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torikate7's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Alcohol
Moderate: Racism
emmaward55's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I love Becky Albertalli's writing and I don't think she could write a book that I didn't at least like. This book didn't quite give me everything that I wanted, but I still enjoyed it and I think it's an important view point both in YA romance and queer romance genres. Rarely do I see books about fat sapphics with happily ever afters, much less ones who are poor or who have divorced families.
In some ways this book felt like a hug from a friend. It was familiar and comforting and I can see myself returning to it in the future. That being said, there were things that I thought it lacked. Mainly a satisfactory ending. I wish we'd gotten to hear Nick's reaction to his ex girlfriend dating one of his best friends. So much of the final arc of the book was about Leah worrying how Nick would feel, but we never get that pay off! I wanted resolution. At the least, I wanted the wrap up chapter to say something vague like "Nick isn't as fast to reply to my texts now, but we still hang out and he seems happy in his new relationship".
Speaking of relationships, the pairing up of every single remaining character at the end felt so weird. Hetero characters who had barely interacted with each other were suddenly an item and it felt like something you'd expect from a straight romance writer. IDK, I can see that it's meant to be part of the "and they all lived happily every after and no one was sad or lonely" vibe, but it's important that teens reading YA romance know that they're not unlovable / broken / wrong for graduating high school without a partner.
Despite all of that, I do really recommend this book. These are minor quibbles over a story that still had a lot of heart and soul in it. It deserves to be given a chance and I'm sure there are going to be readers who don't see an issue with anything written above.
I wouldn't say that this is the female version of Simon Vs., but if you're looking for a comforting wlw story about two girls figuring out who they are to themselves and each other, this is the book for you.
In some ways this book felt like a hug from a friend. It was familiar and comforting and I can see myself returning to it in the future. That being said, there were things that I thought it lacked. Mainly a satisfactory ending. I wish we'd gotten to hear Nick's reaction to his ex girlfriend dating one of his best friends. So much of the final arc of the book was about Leah worrying how Nick would feel, but we never get that pay off! I wanted resolution. At the least, I wanted the wrap up chapter to say something vague like "Nick isn't as fast to reply to my texts now, but we still hang out and he seems happy in his new relationship".
Speaking of relationships, the pairing up of every single remaining character at the end felt so weird. Hetero characters who had barely interacted with each other were suddenly an item and it felt like something you'd expect from a straight romance writer. IDK, I can see that it's meant to be part of the "and they all lived happily every after and no one was sad or lonely" vibe, but it's important that teens reading YA romance know that they're not unlovable / broken / wrong for graduating high school without a partner.
Despite all of that, I do really recommend this book. These are minor quibbles over a story that still had a lot of heart and soul in it. It deserves to be given a chance and I'm sure there are going to be readers who don't see an issue with anything written above.
I wouldn't say that this is the female version of Simon Vs., but if you're looking for a comforting wlw story about two girls figuring out who they are to themselves and each other, this is the book for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Alcohol, and Racism
dhwani's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
bookedbymadeline's review
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Cursing, Biphobia, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
leahlovesloslibros's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Leah marches to the beat of her own drum, and she's not shy about it. But she is hiding something big. Simon is Leah's best friend, but he doesn't know she is bisexual. No one does, except her mom. Leah is struggling with how to handle herself in her group of friends, which seems to be crumbling at the worst time ever - the months and weeks leading up to graduation. Can Leah be true to herself without losing the people who mean the most to her?
This book was cute. The main character, Leah, is bisexual, which immediately drew me in. The story focuses around her senior year in high school, especially the second half of the year during prom season. The characters were going through some of the big themes that many teens face as high school comes to a close - choosing what college to go to, how to fit in when you get there, whether or not to do long-distance relationships with your high school sweetheart, prom, etc. There were some struggles within the friends group that took me back to my own high school years, too. And of course you can't forget the battle with your parents. This book was chock-full of teenage rites of passage.
If I were a high school or even college student reading this book, I probably would've appreciated it a bit more. While I typically enjoy YA books, this one was a bit too "teen angsty" for me. I don't blame the author or the book for this, since it is targeted at a YA audience, and would probably be very relatable to them. The story was well-written and I liked the characters; I just didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Homophobia, and Racism
There are MANY Harry Potter references in this book. They are prominently displayed several times from the beginning to the end.
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