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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
This audiobook was really slow paced. I don't know what I was expecting but this one was hard to get into.
Winnie didn't really engage me but I was rooting for her to find love and acceptance. I would have loved to know who nominated her but I applauded her for participating in the pagaent. I can't imagine what it is like for a queer young black girl to navigate her sexuality while staying with her black grandmother. They tend to be so set in their ways especially due to religion but Winnie had a healthy sense of self.
I am still learning the terminology but her relationship with Winnie was never fully defined and I was waiting for that. I thought this book wasn't as good as Let's Talk About Love.
Winnie didn't really engage me but I was rooting for her to find love and acceptance. I would have loved to know who nominated her but I applauded her for participating in the pagaent. I can't imagine what it is like for a queer young black girl to navigate her sexuality while staying with her black grandmother. They tend to be so set in their ways especially due to religion but Winnie had a healthy sense of self.
I am still learning the terminology but her relationship with Winnie was never fully defined and I was waiting for that. I thought this book wasn't as good as Let's Talk About Love.
3.5 ~ This book had some great elements to it :
- confident fat black girl representation, while dealing with how being a fat black girl affects her in her daily life;
- brother/sister love;
- platonic love that is just as important as romance;
- learning to step away from toxic people, even if those people are family members.
Despite all this greatness, I wasn't as into this book as I'd hoped.
In all honesty I think the audiobook narrator played a big role in me not enjoying my reading time. She wasn't particularly bad, but her very monotone voice just didn't make me feel all the emotions I should have and made me zone out a few times...
I don't say this often but I'd love to go back in time and choose to not audiobook this one.
I still highly recommend this book!
After really appreciating seeing myself in Claire Kann's other book Let's Talk About Love, I know that I will find some pieces of my soul in every book she will bring out. And I can't wait to discover more.
- confident fat black girl representation, while dealing with how being a fat black girl affects her in her daily life;
- brother/sister love;
- platonic love that is just as important as romance;
- learning to step away from toxic people, even if those people are family members.
Despite all this greatness, I wasn't as into this book as I'd hoped.
In all honesty I think the audiobook narrator played a big role in me not enjoying my reading time. She wasn't particularly bad, but her very monotone voice just didn't make me feel all the emotions I should have and made me zone out a few times...
I don't say this often but I'd love to go back in time and choose to not audiobook this one.
I still highly recommend this book!
After really appreciating seeing myself in Claire Kann's other book Let's Talk About Love, I know that I will find some pieces of my soul in every book she will bring out. And I can't wait to discover more.
THIS WAS SO CUTE. okay one i stan aro ace people and in general i just love happy awesome cool queer people and this book delivered that!!!! in general it was just so bright and happy and sweet and goshhhh i loved the main character. she’s so good!!
Nothing wrong with the book, just did not click for me. Got about 100 pages in and felt like nothing was particularly happening + none of the characters grabbed me. I think I got through Kann's first novel "Let's Talk About Love" because the ace protagonist aspect was really important to me, but with that element removed I was more neutral and thus couldn't be bothered to keep reading.
I'll be honest, I was a little bored. If you asked me what this book is about, I wouldn't be able to tell you (and yes, I did read it). The book starts off as being about our main character being crowned Summer Queen against her will, but that plot quickly gets discarded. We didn't really see anything about that summer festival, except for a few very short scenes here and there. Instead, we mostly follow Winnie as she is going about her summer.
But don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it.
I grew attached to the characters, especially Winnie. I felt for her in a way I hadn't anticipated. Winnie is fierce and I admire her for it.
But my favorite part about this book is the discussions the author goes into. As we are following a plus-sized queer Black girl, there are multiple discussions about race, being fat, and LGTQ+ themes. I loved the way the author was able to incorporate these topics into the story.
But don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it.
I grew attached to the characters, especially Winnie. I felt for her in a way I hadn't anticipated. Winnie is fierce and I admire her for it.
But my favorite part about this book is the discussions the author goes into. As we are following a plus-sized queer Black girl, there are multiple discussions about race, being fat, and LGTQ+ themes. I loved the way the author was able to incorporate these topics into the story.
