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A review by miyaosamu
Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
this was such an incredibly done ya contemporary with our main, quinn going about rediscovering herself coming out of her comfort zone after she gets blackmailed with her private journal along with finding true friends and even romance in the midst of it all. i emphasized and related with quinn so much in terms struggling with coming out of her shell and figuring herself out. i admired her so much, even though it was under the difficult situations of being blackmailed, her bravery in finally doing the things she listed out to do and how it contributed to her phenomenal character development. the story has so much coming of age feels to it, being senior year and quinn going about new adventures through the story with her newfound friendships with olivia, auden, and carter.
quinn's friendship with olivia was so endearing, how she finally found someone that she can be real with and coming to terms in embracing her black identity rather than her former toxic white friends. speaking of carter, even if their romance was a bit instant at first, the chemistry and tension jumped off the pages, had me smiling ear to ear! the way quinn's conversations opening up to him you can tell just much more genuine with feedback from carter in comparison to conversations with her old crush. but the romance was also well done with when secrets and things unraveled between them and i really just loved how authentic it felt with their development basically being given a fresh restart emotionally. goffney also weaved in aspects of family life, in how quinn's parents' relationship affected her, along with quinn's relationship with her grandma shaping her.
i highly recommend this book, a fresh unexpected debut being an honest coming of age story with layered characters, easy to absorb high school drama, family dynamics, teenage adventures, and a perfectly imperfect romance!
quinn's friendship with olivia was so endearing, how she finally found someone that she can be real with and coming to terms in embracing her black identity rather than her former toxic white friends. speaking of carter, even if their romance was a bit instant at first, the chemistry and tension jumped off the pages, had me smiling ear to ear! the way quinn's conversations opening up to him you can tell just much more genuine with feedback from carter in comparison to conversations with her old crush. but the romance was also well done with when secrets and things unraveled between them and i really just loved how authentic it felt with their development basically being given a fresh restart emotionally. goffney also weaved in aspects of family life, in how quinn's parents' relationship affected her, along with quinn's relationship with her grandma shaping her.
i highly recommend this book, a fresh unexpected debut being an honest coming of age story with layered characters, easy to absorb high school drama, family dynamics, teenage adventures, and a perfectly imperfect romance!