kathis_wonderland's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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
4.5
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender is about Felix who is Black, queer and trans. He wants nothing more than to fall in love and have a normal teenager life. However, someone posted his deadname and photos of him before he transitioned. Now he is looking for revenge but gets pulled into his first experiences with love as well.
My heart. I wanted to read Felix Ever After since it came out and I finally got around to buy myself a copy. And it even has sprayed edges! It is beautiful! And so is the story. I really get the hype. I don't even know what to say apart from I loved the book! It warmed my heart and I felt calm after finishing it. I laughed, I actually cried, I cringed, I was hyped, I was devastated and angry. I think I went through all the emotions there are while reading.
The book was quite empowering. Felix went through a lot and made some mistakes along the way. But he grew and found his strength. He knows exactly who he is and that he is valid. But Ezra. Oh, everyone needs an Ezra in their lives! He is the bestest friend anyone can wish for. I have nothing but love for him. He got Felix back no matter what. He fights for him and defends him. The sheer amount of support that radiates from him is heart-warming. I think he is my favourite character in this book.
The love triangle freaked me out a bit, because I really don't like those anymore. However, there was no infidelity, they talked everything through and communicated. I loved that. So, nothing to be scared off.
This book is a wonderful example that you should not assume that you know what is going on in someone's life. It was empowering and just heart-warming. I can totally recommend this book and will forever cherish it.
My heart. I wanted to read Felix Ever After since it came out and I finally got around to buy myself a copy. And it even has sprayed edges! It is beautiful! And so is the story. I really get the hype. I don't even know what to say apart from I loved the book! It warmed my heart and I felt calm after finishing it. I laughed, I actually cried, I cringed, I was hyped, I was devastated and angry. I think I went through all the emotions there are while reading.
The book was quite empowering. Felix went through a lot and made some mistakes along the way. But he grew and found his strength. He knows exactly who he is and that he is valid. But Ezra. Oh, everyone needs an Ezra in their lives! He is the bestest friend anyone can wish for. I have nothing but love for him. He got Felix back no matter what. He fights for him and defends him. The sheer amount of support that radiates from him is heart-warming. I think he is my favourite character in this book.
The love triangle freaked me out a bit, because I really don't like those anymore. However, there was no infidelity, they talked everything through and communicated. I loved that. So, nothing to be scared off.
This book is a wonderful example that you should not assume that you know what is going on in someone's life. It was empowering and just heart-warming. I can totally recommend this book and will forever cherish it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Transphobia
Moderate: Abandonment and Homophobia
Minor: Alcohol and Deadnaming
arrowlyn's review against another edition
hopeful
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Transphobia
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
I wanted to read this book as I've seen it all over the book community, when I was on my last trip to Waterstones, this was one of the buys one gets one half price, and I couldn’t resist. This book is so adorable.
This book is based on Felix Love, and he has never been in love and he is aware of the irony. He is desperately wanting to know what it is like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that even though he is proud of who he is, he is also afraid that he's one marginalisation too many – black, queer and transgender to get his own happily-ever-after. When an anonymous student begins to send Felix transphobic messages after publicly posting Felix’s deadname and his old photos before he transitioned, Felix is out for revenge. What he didn’t count on was his catfish scenarios leading him in a messy love triangle. As he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship and how he feels about himself.
The whole way through this book I just wanted to hug Felix and wanted to shake him and say do you have your eyes open. I wanted to hug him because of the self-discovery journey he went on and how he dealt with the transphobia. I was so intrigued on how they figured out who was the one sending the messages. Then I wanted to shake Felix for not knowing that he could have falling in love about 50’% in the book if he wasn’t so focused on the revenge but on the people around her. I love how diverse this book was and that I don’t think there was a nice straight person in this book, everyone around Felix was queer in some capacity or another and everyone is every accepting of each other besides Marisol and Austin they can go and suck it.
There were times during this book that I felt like it was a bit predictable – the love triangle and that Declan wasn’t the one that had the account. It was still enjoyable, but I guess most of the storyline before it happened.
I would love another book in this series of Felix thriving in college or on his gap year. I would also love a storyline with Leah because she was so badass, and I want her to be happy after the events of this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Deadnaming, and Bullying
Moderate: Homophobia
seasonsdream's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia and Homophobia
Moderate: Abandonment
quinniantheduck's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia and Deadnaming
Moderate: Homophobia
booksbeyondthebinary's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Deadnaming, and Transphobia
Moderate: Homophobia
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
Finished reading: October 3rd 2023
"It's easier to accept hurt and pain, sometimes, than love and acceptance."
I've been meaning to read Felix Ever After for quite some time now... When I needed a banned book for the POPSUGAR challenge, I decided to give in and finally read it. I know that I don't read a lot of YA anymore, but I would recommend this book for both teenagers and adults alike. The topic is such an important one, and it's an own voices story at that; there is no doubt that Felix Ever After has a big impact, and it really is an eye-opener. That said, I do have to say that there were certain aspects about the main character Felix that I didn't like as much. I get his struggles and they are both portrayed realistically and basically heartbreaking. BUT. He is also pretty selfish and vindictive, and the fact that others are hurting him is no excuse to do the same. I can't say that I was a fan of the whole love triangle vibe either, which kind of put a damper on things for me... In fact, I wasn't really a fan of the romance nor how it was developed and incorporated in general. I'm still giving this story four stars though just for its impact and how it can help people discover their identity and tribe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, Transphobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Outing, and Racism
val_theburrowofstories's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Drug use, Cursing, Deadnaming, Bullying, and Transphobia
_nem_'s review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
Rep: POV MC: Trans Masc, BIPOC, not straight
Other MCs: Gay, Lesbian, Bi
I adored this book. It felt really wholesome. It was all about exploring identity particularly through art. All of the characters felt so genuine.
Other MCs: Gay, Lesbian, Bi
I adored this book. It felt really wholesome. It was all about exploring identity particularly through art. All of the characters felt so genuine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Homophobia, Abandonment, Deadnaming, and Outing
purechaos's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Outing, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Drug use, Homophobia, Hate crime, Abandonment, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Self harm, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness