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strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition
challenging
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
4.0
This book starts off with a drunken marriage in vegas. That alone was enough to pull me in, especially because it was with two women.
I enjoyed the book and I’m very happy that Grace (the main character) was able to work through her problems with a therapist. However, by the end of the book she still hadn’t told her father about her wife. Wack!
I enjoyed the book and I’m very happy that Grace (the main character) was able to work through her problems with a therapist. However, by the end of the book she still hadn’t told her father about her wife. Wack!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Mental illness, Self harm, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Cursing, Terminal illness, Drug use, and Sexual content
Minor: Abandonment and War
chasingpages1's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Racism, Abandonment, Sexism, Mental illness, Alcohol, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Drug use, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Blood, Cursing, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness
readingwithkaitlyn's review
hopeful
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Child abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Racism
Minor: Death of parent, Misogyny, War, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Drug use, and Vomit
arlaubscher's review
challenging
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
leanne_miron's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Self harm
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Death of parent and Terminal illness
ladygetslit's review
emotional
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
4.5
I needed this book four years ago, when I was also 28 and having a millennial crisis.
Grace Porter is a beautifully flawed character who has spent so much of her life building plans around what other people expect from her, what others think she can't accomplish. I initially thought this book would be about her romance with the girl she marries in Vegas at the beginning of the book. What this book was actually about: a messy, chaotic, beautiful young woman trying to figure out who she actually is and what she truly wants for her life.
Elements I truly loved:
Grace Porter is a beautifully flawed character who has spent so much of her life building plans around what other people expect from her, what others think she can't accomplish. I initially thought this book would be about her romance with the girl she marries in Vegas at the beginning of the book. What this book was actually about: a messy, chaotic, beautiful young woman trying to figure out who she actually is and what she truly wants for her life.
Elements I truly loved:
- Grace's found family in Portland: they support her constantly and are super affirming, even when she's falling apart and is generally a really terrible friend
- Yuki's radio show: no spoilers, but just read and appreciate
- the constant references to how we're all part of the universe really spoke to my galaxy-obsessed soul (even though I'm not a science nerd like Grace is)
- representation of what it's like to be Black in an academic field: this is super important and eye-opening
- mental health representation: I loved that Grace not only gets a therapist, but that she has to try out a couple ones first — this is how it actually is and I loved getting this representation
What didn't work for me:
- to be honest, the writing just left something to be desired... I'm not a fan of the 3rd person present tense style narration, especially in a character-driven story
- sometimes, the corny, lovely found family stuff got really cringe-y to me... but this could be my reading because I'm honestly jealous and wish I had friends like Grace does
- I wanted more: more of the quirky queer side characters, more of Grace working through her traumas, more steam between her and Yuki... I just wanted more. I think this author will really blossom in future writing and I look forward to reading them!
Overall, while I don't think this book is for everyone. But for those of us that it speaks to... wow, I am so glad I finally made time to pull this off my never-ending TBR. Thank you, Morgan Rogers, for writing a book that helped me feel less alone in how long it took me to figure out the path I truly wanted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Alcohol, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Sexual content
Minor: Terminal illness and Biphobia
hyliansee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Death of parent and Terminal illness
biblio_gabriella's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
slow-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
4.0
Honey Girl is such a beautiful book. I know it’s been compared to Red, White, and Royal Blue, but I think that comparison does it a disservice. This isn’t an expansive romp of a rom-com, and aside from the cast of queer characters, I don’t think it has anything in common with RWRB. Written in present tense from the third-person perspective of Grace Porter (28, Black, biracial, lesbian) it’s instead a quiet, reflective, and deeply introspective novel centering Grace’s self-acceptance journey. While I enjoyed the romance between Grace and Yuki, Yuki is just one of the many wonderful supporting characters in this book. This is Grace’s story, through and through.
Grace has just earned her PhD in astronomy, but now she’s faced with the overwhelming experience of contending with the systemic barriers the world throws her way. She’s also bone-tired from chasing perfection for years and dealing with her ex-military father’s unattainable expectations. Grace lives with two intensely lovable roommates, who I honestly wish we got to spend more time with: Ximena (Black, Dominican, sapphic?) and Agnes (mental illnesses, sapphic?). She also has a deeply-forged found family in Baba Vihaan, Raj, and Meera (Indian), her employer and his two children. When Grace and her roommates take a trip to Las Vegas and Grace drunkenly marries radio show host Yuki Yamamoto (Japanese American, lesbian?), Grace is presented with an opportunity to embrace her wild side by spending time with her lawfully wedded wife in New York City.
