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A review by seawarrior
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I really did try to like this book, yet Noah has to be the most unlikeable and entitled teenage protagonist I've encountered in young adult literature so far, and his character development was far too weak to make up for how selfishly he behaved throughout the story.
First of all, I take serious issue with Noah feeling that his serial lying on the Meet Cute Diary is the only thing standing in the way of some trans teenagers killing themselves. I had assumed that we would learn that Noah got in over his head with the Diary to explain why he felt it was appropriate to lie to so many people for attention, yet instead he seems to feel no guilt for being dishonest for popularity and justifies his decision to waste his parents' money to seek out more strangers to romanticize fake relationships with because "trans kids may lose hope and kill themselves if I don't continue placating them with an endless series of lies". His eventual apology to his followers was not nearly enough to make up for his self-absorbed behavior in my opinion. If he had actually wanted to help other trans people he would have asked for them to submit their own stories from the beginning instead of presenting them with poorly written fantasies to serve his own ego and further delude himself that his dishonesty was needed so desperately that the situation was life or death.
To make matters worse, Noah likens his role as the writer of this blog to a situation where a transgender girl he did not know in high school inspired him to discover he was trans after he heard that she was bullied so severely that she attempted suicide. Perhaps predictably,this same transgender girl, who now identifies as nonbinary and uses e / em pronouns, becomes Noah's endgame love interest. Yet e's history as a survivor of a suicide attempt and vicious harassment is only discussed briefly in its application to Noah's life, which I find deplorable. Suicidal trans teenagers deserve more than to be "inspiration" or an excuse for why an egotistical character feels no remorse for doing something that is ultimately self-serving. I also find it interesting how Noah's "trolls" are presented as anonymous haters with un-explored motivations when they were right about his blog to begin with and have a reason to be angry with him. Why would anyone thinking critically about this scenario not agree that Noah was undeserving of the endless praise being sent his way?
I don't even want to bother fully reviewing other elements of the book, because I don't see the point. Why create a character this selfish and manipulative to begin with if you don't intend to confront his actions? Noah's behavior just put me in a foul mood whenever I was reading about him, and I only stuck around because I was hoping he would grow up. Unfortunately these hopes were not met. It is not uncommon for young adult literature to contain self-absorbed protagonists, yet these characters generally learn that their attitudes and behaviors are unacceptable to continue if they want to mature as people and develop relationships that are lasting and not toxic. This did not happen with Noah.
Noah never had to seriously reevaluate why he felt so secure being manipulative and egotistical because every character exists in this book to serve Noah. Their identities revolve around Noah. Even when they were said to be upset with Noah they forgave his half-hearted apologies because they are useless to the narrative when not there to bolster Noah's self esteem. This applies to every character in the book, even Noah's parents. Worst of all for a romance book, the end romance did not feel genuine because it was manufactured to be perfect for Noah, a person who remained too immature and self-serving to healthily participate in any romantic relationship. This book is a shadow of what it could have been if the author had been willing to put Noah into scenarios where forgiveness was not so easily given, and worked to make the supporting characters less one-dimensional. I believe that teenage readers are intelligent enough that they should not be asked to relate to a protagonist this shallow. I am angry with this book now and I would have been angry with it when I was sixteen. It is insulting to the very people it intends to uplift.
I love to see trans authors flourishing, so despite my frustrations with this book I will keep an open mind for Lee's next title. However, I would not recommend Meet Cute Diary to anyone but the most desperate seekers of trans representation. Trans identity is not the forefront of this book, which is not an inherent flaw, yet the book's focus is reserved for deceit, egomaniacal behavior, and poorly developed romances. I wish I had never read it to begin with. I feel nothing but manipulated and diminished by the story it held.
First of all, I take serious issue with Noah feeling that his serial lying on the Meet Cute Diary is the only thing standing in the way of some trans teenagers killing themselves. I had assumed that we would learn that Noah got in over his head with the Diary to explain why he felt it was appropriate to lie to so many people for attention, yet instead he seems to feel no guilt for being dishonest for popularity and justifies his decision to waste his parents' money to seek out more strangers to romanticize fake relationships with because "trans kids may lose hope and kill themselves if I don't continue placating them with an endless series of lies". His eventual apology to his followers was not nearly enough to make up for his self-absorbed behavior in my opinion. If he had actually wanted to help other trans people he would have asked for them to submit their own stories from the beginning instead of presenting them with poorly written fantasies to serve his own ego and further delude himself that his dishonesty was needed so desperately that the situation was life or death.
To make matters worse, Noah likens his role as the writer of this blog to a situation where a transgender girl he did not know in high school inspired him to discover he was trans after he heard that she was bullied so severely that she attempted suicide. Perhaps predictably,
I don't even want to bother fully reviewing other elements of the book, because I don't see the point. Why create a character this selfish and manipulative to begin with if you don't intend to confront his actions? Noah's behavior just put me in a foul mood whenever I was reading about him, and I only stuck around because I was hoping he would grow up. Unfortunately these hopes were not met. It is not uncommon for young adult literature to contain self-absorbed protagonists, yet these characters generally learn that their attitudes and behaviors are unacceptable to continue if they want to mature as people and develop relationships that are lasting and not toxic. This did not happen with Noah.
Noah never had to seriously reevaluate why he felt so secure being manipulative and egotistical because every character exists in this book to serve Noah. Their identities revolve around Noah. Even when they were said to be upset with Noah they forgave his half-hearted apologies because they are useless to the narrative when not there to bolster Noah's self esteem. This applies to every character in the book, even Noah's parents. Worst of all for a romance book, the end romance did not feel genuine because it was manufactured to be perfect for Noah, a person who remained too immature and self-serving to healthily participate in any romantic relationship. This book is a shadow of what it could have been if the author had been willing to put Noah into scenarios where forgiveness was not so easily given, and worked to make the supporting characters less one-dimensional. I believe that teenage readers are intelligent enough that they should not be asked to relate to a protagonist this shallow. I am angry with this book now and I would have been angry with it when I was sixteen. It is insulting to the very people it intends to uplift.
I love to see trans authors flourishing, so despite my frustrations with this book I will keep an open mind for Lee's next title. However, I would not recommend Meet Cute Diary to anyone but the most desperate seekers of trans representation. Trans identity is not the forefront of this book, which is not an inherent flaw, yet the book's focus is reserved for deceit, egomaniacal behavior, and poorly developed romances. I wish I had never read it to begin with. I feel nothing but manipulated and diminished by the story it held.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Vomit