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rin_varga'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
5.0
I'm not sure if I should say that this book has been on my TBR list for almost a decade now, but I do feel as if I've been waiting until just the right time in my life to finally pick it up, when it most needed to find me and when I could best appreciate its big-hearted wisdom the most.
I have a vivid memory of being in college and seeing its cover in the shelves of new arrivals of the Barnes & Noble a few minutes off-campus. I remember reading the synopsis and the premise struck me as so unique, I took a picture of the cover and made a note of the title on a phone I barely knew how to use so that I wouldn't forget it again--I never had to look at the note again, because it's been in my mind all this time and I remembered exactly what it looked like, what it was called, and what it was about.
I'm thirty this year, and I can't help but feel grateful that I put off reading this book until now. You know how some people talk about not feeling guilt over your TBR pile or not reading a new addition to your collection immediately, that books are like fine wine for you to open at the right occasion? I don't think I would have been able to truly appreciate "Because You'll Never Meet Me" as a teenager, or even at 22 when it was first published. But now, as a queer person who's forged a bond with someone almost exclusively through text/messaging halfway across the world, and as someone who's dealt with the pain of love, acceptance, sorrow and hardship that can't always be dealt with when there's an ocean between you, this book tugged on my heartstrings in the BEST ways!!
If you're someone (queer or not) who's ever felt the sting of feeling isolated from your peers even when they're right next to you/closed off from the world just because of who you are, then this book will be exactly the dose of serotonin and self-acceptance that you've been needing!
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
anne311's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Excrement, Vomit, and Medical content
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, and Incest