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evanthebooknerd's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit and Car accident
jenna_justi2004's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I skipped around and read the ending after Jeremy was complaining again about his issues. Every character made me want to revaluate my own decisions and personal life. Never been happier to be single. The arson was honestly not the craziest thing about this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
aspencross's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The main characters in this book need šther-ša-špyš
Naomi and Ben also deserved better and both deserved to be homecoming king and queen.
-Jeremy is an asshole whoās only consequence is getting punched by a bully when he is such a shit friend to everybody
- the boy also complains about not wanting to be a victim and then victimizes himself all the time
- Jeremy does so much shit in this book and weāre told that heās popular and was popular before he transitioned and I do not understand how when heās so insufferable
- I was on Lukasās side untilhe lit the school on fire, cheated on Naomi, almost ruined Benās Life by not admitting he cheated on a test by stealing the answers . I get heās going through a lot but he went way too far.
- I have never rooted for 2 characters to never get together as much as Jeremy and Lukas
- The ending was horrible because thereās so many plot points that are left unopened like Terry stealing 30k from the school and never facing consequences, principal not getting reprimanded for giving a teenager a card with thousands of dollars, the potential updated code of conduct, what universities the students got into, how their lives went after not winning homecoming court, Lukasās parentās divorce .
Side note: the author has also apparently done some shit and is lesphobic. This Reddit post has links and more information https://www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/s/JuVfSwXcrt
Naomi and Ben also deserved better and both deserved to be homecoming king and queen.
-Jeremy is an asshole whoās only consequence is getting punched by a bully when he is such a shit friend to everybody
- the boy also complains about not wanting to be a victim and then victimizes himself all the time
- Jeremy does so much shit in this book and weāre told that heās popular and was popular before he transitioned and I do not understand how when heās so insufferable
- I was on Lukasās side until
- I have never rooted for 2 characters to never get together as much as Jeremy and Lukas
- The ending was horrible because thereās so many plot points that are left unopened like
Side note: the author has also apparently done some shit and is lesphobic. This Reddit post has links and more information https://www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/s/JuVfSwXcrt
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Grief, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
rayaufebay's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Misogyny, Transphobia, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
fanboyriot's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-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
Read For:
Rivals to Lovers
Second Chances
Homecoming King
Cheerleader x Football Player
Friends to Lovers to Enemies to Lovers
The only thing that comes to mind when I think of this book is: āI love it and hate it at the same timeā and really I kind of do.
The queer kids in this book were amazing, everyone else just kinda sucked. The trans rep in this was so painfully well written. The things Jeremy thought and the way he described how he felt was as heartbreaking as it was relatable.
But wow, were these characters so toxic.
Naomi was such a horrible friend it was laughable. She was jealous constantly and she just goes and asks out her best friendās ex, who had made it clear he didnāt like her like that?? Like why?? All because of some banters that were messed up, I get being petty but bro have a good reason.
Lukas was so toxic. One minute he was fine, going through a lot at home and having to always be the best at everything. He had to get into an amazing college, he had to win homecoming king because if he did that then he would get into a good school, then his family would care about him like they did his dead brotherā¦ yeah, because that's how itās going to work. So he took his anger out on Jermey.
Jeremy was also toxic, just not as bad in my opinion. He was selfish and breaking up with his boyfriend when and how he did it was so incredibly messed up but people acted like he was the worst person ever. He literally had no one. His mom was so desperate to have a daughter she failed her son in the process. Jeremy might have been a mess but wouldnāt you be when everyone failed you and had no problem telling you that they hated you, he was bullied, harassed, and misgendered constantly.
The last few chapters were the best. Everything coming together, the person who got the crown, the drama being resolved finally, and the relationships being settled.
(Switching, First Person POV)
Spice: Lightly Mentioned
Rep: trans (ftm) MC, Autistic MC, Non-Binary SC, Latinx SC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Biphobia, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
bashsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-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
5.0
WOW.
