A review by wenwanzhao
This Is Why They Hate Us, by Aaron H. Aceves
challenging
emotional
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
4.0
This is the kind of awkward, raw, and somehow still lighthearted queer YA novel I don’t think we could’ve gotten a few years ago. What I found most attractive about This Is Why They Hate Us was the premise, the harem concept just isn’t used enough, even though it has a lot of potential. I think this book really accomplished what it set out to do, and I found myself pretty attached to Quique by the end (despite him being a 16 year old mess). Yes, I did find it a bit difficult to get into, and I have grown enough to cringe at how teenagers think, but I think TIWTHU is a worthy YA read.
Moderate: Biphobia, Mental illness, Homophobia, Alcohol, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts