A review by fieldfarmer
Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins

emotional 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

4.25

I loved this book. I would've loved it even more as a teenager because back then finding a fat character with a happy ending was like finding a needle in a haystack, much less a gay one. Felipe's worries about staying with Caio were so personally understood that I felt transported to being an awkward teenager again. I loved slowly seeing pieces of Caio's authentic self come through as we saw Felipe realize the beauty and bravery of being his authentic self. The ending was the perfect coming-back-to-the-beginning ending in my opinion, especially if you start by reading the dedication of the book. Overall, amazing and sweet story that I'm going to cherish for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Emotional abuse

I felt like Caio's mother's actions warranted the emotional abuse tag. She's somewhat controlling, in some ways a helicopter parent way, but in others a controlling your life way. IIRC, Caio also faces some indirect homophobia from her.