which is so not true. It felt like there was alot of time that if felt like they where just attacking the Mormon religion.
But besides that I loved this book and related to it so much. I loved the characters and the romance.
It was just so beautiful!
Update 9/27/21
I wrote this review forever ago on Goodreads and now I'm moving over here but alot has changed since I wrote this review... I'm now a gender fluid, non-binary, pansexual, and demisexual Hellenic eclectic witch and so some of my opinions have changed and I do want to reread this book to see what I think of it now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Sexual content
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
7th Dec: I’ve read this three times and I want to read it again. I need help
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content
Minor: Biphobia
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia
Moderate: Religious bigotry
challenging
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Outing, Gaslighting, Alcohol
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Book was well written , had very interesting plot up until the last give or take 20 pages when the end felt rushed and left a lot of questions.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia
Minor: Religious bigotry
challenging
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:
Complicated
My favorite LGBTQIA+ book i read this pride month was by far this book. Also I will read anything Christina Lauren write! I’m working my way through their backlist right now. This book is so different from any of their previous books but is no less lovely.
This is a YA story about a boy who is bisexual, who recently relocated to Utah from progressive California. It is the struggle he has with not being out at school or in his community (but he is out at home and his family is wonderfully supportive). There is a lot of discussion about religion and how that affects how many of the towns people view the world and how they choose to see those who are different from them.
Tanner falls for a boy who is Mormon. That boy has to struggle with his identity and how to navigate his religious family (his father is a bishop) and finding his way in their secret relationship.
This book is beautifully written, thought provoking, heartbreaking at times but also full of hope. There is light at the end of the tunnel for both these boys and if they could just manage to escape this town then they could have a chance at an even better more fulfilled life. I enjoyed every second of this one! I listened on audiobook and highly recommend this to any of my readers, romance, YA, and all of the above. If you’re looking for a book to wrap up your pride month reading go for this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Sexual content
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As a bisexual who lives in Utah, this book is absolutely amazing and really sums up what it's like to be both queer and not lds while living in Utah. It's heartbreaking, and funny, and painfully real. 10/10 for anyone to read, absolutely required if you're the odd one out in a deeply religious area.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Misogyny, Gaslighting
emotional
hopeful
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
I really enjoyed the Christina Lauren book I read for an adult audience, but I wasn't sure how their talents would translate to the YA market. Turns out I had no cause for concern, because this was knocked out of the park. I was a bit confused at first, since there were two narrators listed, but the second didn't appear until close to the end of the book.
The characters were all so well-crafted, and it was easy to feel connected to them. Tanner, Autumn, Sebastian, and even the side characters felt as though they could easily be real people. The connections between the main characters were so poignant, and I loved how they supported each other. For people who don't get the support they need from birth family, friends become found family, the way they do in this book.
Although I know very little about the Mormon religion and the people who practice it, this book went a long way to break down the stereotypes surrounding them in a sensitive way. I learned a lot more about the practices, especially the emphasis on service, and not just the proselytizing and homophobia that is more well-known. It broke my heart to see how the church and people who belong to it views being gay as more of a choice, and is so willing to shun members, or even people in their family for being gay. It especially hit hard when it was contrasted to Tanner's incredibly supportive family.
This story was incredibly moving, and I loved how it incorporated school, friendship, family relationships, with the added complexity of religion and being LGBT. This is such an important story to tell, and I'm glad that it was done so beautifully. This is one of my favorite Pride Month books, and I'm so grateful that my library highlighted it so that I came across it.
The characters were all so well-crafted, and it was easy to feel connected to them. Tanner, Autumn, Sebastian, and even the side characters felt as though they could easily be real people. The connections between the main characters were so poignant, and I loved how they supported each other. For people who don't get the support they need from birth family, friends become found family, the way they do in this book.
Although I know very little about the Mormon religion and the people who practice it, this book went a long way to break down the stereotypes surrounding them in a sensitive way. I learned a lot more about the practices, especially the emphasis on service, and not just the proselytizing and homophobia that is more well-known. It broke my heart to see how the church and people who belong to it views being gay as more of a choice, and is so willing to shun members, or even people in their family for being gay. It especially hit hard when it was contrasted to Tanner's incredibly supportive family.
This story was incredibly moving, and I loved how it incorporated school, friendship, family relationships, with the added complexity of religion and being LGBT. This is such an important story to tell, and I'm glad that it was done so beautifully. This is one of my favorite Pride Month books, and I'm so grateful that my library highlighted it so that I came across it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Religious bigotry