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A review by utopiastateofmind
Boys I Know by Anna Gracia
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The way June navigates her Asian American identity resonated deeply with me. The way how in Boys I Know, June doesn't feel like she fits in with other Taiwanese teens or American teens. How there's this disconnect between this almost split identity. Never truly feeling like you fit in completely. That's how I feel as well as a Chinese American adoptee. So June's own struggles with her identity in Boys I Know ended up being moving.
On an entirely different level, Boys I Know is about June and love. About the person we become in a relationship and what we are looking for. The trials, pitfalls, and dangers of dating. All balanced with the joys, butterflies, and love. I empathized with how much June just wanted to mean something to someone. How sometimes possession can feel like a rush, like what we wanted, but how it isn't partnership. And without the framework about what that would be like to learn about what we need and want.
The way June navigates her Asian American identity resonated deeply with me. The way how in Boys I Know, June doesn't feel like she fits in with other Taiwanese teens or American teens. How there's this disconnect between this almost split identity. Never truly feeling like you fit in completely. That's how I feel as well as a Chinese American adoptee. So June's own struggles with her identity in Boys I Know ended up being moving.
On an entirely different level, Boys I Know is about June and love. About the person we become in a relationship and what we are looking for. The trials, pitfalls, and dangers of dating. All balanced with the joys, butterflies, and love. I empathized with how much June just wanted to mean something to someone. How sometimes possession can feel like a rush, like what we wanted, but how it isn't partnership. And without the framework about what that would be like to learn about what we need and want.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Abortion