Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Boys I Know by Anna Gracia

4 reviews

addythebookbat's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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roshanreads's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring reflective 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

 Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the eARC!

Trying to work out your place in the world is tough, especially when you’re also trying to live up to your parent's expectations and navigate relationships at the same time. Boys I Know follows June Chu as she finishes high school and tries to decide which college to attend. Of course, high school comes with even more challenges.

When I started reading the book, I didn’t expect to relate to June so much, especially considering we had fairly different high school experiences and families. However, Anna Garcia did an amazing job of making me want June to succeed at everything she tried, and the entire college plotline hit a little too close to home. 

I gave this book 4.75 stars, and I would definitely recommend it. The only reason I didn’t give it a perfect rating was that the conversation with Rhys at the end seemed a little out of nowhere, but I’m glad June got to say what she wanted to him. 

Otherwise, I really enjoyed seeing a version of high school with bigger issues that happen in real life, and I’m so happy that June found where she belongs, even if it took a while for her to go in the right direction. I loved June and was constantly cheering for her, even when she was making some interesting choices. The second someone wronged her, I was immediately ready to fight them, even if they are fictional.

All in all, you should absolutely read Boys I Know, and I’m really glad I did. The ending of this book made me so happy and reading something like this last year when I was also panicking about choosing universities would have absolutely helped me realise everything would work out eventually.

 
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dlrosebyh's review

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emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Firstly, I’d like to thank NetGalley for giving me a free e-arc copy of Boys I Know.

June Chu is the girl who is "just good enough." She's good enough to have a bevy of third-place trophies on her shelf and steal covert kisses from her AP Bio companion, Rhys. But not well enough to fulfill her Taiwanese mother's unyielding demands, or to persuade Rhys to commit to anything other than a well-timed joke.

June's mother demands that she follow in her (perfect) sister's footsteps and receive a (full-ride) violin scholarship to Northwestern (to study pre-med), but she doesn't see the purpose in putting in too much effort if she's going to fail anyhow. Instead, she concentrates her efforts on making her relationship with Rhys "formal," but when her meticulously planned, sloppily performed ploy backfires, she jumps into a new connection with a person who isn't allergic to the word "girlfriend."

However, when the line between sex and love blurs and the pressure to plan out her entire future begins to explode, June will have to decide on whose terms she will live her life—even if it means irreparably fracturing her relationship with her mother.

June piqued my interest. I'm sure I have the same issues she does, both at school and at home. I had issues with my father, mother, and sister, as well as grades, AP classes, additional credits, friendships, mental health, and a feeling of inferiority. As a result, I enjoyed the book a lot. However, I felt like I was skimming through the book because 25 percent of it was monotonous.

As a reader, I want to be able to finish a book with a sense of accomplishment. I can't bring a story to a close without a conclusion. For me, having a regular closure is a must. Therefore, the story’s conclusion did not appeal to me. It was hasty and monotonous. I wasn't sure how to interpret the essay's conclusion, which came off as sudden. As a result, it is a significant omission on the author's side.

I didn't like any of the characters in this novel. June would be my favorite character if I had to pick one. She is compassionate and considerate, and she always puts people first. She is an excellent role model who makes everyone feel at ease. Not just because she was the lead, but because she's the only character who appeals to me. I tried but failed to like the others. It was difficult for me to get along with them. Racism, sexism, and misogyny were all present in each of them. They also came out as domineering, particularly towards June.

Overall, this was a nice read. I recommend it more for the younger siblings more, though.
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criticalbooks's review

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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