Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Autoboyography

My favorite LGBTQIA+ book i read this pride month was by far this book. Also I will read anything Christina Lauren write! I’m working my way through their backlist right now. This book is so different from any of their previous books but is no less lovely.

This is a YA story about a boy who is bisexual, who recently relocated to Utah from progressive California. It is the struggle he has with not being out at school or in his community (but he is out at home and his family is wonderfully supportive). There is a lot of discussion about religion and how that affects how many of the towns people view the world and how they choose to see those who are different from them.

Tanner falls for a boy who is Mormon. That boy has to struggle with his identity and how to navigate his religious family (his father is a bishop) and finding his way in their secret relationship.

This book is beautifully written, thought provoking, heartbreaking at times but also full of hope. There is light at the end of the tunnel for both these boys and if they could just manage to escape this town then they could have a chance at an even better more fulfilled life. I enjoyed every second of this one! I listened on audiobook and highly recommend this to any of my readers, romance, YA, and all of the above. If you’re looking for a book to wrap up your pride month reading go for this one!

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leahlovesloslibros's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book was a fairly easy read. I really liked Tanner's character, seeing how he grew both individually and as a partner to someone who was very clearly struggling with their identity. While there were parts that brought back not-so-great memories for me, I do understand how that was necessary to show Sebastian's growth as he figured out who he was, especially when he was raised with certain expectations as to lifestyle choices (raised Mormon, so same-sex relationships are highly frowned upon).

I loved how Tanner's family was endlessly supportive of who he was as an individual, and thought it was an interesting and realistic twist to see how his ever-supportive parents changed their tune [a little bit] when he started getting into a relationship with a Mormon.

Overall, I liked this book. It was cute without being too cheesy, which I liked because I'm not typically a huge romance fan. The characters had real, relatable emotions throughout the book as well. I would definitely recommend this book to others, and will look at other books written by these authors (Christina Lauren is actually a combination of the co-authors' names).

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