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A review by grace_astudentreading
Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Advanced reader’s copy review
This book had me sobbing from queer joy. This was, believe it or not, the first aroace story I have read, and it was everything I have ever wanted/needed. For starters I love Jo and Sophie, and related so hard to the both of them. They felt so incredibly real to me, with their fears and insecurities and passions and relationships. For Jo, I truly understood her struggles with gender identity and accepting their aroace identities, and their feelings of anxiety and inadequacy. I loved that by the end of the book she was more confident in herself. As for Sophie, I loved how confident she was in herself from the start, but I also deeply understood how it was rooted in a lack of acceptance from her family, with whom she had a complex relationship. I admired her strength so much. In both Jo and Sophie I adored their friendships, both with each other and with the side characters There was also so much queer rep in the side characters which was amazing. As for the plot, it was pretty lighthearted, composed of mostly the journey of self discovery and growth for Jo and Sophie, and of course their online rivalry. There was a perfect mix of funny, lighthearted moments, and deeper, more emotional scenes. I loved everything that happened over the course of the book, but most of all the love letter, which is Austen worthy. It made for a great conclusion to Jo and Sophie’s first year of college and this story. Overall, I highly recommend this book and it is definitely an all time favorite for me.
Thank you Macmillan and NetGalley for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book had me sobbing from queer joy. This was, believe it or not, the first aroace story I have read, and it was everything I have ever wanted/needed. For starters I love Jo and Sophie, and related so hard to the both of them. They felt so incredibly real to me, with their fears and insecurities and passions and relationships. For Jo, I truly understood her struggles with gender identity and accepting their aroace identities, and their feelings of anxiety and inadequacy. I loved that by the end of the book she was more confident in herself. As for Sophie, I loved how confident she was in herself from the start, but I also deeply understood how it was rooted in a lack of acceptance from her family, with whom she had a complex relationship. I admired her strength so much. In both Jo and Sophie I adored their friendships, both with each other and with the side characters There was also so much queer rep in the side characters which was amazing. As for the plot, it was pretty lighthearted, composed of mostly the journey of self discovery and growth for Jo and Sophie, and of course their online rivalry. There was a perfect mix of funny, lighthearted moments, and deeper, more emotional scenes. I loved everything that happened over the course of the book, but most of all the love letter, which is Austen worthy. It made for a great conclusion to Jo and Sophie’s first year of college and this story. Overall, I highly recommend this book and it is definitely an all time favorite for me.
Thank you Macmillan and NetGalley for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.