Scan barcode
c_dmckinney's review
- 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
4.75
That said this book was absolutely beautiful and I wish everyone with queer young people in their lives would read it. Honestly I would recommend it to everyone, maybe especially people who don't have (or don't think they have any) genderqueer people in their lives.
I found the author's exploration of understanding one's gender and gender roles very considerate and sincere. It was raw and tender and not too neat. It was compassionate to a perspective that I have never previously seen explored well at all much less in middle grade fiction.
This was a very sweet young romance set in the backdrop of the trials and tribulations of middle school where identity and fitting in is perhaps the hardest in any young person's life.
Also this is somewhat unrelated but I can tell the author spends A LOT of time in various online communities. There's a lot of language that is definitely not used offline. I found it terribly endearing, but that is because I also use online lingo offline sometimes.
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Transphobia, Outing, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Deadnaming, Death, Misogyny, Dementia, and Injury/Injury detail
blackberryjambaby's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Outing, Abandonment, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Classism
james1star's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Bullying and Transphobia
Minor: Animal death, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Dysphoria
careinthelibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Transphobia, Outing, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexism, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Minor: Car accident
jaredt's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
The cover signaled to me, so I picked it up to give it a go. I was very pleased with it. This story has well rounded characters, believable and engaging both with the kids and the adults.
I loved the dynamic between Ash and Daniel. Ash's own internal struggle with not just their own gender, but others who weren't quite lined up with the binary expectations was a neat struggle. I also loved that Ash also has synthesia, and how that shapes how Ash reads and interacts with the world.
Daniel is also a wonderful kid, and I loved the focus of his emotional journey, between his own sense of self worth and trying to juggle the expectations of his family.
Ash's mom is my favorite adult, and I really like how Tina's character is handled as well.
Overall, this was a sweet book, with nice introspection and dialogue between all the different characters (except Ash's dad I hate him). It does a good job at building the tension, and has well put together ending.
Graphic: Bullying, Transphobia, and Outing
Moderate: Animal death, Excrement, and Dysphoria
Excrement is in relation to the dog whotinytrashqueen's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Transphobia, Outing, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Deadnaming, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Infidelity
greenlivingaudioworm's review
- 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
3.5
Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Grief, Outing, Abandonment, and Dysphoria
imstephtacular's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Homophobia, Sexism, and Gaslighting
Minor: Animal death, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Medical content, Grief, Outing, Dysphoria, and Classism
tinyelfarcanist's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Bullying, Hate crime, and Transphobia
Minor: Deadnaming, Mental illness, Outing, and Dysphoria