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A review by bethany6788
If You Still Recognize Me by Cynthia So
emotional
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
What a gorgeous YA novel 😍. This book is about Elsie, who lives in England with her parents. She has a best friend from childhood, Joan, who she hasn’t seen in 8 years. She’s in a fandom and reads a lot of fan fiction, oh and she has a crush on her fandom friend. Her grandfather has recently passed away and her grandmother comes to live with them in England for the summer, and this novel is what happens during that time…
Things I loved about this book:
I LOVED Elsie coming to terms with herself and her sexuality, along with what she actually wants in a relationship. She learns from the people around her and her past experiences. She’s not perfect and she makes mistakes. She’s flawed and a little messy and I love her more for it.
Rikita and Felix were awesome friends. I loved their friendships and how they both were there for Elsie in different ways.
Joan. My heart!!!!! I loved Joan. She abandoned Elsie (or did she!?) when they were younger and moved to Oxford early specifically to find her?? I can’t. It’s too much (I loved it).
The underlying story with Ada’s grandmother! Loved that ending.
Uncle Kevin and David.
Learning about what happened 8 years ago.
That super lovely ending!
A couple of quotes I loved:
“There’s nothing like meeting someone and feeling comfortable with them instantly. That to me is the closest thing we have to magic in the world.”
“The way he says the name, I feel the nervous dream of it, of tending to a patch of coil where you want love to grow, and I recognize it so well.”
“Maybe there’s something wrong with me! Maybe nobody is ever going to look at me and see somebody worthy of love.”
“If I don’t tell people I like them, I don’t give them the power to hurt me. If the glass dome is cracked even a fraction, who knows what could get in?”
“Part of me felt safe liking Ada because I didn’t truly believe that things were ever going to work out with her. Of course my feelings for her were genuine, but they were also a sanctuary. It was beautiful to imagine us getting together because it didn’t seem like something that would happen.”
Things I loved about this book:
I LOVED Elsie coming to terms with herself and her sexuality, along with what she actually wants in a relationship. She learns from the people around her and her past experiences. She’s not perfect and she makes mistakes. She’s flawed and a little messy and I love her more for it.
Rikita and Felix were awesome friends. I loved their friendships and how they both were there for Elsie in different ways.
Joan. My heart!!!!! I loved Joan. She abandoned Elsie (or did she!?) when they were younger and moved to Oxford early specifically to find her?? I can’t. It’s too much (I loved it).
The underlying story with Ada’s grandmother! Loved that ending.
Uncle Kevin and David.
Learning about what happened 8 years ago.
That super lovely ending!
A couple of quotes I loved:
“There’s nothing like meeting someone and feeling comfortable with them instantly. That to me is the closest thing we have to magic in the world.”
“The way he says the name, I feel the nervous dream of it, of tending to a patch of coil where you want love to grow, and I recognize it so well.”
“Maybe there’s something wrong with me! Maybe nobody is ever going to look at me and see somebody worthy of love.”
“If I don’t tell people I like them, I don’t give them the power to hurt me. If the glass dome is cracked even a fraction, who knows what could get in?”
“Part of me felt safe liking Ada because I didn’t truly believe that things were ever going to work out with her. Of course my feelings for her were genuine, but they were also a sanctuary. It was beautiful to imagine us getting together because it didn’t seem like something that would happen.”