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love_katie's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy free for review. All opinions are my own.
There was so much about this that I liked, but there was also enough that I did not enjoy that I think I have to leave it at a middle-of-the-road 3 star rating. Let's start with the things I did like!
THE REPRESENTATION. Winnie is self-described as queer, fat, and black, and she is living her best life and embracing all aspects of her identity! Winnie's self-confidence was contagious, and I could even feel my own self-esteem rising when reading about her. She's also incredibly giving and kind, and will absolutely throw down to defend those that she loves. I really enjoyed being inside her head through this story. This book also explores a queerplatonic relationship, which I had heard of but never read in a book before, so that was incredibly interesting and fun to read about. Speaking of relationships, Winnie's love interest was a baaaaabe. His name is Dallas and he was a really wonderful person who was there for Winnie and supported her through all the crazy things that were happening in the book. I think overall, the characters are what really shine in this book. They all feel fleshed out and the conflict between them feels realistic without being overdramatic.
Now onto what I didn't like as much: the plot. Or lack thereof. This is a very character-driven book, as I just mentioned above, but it has essentially no plot. For me, that just isn't enough. I need some sort of driving force in a book and this just didn't have it. So if you super enjoy character-focused books and don't really care about plot, this may be a really great fit for you! It unfortunately didn't have that oomph I look for in my books. I do also think that some of the characters didn't treat Winnie very well and then didn't really face any consequences for their behavior. I don't mind messy characters and conflict, but the resolution to said conflict felt a little wishy-washy to me. People just walked all over Winnie and didn't have to deal with the fallout of their actions and that didn't sit right with me.
Another thing that bothered me is that some dialogue hints that a character is on the ace or aro (or maybe both?) spectrum, but they don't just say "asexual" or "aromantic" on the page. In Claire Kann's debut, [b:Let's Talk About Love|31625039|Let's Talk About Love|Claire Kann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505836080l/31625039._SY75_.jpg|52306893], it was a HUGE DEAL that the main character said she was asexual in no uncertain terms, so it just felt a little odd that this wouldn't be confirmed in the text in this book. I did read an arc so maybe it changed in the final copy, but based on other reviews I don't think that's the case. This particular character seems pretty confident in herself and her identity, so it felt a little out of character that she wouldn't talk about that identity.
Overall, I did enjoy this and would recommend it if you're looking for a fairly, though not entirely, light summery contemporary chock-full of diversity and small-town charm, along with a not-so-healthy dose of teen drama. Trigger and content warnings for fatphobia, emotional manipulation from friends and family, asthma attacks.
There was so much about this that I liked, but there was also enough that I did not enjoy that I think I have to leave it at a middle-of-the-road 3 star rating. Let's start with the things I did like!
THE REPRESENTATION. Winnie is self-described as queer, fat, and black, and she is living her best life and embracing all aspects of her identity! Winnie's self-confidence was contagious, and I could even feel my own self-esteem rising when reading about her. She's also incredibly giving and kind, and will absolutely throw down to defend those that she loves. I really enjoyed being inside her head through this story. This book also explores a queerplatonic relationship, which I had heard of but never read in a book before, so that was incredibly interesting and fun to read about. Speaking of relationships, Winnie's love interest was a baaaaabe. His name is Dallas and he was a really wonderful person who was there for Winnie and supported her through all the crazy things that were happening in the book. I think overall, the characters are what really shine in this book. They all feel fleshed out and the conflict between them feels realistic without being overdramatic.
Now onto what I didn't like as much: the plot. Or lack thereof. This is a very character-driven book, as I just mentioned above, but it has essentially no plot. For me, that just isn't enough. I need some sort of driving force in a book and this just didn't have it. So if you super enjoy character-focused books and don't really care about plot, this may be a really great fit for you! It unfortunately didn't have that oomph I look for in my books. I do also think that some of the characters didn't treat Winnie very well and then didn't really face any consequences for their behavior. I don't mind messy characters and conflict, but the resolution to said conflict felt a little wishy-washy to me. People just walked all over Winnie and didn't have to deal with the fallout of their actions and that didn't sit right with me.