HOW HAVE I NOT REVIEWED THIS? It was my favorite January read, and I loved Winnie so much. I loved her attitude about her fatness and how she refused to let anyone talk down to her about it, I loved how the book showed that some relationships, whether familial or platonic or romantic, just don't work and it's okay to stand up for yourself when your elders are being shitty. I didn't like Winnie's cousin at all and I kept wanting to slap her, but I loved everyone else. There's a queer platonic relationship, which I was SO excited to see, and ugh god okay just read this book because it's fun and funny and heart-warming but also hits some serious notes and has great rep.
Sweet and with believable, manageable angst. Models communication and acceptance beautifully. Polyamorous, ace, bisexual, queer, fat, black representation.
it was cute but boring and too cheesy. the discussions on topics like fatphobia and queer platonic relationships are awesome, but overall wasn't my cup of tea. sometimes i feel too old and cynical for ya now lol
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If It Makes You Happy is a story which follows Winnie through her summer staying with her grandmother in a small town.
~
It tackles issues of fatphobia and generational trauma, as well as presenting the ideas of queerplatonic and polyamorous relationships. And from my perspective, it brought up and discussed each thing in a way that solidified it and allowed it to make sense to two different types of people reading this; people who have experienced these things, or discrimination because of them, and people who haven't.
~
The main plot arc follows Winnie, her partner Kara, and her love interest Dallas. While the subplot follows Winnie and her brother Winston, as well as Winnie and her grandmother and the issues between them.
~
One of the most common criticisms I've come across for this book is the lack of proper plotting, instead being driven by character development instead. And I can't say I disagree with those things. However, I can't say I found it frustrating like I thought I might.
~
Overall, while I liked this book, I don't really know quite what to actually say about it. I couldn't connect to Winnie, or picture how Kara or Dallas looked. It didn't feel the way almost all other books feel for me.
~
It tackles issues of fatphobia and generational trauma, as well as presenting the ideas of queerplatonic and polyamorous relationships. And from my perspective, it brought up and discussed each thing in a way that solidified it and allowed it to make sense to two different types of people reading this; people who have experienced these things, or discrimination because of them, and people who haven't.
~
The main plot arc follows Winnie, her partner Kara, and her love interest Dallas. While the subplot follows Winnie and her brother Winston, as well as Winnie and her grandmother and the issues between them.
~
One of the most common criticisms I've come across for this book is the lack of proper plotting, instead being driven by character development instead. And I can't say I disagree with those things. However, I can't say I found it frustrating like I thought I might.
~
Overall, while I liked this book, I don't really know quite what to actually say about it. I couldn't connect to Winnie, or picture how Kara or Dallas looked. It didn't feel the way almost all other books feel for me.
What I Liked:
Winnie – Winnie is such a lovable character. Her family means everything to her, but it isn’t just her family, if she accepts a person into her inner circle, she will go whatever distance to make them happy. She’s strong-willed and comfortable with who she is in a world that often judges her and does not understand her. I love how the novel explores all of Winnie’s identities from being Black, to being fat, to being queer.
Family – One of my favorite things about this novel is its focus on family. Winnie is very invested in each of her family members. She has a different relationship with each of her parents, her younger brother, her grandmother, and her cousin. Every relationship is given a separate focus and Kann isn’t shy about showing the negative aspects of these relationships. One of her most complicated relationship is with her grandmother. They don’t always see eye to eye and there are moments when it feels like they will never be on the same page. It’s a lesson in contentious familial relationships where love isn’t the cure all.
Read my full review on my blog here.
Winnie – Winnie is such a lovable character. Her family means everything to her, but it isn’t just her family, if she accepts a person into her inner circle, she will go whatever distance to make them happy. She’s strong-willed and comfortable with who she is in a world that often judges her and does not understand her. I love how the novel explores all of Winnie’s identities from being Black, to being fat, to being queer.
Family – One of my favorite things about this novel is its focus on family. Winnie is very invested in each of her family members. She has a different relationship with each of her parents, her younger brother, her grandmother, and her cousin. Every relationship is given a separate focus and Kann isn’t shy about showing the negative aspects of these relationships. One of her most complicated relationship is with her grandmother. They don’t always see eye to eye and there are moments when it feels like they will never be on the same page. It’s a lesson in contentious familial relationships where love isn’t the cure all.
Read my full review on my blog here.