Scan barcode
jerrysaywhaaa's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
“We checked off every stereotype” (Chapter 11) is a quote that pretty much summarizes almost every character in this book.
This book felt like it was written by one of the following people (or a combination of all of them):
1. Someone who either wanted to be or wanted to be with a punk bad boy in high school, but in a very “I can fix him” way.
2. A school counselor (think Mr. Frond from Bob’s Burgers) who really wanted to connect with the youths and show the importance of therapy.
3. A writer on Glee who was mad this script was rejected for an episode.
Although I think a lot of topics covered in this book are important to discuss, I don’t think it was done well and the bad parts of the book heavily outweigh the good parts. The author added a lot of weird and extra details to the story; had a pretty shaky and at times inconsistent timeline for the story; and sometimes felt like they had no sense of reality and actual consequences for character’s actions.
The story has too perfect an ending to wrap everything up too quickly (which is surprising with how slow and boring the first half of the book is).
And one *minor* spoiler that I need to rant about:
Wes definitely started the fight, despite what he kept saying.
This book felt like it was written by one of the following people (or a combination of all of them):
1. Someone who either wanted to be or wanted to be with a punk bad boy in high school, but in a very “I can fix him” way.
2. A school counselor (think Mr. Frond from Bob’s Burgers) who really wanted to connect with the youths and show the importance of therapy.
3. A writer on Glee who was mad this script was rejected for an episode.
Although I think a lot of topics covered in this book are important to discuss, I don’t think it was done well and the bad parts of the book heavily outweigh the good parts. The author added a lot of weird and extra details to the story; had a pretty shaky and at times inconsistent timeline for the story; and sometimes felt like they had no sense of reality and actual consequences for character’s actions.
The story has too perfect an ending to wrap everything up too quickly (which is surprising with how slow and boring the first half of the book is).
And one *minor* spoiler that I need to rant about:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, and Mental illness
Minor: Transphobia
luvey_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Cursing, and Bullying
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia
Minor: Racism
vagaybond's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Car accident, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Bullying, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Drug use, Sexual harassment, and Physical abuse
Minor: Racism and Classism
The protagonist's abusive father (who was/is a cop) chased the protagonist and his mother in a car, bumping the fender multiple times and driving the two of them off a cliff. The protagonist was 7 and was disabled by it, both with a leg issue and with PTSD triggered once in the book, by driving at night.marmaladereads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
tense
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
3.5
Wes is an angry, queer garbage fire that you can't help but root for, I loved his transformation throughout the book. Things certainly didn't come easy for him. Growing up with an abusive father and then becoming a stereotypical delinquent, Wes feels like he has to act out just to meet people's negative expectations of him.
When he meets Tristan at a holiday performance of the Nutcracker, Wes instantly develops a massive crush, but Tristan is a goodie two shoes ballerino, and Wes feels like he has to reform his image to be "good enough" for Tristan.
I really loved Wes and his character arc. He's a great unreliable narrator who makes all the wrong choices but doesn't stop trying to do better.
What I hated, however, was the relationship between Wes and Tristan. Tristan is a sweet character but he and Wes don't really work together. Their relationship is on again, off again and is a constant cycle of fighting and then big gestures and love proclamations, I didn't see a lot of tender moments between them that felt healthy and like a solid relationship foundation. If you love an angsty, drama filled romance with a lot of big emotion, you'll probably love this, but for me it felt a bit too unhealthy to be the start of a lasting relationship.
When he meets Tristan at a holiday performance of the Nutcracker, Wes instantly develops a massive crush, but Tristan is a goodie two shoes ballerino, and Wes feels like he has to reform his image to be "good enough" for Tristan.
I really loved Wes and his character arc. He's a great unreliable narrator who makes all the wrong choices but doesn't stop trying to do better.
What I hated, however, was the relationship between Wes and Tristan. Tristan is a sweet character but he and Wes don't really work together. Their relationship is on again, off again and is a constant cycle of fighting and then big gestures and love proclamations, I didn't see a lot of tender moments between them that felt healthy and like a solid relationship foundation. If you love an angsty, drama filled romance with a lot of big emotion, you'll probably love this, but for me it felt a bit too unhealthy to be the start of a lasting relationship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism
shamelesslyash's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
2.75
While I liked this story, it was a little slow. I liked that Wes isn't the stereotypical gay kid.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
azllyz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
sooooooooo good. no words to describe it, i completely devoured the book and put all homework aside... when avril said "he was a punk she did ballet" anthony nerada really said he was a punk and he did ballet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! there were so many different characters and complexity and it was great to say all of the different layers unfold. i love this and am so glad i came across this recommendation
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Bullying
Moderate: Homophobia and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Car accident, and Domestic abuse
lettuce_read's review against another edition
- 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: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Bullying
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Car accident, and Homophobia
Minor: Child abuse
ianreadsbookssometimes's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Homophobia and Alcoholism
Minor: Toxic friendship
fanboyriot's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
♡ Opposites Attract
♡ Emo/Punk Music References
♡ Punk x Ballerina (gay edition)
I absolutely loved this book. The details and development of the characters was done so beautifully. Wes really figuring out who he is and his character development was just amazing.