Another thing that bothered me is that some dialogue hints that a character is on the ace or aro (or maybe both?) spectrum, but they don't just say "asexual" or "aromantic" on the page. In Claire Kann's debut, [b:Let's Talk About Love|31625039|Let's Talk About Love|Claire Kann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505836080l/31625039._SY75_.jpg|52306893], it was a HUGE DEAL that the main character said she was asexual in no uncertain terms, so it just felt a little odd that this wouldn't be confirmed in the text in this book. I did read an arc so maybe it changed in the final copy, but based on other reviews I don't think that's the case. This particular character seems pretty confident in herself and her identity, so it felt a little out of character that she wouldn't talk about that identity.
Overall, I did enjoy this and would recommend it if you're looking for a fairly, though not entirely, light summery contemporary chock-full of diversity and small-town charm, along with a not-so-healthy dose of teen drama. Trigger and content warnings for fatphobia, emotional manipulation from friends and family, asthma attacks.
librarypatronus's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to Netgalley and OrangeSky audio for the audioARC in exchange for my honest review! Since the ebook was already out when I grabbed this ARC I also had the ebook from the library to flip back and forth.
This was fantastic. I love seeing diversity in books, that I can relate to and that I can’t - in this case being fat, struggling with family expectations, and queerness that are all things I did, and being Black, polyamorous, and gluten-intolerant, which I felt like gave me fresh insights. Winnie was a fantastic character, I loved the romance(s) and the sibling bonds. The audio was well done, and the book consistently compelling me to pick it back up. I hope we get another book with more of Winston.
This was fantastic. I love seeing diversity in books, that I can relate to and that I can’t - in this case being fat, struggling with family expectations, and queerness that are all things I did, and being Black, polyamorous, and gluten-intolerant, which I felt like gave me fresh insights. Winnie was a fantastic character, I loved the romance(s) and the sibling bonds. The audio was well done, and the book consistently compelling me to pick it back up. I hope we get another book with more of Winston.
ezichinny's review against another edition
3.0
This audiobook was really slow paced. I don't know what I was expecting but this one was hard to get into.
Winnie didn't really engage me but I was rooting for her to find love and acceptance. I would have loved to know who nominated her but I applauded her for participating in the pagaent. I can't imagine what it is like for a queer young black girl to navigate her sexuality while staying with her black grandmother. They tend to be so set in their ways especially due to religion but Winnie had a healthy sense of self.
I am still learning the terminology but her relationship with Winnie was never fully defined and I was waiting for that. I thought this book wasn't as good as Let's Talk About Love.
Winnie didn't really engage me but I was rooting for her to find love and acceptance. I would have loved to know who nominated her but I applauded her for participating in the pagaent. I can't imagine what it is like for a queer young black girl to navigate her sexuality while staying with her black grandmother. They tend to be so set in their ways especially due to religion but Winnie had a healthy sense of self.
I am still learning the terminology but her relationship with Winnie was never fully defined and I was waiting for that. I thought this book wasn't as good as Let's Talk About Love.
thebibliothekes's review
3.0
I enjoyed this one and I had been wanting to read it for a while, sadly I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. It was alright, but chances are I'll forget about it pretty soon. There was a lot happening too, between the beauty pageant and the cooking contest and the diner, it was a bit much for my taste, but I would still recommend it. It was fun for the most part.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SPOILER - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I really didn't like Cara, in my opinion she was quite toxic, they way Winnie had to apologize for not talking to her at an event but she didn't even apologize for basically blackmailing someone into not being near her like a psycho, I mean... nope, sorry, that's too much for me. But aside from that everything was ok.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SPOILER - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I really didn't like Cara, in my opinion she was quite toxic, they way Winnie had to apologize for not talking to her at an event but she didn't even apologize for basically blackmailing someone into not being near her like a psycho, I mean... nope, sorry, that's too much for me. But aside from that everything was ok.
eloise_bradbooks's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ~ This book had some great elements to it :
- confident fat black girl representation, while dealing with how being a fat black girl affects her in her daily life;
- brother/sister love;
- platonic love that is just as important as romance;
- learning to step away from toxic people, even if those people are family members.
Despite all this greatness, I wasn't as into this book as I'd hoped.
In all honesty I think the audiobook narrator played a big role in me not enjoying my reading time. She wasn't particularly bad, but her very monotone voice just didn't make me feel all the emotions I should have and made me zone out a few times...
I don't say this often but I'd love to go back in time and choose to not audiobook this one.
I still highly recommend this book!
