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anni_banani'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
4.75
DAMN that was one of my top 5 YA books easily. It made it into the “How my Life Would Have Been Different if I Had this as a Teen” ™️category.
The most unique thing in this book to me was the tone jumps; one moment it’s meaningful horny and turning me on 🤣, the next it’s meaningfully with nuance discussing what it’s like to have anxiety depression mood swings, then it’s meaningful commentary on queer lit or life as a bisexual person or race, then a random but meaningful bit about how Palestinian history is white washed. It’s a romance then a comedy then a drama and I’m scared for the MC. I related as life has tone jumps.
Never have I related to this book more as a Pansexual and bisexual person or with my own experience of mental health. Aceves spends the most time painting a detailed nuanced picture from how someone can go from bad sleep to bad self esteem to bad harmful thoughts to suicidal ideations. I love not just the Bi rep here but discussing life as a bi person, what’s to be expected of us depending on our perceived gender, biphobia within the queer community, how attraction happens. Often it’s just a footnote or a characteristic in a novel thrown out with the same care as “she loved coffee and is bisexual” . No rainbow / bi washing here.
I was also really impressed with how I loved the book from start to finish- gobbled it up like the Cookie Monster. But there was areas for characters to be grey, imperfect. The MC and his BFF definitely got some shit to work out in their dynamic like all teens, like all humans, but their love is so true.
One of the reasons I wish I had this book besides mental health, besides breaking down biphobic myths, was the sex positive perspective here. Sex (alone and partnered) should not only be respectful, consensual and safer but also joyful! The characters struggle with this in a real honest way, sometimes internalizing messages that sex is wrong or pressure to have sex, they learn.
Aveces I really hope you get an adult book published cuz this book turned me on so much, I can’t wait to see what you would do with actual grown ups!!!
Read this book for
- A great discussion of sexuality and sexual exploration for young adults. How to be doing that joyfully and responsibly and how not to
- East LA
- Breaking down various stereotypes including ones about Bi people, Muslims Arabs and Palestinians, Latines, gay adults, people living with mental illness
- Parents figuring it out as they go and really learning
- Good ass therapists
Graphic: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Biphobia, Hate crime, Suicide attempt, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Mass/school shootings
Chap 20 Objectification in a consensual sexual encounter.jurgbury'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
Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia
jaelovesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, and Islamophobia
brokenbodybitch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
There is more sexual content in this book then make me comfortable for something being marketed as a ya book with 17yo characters to 14+…(from what I’ve seen) yes I was reading more graphic stuff younger but something about the frequency and level of detail coupled with the constant reminder they aren’t over 18 yet and it being marketed from what I’ve seen as 14+ just felt off and took me out of the story a quite often. yes, it’s like quite true to reality from what I remember about being 17 and I mean it was only like 3 years ago... but from the way I had seen it marketed it felt like it wasn’t what I would’ve expected.
I really love the mental health rep, the queer rep, I found the book really funny at times and I think the more emotional stuff was handled well (PLEASE CHECK CW/TW) but I just kept getting pulled out of the story so I need to sit with it a bit more or re read now that I know what to expect so I’m not so thrown by it
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, and Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Toxic relationship
Minor: Drug use, Vomit, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
The narrator/MC is a 17yo boy and there is a fair amount of sexual scenes throughout the book between 17yo’s, they aren’t overly graphic but they are quite frequent and not fade to black. ➖ There is a scene where a friend of his talks about using dating apps while under age and explains how he lies about his age to sleep with older people (adult/minor relationships) and at one point Quique decides to give it a try, there is no adult/minor relations however he does go over to this man’s house and it ends up being someone in a position of power over him, again it is not used and is handled well but the man isdrraytay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Mass/school shootings
stuckinatimeloop'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
4.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual content and Violence
tifcochran'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? Yes
5.0
This book is marketed as a "Fun, Irrelevant Summer Romp", and i feel like the marketing team did not read this book. Though this is a book that takes place during summer and it is full of funny moments at times, i would not place this in the "romp" category. To me, it seems this book was marketed as a fully light hearted novel, where it does have very dark and emotional scenes.
Enrique "Quique” is a young, bi, high schooler who is trying to spend his summer meeting potential romantic prospects and getting over his crush he has on his best friend Saleem, while Saleem is away for a family Vacation.
Quique is an emotional mess, he struggles with anxiety and depression, he has low self esteem, and though in better understanding himself and his sexuality. The Way that Quique and side characters explore and communicate about their sexuality is refreshing and honest. Though, this book does have some sensitive teacher-student relationship that happens. It is handled well, and thoughtfully.
This book strikes a mix of funny and uncomfortable moments, that we all had growing up in high school and trying to understand who we are, who we love, and how we fit into our world. This is very much an Upper YA novel, with some mild sexual content throughout. When I was in High School, i wish there were more books like this one.
Graphic: Biphobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Islamophobia
Minor: Racial slurs