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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
I remember reading this when I was, probably, 14 or 13. I'm 16 now, the same age as the characters. I didn't really read a lot of books about actual discrimination and how it affects the personal aspects of a queer teen or any teen in a marginalized group for that matter. When I finished it the first time, I remember crying so hard my mom thought someone close to me had died. I think I still had this mindset that racism and homophobia just magically get better and the victims of these hardships just magically get cured of their trauma-- intergenerational or otherwise. It stuck with me particularly because of how absolutely crushing it is to see the contrast of having these moments of growth and touch to be completely offset with Johnathan's pain and internal anguish.
I still don't really know how to rate this book, it's definitely a book that shaped my teen years, and I was not expecting that. Not to mention it being the 1970s in Creve Coeur Missouri (btw, all the spots are real places, the detail is insane) is something I'm not familiar with at all, and it still felt like a very real and livable place.
It's one of those books that really puts you in a spot of genuinely worrying if everything is going to be alright, that maybe a happy ending is in store for this Romeo and Juliet. But sometimes real life doesn't have happy endings, Native Americans will still be violently discriminated and queer people will still try to be "fixed".
I do think this book is lovely, despite most of this review having me being very sad. The world-building is excellent, and I would think that the author has lived in Missouri, but I can't be certain. As someone who is the same age as the main character, being 16 really does have these kinds of tribulations (not to this degree, but I digress).
I still don't really know how to rate this book, it's definitely a book that shaped my teen years, and I was not expecting that. Not to mention it being the 1970s in Creve Coeur Missouri (btw, all the spots are real places, the detail is insane) is something I'm not familiar with at all, and it still felt like a very real and livable place.
It's one of those books that really puts you in a spot of genuinely worrying if everything is going to be alright, that maybe a happy ending is in store for this Romeo and Juliet. But sometimes real life doesn't have happy endings, Native Americans will still be violently discriminated and queer people will still try to be "fixed".
I do think this book is lovely, despite most of this review having me being very sad. The world-building is excellent, and I would think that the author has lived in Missouri, but I can't be certain. As someone who is the same age as the main character, being 16 really does have these kinds of tribulations (not to this degree, but I digress).
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Here's the thing, this is not a bad book by any means, and I would recommend this book with the following caveats. On page 222, let's not talk about poc described as food. And the ending was way too rushed, like, all of the different plot lines seemed to be, not "solved" but resolved way too quickly. I'm still happy to have read this though and the author's note put many important things into perspective.
God I tried to enjoy this but the writing… the writing was horrible to read.
What I’m sure could have been a really good book about some really interesting and important topics was ruined by the most cringe writing I’ve ever seen. Like it was trying TOO hard to be relatable to young people…
I guess this is what I get for reading YA at 26 lmao
What I’m sure could have been a really good book about some really interesting and important topics was ruined by the most cringe writing I’ve ever seen. Like it was trying TOO hard to be relatable to young people…
I guess this is what I get for reading YA at 26 lmao
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
this book omg easily one of my favorites books of all time now. i was dreading it to end but i wanted to finish it. being a member of the lgbtq+ community this book is beautifully written. i thank the author for the representation of native people.
emotional
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