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A review by biblio_gabriella
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
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