This has to be one of the best coming of age books I’ve ever read. The past trauma, the anxiety, the fear of coming out, and the wellbeing of those closest to him were all seriously written so well.
Wes and Tristan were total opposites, I mean one was a skater boy and the other did ballet after all. Their dynamic was really lovely, Wes falling instantly for Tristan and totally being an awkward mess when he met him was hilarious.
Wes and his friends gave off“boys will be boys” at first glance, trouble makers, and bad grades to show for it but in the end they really proved that saying wrong.
Also I absolutely loved all the Golden Girls references they were so cute.
A big thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this wonderful audiobook, I’m so grateful.
Spice Level: n/a
POV: First Person
Release Date: 06, February 2024
Rep: Gay (Main Character), Black Gay (Love Interest), Non-Binary (Side Character), LGBTQIA+ Characters, BIPOC (Characters), Anxiety Disorder, Domestic Abuse Survivors (Main Character and His Mom)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Bullying, Drug use, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Violence, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Addiction, Racism, Car accident, Child abuse, and Homophobia
dearhaleynicole's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
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 was SUCH an enjoyable read from start to finish for me! And sooo quick too. At least I zoomed through the audiobook (probably because the narration was fantastic – but we'll get to that). I pretty much immediately fell in love with Wes as our main character. He's giving "we must protect the misunderstood, angry boy at all costs" energy for me. Which I already gravitate naturally to characters like his, but Wes just had some different sort of magic to his makeup that I immediately said I need to give him a hug and just tell him everything's going to be okay, 'ya know? I really went into this book thinking it was going to be a light, queer YA romance read but boy, could I have been more wrong. It was still a wonderful ya romance, but it also did more than that. It handled some pretty heavy topics in a very approachable way that didn't lighten the gravity of said topics but also didn't bog the story down in any way that affected the pacing or storyline. Everything felt like it had it's purpose in the story and I could tell the heart Anthony put into the writing through his handling of particularly significant character events. And Wes wasn't the only lovable/relatable character to me, I felt a little for each of his friends' various experiences, which only made the story feel more genuine and well-rounded as. whole. Wes, especially, went through some pretty significant growth over the course of the book and I found myself feeling so proud of him and his journey by the book's conclusion. I also thought the romance was great and very age-appropriate to the character, which I'm just personally a big fan of in high-school setting YA. That's not to say I didn't get frustrated a few times with the "Tripod," the endearing, self-proclaimed name of Wes' tight-knight friend group. I wanted to definitely shake some sense into them a few times, but alas I'm only the reader and had to watch as they all majorly fumbled some miscommunication situations in the book.
Also, I would be SO remiss if I didn't mention that I specifically listened to this in audiobook format and WOW! The writing was already great (Go Anthony Nerada!) but then Michael Crouch (the audiobook narrator) just brought Wes' character to life for me! His voice acting in this role probably accounts for a strong portion of why I love Wes so much in this book. He felt so genuine and real to me.
Overall, I'm really happy that this book exists out in the universe and had a great time reading would highly recommend to anyone in the market for a fresh MM YA romance read set in high school or maybe just something to satisfy that urge to go back to an emo version of yourself from high school (if this applies to your experience ofc).
P.S. I believe others have said it in previous reviews, but I couldn't get enough of the chapter titles! They were fantastic and something I looked forward at the start of each chapter 🥹
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review in exchange for an honest review!
Also, I would be SO remiss if I didn't mention that I specifically listened to this in audiobook format and WOW! The writing was already great (Go Anthony Nerada!) but then Michael Crouch (the audiobook narrator) just brought Wes' character to life for me! His voice acting in this role probably accounts for a strong portion of why I love Wes so much in this book. He felt so genuine and real to me.
Overall, I'm really happy that this book exists out in the universe and had a great time reading would highly recommend to anyone in the market for a fresh MM YA romance read set in high school or maybe just something to satisfy that urge to go back to an emo version of yourself from high school (if this applies to your experience ofc).
P.S. I believe others have said it in previous reviews, but I couldn't get enough of the chapter titles! They were fantastic and something I looked forward at the start of each chapter 🥹
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Child abuse, Car accident, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders