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A review by idesofjaim
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I’ve got some mixed feelings about this one.
First, I will say the second half when things got really real is the better part of this book. I did struggle through the first part. I couldn’t believe that a character like Grace really thought that she could just ignore her marriage and didn’t think of, like, how to get an annulment? Or whether they carried out everything to make the marriage legally binding? You just casually wore a ring around your neck and went on with your life???
Then we get to New York and Yuki’s life and roommates. I won’t lie, it felt a bit queer New Girl, and it also felt a bit idealized a situation. I know found family is incredibly important, but it just felt a bit too perfect. But hey, I can suspend reality on this front.
I still can’t suspend reality with Grace and Yuki’s relationship. I know Yuki is supposed to be the antithesis of the kind of partner that would be expected for Grace and her perfect world. But Grace doesn’t even second guess any of these details, even though she’s anxious about every detail of her life plan. I guess what I’m reaching for is wishing this had been fleshed out, which is why Yuki comes off manic pixie dream girl.
Also, can we talk about how Grace just dismisses the idea of Ithaca like it’s some unknown university? ITHACA??? Girl. “It’s not the best” it’s a top university!!!
Anyway. I do believe this book presents a very real opportunity to talk about topics like mental health, family dynamics especially in non-white families, racial barriers in society, etc. That was where the second half got me; we finally started breaking free of the flowery world and got deep. I just would have liked more. I would have liked to understood more of what happened between Grace’s parents other than military dad takes her away and hippie mom just abandons her I guess? There’s something more concrete here.
Did that mean I didn’t tear up in the second half of the book? No, because I absolutely did. While it was as imperfect as Grace Porter, it did get to me, and shows that it does touch on pain points that will be relatable to readers. I can understand how Grace’s crisis would seem more appropriate for someone in their early or even mid twenties, but how many of us in our late 20s/early 30s reach a crisis point when we’ve done everything we were “supposed to do”? Is it really that absurd that someone who knows nothing but higher learning panics when they reach the non-academic other side? I really don’t see it being that unrealistic, even while Grace has known few other worries. In fairness, as a white woman, I see this through a white lens; I have several friends go through quarter-life crisis in situations like this. That may be why it doesn’t seem unrealistic to me. But maybe it is an unrealistic storyline for a character that is biracial.
So, I’ve got my pros and cons to this book. I ultimately didn’t leave the read through unhappy, but again, that comes down to the second half. I would not be opposed to reading another of Morgan Rogers’ books because I feel there’s a lot of potential here, as critical as I may seem. I am here for more queer literature.
First, I will say the second half when things got really real is the better part of this book. I did struggle through the first part. I couldn’t believe that a character like Grace really thought that she could just ignore her marriage and didn’t think of, like, how to get an annulment? Or whether they carried out everything to make the marriage legally binding? You just casually wore a ring around your neck and went on with your life???
Then we get to New York and Yuki’s life and roommates. I won’t lie, it felt a bit queer New Girl, and it also felt a bit idealized a situation. I know found family is incredibly important, but it just felt a bit too perfect. But hey, I can suspend reality on this front.
I still can’t suspend reality with Grace and Yuki’s relationship. I know Yuki is supposed to be the antithesis of the kind of partner that would be expected for Grace and her perfect world. But Grace doesn’t even second guess any of these details, even though she’s anxious about every detail of her life plan. I guess what I’m reaching for is wishing this had been fleshed out, which is why Yuki comes off manic pixie dream girl.
Also, can we talk about how Grace just dismisses the idea of Ithaca like it’s some unknown university? ITHACA??? Girl. “It’s not the best” it’s a top university!!!
Anyway. I do believe this book presents a very real opportunity to talk about topics like mental health, family dynamics especially in non-white families, racial barriers in society, etc. That was where the second half got me; we finally started breaking free of the flowery world and got deep. I just would have liked more. I would have liked to understood more of what happened between Grace’s parents other than military dad takes her away and hippie mom just abandons her I guess? There’s something more concrete here.
Did that mean I didn’t tear up in the second half of the book? No, because I absolutely did. While it was as imperfect as Grace Porter, it did get to me, and shows that it does touch on pain points that will be relatable to readers. I can understand how Grace’s crisis would seem more appropriate for someone in their early or even mid twenties, but how many of us in our late 20s/early 30s reach a crisis point when we’ve done everything we were “supposed to do”? Is it really that absurd that someone who knows nothing but higher learning panics when they reach the non-academic other side? I really don’t see it being that unrealistic, even while Grace has known few other worries. In fairness, as a white woman, I see this through a white lens; I have several friends go through quarter-life crisis in situations like this. That may be why it doesn’t seem unrealistic to me. But maybe it is an unrealistic storyline for a character that is biracial.
So, I’ve got my pros and cons to this book. I ultimately didn’t leave the read through unhappy, but again, that comes down to the second half. I would not be opposed to reading another of Morgan Rogers’ books because I feel there’s a lot of potential here, as critical as I may seem. I am here for more queer literature.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Self harm