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finja_2504's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
sara11_reads's review against another edition
5.0
I have a book hangover now. This book made me so anxious while reading yet I loved it. I thought the characters and themes were explored in a really thoughtful way.
winemakerssister's review against another edition
4.0
A charming YA novel of the attraction/love between two teenaged boys and the restrictions of the Mormon/LDS community where they live.
nightwriter_89's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.75
ecdereus's review against another edition
4.0
Vlot leesbaar, prachtig verhaal over de ontluikende liefde tussen de 18-jarige biseksuele Tanner en de 19-jarige Sebastian, die zich aangetrokken voelt tot jongens maar ontkent dat hij homoseksueel is.
In tegenstelling tot Tanner, die in Palo Alo, Californië vrij is is opgevoed en door beide ouders wordt gesteund in zijn geaardheid (hoewel hij die sinds hij drie jaar eerder naar het overwegend Mormoons georiënteerde Provo, Utah is verhuisd voor zijn vrienden en klasgenoten verborgen houdt), is Sebastiaan in een Mormoons gezin opgevoed en zijn gevoelens druisen in tegen alles wat hij van jongsaf heeft geleerd.
De gevoelens van beide jongemannen gedurende de tijd waarin hun relatie zich stormenderhand ontwikkelt, worden ontroerend mooi beschreven.
In tegenstelling tot Tanner, die in Palo Alo, Californië vrij is is opgevoed en door beide ouders wordt gesteund in zijn geaardheid (hoewel hij die sinds hij drie jaar eerder naar het overwegend Mormoons georiënteerde Provo, Utah is verhuisd voor zijn vrienden en klasgenoten verborgen houdt), is Sebastiaan in een Mormoons gezin opgevoed en zijn gevoelens druisen in tegen alles wat hij van jongsaf heeft geleerd.
De gevoelens van beide jongemannen gedurende de tijd waarin hun relatie zich stormenderhand ontwikkelt, worden ontroerend mooi beschreven.
ihateprozac's review against another edition
4.0
If I had to describe this in two words they would be “cute” and “refreshing”.
Cute because it features an adorable fluffy queer male-male romance, a super supportive ally family, and a great best friend. Refreshing because we get an on-page bisexual boy who is out to his family and the narrative isn’t about him coming out.
The family dynamic is an absolute highlight of this story, as Tanner’s family can only be described as “aggressively supportive”. They love their bisexual son SO MUCH and their array of queer slogan aprons, buttons, and stickers just made my heart sing! It was amazing to see a father figure wholly embrace his queer son and not lowkey pass off his homophobic attitudes as him “fearing for his son’s future”.
Another thing this story does well is critiquing the Mormon religion and attacking the system rather than the individual people who choose to practice it. I didn’t know much about Mormonism going into this story - I was only familiar with the underwear and missions - and this taught me a lot about the religion while also highlighting the problematic attitudes that still exist. The authors didn’t bash individual people, because well, Mormons seem to be anything but rude!
I enjoyed the romance between the two boys, but I ultimately wanted a little more passion from it. I was invested in their relationship but when they invariably hit some conflict, it didn’t tug at my heartstrings the way I thought it would. As a reader it was a fluffy rather than all-consuming kind of romance.
I found myself much more interested in Tanner’s complex friendship with Autumn! I love nothing more than painful unrequited love and mistakes made in the height of passion, and this friendship had BOTH.
This was my first Christina Lauren read and I will definitely be picking up more of their work in the future! I loved the writing style, the subject matter, and while I wanted to feel a little more emotion when it came to the romance, it was a super enjoyable fluffy contemporary read. So much cuteness!
Representation: bisexual male main character, gay male love interest, practicing Mormons, POC Polynesian minor character
Cute because it features an adorable fluffy queer male-male romance, a super supportive ally family, and a great best friend. Refreshing because we get an on-page bisexual boy who is out to his family and the narrative isn’t about him coming out.
The family dynamic is an absolute highlight of this story, as Tanner’s family can only be described as “aggressively supportive”. They love their bisexual son SO MUCH and their array of queer slogan aprons, buttons, and stickers just made my heart sing! It was amazing to see a father figure wholly embrace his queer son and not lowkey pass off his homophobic attitudes as him “fearing for his son’s future”.
Another thing this story does well is critiquing the Mormon religion and attacking the system rather than the individual people who choose to practice it. I didn’t know much about Mormonism going into this story - I was only familiar with the underwear and missions - and this taught me a lot about the religion while also highlighting the problematic attitudes that still exist. The authors didn’t bash individual people, because well, Mormons seem to be anything but rude!
