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A review by bookishwelshie
Under All the Lights by Maya Ameyaw
4.0
Under All The Lights is the kind of book I wished I had read when I was growing up, as a teenager. There’s some great representation of bisexuality, and the confusing and conflicting emotions surrounding sexuality.
The main character Ollie is torn between his feelings for a girl, and for a boy. He is in a relationship with Aisha, but has these conflicted feelings for the famous musician, Jessie, that he is on tour with. Over the course of this story, Ollie goes from a budding, to a famous, musician at such a young age. And he has to learn how to navigate this newfound fame alongside his bisexuality. Social media rumours about him and his relationships aren’t helping matters either.
I haven’t read the first book in this series, but it works fine as a standalone story, even though I believe the first book focuses on Ollie and Aisha’s relationship. I wonder, if I had read it first, if I would have dislike Ollie with Jessie more. I’m intrigued now to go back at some point and check that one out.
Discussions of Ollie’s past (TW) SA are sensitivity and delicately handled, whilst also having the realism to show how it has been affecting Ollie mentally, mostly manifesting as anxiety. Parts did feel heavy, the author herself even encouraged readers to take breaks.
The main character Ollie is torn between his feelings for a girl, and for a boy. He is in a relationship with Aisha, but has these conflicted feelings for the famous musician, Jessie, that he is on tour with. Over the course of this story, Ollie goes from a budding, to a famous, musician at such a young age. And he has to learn how to navigate this newfound fame alongside his bisexuality. Social media rumours about him and his relationships aren’t helping matters either.
I haven’t read the first book in this series, but it works fine as a standalone story, even though I believe the first book focuses on Ollie and Aisha’s relationship. I wonder, if I had read it first, if I would have dislike Ollie with Jessie more. I’m intrigued now to go back at some point and check that one out.
Discussions of Ollie’s past (TW) SA are sensitivity and delicately handled, whilst also having the realism to show how it has been affecting Ollie mentally, mostly manifesting as anxiety. Parts did feel heavy, the author herself even encouraged readers to take breaks.