willdarlingg 's review for:

Mall Goth by Kate Leth

4.0

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: No

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This was wonderfully soft and hopeful, and also unsettling and uncomfortable. We follow Olivia, who has just moved to a new city, and her struggle with finding a place of belonging as a queer goth. She has some icky interactions with boys, some complicated friendships, her father is getting more and more absent, and one of here teachers seems to be the only person who sees and understands her. But when he starts sending her personal messages... that's weird, maybe? A very touching read about girlhood, Y2K culture, uncomfortable relationships, friendship, family, and belonging. Olivia is relatable and her story is emotionally engaging in a bittersweet and wholehearted way. I definitely cried.