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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
it was cute! if, like me, YA isn't your bag, this might not be a book for you, as it's very tonally about a bunch of young scamps at boarding school and their misadventures. for me though, it read more as campy than the ways youth can read a bit obnoxious at times, so it was still enjoyable for me.
ultimately, i didn't feel much genuine chemistry between the leads (and i was mostly annoyed by Jasper), plus the ending wherethe school just hand-wavingly gets rid of the ranking system that they'd been using for ages felt unrealistic and a little too easy.
on a trans-specific note, i'm very much over the "my transness is a secret i must keep from everyone" trope in books. there are a lot of reasons someone would want to be stealth, but this book also doesn't really ground Charlie's stealth in any feelings or reasons why he's stealth; it's just treated as a secret that must be kept Because Reasons. this kind of thing is also so far from my own path that it takes me out of a character's arc pretty immediately.
relatedly, i will say that when Charlie, after an entire book's worth of build-up,told the principal that he's trans and was met with essentially an "okay, cool, we'll update our policies to include you" , that felt really realistic in the way that it's really easy to make these kinds of things into a Big Thing in your mind, only for it to be a non-issue. it's always refreshing when it happens too, so that was a nice touch.
overall, i wanted to like this book more than i did, but it was still a fun enough lil romp.
ultimately, i didn't feel much genuine chemistry between the leads (and i was mostly annoyed by Jasper), plus the ending where
on a trans-specific note, i'm very much over the "my transness is a secret i must keep from everyone" trope in books. there are a lot of reasons someone would want to be stealth, but this book also doesn't really ground Charlie's stealth in any feelings or reasons why he's stealth; it's just treated as a secret that must be kept Because Reasons. this kind of thing is also so far from my own path that it takes me out of a character's arc pretty immediately.
relatedly, i will say that when Charlie, after an entire book's worth of build-up,
overall, i wanted to like this book more than i did, but it was still a fun enough lil romp.
Found the characters irritating and the concept overdone
Sorry to say that both mmcs were so grating it was hard to root for them
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
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:
Complicated
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Maybe, just maybe, I was thinking this would be a cute YA romance and maybe a bit funny. I got barely any of that and I'm slightly upset-ish.
I kinda despise characters that act above their age, especially teens acting like adults. This very much felt like preppy kids acting like college year students. Or maybe is because I couldn't care less about poetry or classics, which yup, I'm that kind of person.
I was wishing for more romance, but we only got a bit towards the end and that wasn't enough for me, especially considering they already had some kind of "past".
Otherwise, as usual, I enjoyed the academic setup and the tidbits of dorm life (I wished there would be more).
I kinda despise characters that act above their age, especially teens acting like adults. This very much felt like preppy kids acting like college year students. Or maybe is because I couldn't care less about poetry or classics, which yup, I'm that kind of person.
I was wishing for more romance, but we only got a bit towards the end and that wasn't enough for me, especially considering they already had some kind of "past".
Otherwise, as usual, I enjoyed the academic setup and the tidbits of dorm life (I wished there would be more).
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Super cute! Reminds me of Ouran High School Host Club. Felt like a step up story-wise from Powars’ last publication. Still have to take .5 off because I kept forgetting that these characters are supposed to be in high school though.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for a copy of this amazing story!
JANSBEBEHEJEK I CAN’T DEAL WITH THEM. UGH. THE LONGING. So good.
I was smiling while reading. The chemistry is top tier.
The friendships are amazing. The internal thoughts and pressure Charlie has, feel incredibly real.
I absolutely recommend this read for everyone.
-trans mc
-achillean
-insecurities
-second chance
-first love
-longing
-all boys private school
-hidden/secret identity
-pressure to be the best
-secret love poem delivery club
JANSBEBEHEJEK I CAN’T DEAL WITH THEM. UGH. THE LONGING. So good.
I was smiling while reading. The chemistry is top tier.
The friendships are amazing. The internal thoughts and pressure Charlie has, feel incredibly real.
I absolutely recommend this read for everyone.
-trans mc
-achillean
-insecurities
-second chance
-first love
-longing
-all boys private school
-hidden/secret identity
-pressure to be the best
-secret love poem delivery club
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dysphoria