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A review by nickartrip102
If We Were Us by K.L. Walther
2.0
I wanted to love this...but yikes.
I wanted more for Sage. I left the book without a clear sense of who she was. Unfortunately, though she is a dual protagonist, she is never fully defined outside of her relationship with the boys in the novel.
Charlie's treatment of the women in the novel is horrible. Self loathing and womanizing as a trope for closeted gay characters is off putting.
Speaking of bad tropes, I loved Luke until the end of the novel. The "I can't be with you if you aren't out" trope is harmful and gross. I recognize his agency and what makes him comfortable - but pressuring someone to come out with emotional manipulation is not okay. Coming out is a tough, personal choice and was not presented well in the story. Charlie was far from perfec, but no one deserves that.
I wanted more for Sage. I left the book without a clear sense of who she was. Unfortunately, though she is a dual protagonist, she is never fully defined outside of her relationship with the boys in the novel.
Charlie's treatment of the women in the novel is horrible. Self loathing and womanizing as a trope for closeted gay characters is off putting.
Speaking of bad tropes, I loved Luke until the end of the novel. The "I can't be with you if you aren't out" trope is harmful and gross. I recognize his agency and what makes him comfortable - but pressuring someone to come out with emotional manipulation is not okay. Coming out is a tough, personal choice and was not presented well in the story. Charlie was far from perfec, but no one deserves that.