Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - This Is Why They Hate Us

This was a really great story about 17-year-old Quique who is exploring his bisexuality while also navigating the fact that he’s in love with his best friend. It’s hard for queer people to be together in general, but adding in the fact that they’re both boys of color (Quique is Mexican-American and Saleem is Palestinian). But I will say I feel like this book was a bit too explicit to be considered YA? This had some very graphic sex scenes considering this is a YA book 😅 I personally feel uncomfy reading sex scenes involving anyone under 18.

Content Warnings

suzreadsalot's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

“So when are you coming home?”

Who gave Aaron the right to make me cry like this. Queer coming of age stories just hit different when you’re a 30 yr old who’s still figuring their ~~shit~~ out apparently.

tldr– I adore everything about this book and you (everyone) should read it and cry with me)

Sometimes it feels like the teens in YA books are polished up to the best versions of themselves but not here. Quique is a chaotic mess. He does messy, teen things. He’s real and unfiltered and it was beautiful.

I’ll never understand how people can say they can’t find anything to relate to in books about people different to them because even though I’m white, it felt like I was looking in a mirror. So many parts of Quique are also parts of me. Growing up in a working, lower class family and dealing with the struggles and mindset that creates. Struggling to find yourself while also measuring yourself up against [literally] everyone you see.
But the most relatable was his struggle with his mental health and learning to recognize when you need to ask for help. It took me a lot longer to figure out than it did for him.

I love how friendships were portrayed and how platonic love with his friends was just as important as his want/need for romantic love and lust.

I was worried I wouldn’t be able to fall in love with Saleem since he isn’t present for a good amount of the book but I did. He showed up and stole my heart.

I do wish we had been able to have a little bit more time with saleem

and be able to see them fall in love a bit more

but that might just be because I love them so much

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dagaezoomer19's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

3.5

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litoreads's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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blakeandbooks's review

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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

4.0

This book felt so genuine to me from conversations/arguments between friends, mental health struggles as a teenager, and the MMC exploring his sexuality (he identifies as bisexual). I saw one of the people I follow on Instagram recommend this book to me, and I’m so glad they posted about it! I know some people aren’t interested in young adult fiction, but it is seriously some of the most genuine literature I read! It can be so difficult not to feel comfortable in who you are and have a crush on your best friend.

Fabiola is Afro-Latina, Quique’s best friend, and she is also bisexual! Some of their dialogue had me cackling! I love seeing great banter between friends. AND I also love seeing realistic arguments/disagreements between friends in books and how they made up. Friendships are not black and white! They’re complicated and messy and beautiful, and Aceves did such an incredible job at showing so much nuance in these characters and their relationships with one another.

Figuring out who you are in the world, especially as a teenager can be so overwhelming. Hell, it’s even difficult now for me sometimes at 26. Quique’s experiences felt so real and easy to relate to. Over the summer, he’s trying to get over his best friend, Saleem, who is visiting his family for 3 weeks, so Quique is hoping he can find ways to spend time with some of the boys he has crushes on to find out whether or not they feel a bit of the same. I personally thought the sex scenes were tasteful, and it wasn’t smut, but it was just realistic representations that teenagers do in fact have sex.

Saleem and Quique’s relationship from the get go is full of tension! I love how they can understand each other by just looking at one another, and I love how realistic it is to be so terrified that your best friend won’t feel the same as you do that you just don’t say anything at all… until you do !!

I loved Qique’s relationship with his parents, especially his mom. One of the quotes that made me cry was, “‘I wish I could say something comforting and wise,’ my mom begins, ‘but I can’t think of anything. This is gonna hurt, kid. It’s gonna continue to hurt. For a while.’ I’m about to make a sarcastic response about the dour nature of her words, but she continues. ‘But one day it won’t. And it won’t be because someone else has taken his place, and it won’t be because you’ve forgotten him. It’ll be because heartbreak, like any other injury will heal when you give it time.’”

The mental health representation in this book made me feel so seen 😭 As someone who has chronic depression, it is such a breath of fresh air to see other characters, and be able to read their inner thoughts about how they feel and their exploration into their own thoughts, mental health, and growth. When he asks to return to therapy, I was SO happy to see this. We need these type of books out in the world! Where everyone, no matter your age range, understands that it’s okay not to be okay, and sometimes we have to ask for help and seek guidance through therapy. The discussion around medication was so appreciated. I take antidepressants for my depression and obsessive compulsive thoughts, and it has made all the difference in my life. Luciana prefaces that medication is “not a miracle solution,” and work still needs to be put in!

There are so many great quotes in this book! Highly recommend.

Content Warnings

jaelovesbooks's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I loved 90% of this book and I adored the main character. He was well written and interesting. His experiences were relatable. The 10% I took issue with concerned me deeply.

It was his relationship with a teacher. Kids need queer adults in their lives and the MC definitely needed some advice from a mature queer person. BUT it wasn’t okay for the teacher to hit on him on an app (the MC lied about his age; teacher didn’t know) and then still invite him into his home alone once he found out that the his date was actually an underage student. The MC proceeds to hit on and flirt with the teacher; no, the teacher doesn’t reciprocate but he doesn’t put proper boundaries in place. I was frustrated because I really liked the teacher initially, but I don’t think it was appropriate how this interaction went in the book. If the teacher wanted to give advice, they should’ve gone to a public, neutral place. They absolutely should not have been alone in the teacher’s home. Also, this happened twice, and the teacher has to ask the MC to please note tell anyone. Absolutely sketchy. Different boundaries should have been modeled imo.

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