Screaming crying punching air throwing up reorganizing Target shelves. This shit SLAPPED.

I was familiar with the author’s  YouTube channel on video essays, particularly her analysis on the “monster lover” trope, so I was head over heals when I first discovered this book. I can’t put it into words the experience I had reading this. I’ve seen some people praise the story but give it low ratings due to the author’s writing style. I marathoned it on audiobook within the span of two days and ADORED it. I highly recommend the audiobook f the narrator’s amazing voice acting and for those who may be turned off by the written style.

So many things I love about this book that I can’t put into coherent paragraphs so I’ll just list them
- alien x human friendship turned romance that was simply to die over. Why is a relationship between a human and an alien better written then most “regular” romance subplots I’ve seen in books lately?? 
- fascinating world building for the alien race, both their biology, hierarchy, politics, and values
- thought provoking commentary on colonization, genocide, empathy, eugenics, intelligence, and civilization, both regarding human and nonhuman civilizations
- “Truth is a human right”
- fast paced plot that kept me on my toes
- an interesting cast of alien characters with unique personalities
- early 2000s nastolgia 
- a “compassionate” spin on the alien contact story 
- a deeply relatable protagonist and an oddly lovable (yet mysterious) alien  

Eagerly await to borrow the next of the duology