I enjoyed the romance between the two boys, but I ultimately wanted a little more passion from it. I was invested in their relationship but when they invariably hit some conflict, it didn’t tug at my heartstrings the way I thought it would. As a reader it was a fluffy rather than all-consuming kind of romance.
I found myself much more interested in Tanner’s complex friendship with Autumn! I love nothing more than painful unrequited love and mistakes made in the height of passion, and this friendship had BOTH.
This was my first Christina Lauren read and I will definitely be picking up more of their work in the future! I loved the writing style, the subject matter, and while I wanted to feel a little more emotion when it came to the romance, it was a super enjoyable fluffy contemporary read. So much cuteness!
Representation: bisexual male main character, gay male love interest, practicing Mormons, POC Polynesian minor character
janelle_chen's review against another edition
5.0
4.5
I gotta admit this book started off a bit slow for me. At around half way in things picked up so well. I loved it so so much.
I gotta admit this book started off a bit slow for me. At around half way in things picked up so well. I loved it so so much.
andrewjbank's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ceceewing_'s review against another edition
4.0
I don't know how to talk about this book. I don't know if I'll ever be able to explain my feelings on this book and how it got to me in so many specific ways.
This book felt like a book about home. It was a story about people I grew up with, it was a story about myself and my connection to my sexuality and the religion I grew up being a part of. I saw my high school friends in character after character. I saw a boy I went to school with who grew up to marry another boy, even though it caused him a lot of pain. I saw myself growing away from my religion and towards falling in love with a girl. There is no way to make this review one that isn't deeply personal.
This story was hard and heartbreaking, but also lovely and sweet. It was nuanced in how it talked about religion, in how it examined the differences between religion and those who are religious. It was tough on a church that has been vicious and has handed out cruel words, while also highlighting the ways that Mormons are not an evil group of people. There are those who are wrong, without question, but there is so much depth to the way the sides of the situation are handled.
This was a love story, and a good one. It was romantic. It begins "His smile ruins me" and doesn't disappoint from there. I love these boys and their messy love story. Plus, the main character is bisexual! A bisexual boy who insists on his label and the meaning that that label has for him!
It is a story about religion and family that is deftly handled. It is fair while constantly pointing out the dangerous and divisive ways that the church comes between people. It is deeply and accurately rooted in LDS culture. I have never read a book that nailed what it feels like to grow up LDS and to grow up in Utah quite like this one did.
It is a story about teenagers being allowed to mess up, and mess up badly, but to still be able to come back from that. It is rooted in solid communication between family, friends, and partners.
And, more than anything else, it is a story that will stay with me because it felt (more than once) like being punched in the gut. It is absolutely excellent and I'm so glad that this book exists.
*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher but that in no way changes my review*
This book felt like a book about home. It was a story about people I grew up with, it was a story about myself and my connection to my sexuality and the religion I grew up being a part of. I saw my high school friends in character after character. I saw a boy I went to school with who grew up to marry another boy, even though it caused him a lot of pain. I saw myself growing away from my religion and towards falling in love with a girl. There is no way to make this review one that isn't deeply personal.
This story was hard and heartbreaking, but also lovely and sweet. It was nuanced in how it talked about religion, in how it examined the differences between religion and those who are religious. It was tough on a church that has been vicious and has handed out cruel words, while also highlighting the ways that Mormons are not an evil group of people. There are those who are wrong, without question, but there is so much depth to the way the sides of the situation are handled.
This was a love story, and a good one. It was romantic. It begins "His smile ruins me" and doesn't disappoint from there. I love these boys and their messy love story. Plus, the main character is bisexual! A bisexual boy who insists on his label and the meaning that that label has for him!
It is a story about religion and family that is deftly handled. It is fair while constantly pointing out the dangerous and divisive ways that the church comes between people. It is deeply and accurately rooted in LDS culture. I have never read a book that nailed what it feels like to grow up LDS and to grow up in Utah quite like this one did.
It is a story about teenagers being allowed to mess up, and mess up badly, but to still be able to come back from that. It is rooted in solid communication between family, friends, and partners.
And, more than anything else, it is a story that will stay with me because it felt (more than once) like being punched in the gut. It is absolutely excellent and I'm so glad that this book exists.
*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher but that in no way changes my review*