A gripe I usually have with queer fiction - especially queer YA fiction - is that the queer characters are not allowed to be messy disasters. There is a very limited amount of disaster allowed for queer characters before they have to be consumed by guilt and apologies.
That is not a problem here! These guys - the two main characters, Jeremy and Lukas - are selfish and angry and hurting and think that ruling a high school via Homecoming Court can fix that. I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say that it obviously can't. There are some truly painful moments in here, but I loved that. I loved that they did awful things that I totally would've also done if I'd been in their scared and miserable positions when I was seventeen. This is not making excuses for them, though - they are completely in the wrong most of the time- just, it makes their character growth wayyy more satisfying than usual.
This author clearly has a very nuanced understanding of queerness, and he approached how transitioning goes from a number of angles, including an important one that I don't usually see - that trans people themselves need to grow into their genders and resist toxic behaviors for the sake of validity.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the autistic representation in Lukas, which I wasn't aware of before I started reading this. I appreciate that a trans gay guy and an autistic got to be assholes and not use their identities as an excuse, but that those identities were integral to how they process the world. That's a fine line to balance, and I think Ellor did a great job.
A gripe I usually have with queer fiction - especially queer YA fiction - is that the queer characters are not allowed to be messy disasters. There is a very limited amount of disaster allowed for queer characters before they have to be consumed by guilt and apologies.
That is not a problem here! These guys - the two main characters, Jeremy and Lukas - are selfish and angry and hurting and think that ruling a high school via Homecoming Court can fix that. I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say that it obviously can't. There are some truly painful moments in here, but I loved that. I loved that they did awful things that I totally would've also done if I'd been in their scared and miserable positions when I was seventeen. This is not making excuses for them, though - they are completely in the wrong most of the time- just, it makes their character growth wayyy more satisfying than usual.
This author clearly has a very nuanced understanding of queerness, and he approached how transitioning goes from a number of angles, including an important one that I don't usually see - that trans people themselves need to grow into their genders and resist toxic behaviors for the sake of validity.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the autistic representation in Lukas, which I wasn't aware of before I started reading this. I appreciate that a trans gay guy and an autistic got to be assholes and not use their identities as an excuse, but that those identities were integral to how they process the world. That's a fine line to balance, and I think Ellor did a great job.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Car accident, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Racism and Classism
-F-slur used a few timesgigi785's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The chapters are written off of one of the main characterās POV which makes it all very easy to get frustrated by the decisions they makeš
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Deadnaming, Homophobia, and Transphobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
heathersbooks100's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Ableism, Death, and Toxic relationship
kaabtik's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
you know when you see your deepest fears and insecurities on paper and there's this feeling of dread? yeah, this is how i felt reading this book.
i found myself drawn to this book because jeremy was literally all i wasāan ambitious overachiever with too much glib than necessary. down to the name and his romantic experience, he felt like someone i could relate to. and boy did i relate to him. that much i expected.
what i also expected was for things to be happy. for this fictional jeremy to have what i couldn't: a way out and a happy ending. i expected the rage, the self destruction, and the fear.
what i got, for better or for worse, was a mess.
first off, this is not a lighthearted book. this is not a romantic comedy about a gay transguy falling out of and into (again) with his rival turned boyfriend turned ex. this is about two very messy boys fumbling for a light switch in the dark that is high school.
i bought this book because i wanted that. i wanted that so bad and seeing my name !! my experience !! to be given something i couldn't have made me so excited. instead i had all the darkest parts of being trans constantly thrown into my face every other page.
both jeremy and lukas are terrible peopleāboth as individuals and as a couple. whatever tension they had was completely overshadowed by the fact that they were crossing multiple lines instead of sitting down and having a conversation. and i get it. queer kids don't have to be kind and understanding. but lukas literally sent out a presentation with jeremy's pre-transition photos to the entire student body. jeremy sunk benāa very good friend to both of themā nearly costing him his shot at university applications.
