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joharis's review against another edition
1.0
I was provided an e-galley through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I was extremely excited for this book. It dealt with transgender, asexuality, and the LGBT+ community in general, however it was a mess. This was an extremely short story, but it had many things going on at the same time which dulled the plot and just left you confused.
Aunt Ivy´s mystery was clear since the beginning, Andy and Robby had no chemistry whatsoever, things were way too rushed, the characters didn´t have any depth to them.
I wish it could have been less jumbled, while it was educational it tried to mix many elements and that combination did not work out for this book.
I was extremely excited for this book. It dealt with transgender, asexuality, and the LGBT+ community in general, however it was a mess. This was an extremely short story, but it had many things going on at the same time which dulled the plot and just left you confused.
Aunt Ivy´s mystery was clear since the beginning, Andy and Robby had no chemistry whatsoever, things were way too rushed, the characters didn´t have any depth to them.
I wish it could have been less jumbled, while it was educational it tried to mix many elements and that combination did not work out for this book.
fantasyliving's review against another edition
3.0
3 Hearts
Robby cannot figure out what is wrong with him. He thought by his senior year he would know if he was gay, bi, or straight, but nothing. His body just doesn’t seem to want to wake up. Nothing he tries seems to work and he is feeling like an outcast. When he meets Andy on Andy’s first day of school, he finds the boy really interesting, and invites him into his life, enjoying his company, and standing in the way of Andy and the school bullies.This distracts him from the question of his sexuality for a little while, and he is content to get to know his new friend. It isn’t until a few weeks later that the bullying taunts start indicating that Andy is trans, and Robby realizes that Andy has been hiding a secret. Undeterred by this fact, their friendship strengthens, and they start spending a lot of time together, at Robbie’s Aunt’s house.
I gotta say, I liked both Robby and Andy. Their characters were easy going, and they seemed to fit together really well. They were both able to open up to each other in an easy way, especially once Andy realises Robby is not going to judge him, and their friendship strengthening over time.
In this friendship story, attraction was touched on, but not really explored in depth. There was something missing from how this relationship would play out. It felt incomplete, and the story seemed to centre around the “mystery” of Aunt Ivy’s things going missing. I wanted their relationship to be pushed just that little more into the depth of emotion required for things to feel solid with them. There was a whisper of it, and I think the author tried to convey it, but it just missed it for me.
Let’s talk about the Mystery. It made the story drag. I actually didn’t like it’s placement as a sub plot. I thought that it could have been scrapped altogether in place of something else. Someone younger, or less into crime fiction may possibly enjoy it better than me. I do know I used to love this sort of thing when I was a kid, so it may appeal more to a younger audience, except for the fact that there is adult language. For me, I was more interested in how Robby and Andy would navigate their desire for a relationship.
The epilogue was a bit of fun, and the explanation at the end about the epilogue was also nice. Aunt Ivy’s treasures would have been something I was obsessed with when I was younger. My favourite childhood memories with my Grandmother was going to antique shops with her and finding all manner of ancient furniture and nic nacs. I can relate to why Robby loved being among all those old things.
This is recommended for those who enjoy romance at a much slower pace, and as a sub-plot to friendship.
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest opinion
Robby cannot figure out what is wrong with him. He thought by his senior year he would know if he was gay, bi, or straight, but nothing. His body just doesn’t seem to want to wake up. Nothing he tries seems to work and he is feeling like an outcast. When he meets Andy on Andy’s first day of school, he finds the boy really interesting, and invites him into his life, enjoying his company, and standing in the way of Andy and the school bullies.This distracts him from the question of his sexuality for a little while, and he is content to get to know his new friend. It isn’t until a few weeks later that the bullying taunts start indicating that Andy is trans, and Robby realizes that Andy has been hiding a secret. Undeterred by this fact, their friendship strengthens, and they start spending a lot of time together, at Robbie’s Aunt’s house.
I gotta say, I liked both Robby and Andy. Their characters were easy going, and they seemed to fit together really well. They were both able to open up to each other in an easy way, especially once Andy realises Robby is not going to judge him, and their friendship strengthening over time.
In this friendship story, attraction was touched on, but not really explored in depth. There was something missing from how this relationship would play out. It felt incomplete, and the story seemed to centre around the “mystery” of Aunt Ivy’s things going missing. I wanted their relationship to be pushed just that little more into the depth of emotion required for things to feel solid with them. There was a whisper of it, and I think the author tried to convey it, but it just missed it for me.
Let’s talk about the Mystery. It made the story drag. I actually didn’t like it’s placement as a sub plot. I thought that it could have been scrapped altogether in place of something else. Someone younger, or less into crime fiction may possibly enjoy it better than me. I do know I used to love this sort of thing when I was a kid, so it may appeal more to a younger audience, except for the fact that there is adult language. For me, I was more interested in how Robby and Andy would navigate their desire for a relationship.
The epilogue was a bit of fun, and the explanation at the end about the epilogue was also nice. Aunt Ivy’s treasures would have been something I was obsessed with when I was younger. My favourite childhood memories with my Grandmother was going to antique shops with her and finding all manner of ancient furniture and nic nacs. I can relate to why Robby loved being among all those old things.
This is recommended for those who enjoy romance at a much slower pace, and as a sub-plot to friendship.
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest opinion