Reviews with content warning for Abortion - Boys I Know

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Boys I Know by Anna Gracia

7 reviews

addythebookbat's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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emotional 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

3.5

I have mixed feelings about this book. I am here for the conversations about race, about June's exploration of sex, and about just messy relationships in general. That's what happens when you're a teen, and Gracia hit the nail on the head with that. June jumps into a series of messy relationships in this book, all for different reasons. It felt so high school and I loved that about this book.

For me, the plot itself felt kind of meandering. It's very much a character driven story, which I normally don't mind. It also fits the time of life June is in, trying to figure out what to do after high school, both meeting her own desires and her parents' expectations. June really struggles with this throughout the story, and it felt really genuine.

Overall, I enjoyed the conversations and the context in this book, it just overall wasn't necessarily a standout for me.

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roshanreads's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring 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

4.75

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the eARC!

Trying to work out your place in the world is tough, especially when you’re also trying to live up to your parent's expectations and navigate relationships at the same time. Boys I Know follows June Chu as she finishes high school and tries to decide which college to attend. Of course, high school comes with even more challenges.

When I started reading the book, I didn’t expect to relate to June so much, especially considering we had fairly different high school experiences and families. However, Anna Garcia did an amazing job of making me want June to succeed at everything she tried, and the entire college plotline hit a little too close to home.

I gave this book 4.75 stars, and I would definitely recommend it. The only reason I didn’t give it a perfect rating was that the conversation with Rhys at the end seemed a little out of nowhere, but I’m glad June got to say what she wanted to him.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed seeing a version of high school with bigger issues that happen in real life, and I’m so happy that June found where she belongs, even if it took a while for her to go in the right direction. I loved June and was constantly cheering for her, even when she was making some interesting choices. The second someone wronged her, I was immediately ready to fight them, even if they are fictional.

All in all, you should absolutely read Boys I Know, and I’m really glad I did. The ending of this book made me so happy and reading something like this last year when I was also panicking about choosing universities would have absolutely helped me realise everything would work out eventually.

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hershelves's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

Amy, Wendy, and Mrs. Chu are excellent representations of the overall Asian culture. Asian parents unknowingly pressure their kids to do well in school and, of course, in life. There are parts in this book that I don't like, despite the fact that I enjoy it and find it to be so relatable. The lack of trigger warnings is one of this book's main problems in my opinion. To be honest, I nearly DNF it.

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utopiastateofmind's review

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Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

The way June navigates her Asian American identity resonated deeply with me. The way how in Boys I Know, June doesn't feel like she fits in with other Taiwanese teens or American teens. How there's this disconnect between this almost split identity. Never truly feeling like you fit in completely. That's how I feel as well as a Chinese American adoptee. So June's own struggles with her identity in Boys I Know ended up being moving.

On an entirely different level, Boys I Know is about June and love. About the person we become in a relationship and what we are looking for. The trials, pitfalls, and dangers of dating. All balanced with the joys, butterflies, and love. I empathized with how much June just wanted to mean something to someone. How sometimes possession can feel like a rush, like what we wanted, but how it isn't partnership. And without the framework about what that would be like to learn about what we need and want.

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dlrosebyh's review

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emotional lighthearted reflective 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

Firstly, I’d like to thank NetGalley for giving me a free e-arc copy of Boys I Know.

June Chu is the girl who is "just good enough." She's good enough to have a bevy of third-place trophies on her shelf and steal covert kisses from her AP Bio companion, Rhys. But not well enough to fulfill her Taiwanese mother's unyielding demands, or to persuade Rhys to commit to anything other than a well-timed joke.

June's mother demands that she follow in her (perfect) sister's footsteps and receive a (full-ride) violin scholarship to Northwestern (to study pre-med), but she doesn't see the purpose in putting in too much effort if she's going to fail anyhow. Instead, she concentrates her efforts on making her relationship with Rhys "formal," but when her meticulously planned, sloppily performed ploy backfires, she jumps into a new connection with a person who isn't allergic to the word "girlfriend."

However, when the line between sex and love blurs and the pressure to plan out her entire future begins to explode, June will have to decide on whose terms she will live her life—even if it means irreparably fracturing her relationship with her mother.

June piqued my interest. I'm sure I have the same issues she does, both at school and at home. I had issues with my father, mother, and sister, as well as grades, AP classes, additional credits, friendships, mental health, and a feeling of inferiority. As a result, I enjoyed the book a lot. However, I felt like I was skimming through the book because 25 percent of it was monotonous.

As a reader, I want to be able to finish a book with a sense of accomplishment. I can't bring a story to a close without a conclusion. For me, having a regular closure is a must. Therefore, the story’s conclusion did not appeal to me. It was hasty and monotonous. I wasn't sure how to interpret the essay's conclusion, which came off as sudden. As a result, it is a significant omission on the author's side.

I didn't like any of the characters in this novel. June would be my favorite character if I had to pick one. She is compassionate and considerate, and she always puts people first. She is an excellent role model who makes everyone feel at ease. Not just because she was the lead, but because she's the only character who appeals to me. I tried but failed to like the others. It was difficult for me to get along with them. Racism, sexism, and misogyny were all present in each of them. They also came out as domineering, particularly towards June.

Overall, this was a nice read. I recommend it more for the younger siblings more, though.

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bookwormbullet's review

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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