A review by reba_reads_books
Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

4.0

I agree so wholeheartedly with all of the glowing reviews that I'm not sure how further to express my love for this book. I just loved it. I've been meaning to pick up a title from this press for awhile, because their values regarding inclusivity and diversity in YA literature attracted me. Honestly, I was expecting to read just another queer story, but here's the kicker...this book isn't a coming out story; it's a coming of age story. This book proves what we already know--LGBTQIA characters (just like LGBTQIA people) have hopes, dreams, and rich lives outside of their cultural, sexual, and gender identities. Yeah, Jess is Asian American and bi. Yeah, her best friend is trans. Yeah, her other best friend is straight. Yeah, there's superpowers (what!?) but also some people don't have superpowers and that's cool too. But those are only small parts of this story--which has a suspenseful plot build and lesser but just as intriguing side plots all set in a rich, dystopian universe. I'll say it! Too often LGBTQIA-friendly literature limits its plots to being only about characters who have one identity, failing to recognize how complex and multifaceted identities actually are. The overall message of this book is BE AND OWN ALL THAT YOU ARE AND DO NOT LET ANYONE LIMIT YOU. That is such a goddamn beautiful message, especially for teens, especially in the LGBTQIA genre. I'm giving this one 4 instead of 5 stars because the pacing was a little slow during the first half and some plot points were a bit predictable (purposefully, it seemed, to make you scream "OMG SHE LIKES YOU TOO!" way too many times, lol)...but I'll agree with some other reviewers that this felt like a 4.5 star book to me. I'm super excited to read the sequel.