btg's review
- 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
Do note that this novel has even more sexual content than a typical romance novel -- if you're uncomfortable with reading sex scenes, you'll be skimming a couple of chapters. That being said, I want to applaud McQuinston on so easily integrating the emotional and physical relationship between Alex and Henry. It was very clear from the beginning that although the boys are VERY physically intimate, their emotional intimacy is given just as much importance.
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death of parent and Terminal illness
Minor: Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, Colonisation, Alcoholism, Racism, and Sexual assault
jana_f's review
- 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: Death of parent and Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
swampsprout's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Xenophobia, Outing, and Biphobia
Moderate: Sexism, Confinement, Death of parent, Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, and Misogyny
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, Hate crime, and Addiction
xkwright's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Outing and Homophobia
Minor: Slavery, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, and Terminal illness
katyfayyyx'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Biphobia, Death of parent, Homophobia, Grief, Mental illness, Outing, and Sexual content
Moderate: Racism, Drug abuse, Addiction, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Terminal illness, Classism, Sexism, Colonisation, Sexual assault, and Slavery
willoughby's review
- 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: Homophobia, Biphobia, Death of parent, Outing, Sexual content, and Terminal illness
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Panic attacks/disorders
dudatamiris's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Outing, Homophobia, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Biphobia, and Drug use
Minor: Physical abuse, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Sexual assault
cdoubet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Outing, Sexism, Bullying, and Misogyny
Moderate: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Racism
Minor: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Vomit, Alcohol, Cancer, and Sexual harassment
athenathestorier's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
And I think part of the thing, right? They felt real. Everyone had nuances and interests and stories. And while Alex is significantly more crass, reckless, and rebellious than me, I saw myself in him perhaps most of all. He dreams of a inspired and honest future, observing and calculating everything in the hopes of watching that future take shape. He's so focused on this dream and where he fits in it, that he plans and plans and plans. He's repeated it to himself so much, painting it in his mind with as much permanence as the paintings in the white house, that when circumstances change, he has a hard time adjusting. It makes him question everything.
Between Alex's lists and Henry's prose, both of them bonded over popular culture, queer history references, and shared societal pressures, I easily got swept away in their developing friendship and romance equally.
Memorable Quotes:
- What kind of garbage country eats bland beans on white toast for breakfast? He can't decide if his Mexican blood or his Texan blood is more offended.
-"Er," Henry says, adding to the list of vowel sounds he has to show for himself. It is, unfortunately, also sexy. After all these weeks, the bar is low.
- He's sure he used to know quite a lot of words, in more than one language, in fact, but he can't seem to recall any of them.
- Exploring your sexuality: healthy, but does it have to be with the prince of England?
- Thinking about history makes me wonder how I'll fit into it one day, I guess. And you too.
- I used to think, if I pictured the person I wanted to be and took all the crazy anxiety in my brain and narrowed it down to that point, I could rewrite it. Use it to power something else. It's like I never learned how to just be where I am.
- "Nora, what's the math?" June says, rounding on her, a slightly frantic look in her eyes. "I majored in nouns."
Moderate: Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Homophobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Grief, Racism, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
ophycore's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Death of parent, Biphobia, Addiction, Grief, Terminal illness, Sexism, Alcohol, Outing, Homophobia, Racism, Misogyny, and Cursing
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail