intheblackout's review against another edition
5.0
I feel like it's been ages since I've read a YA contemporary book, and this one is a banger.
A dare to prompose to his crush has Theo retreating to an empty room at a party. His attempt to regain his composure and work up his nerve in solitude is interrupted again and again. Until his getaway turns into a group of five. New friends, an old friendship that still causes him guilt at how it ended, and a potential new romantic interest. This party away from the party is where it's at.
I loved this book. I fell into and devoured it. The complicated friendships, new and old, was so well done. From start to finish it was well structured. A good chuck is spent in a single room at a party with just five people, and I was never bored. I couldn't get enough of the group tbh. The romance was very sweet and I love how naturally it developed.
This is my first book from Julian Winters and I have to check out their other works!
A dare to prompose to his crush has Theo retreating to an empty room at a party. His attempt to regain his composure and work up his nerve in solitude is interrupted again and again. Until his getaway turns into a group of five. New friends, an old friendship that still causes him guilt at how it ended, and a potential new romantic interest. This party away from the party is where it's at.
I loved this book. I fell into and devoured it. The complicated friendships, new and old, was so well done. From start to finish it was well structured. A good chuck is spent in a single room at a party with just five people, and I was never bored. I couldn't get enough of the group tbh. The romance was very sweet and I love how naturally it developed.
This is my first book from Julian Winters and I have to check out their other works!
evelynyle_88's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Grief, and Classism
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Biphobia, Car accident, and Death of parent
lucinda_lesbrarian's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
mxcrayon's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ethannku's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 rounded down.
as you walk on by is a story about expectations, grief, friendship, and new beginnings. while i liked how some topics were handled, such as river's journey through their grief, i felt that the main third act conflict was really contrived and exaggerated. i think that most of the character relationships were done pretty well, but i did have to suspend my disbelief while reading the previously mentioned main conflict.
as you walk on by is a story about expectations, grief, friendship, and new beginnings. while i liked how some topics were handled, such as river's journey through their grief, i felt that the main third act conflict was really contrived and exaggerated. i think that most of the character relationships were done pretty well, but i did have to suspend my disbelief while reading the previously mentioned main conflict.
dwolfe347's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
marianne_reads's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was okay. The writing took a little bit of getting used to, but after some time I was into it and learned to appreciate it. The story itself was enjoyable and while it was light-hearted, it also delved into some darker issues. I like how the book explored platonic relationships, grief, loss, and identity. Overall, I enjoyed the themes of this book and the messages it tried to convey. However, I do think some of it was done poorly. One of the book’s central themes is intersectionality, and how being both black and queer is an experience with its own set of difficulties. I agree with that. As a queer black woman, I live through it every day. But my problem is that, instead of showing us the struggles of black queerness, the book just has some of the characters repeat over and over that being black and/or queer is hard. At one point, it becomes so redundant that it loses all impact. Another thing is that there is a part in the book that stretches over several chapters, where some of the main characters bond at a party. The location doesn’t change for such a long time, and because of that, I found that part particularly boring. It was also hard for me to believe that all those characters bonded on such a deep level over the course of a few hours. I think it would’ve been much better and more believable with a bigger variety of events and a longer timeline. Still, this was a nice read.
emilyrpf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
claire_melanie's review against another edition
5.0
This was hella cute as well as powerful and layered. Have enjoyed every single one of Julian Winters’ books and I look forward to whatever he writes next.