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A review by abookandchai
Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
A warm story of first love and a group of queer teens finding their home in a high school marching band. Beating Heart Baby follows two boys, Santi and Suwa, from finding each other online to colliding at high school as they navigate through friendships, love and staying true to oneself. I really liked that the book was divided into two sides—one with Santi's POV and his struggles with truly connecting with people around him and the other with Suwa's POV and his journey as a trans boy making music. The LGBTQ+ community that forms their friends was so heartwarming to read about. All of that combined with references to anime and indie music and how the main characters incorporated aspects from them in their own lives made this book so much more heart felt.
My complaint with the book would be that the switch in POVs and a time jump right after the confrontations threw me off a bit. I actually wanted to continue reading about their high school experience (not that I mind the musical career bits). The writing felt somewhat stagnant at times too but I truly think the characters drive the story forward really well.
This book realistically queer YA that is equally messy and emotional. It's about music, chasing your dreams, found family, sustaining love and embracing yourself. I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking to read about anything along those lines!
thank you Flatiron Books for the ARC!
My complaint with the book would be that the switch in POVs and a time jump right after the confrontations threw me off a bit. I actually wanted to continue reading about their high school experience (not that I mind the musical career bits). The writing felt somewhat stagnant at times too but I truly think the characters drive the story forward really well.
This book realistically queer YA that is equally messy and emotional. It's about music, chasing your dreams, found family, sustaining love and embracing yourself. I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking to read about anything along those lines!
thank you Flatiron Books for the ARC!