Grace and Yuki are very different on the outside: Grace is soft-spoken, visibly anxious, and perfectionistic, while Yuki is sharp-edged, blunt, and go-with-the-flow. However, their shared feelings of loneliness draw them together. It’s so heartwarming how Grace loves listening to Yuki weave existential loneliness-inspired stories on the radio, and Grace’s doubt about truly deserving her time with Yuki are so palpable and relatable. Yuki lives with a band of chaotic queer guys (Black, white, and trans + Native American), and Grace learning to accept them as her friends too — not just Yuki’s — made me so happy! While I liked the romance for the most part, I thought some of the things Yuki said were questionable (though I could be reading too much into it).At the end of the book, Yuki tells Grace that she shouldn’t run away again, and that the two of them should stay together even if they fight, etc. I feel like this line veers into the toxic attitude of "even if we're miserable, we'll still be together." It also seemed like Yuki was imposing expectations on Grace too soon.
I love how this books shows how, while Grace has a wonderful support system whose size even ends up doubling, she’s still lonely, anxious, and depressed. This is so valid: you can be surrounded by people who love you with all their hearts and still feel stifled by your own personal demons. Grace’s guilt surrounding this, and about not being a good enough friend, is wonderfully portrayed. Rogers also shows us that even though Grace is a supremely qualified astronomer and has a mentor who vouches for her whenever possible, she still faces racism and queerphobia that make it harder to get her foot in the door. Finally, I loved how often therapy was discussed; several (!!) characters in this book go to therapy!
Unfortunately, I was expecting to click with this book more than I did. While it’s beautifully written and Grace is relatable and sympathetic, I found it dragging and repetitive in parts. The slower pace isn't a bad thing and I know it worked for a lot of people, but the pace made it so that I didn't exactly fly through the book. Also, some frequent repetitions include mentions of Grace’s blonde hair, how Grace was "favored by the sun," people using Grace’s full name, and random nicknames for Grace ending in "Girl."
Regardless of my minor complaints, reading this book was a wonderful experience. It’s been a deeply relatable and cathartic experience for many people, so I’d highly recommend checking it out! Looking forward to Rogers’ next book!
other content warnings: alcohol (recreational), anxiety, depression, mental illness (general) divorce (past), guilt, pills
Grace has just earned her PhD in astronomy, but now she’s faced with the overwhelming experience of contending with the systemic barriers the world throws her way. She’s also bone-tired from chasing perfection for years and dealing with her ex-military father’s unattainable expectations. Grace lives with two intensely lovable roommates, who I honestly wish we got to spend more time with: Ximena (Black, Dominican, sapphic?) and Agnes (mental illnesses, sapphic?). She also has a deeply-forged found family in Baba Vihaan, Raj, and Meera (Indian), her employer and his two children. When Grace and her roommates take a trip to Las Vegas and Grace drunkenly marries radio show host Yuki Yamamoto (Japanese American, lesbian?), Grace is presented with an opportunity to embrace her wild side by spending time with her lawfully wedded wife in New York City.
Grace and Yuki are very different on the outside: Grace is soft-spoken, visibly anxious, and perfectionistic, while Yuki is sharp-edged, blunt, and go-with-the-flow. However, their shared feelings of loneliness draw them together. It’s so heartwarming how Grace loves listening to Yuki weave existential loneliness-inspired stories on the radio, and Grace’s doubt about truly deserving her time with Yuki are so palpable and relatable. Yuki lives with a band of chaotic queer guys (Black, white, and trans + Native American), and Grace learning to accept them as her friends too — not just Yuki’s — made me so happy! While I liked the romance for the most part, I thought some of the things Yuki said were questionable (though I could be reading too much into it).
I love how this books shows how, while Grace has a wonderful support system whose size even ends up doubling, she’s still lonely, anxious, and depressed. This is so valid: you can be surrounded by people who love you with all their hearts and still feel stifled by your own personal demons. Grace’s guilt surrounding this, and about not being a good enough friend, is wonderfully portrayed. Rogers also shows us that even though Grace is a supremely qualified astronomer and has a mentor who vouches for her whenever possible, she still faces racism and queerphobia that make it harder to get her foot in the door. Finally, I loved how often therapy was discussed; several (!!) characters in this book go to therapy!
Unfortunately, I was expecting to click with this book more than I did. While it’s beautifully written and Grace is relatable and sympathetic, I found it dragging and repetitive in parts. The slower pace isn't a bad thing and I know it worked for a lot of people, but the pace made it so that I didn't exactly fly through the book. Also, some frequent repetitions include mentions of Grace’s blonde hair, how Grace was "favored by the sun," people using Grace’s full name, and random nicknames for Grace ending in "Girl."
Regardless of my minor complaints, reading this book was a wonderful experience. It’s been a deeply relatable and cathartic experience for many people, so I’d highly recommend checking it out! Looking forward to Rogers’ next book!
other content warnings: alcohol (recreational), anxiety, depression, mental illness (general) divorce (past), guilt, pills
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Self harm and Racism
Minor: Terminal illness
getbrekked's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Mental illness, and Racism
Minor: Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt
irlchaosdemon's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Cursing
Moderate: Death of parent, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Racism, Medical trauma, Medical content, Homophobia, and Grief
Minor: Drug use and Alcoholism