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A review by bookishmillennial
Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-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
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
This was a lovely slice-of-life story about 17-year-old Felipe, who must share his room with his neighbor Caio for two weeks while Caio’s mom goes on vacation. Felipe is not stoked to share his room with someone who previously didn’t acknowledge his existence, but alas! Felipe is gay, fat, and doesn’t have friends at school; instead, he is bullied and called every “fat joke name” in the book. Felipe’s mom is incredibly supportive and loving though, and he goes to therapy to talk with Olivia too. Over the two weeks, Felipe finds it in himself to be a bit braver, stand a bit taller, be kinder to his body, and expand his world!
I loved this subdued narrative, as we read Felipe’s first-person POV as he navigates meeting new people (a 9-year-old kid in his mom’s class, Eddie; Caio’s best friend Rebeca & her girlfriend Melisa), standing up for himself, trying new things (like going to the pool and swimming!), and his first crush/romance. Felipe was awkward, goofy, curious and introspective. This felt like Felipe could easily be a character on a show like Heartstopper or Sex Education. It was such a cozy story, and I was so proud of Felipe!
FYI: Two very quick Harry Potter references (this was first published in 2017, then translated in 2020 by the way)
This was a lovely slice-of-life story about 17-year-old Felipe, who must share his room with his neighbor Caio for two weeks while Caio’s mom goes on vacation. Felipe is not stoked to share his room with someone who previously didn’t acknowledge his existence, but alas! Felipe is gay, fat, and doesn’t have friends at school; instead, he is bullied and called every “fat joke name” in the book. Felipe’s mom is incredibly supportive and loving though, and he goes to therapy to talk with Olivia too. Over the two weeks, Felipe finds it in himself to be a bit braver, stand a bit taller, be kinder to his body, and expand his world!
I loved this subdued narrative, as we read Felipe’s first-person POV as he navigates meeting new people (a 9-year-old kid in his mom’s class, Eddie; Caio’s best friend Rebeca & her girlfriend Melisa), standing up for himself, trying new things (like going to the pool and swimming!), and his first crush/romance. Felipe was awkward, goofy, curious and introspective. This felt like Felipe could easily be a character on a show like Heartstopper or Sex Education. It was such a cozy story, and I was so proud of Felipe!
FYI: Two very quick Harry Potter references (this was first published in 2017, then translated in 2020 by the way)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Misogyny