Reviews

Don't Be a Drag by Skye Quinlan

bookshelvesandtealeaves's review

emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

3.25

Thank you Page Street and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll admit to having a really rocky start with this book. I found the characters to mostly be one dimensional and a little annoying and the love interest seemed quite frankly awful. But something made me stick with it. I’m inclined go believe it was a combination of that queer found family vibe and the comforting writing style.

I am glad I stuck with it though. Everyone got growth and backstory and some fleshing out in the second half, and I ended up falling in love with all of these characters.

Especially Briar, our MC. She goes on SUCH a huge journey in this book. I really appreciated the fact that her healing was in no way portrayed as linear, that she had set backs, that she was depressed without a specific trigger, that her thoughts and feelings were given space to exist without something magically fixing her. I especially loved how hopeful that final scene felt.

This book comes with a list of trigger warnings at the start which I highly recommend you check. This book is heavy and deals with a lot.

Still, it’s one to look out for this month.

quinnzella98's review

5.0

I rarely cry reading a book. I can count on my hands & list the books that have done it. 

This book is now one of them. The portrayal of depression is so heartbreaking that I would be very very careful if this could be triggering to you. My heart bled for a good chunk of this book. It also has a devastatingly accurate (in my experience) depiction of anxiety. Whenever the characters struggled with this I just wanted to give them a big hug & tell them what they needed to hear.
I loved all the characters & their drag personas.

The ending was everything I needed it to be!

Would highly recommend to anyone who needs/needed a little help to find themselves.

jjj000yyy's review

emotional hopeful 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

3.75

aspring's review

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

i really enjoyed this, and i loved diving into a little corner of drag for a little while

the pacing of this really struggled though, it felt as if we skipped over everything interesting and suddenly it was 6 months later. it was also heavier than i thought it would be but i loved seeing both depression and anxiety rep! as well as a non-binary autistic side character <3

i loved the found family of this one and every character was immediately one i loved and adored

i didn’t really get the sudden temperature change between characters, even after it was explained later on, moods seemed to switch in seconds which was a little frustrating 

but,, fun! i’m glad i read it! i liked it!

farrenb's review

dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

5.0

THIS BOOK!!! This book is a warm hug. This book is a bowl of soup when you’re sick. It’s a steaming cup of tea when it’s raining. It’s a blanket pulled fresh from the dryer on a chilly day. This book is the feeling of joy from the inside out. I would sit in my car reading this book on my lunch breaks almost in tears at parts. It makes you FEEL something, everything— all the good and bad we experience in life. And it gives you hope.

Definitely read the trigger warnings. As someone who has struggled with mental health and many of the thoughts presented here, I thought this was an accurate and tactful representation of anxiety and depression. I loved that Briar’s friends and family never try to “fix” her, but are with her every step of the way as a solid support system. I did want to hit Beau with a wet pool noodle until he was concussed for the first half of the novel, but he gets better.

Selene/Spencer is a walking red flag but thankfully red my new favorite color! Achilles is the best friend we all need and deserve, and I love them.

I wish this was targeted towards an older audience, but I think the representation in that age group is so important and is something I wish I had at the time. It addresses the stigma around therapy, mental health medications, and drag in a way that is encouraging healthy.

I honestly can’t say enough good things about this book. Go read it! Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

virginia__jane's review

5.0

Y'all are not ready for this book. ❤️

Merged review:

Y'all are not ready for this book. ❤️