A review by betweentheshelves
Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore

emotional hopeful 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

4.5

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s for an advanced copy of this to review! McLemore is a newer author for me, but so far, I’ve enjoyed everything they’ve written. This book might be the best book of theirs I’ve read so far! And that’s saying something because I really loved Mirror Season.

First of all, I don’t think I can think of another YA book that has two nonbinary protagonists that fall in love. If you can think of one, let me know! But right from the beginning, Bastián and Lore feel like they have a kinship because of their nonbinary identities. And we get different ends of the spectrum: Bastián is just starting testosterone injections, while Lore is still exploring their identity. I loved that they both got to talk to each other about this, and their gender forecasts? Those were adroable and felt like something so relatable to nonbinary teens.

In addition to their nonbinary identities, Bastián and Lore both struggle with different neurodivergences. Bastián struggles with ADHD and Lore struggles with dyslexia. With Bastián, we get the full spectrum of ADHD. Where people normally think of ADHD as hyperactivity, there’s so much more than that. There’s also a brief discussion about how gender is related to ADHD diagnosis, which I also don’t think is something I’ve seen in a YA book. Lore struggles with figuring out words, and the way they describe it feels realistic and definitely relatable for teens also struggling with these issues.

Like most McLemore’s books, there’s a magical realism element that directly correlates with what the characters are struggling with. I especially like the way that the lake paralleled the way Lore felt like they were spiraling out of control, unsure of how to stop it. It’s a subtle magical realism, but it works so well with the story.

All in all, I absolutely loved this book and think it’s going to continue to get a lot of good buzz when it comes out in March. It’s definitely one that you won’t want to miss! 
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Just when I thought Mirror Season was my favorite of McLemore's books, this one might take that place. Beautifully written with that kind of surreal magical realism I've come to expect from their books. Also two nonbinary main characters falling for each other? I can honestly say I think that's the first time I've seen that in a YA book.

More to come in a full review next week!
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