A review by storieswithbee
Boys I Know by Anna Gracia

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Coming of Age
Age range: Mature Teen ( ~16+ ) 

Overall: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 3/5
Writing and Setting: 5/5

Content warning: *themes surrounding racism, parental abuse/pressure, sexuality, identity, sexism, teenaged pregnancy, underage drinking, drug use*

I can’t express this enough… although the content warnings are surrounding some pretty heavy idea, it shouldn’t stop you from reading one of the best coming of age novels I have ever come across. 

It’s hard to put into words how truely incredible this book was. It addresses and immerses itself into some very challenging, yet incredibly relatable themes for the average teenager, so much so, I found myself angry that I didn’t have this book as a teenager. 

I think for some parents, this book could come across as a little bit confronting, especially considering the sexual themes and casualness that the characters talk about sex, but in a real world narrative, teenagers are having these discussions, they’re engaging in first time encounters, and because of that, there needs to be positive and down-to-earth representations for them to relate to. That’s exactly what this book is. It’s sex positive, it’s open to prodding that line of taboo subjects, and it’s done so in a way that is still age appropriate without actually giving the young audience a ‘full frontal’ sex scene, etc. 

Adding to this, Gracia also explores the rough terrain of identity, racial stereotyping, and trans-generational conformity that a lot of teenagers nowadays struggle with. For me, and I’m sure a lot of readers, reading this book gave me a sense of being heard, seen,  understood and validated. 

I haven’t read a lot of books that explicitly highlight the complexities and the nuances of Asian culture within a Westernised world, but Gracia tied this in with the MC so incredibly well that it didn’t just feel like a cultural/ history lesson; it just felt so natural to the character and the story arch.

Characters: 5/5

Each and every character in this book was absolutely stunning in their simplicity… What I mean by this is that not a single character was this picture perfect, cookie cutter individual. All of them had their flaws. All of them felt real. All of them were beautifully frustrating, enjoyable, and human. 

June, the MC, was an absolute delight to experience as a reader. Her inner monologue was embarrassingly similar to my own teenaged years and that made the book all the more hilarious and entertaining. I loved that she was constantly evolving and discovering herself and her place in her world. 

Plot: 3/5

The plot itself wasn’t all that important to the main storyline. The main focus of the book was the character arch and the character development for June. Although this may be a turn off for some readers, I personally didn’t notice this factor all that much, because the progression of June from the beginning of the book in comparison to the end felt like such a special journey. 

Writing and Setting: 5/5

The writing was easy to digest, entertaining, captivating, funny, and in parts, very ‘woke’ to a lot of social issues and themes. I liked that we only have the perspective of June throughout the book in first person POV because it really highlights her journey. 

The settings within the book weren’t all that important to the storyline until June attends tours of the different universities. The way that Gracia uses description as a way to express June’s wants surrounding her post-high school studies was a technique that I almost missed in the whirlwind of the story, but I’m really glad I picked up on that. It’s a phenomenal example of ‘show, don’t tell’.

My thoughts:

I think this book could easily have a sequel. I am desperate to know how June progresses as she attends university and ages past high school, but at the same time I think there is something almost poetic about the idea of living within that moment of time with June and no further. 
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Thank you to Anna Gracia and her team for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book (even though I‘m frightfully late to the party 😅), in exchange for my honest review.  I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
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