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emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Transphobia, Outing, Gaslighting
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Dysphoria, Classism
Minor: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Vomit, Medical content
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
If you have ever been unsure of who you are or what love feels like, Felix Ever After is the book for you. If you’ve ever been bullied, felt like your parents didn’t understand you, said the wrong thing that did (or almost did) cost you a dear friend… you’ll find something to relate to in Felix Ever After. If you are anywhere in the LGBTQIAP+ community, Felix Ever After will make you feel seen. This book received a lot of hype when it was published in 2020. It deserved every bit of it.
I loved Felix Ever After because it made me cry. It dug into my heart. I loved Felix. I loved the complexity of the assembled cast. I loved the truth. And I loved the love. Kacen Callender built a collection of robust characters in this book that surprised you in ever scene. Many of the surprises were good… and many, many were disappointing, horrifying. Callender did an amazing job capturing the complexity of the human experience and conflict in the psyche while raising injustices and prejudices faced by the LGBTQIAP+ community. From outside and inside the community.
This book is about identity and learning to love yourself. It’s difficult – very difficult – when there are people telling you that you are not worth loving because of your identity. Felix faces this throughout his summer program at St. Catherine’s in New York. From an emotional perspective, Callender had me from the first chapter. I can’t emphasize enough how impactful this book is. From a technical perspective, I think Callender did an amazing job reflecting our world. There is joy and love, but there is also so much grief and self-hate and doubt. About so many things – not just identity. There are amazing conversations and horrible behavior is called out.
Which brings me to the warnings.
The protagonist is deadnamed publicly and by family. It is addressed in different ways through the book – transphobia and addressing it is a major theme. There’s transphobic bullying, conversations about invasion of privacy, cyberbullying, encouraging illegal activities (phone hacking), manipulation, disowning, abandonment, divorce, and I’m sure other triggers I missed. This book is filled with sensitive content and while there is so much good in it, readers should tread carefully.
Outside these warnings, Felix Ever After is a book I’d enthusiastically recommend to anyone. It has representation and messages that are so important, particularly for those still exploring their own identity – which is many adults who didn’t have the language when they were younger, as well as young adults. I wouldn’t recommend it to children because of the reading level … but everyone else. Everyone else. This book should be a library staple.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Transphobia
Moderate: Homophobia, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Lesbophobia
emotional
hopeful
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Deadnaming, Drug use, Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Religious bigotry
There's a good amount of casual drug use but nothing very explicitly described.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Transphobia, Outing, Abandonment
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Outing, Toxic friendship, Abandonment
Minor: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Classism
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Outing
Moderate: Bullying, Deadnaming, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Emotional abuse, Dysphoria
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Transphobia, Outing, Dysphoria
Moderate: Deadnaming, Drug use, Abandonment
Minor: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Alcohol
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
😭😭😭😭 HELP IM IN LOVE
Wow this book does an excellent job covering some very difficult but important topics about gender identity and what it means to be trans, while also providing a beautiful queer love story that is intimate and inspiring. The relationship dynamics were also a lot more complicated than I expected, and Felix’s journey to discover what kind of love he deserves was absolutely brilliant.
Even though this is fiction, I feel like I learned a lot about the transgender experience through Felix’s eyes, and how he and those around him think about what it means to be transgender. This is a wonderfully insightful and important book, I loved every moment of it.
Wow this book does an excellent job covering some very difficult but important topics about gender identity and what it means to be trans, while also providing a beautiful queer love story that is intimate and inspiring. The relationship dynamics were also a lot more complicated than I expected, and Felix’s journey to discover what kind of love he deserves was absolutely brilliant.
Even though this is fiction, I feel like I learned a lot about the transgender experience through Felix’s eyes, and how he and those around him think about what it means to be transgender. This is a wonderfully insightful and important book, I loved every moment of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Transphobia, Outing, Dysphoria
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Transphobia
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism