Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Boys I Know

Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Unfortunately, I DNFed this book. The main character's voice was insufferable to read from and the story wasn't interesting enough for me to push through. I read more than 50% of the book and the main character still hadn't started gaining any positive character development.

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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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storieswithbee's review

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense 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

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Coming of Age

Age range: Mature Teen ( ~16+ )

Overall: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Plot: 3/5

Writing and Setting: 5/5

Content warning: *themes surrounding racism, parental abuse/pressure, sexuality, identity, sexism, teenaged pregnancy, underage drinking, drug use*

I can’t express this enough… although the content warnings are surrounding some pretty heavy idea, it shouldn’t stop you from reading one of the best coming of age novels I have ever come across.

It’s hard to put into words how truely incredible this book was. It addresses and immerses itself into some very challenging, yet incredibly relatable themes for the average teenager, so much so, I found myself angry that I didn’t have this book as a teenager.

I think for some parents, this book could come across as a little bit confronting, especially considering the sexual themes and casualness that the characters talk about sex, but in a real world narrative, teenagers are having these discussions, they’re engaging in first time encounters, and because of that, there needs to be positive and down-to-earth representations for them to relate to. That’s exactly what this book is. It’s sex positive, it’s open to prodding that line of taboo subjects, and it’s done so in a way that is still age appropriate without actually giving the young audience a ‘full frontal’ sex scene, etc.

Adding to this, Gracia also explores the rough terrain of identity, racial stereotyping, and trans-generational conformity that a lot of teenagers nowadays struggle with. For me, and I’m sure a lot of readers, reading this book gave me a sense of being heard, seen, understood and validated.

I haven’t read a lot of books that explicitly highlight the complexities and the nuances of Asian culture within a Westernised world, but Gracia tied this in with the MC so incredibly well that it didn’t just feel like a cultural/ history lesson; it just felt so natural to the character and the story arch.

Characters: 5/5

Each and every character in this book was absolutely stunning in their simplicity… What I mean by this is that not a single character was this picture perfect, cookie cutter individual. All of them had their flaws. All of them felt real. All of them were beautifully frustrating, enjoyable, and human.

June, the MC, was an absolute delight to experience as a reader. Her inner monologue was embarrassingly similar to my own teenaged years and that made the book all the more hilarious and entertaining. I loved that she was constantly evolving and discovering herself and her place in her world.

Plot: 3/5

The plot itself wasn’t all that important to the main storyline. The main focus of the book was the character arch and the character development for June. Although this may be a turn off for some readers, I personally didn’t notice this factor all that much, because the progression of June from the beginning of the book in comparison to the end felt like such a special journey.

Writing and Setting: 5/5

The writing was easy to digest, entertaining, captivating, funny, and in parts, very ‘woke’ to a lot of social issues and themes. I liked that we only have the perspective of June throughout the book in first person POV because it really highlights her journey.

The settings within the book weren’t all that important to the storyline until June attends tours of the different universities. The way that Gracia uses description as a way to express June’s wants surrounding her post-high school studies was a technique that I almost missed in the whirlwind of the story, but I’m really glad I picked up on that. It’s a phenomenal example of ‘show, don’t tell’.

My thoughts:

I think this book could easily have a sequel. I am desperate to know how June progresses as she attends university and ages past high school, but at the same time I think there is something almost poetic about the idea of living within that moment of time with June and no further.

Thank you to Anna Gracia and her team for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book (even though I‘m frightfully late to the party 😅), in exchange for my honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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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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alyssaarch's review

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emotional funny 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

3.75

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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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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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theoceanrose's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

I love June Chu.

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criticalbooks's review

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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kestrel's review

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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

4.0

While I'm not the target audience (aka a teenager), Anna Garcia managed to make me feel invested in the whole drama of this story. I cringed when I was supposed to cringe, I gasped when I was supposed to gasp. I liked how the author handled the messiness of the first relationships and the complicated feeling MC had concerning her family and culture. I would have liked a bit of more closure with a certain character, but to honest, I was fine with the way the book ended.

**Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.**

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Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Boys I Know by Anna Gracia

daniellestarredpages's review

addythebookbat's review against another edition

storieswithbee's review

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

alyssaarch's review

roshanreads's review against another edition

dlrosebyh's review

theoceanrose's review against another edition

criticalbooks's review

kestrel's review