A review by readtomea97
Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney

challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I initially wanted to DNF after the first 10% because Quinn and Carter were both really annoying. I thought I was going to be able to predict how this would go but I was pleasantly surprised in comparison to my initial thoughts. Yes the romance was somewhat predictable at a certain point but I liked how we got to see growth from both of them throughout. Themes of racism, micro aggressions, friendship, mental health, and self-love/self-hate played a huge role in this story. My only critique or a request rather is I wish that Livie got her own story. I want to know more about her and her mom’s relationship and who Livie is in depth. Really both her and Carter’s backstory really intrigued me. Hopefully there’s a follow up to this.