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ollie_again's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Death
bumblemee'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
3.25
I really liked how diverse the cast was. It managed to spread a little awareness for different struggles of different identities, even if it was just a few sentences. That was included easily, which was cool. Everything theatre and stage production was great, too! As well as the setting itself, where queer kids can just be themselves in a safer space accompanied by queer adults. It's just great. I would've loved this when I was a teenager. Oh, and I also liked the sex positivity.
Randy was a likeable protagonist, he's funny and very dramatic (a lot of exploding stars inside of him and the world applauding him while having sex or something? .. a man of big words). Sometimes I wanted to shake him, though. I know that him changing and hiding things about himself is the premise of this book, but it was still frustatring sometimes. His stoic determination to continue with this ludicrous plan of his, my god. Especially because he barely knows Hudson at all - yeah, he's an allosexual/alloromantic teenager, so maybe that's just normal, but it seemed so weird to me, because it's very different from what I experience. I don't really get why Randy is so set on Hudson, even though Hudson says and does things that should ring some alarm bells for Randy. Randy explains his reasoning, we get to see scenes from the past that shaped Randys perception of Hudson, but I don't know if I understand how that weighs out the experiences he has when actually getting to know Hudson. (Again, maybe just normal teenager behavior that contradicts how I would've acted as a teenager.)
I don't know how much I want to go into Hudsons character here. He has problematic views of course, which lead him to behave according to them, but since that is the center point of his character arc, I don't think there's much to say other than: prepare for internalized homophobia and some blatant toxic masculinity and infuriating statements as a result. Personally, I had empathy for him and I liked seeing him grow, but I understand everyone who can't look past that, since a lot of queer people have their own trauma from people who behaved like Hudson. (Trauma doesn't excuse shitty behavior and so on.)
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Grief
traceyanderson'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
4.5
Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Grief, Outing, and Gaslighting
iane_reads'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
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Grief
Minor: Addiction, Death, Physical abuse, Medical content, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
fanboyriot'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
5.0
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Death, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
tinytrashqueen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Grief
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia
caseythereader'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
- I loved that this book tackled toxic masculinity within the gay community, showing clearly how internalized homophobia and misogyny can embed themselves out of fear of being punished by cishet people.
- A few times it felt like it was verging on Very Special Episode territory, but it's YA, so there's room there. The one thing I simply could not get my head around was exactly how big was this camp?? There are like 19 cabins but everyone fits under the tarp to roast s'mores in the rain? Lol.
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Transphobia and Acephobia/Arophobia
mightyola'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
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Minor: Death, Grief, and Acephobia/Arophobia
alyshkalia'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
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Minor: Death, Transphobia, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
the main character lying to/deceiving the love interest is a major plot pointviolet_pages'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
3.75
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, and Grief