Reviews with content warning for Toxic friendship - You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince

cute little holiday story!! i enjoyed the character growth and i loved all the relationships, but i didn’t really feel connected to the characters at all. just fell a little flat for me, but i still enjoyed the overall story.

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things100's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring lighthearted 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

4.5

I loved this book, the relationship was so cute and the anxiety representation was amazing

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shelvesofivy's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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? Yes

4.25

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lauren_shilling's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this book. I loved it so much. I was really hoping I would love it, and it absolutely did NOT disappoint! Matthew and Hector were incredible, and I absolutely adored reading about them both. I really was not expecting Matthew to be as relatable as he ended up being, but his struggles with anxiety hit really close to home for me. It was a really validating read, and I was actually surprised by how validating it was to read from his point of view about his struggles. I also really loved watching his character growth. It was done wonderfully well, and it was such a pleasure to join him on his journey. Something else I loved about this book was that it wasn't a story about a character realizing that they were meant to be in a small town instead of the city they always thought they loved. Matthew loves the city, and even as he grows as a person and begins to shift his priorities, he still loves it. I appreciated that because, even as someone who doesn't like NYC that much, I get tired of stories of people becoming almost a whole different person. Matthew didn't become a different person, just a better one. The side characters were all wonderful too, and I loved watching Matthew connect, not only with Hector, but with his grandparents and new friends as well. It was such a special thing to watch unfold. Hector was also such an amazing love interest. He was so sweet and kind and wonderful, and I loved him so much. I loved learning about him and getting to know him along with Matthew. He was really special. I loved everything about this book, and it was one of the easiest five stars I've ever given.

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womanwill's review

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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ghoulishshark's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I think snobby rich people even in books are just not my thing. Okay, Matthew grew on me by chapter twenty-one. If you want a queer book that’s like a Christmas Hallmark movie this fits that bill. The mental health talk was great and you definitely learn why Matthew was the way he was. The fact that he plans events to calm his anxiety is personally so relatable because while I don’t plan events in those times I do design possible future homes, make lists with the items I imagine in them, and make list for almost anything instead. There’s also some good quotes in this.

I wasn’t bothered by this but I know others might be Hector (li) calls Matthew dude so many times so beware of that. I do think this could have been shorter but at the same time it wasn’t like dragging to the point where things absolutely needed to be cut. Also, the parents but specifically the mother in this just no. And lastly I would like to admit that until I got to chapter twenty one I was constantly thinking about DNF’ing this.

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fanboyriot's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Read For:

🏳️‍🌈 Achillean

☃️ Holiday Romance

🫶 Enemies to Lovers

☺️ Wholesome Ending

🎄 Small Town Christmas

Loved this!! The holiday atmosphere and the small town vibes made this such an enjoyable read. Worth the hype for sure.

I wasn’t sure if I’d like Matthew or not, the spoiled rich kid usually is an ick for me but this was written so well. He was a well detailed character and had depth to his personality. The character development was so pleasant to read.

This was such a cute holiday rom-com!

POV: First Person

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Rep: Gay (MC), BI (LI), Anxiety (MC), Mental Health, Poly Relationship (Past), BIPOC

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maregred's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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