A review by aromanticreadsromance
The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar by Sonora Reyes

challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Ngl Cesar's story was really hard for me to get through as someone who deals with mental illness. But it was REALLY well done (which is not surprising because Sonora Reyes literally never misses). I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book early (thanks to the author and publisher!). Sonora is one of my absolute favorite writers. They knock it out of the park every single time. That being said, this book won't be for everyone due to its content (please read the warnings and take care of yourself!).

Cesar's character is so complex. He does a lot of shitty things, but you can't help but root for him anyways. As someone who has also done a lot of shitty things because of unregulated mental illness (not an excuse, obviously), it was nice to see Cesar's redemption arc and that nobody is ever truly unforgiveable or unlovable (though somebody doesn't owe you their forgiveness or love if you have wronged them, especially multiple times). Even seeing Avery's redemption arc was fantastic. I wish we got to see more of Cesar's therapy group friends.

I loved the chapter titles and how they all related to symptoms of Cesar's bipolar disorder.

Raise your hand if you wanna start a fan club for Jamal ✋🏻✋🏻✋🏻

My thoughts are still all over the place since I just finished this but I'll come back to add more reflections. I'm sure I will be thinking about this one for a while.
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