and i get it. i get what the author is trying to do: to lash out righteous anger at everything that went wrong when they were younger. to stop being the polite queer kid and throw metaphorical and literal knives at everyone who crossed them. i fantasized about this power more times than i could admit and i wanted to cheer for jeremy. i really did.
but i couldn't. not when they were trampling over every good person in their group. not when a lot of their issues were swept under the rug at the final act for them to be back as a couple. not when there was barely anyone in the group who put their foot down and stopped the nonsense they were doing.
there were a lot of other problematic elements that other reviews have covered, as well. and i just. i felt betrayed, because i bought this physically and wanted to enjoy it so bad. but i can't in good faith recommend this to anyone. especially to young trans guys. who also want a love story of being some boy kissin some boy.
i found myself drawn to this book because jeremy was literally all i wasāan ambitious overachiever with too much glib than necessary. down to the name and his romantic experience, he felt like someone i could relate to. and boy did i relate to him. that much i expected.
what i also expected was for things to be happy. for this fictional jeremy to have what i couldn't: a way out and a happy ending. i expected the rage, the self destruction, and the fear.
what i got, for better or for worse, was a mess.
first off, this is not a lighthearted book. this is not a romantic comedy about a gay transguy falling out of and into (again) with his rival turned boyfriend turned ex. this is about two very messy boys fumbling for a light switch in the dark that is high school.
i bought this book because i wanted that. i wanted that so bad and seeing my name !! my experience !! to be given something i couldn't have made me so excited. instead i had all the darkest parts of being trans constantly thrown into my face every other page.
both jeremy and lukas are terrible peopleāboth as individuals and as a couple. whatever tension they had was completely overshadowed by the fact that they were crossing multiple lines instead of sitting down and having a conversation. and i get it. queer kids don't have to be kind and understanding. but lukas literally sent out a presentation with jeremy's pre-transition photos to the entire student body. jeremy sunk benāa very good friend to both of themā nearly costing him his shot at university applications.
and i get it. i get what the author is trying to do: to lash out righteous anger at everything that went wrong when they were younger. to stop being the polite queer kid and throw metaphorical and literal knives at everyone who crossed them. i fantasized about this power more times than i could admit and i wanted to cheer for jeremy. i really did.
but i couldn't. not when they were trampling over every good person in their group. not when a lot of their issues were swept under the rug at the final act for them to be back as a couple. not when there was barely anyone in the group who put their foot down and stopped the nonsense they were doing.
there were a lot of other problematic elements that other reviews have covered, as well. and i just. i felt betrayed, because i bought this physically and wanted to enjoy it so bad. but i can't in good faith recommend this to anyone. especially to young trans guys. who also want a love story of being some boy kissin some boy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
Moderate: Deadnaming, Death, and Alcohol
Minor: Lesbophobia
awesomemark's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
...
...
...
It's the whole book. I actually wondered at one point if this author hates LGBTQ+ people. Every horrible, self-centered, nasty character is part of the community with the exception of the school bully, Phillip. I spent most of the book rooting for the cisgendered ex-boyfriend who was just nice and accepting of everyone. Except then he started acting crazy and ruining everything just in time to come out as gay. There's transphobia from the gay kids, lesbian stereotyping from the trans kids, gay bashing from the non-binary kids and the gay guy who stole tens of thousands of dollars from the school to run off to be with his ex-boyfriend. All the straight kids are so sweet and accepting and using all the right pronouns while LGBTQ kids take advantage of them and treat them and each other like garbage.
...
...
...
But good news! Everyone gets a happy ending and there are zero real consequences for any of them!
The author doesn't hate all LGBTQ+ people though. Just lesbians. At least I don't think they hate the rest. They just write some really toxic characters and I am wondering what the real point of this book is because it felt more like a lecture to the LGBTQ+ community on how to treat trans kids but Jeremy is an absolute monster and has no redeeming qualities.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death