leah_n_k's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
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
elsa25's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-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
3.0
I really enjoyed the first half of the book but I was unfortunately so bored in the second half. It was an intriguing story, unlike anything I’ve read before, but got less interesting along the way.
cernunnos's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
scott_thelibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
Pros: This book tackles difficult yet important topics like systemic racism, religious hypocrisy, homophobia, immigration, adapting to a new society/environment, and homosexuality. It does a good job of addressing these issues in a relatable and realistic fashion without trivializing these topics.
Cons: The plotting was disjointed and funky, and the transitions from one time period to the other do not flow well. Every time the story jumped forward in time, it felt like the author forgot to mention a topic during a previous situation, so he would find something in the present that related to a past situation. This made it difficult to stay engaged. By the end, I felt like I read the beginning and middle of a story without an ending. Also, I love references to music, but I think the author used music references as a crutch to fill in plotting gaps.
Honestly, I wanted to like this more than I did, and I feel like it is overhyped.
Cons: The plotting was disjointed and funky, and the transitions from one time period to the other do not flow well. Every time the story jumped forward in time, it felt like the author forgot to mention a topic during a previous situation, so he would find something in the present that related to a past situation. This made it difficult to stay engaged. By the end, I felt like I read the beginning and middle of a story without an ending. Also, I love references to music, but I think the author used music references as a crutch to fill in plotting gaps.
Honestly, I wanted to like this more than I did, and I feel like it is overhyped.
ladyvictoriadiana's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
3.75
robinpawley's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
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? No
5.0
katebull's review against another edition
1.0
This oscillates between uncomfortable sexual assault and broad strokes about BLM. The sentences are badly written and the musical references are heavy-handed.
lisettemarie's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars rounded down. I really enjoyed the first 2/3 of the book. However the last 1/3 I felt like jumped so far ahead in time and didn’t give enough of a summary of the years in between and they felt rushed to tie everything up at the end it just didn’t feel very satisfying but the character of Jesse felt so real and I felt a lot of empathy for him
rachalex's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
kelle_surprise's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Remarkable.
Best book I’ve read this year so far.
From the first chapter, I knew it was going to be a 5 star read.
I thoroughly enjoyed EVERYTHING about this book.
From the song references, the nostalgia from the 00’s, the windrush generation, religion, childhood trauma, race, mental health, growing up in the midlands, sexuality, broken families, friendships. So much has been covered with this book.
This book will stay with me forever and I cannot recommend it enough.