aliviasbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3.5
I read this book with such high expectations, and it genuinely wasn’t bad. I just had some things ruin it for me.
To start, this story is a very personal journey and should not be taken as THE AROACE experience story. I do appreciate the author acknowledging the spectrum but I would’ve liked to see more exploration of it. That being said, it is the authors journey and maybe someone else has also experience it similar to our protagonist.
I enjoyed the story overall, a fun blend of drama and DRAMA, Friendships and lots of other fun things. It wasn’t as good as heartstopper but it was definitely a solid story. While I do recommend this book for AroAce characters, please don’t use this as your sole educator
My two biggest issues:
-Rooney. Her coping mechanism was not a problem alone, but the stereotyping and stigma around it as well as the way Georgia treats it the entire time just kind of struck me as off. Like the character is allowed to just be sex positive, and the way they kind of treated it as her getting better when she stopped was just kind of iffy.
-Sunil. They’re introduced as nonbinary, he/they but literally not once in the entire book does anyone use they in reference. Strictly he/him. Even their best friend.
I read this book with such high expectations, and it genuinely wasn’t bad. I just had some things ruin it for me.
To start, this story is a very personal journey and should not be taken as THE AROACE experience story. I do appreciate the author acknowledging the spectrum but I would’ve liked to see more exploration of it. That being said, it is the authors journey and maybe someone else has also experience it similar to our protagonist.
I enjoyed the story overall, a fun blend of drama and DRAMA, Friendships and lots of other fun things. It wasn’t as good as heartstopper but it was definitely a solid story. While I do recommend this book for AroAce characters, please don’t use this as your sole educator
My two biggest issues:
-Rooney. Her coping mechanism was not a problem alone, but the stereotyping and stigma around it as well as the way Georgia treats it the entire time just kind of struck me as off. Like the character is allowed to just be sex positive, and the way they kind of treated it as her getting better when she stopped was just kind of iffy.
-Sunil. They’re introduced as nonbinary, he/they but literally not once in the entire book does anyone use they in reference. Strictly he/him. Even their best friend.
rebeccalm's review against another edition
5.0
This was a really good read. The characters and the environment of them going off to school for the first time took me way back and dropped me into my own experiences at University as well. You could feel all the cringeworthy and high emotion moments, the trying too hard to fit in and find friends while still not exactly knowing your own self yet. I enjoyed the friend group dynamics and learned a bit about the queer community as well. I really appreciated the diverse array of characters this author writes about, it really makes her world feel more realistic.
leaf_carton's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
4.5
jordanreads24's review against another edition
5.0
6/5 stars.
I doubt you'll ever see this Alice Oseman, but thank you. Thank you so much for putting into words feelings that I felt scared to actually speak, much less write. So thank you for this book.
I sobbed so much.
Edit: My 2021 Favorite of the Year
I doubt you'll ever see this Alice Oseman, but thank you. Thank you so much for putting into words feelings that I felt scared to actually speak, much less write. So thank you for this book.
I sobbed so much.
Edit: My 2021 Favorite of the Year
marie_colson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
vic_to_ria's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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
4.5
Beautiful exploration of the classic coming of age story focused on an Ace-Aro main character. The story had a very genuine story progression that made me laugh, cry and cringe. Great informative LGBTQ+ coming of age story, would recommend.
haileyannereads's review against another edition
5.0
UPDATE: Just finished rereading and this book hit even harder the second time. Coming back to it, I feel like it explains that being ace is a spectrum and ace people are always aro. While asexuality is becoming more known, it's still so misunderstood, and books like this are important. Being ace can feel really lonely sometimes, but we find love in other ways. I love the emphasis on platonic love and the importance of friendships. Those parts really hit hard for me.
So, overall, I think this book is a very important story about discovering and accepting your identity, especially when it derails the future you saw for yourself. It's impossible to fully represent the entire asexuality spectrum in one book, but this perspective is important and valid. So, I'm actually changing my initial rating from 4 to 5 stars.
Original review:
I have a lot of feelings about this book.
As someone who recently discovered they're on the ace spectrum, I finally felt seen in a YA book. I have never read a book where asexuality is explored like this. However, ace and aro identities are a spectrum. There is no one size fits all experience. This book acknowledges that, but it just doesn't go super deep into it. I feel like there could have been more to emphasize that. That being said, it was refreshing to read about an aro/ace character.
The characters in this book are a bit messy. Lots of drama that honestly could have been avoided. It edges on being problematic at times.
What I loved about this book was how much I could relate to certain parts. Coming to terms with asexuality, finding the true value in platonic relationships, etc. I felt seen. This is what has been on my mind recently.
I'm giving this book 4 stars right now because I'm new to the ace world (so I may not pick up on issues) and because I've never read a book like it. I will come back and edit if I find other books that handle the issue better.
So, overall, I think this book is a very important story about discovering and accepting your identity, especially when it derails the future you saw for yourself. It's impossible to fully represent the entire asexuality spectrum in one book, but this perspective is important and valid. So, I'm actually changing my initial rating from 4 to 5 stars.
Original review:
I have a lot of feelings about this book.
As someone who recently discovered they're on the ace spectrum, I finally felt seen in a YA book. I have never read a book where asexuality is explored like this. However, ace and aro identities are a spectrum. There is no one size fits all experience. This book acknowledges that, but it just doesn't go super deep into it. I feel like there could have been more to emphasize that. That being said, it was refreshing to read about an aro/ace character.
The characters in this book are a bit messy. Lots of drama that honestly could have been avoided. It edges on being problematic at times.
What I loved about this book was how much I could relate to certain parts. Coming to terms with asexuality, finding the true value in platonic relationships, etc. I felt seen. This is what has been on my mind recently.
I'm giving this book 4 stars right now because I'm new to the ace world (so I may not pick up on issues) and because I've never read a book like it. I will come back and edit if I find other books that handle the issue better.
captaincocanutty's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. This book is quite slow to start, and doesn’t really pick up until about halfway through. There were some nice moments in the book, but they get quite lost in the rest, and I never reached for it. The main character is quite flat in my opinion, and not likeable at all, what really killed me was when she experimentally dated her best friend.
stfrancisong's review against another edition
4.0
nunca um livro me representou TANTO. as fantasias amorosas e realização de que nunca vou ter isso. mas a descoberta da sexualidade e como aceitar e ficar ok com isso.
lily0802's review against another edition
5.0
This book made me feel seen like no other book ever has before. I fell in love with Georgia’s story and her coming of age and coming to terms with her sexuality. Reading this felt like the warm hug I need and I would highly recommend this to anyone having a difficult time finding themselves and coming to terms with their identities.