After really appreciating seeing myself in Claire Kann's other book Let's Talk About Love, I know that I will find some pieces of my soul in every book she will bring out. And I can't wait to discover more.
- confident fat black girl representation, while dealing with how being a fat black girl affects her in her daily life;
- brother/sister love;
- platonic love that is just as important as romance;
- learning to step away from toxic people, even if those people are family members.
Despite all this greatness, I wasn't as into this book as I'd hoped.
In all honesty I think the audiobook narrator played a big role in me not enjoying my reading time. She wasn't particularly bad, but her very monotone voice just didn't make me feel all the emotions I should have and made me zone out a few times...
I don't say this often but I'd love to go back in time and choose to not audiobook this one.
I still highly recommend this book!
After really appreciating seeing myself in Claire Kann's other book Let's Talk About Love, I know that I will find some pieces of my soul in every book she will bring out. And I can't wait to discover more.
bindick's review against another edition
5.0
THIS WAS SO CUTE. okay one i stan aro ace people and in general i just love happy awesome cool queer people and this book delivered that!!!! in general it was just so bright and happy and sweet and goshhhh i loved the main character. she’s so good!!
authorisasauthordoes's review against another edition
Nothing wrong with the book, just did not click for me. Got about 100 pages in and felt like nothing was particularly happening + none of the characters grabbed me. I think I got through Kann's first novel "Let's Talk About Love" because the ace protagonist aspect was really important to me, but with that element removed I was more neutral and thus couldn't be bothered to keep reading.
rhappe13's review against another edition
1.0
I listened to this on audiobook through NetGalley after they provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I liked the narrator and the length of the audiobook was perfect! When they get too long I start to lose interest quickly.
The plot was a cute concept. I liked the small town feel and the weird matchmaking event. That being said, I didn't really like any of the main characters. Winnie felt very whiny and hypocritical throughout most of the book. I really, really disliked her. I liked some of the messages in the book and the overall lesson of loving yourself and standing up for yourself, I just don't like how the messages were conveyed sometimes. At the end of the day this book does not make me want to read more from this author and I wouldn't recommend reading this.
Full review to come.
I liked the narrator and the length of the audiobook was perfect! When they get too long I start to lose interest quickly.
The plot was a cute concept. I liked the small town feel and the weird matchmaking event. That being said, I didn't really like any of the main characters. Winnie felt very whiny and hypocritical throughout most of the book. I really, really disliked her. I liked some of the messages in the book and the overall lesson of loving yourself and standing up for yourself, I just don't like how the messages were conveyed sometimes. At the end of the day this book does not make me want to read more from this author and I wouldn't recommend reading this.
Full review to come.
amelieboucher's review against another edition
3.0
I'll be honest, I was a little bored. If you asked me what this book is about, I wouldn't be able to tell you (and yes, I did read it). The book starts off as being about our main character being crowned Summer Queen against her will, but that plot quickly gets discarded. We didn't really see anything about that summer festival, except for a few very short scenes here and there. Instead, we mostly follow Winnie as she is going about her summer.
But don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it.
I grew attached to the characters, especially Winnie. I felt for her in a way I hadn't anticipated. Winnie is fierce and I admire her for it.
But my favorite part about this book is the discussions the author goes into. As we are following a plus-sized queer Black girl, there are multiple discussions about race, being fat, and LGTQ+ themes. I loved the way the author was able to incorporate these topics into the story.
But don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it.
I grew attached to the characters, especially Winnie. I felt for her in a way I hadn't anticipated. Winnie is fierce and I admire her for it.
But my favorite part about this book is the discussions the author goes into. As we are following a plus-sized queer Black girl, there are multiple discussions about race, being fat, and LGTQ+ themes. I loved the way the author was able to incorporate these topics into the story.
letsgolesbians's review against another edition
5.0
HOW HAVE I NOT REVIEWED THIS? It was my favorite January read, and I loved Winnie so much. I loved her attitude about her fatness and how she refused to let anyone talk down to her about it, I loved how the book showed that some relationships, whether familial or platonic or romantic, just don't work and it's okay to stand up for yourself when your elders are being shitty. I didn't like Winnie's cousin at all and I kept wanting to slap her, but I loved everyone else. There's a queer platonic relationship, which I was SO excited to see, and ugh god okay just read this book because it's fun and funny and heart-warming but also hits some serious notes and has great rep.