A review by jaelovesbooks
This Is Why They Hate Us by Aaron H. Aceves

challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I loved 90% of this book and I adored the main character. He was well written and interesting. His experiences were relatable. The 10% I took issue with concerned me deeply.
SpoilerIt was his relationship with a teacher. Kids need queer adults in their lives and the MC definitely needed some advice from a mature queer person. BUT it wasn’t okay for the teacher to hit on him on an app (the MC lied about his age; teacher didn’t know) and then still invite him into his home alone once he found out that the his date was actually an underage student. The MC proceeds to hit on and flirt with the teacher; no, the teacher doesn’t reciprocate but he doesn’t put proper boundaries in place. I was frustrated because I really liked the teacher initially, but I don’t think it was appropriate how this interaction went in the book. If the teacher wanted to give advice, they should’ve gone to a public, neutral place. They absolutely should not have been alone in the teacher’s home. Also, this happened twice, and the teacher has to ask the MC to please note tell anyone. Absolutely sketchy. Different boundaries should have been modeled imo.
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