ali1311's reviews
191 reviews

I'm pretty inclined to agree with (what I can tell) are the majority of reviews on this site. I was super excited for this book because of all the hype it's received. The premise of the book really draws you in; it's very engaging as a concept. I found myself being lectured at more than I did learning from Doyle's experiences. This was a bummer because a) I don't like preachy books and b) I felt that she wasn't giving me as a reader enough credit as I was reading. There were some instances and chapters that were really fascinating. As a non-parent, the stuff about parenting was interesting, but kind of bored me because I found it unrelatable (but this is to be expected). In short, I came looking for stories to learn from/with but instead often closed the book feeling like I had just gone to a yoga class where the instructor thought she knew something the rest of us could only attempt to reach. I'm happy for the author--so so happy her life is now something she can feel so proud of and be so deeply in love with; that still shines through despite the preachy tone.

I looooved this book! I have pretty much no experience with comics, but this book seemed so fun and engaging when I saw it in the store, so I bought it anyways--and I'm so glad I did! It was not only full of great art and stories, but is one of the most intersectional reads I've ever found. The contribution of so many different queer voices--not centering upon American, white, male, or even just gay identities was a real breath of fresh air. It provided so many perspectives I was unfamiliar with and told such personal stories through great art and storytelling. This book was a great reminder that the term queer is perhaps more diverse than we can each conceptualize on our own, and, oftentimes fun and funny! So much queer content centers upon the trials and difficulties, and although this compilation of stories was not just sunshine and rainbows, it did a good job of balancing queer realities and tragedy with queer joy, silliness, and even just everyday irritants. It was also very digestible to read, but does require a bit of background in LGBTQIA+ terminology and concepts (though nothing a quick Google can't fix). Recommending this to anyone and everyone!

I loved how perfectly this story captured that sense of being out of control in your own self that is a part of not only queer experiences, but teen experiences as a whole. This book made me cry; such a simple but complex story of two deeply connected friends. I adored the way the characters were written and the way they interacted with each other. They established a rapport together that became so natural for them until they were forced into becoming themselves so wholly that they had no choice but to alter what that friendship was. Even though the book wasn't gripping because of action or events, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for Ari to find some peace of mind. I think that style of writing is extremely impressive and shows just how deeply I became entrenched in Ari's mind through Sáenz's writing. I'm sure it's all been said before (I'm a bit late to this party), but this was such a great YA read that veered away from what we often experience YA as. Ari is filled with so many YA qualities: hating his family and friends, loving them with and without reserve, confusion about his mental and physical changes, all that good stuff. But it felt unique because of the voice Sáenz gave Ari; he's not just experiencing these things, he's so actively trying not to, making him a compelling character, and making the end all seem worth it and even more joyous.

I really loved this book. A large part of that was probably that I love romances. I really enjoyed the way we got to peek into Natasha and Daniel's family lives throughout the story. I was really captivated by the stakes of this book; Natasha's family and her life were so detailed and revealed to us at just the right pace, where I was kept interested but never felt like I was forced to wait to know more about her. I also just loved how certain Daniel was; it was so real to so many feelings of love, and his character was lovable to begin with, so this made me want to hangout with him for every single page he was given. The language of the book was very intentional, weaved in just the right way to tug on heart strings and make you smile at a random sentence in the middle of a paragraph. The only reason I'll give four stars instead of five was because of the cliche that appeared between Natasha and Daniel where she's a hard-hearted scientist and he's a soft-hearted poet. I found that part a bit cheesy, but it also moved the plot and provided conflict I enjoyed, so I can't be too mad at it. Overall, I thought the characters were very fleshed out and believable, and the love they had felt so real and genuine it was physically painful to watch them struggle.

I was really excited about this book because I, like everyone else in the world, love (and hate) the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, and this retelling is such a wonderful perspective to place the story in. I enjoyed this book right up until the Greek mythology really started to begin. It was then that I felt the story got more caught up in the myth than it did the characters and their stories. Maybe that was just based off of my own expectation, where I thought their story would stay based in reality and find a way to incorporate the Greek myth into the everyday lives of Eury and Pheus. I was also a bit disappointed by the ending because, although I liked the message and idea, I felt it could have been done in a more nuanced way. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the book and found myself on the edge of my seat, wondering if this retelling was going to stick with or stray from the Greek myth's ending.

I so genuinely loved this book. It's so rare to hear stories from the perspective of a trans boy of color and that perspective, and the brilliant way Callender made Felix feel so real, was such a treat to get to read in YA. I really enjoyed this book because of how flawed Felix is. There were so many times where I was begging him not to make the choices he was going to make, but then watching him figure these mistakes out and use them to become a better version of himself was rewarding as a reader. This book had everything to keep a reader engaged, too: questions of identity, mysteries, betrayal, family problems, romance, and more. I was so hungry by the time I finished it because I kept pushing off dinner so I could keep reading and know what happened. The questions of gender and gender identity presented in this book are also not so common in mainstream YA books, and it was great to see that represented on the page. I also adored the ending. I could rave and rave about this story, but I only have so much time, so my final note is: read it!!

I enjoyed this book by the end, although I struggled to get into it at the beginning. I didn't expect the story to span so many years and was surprised when I didn't mind the journey through time. I appreciated when we got Obinze's point of view as well as Ifemelu's as the end approached. I found Ifemelu's journey compelling, though I would've loved so more about the romance! Overall, I enjoyed the book, though it took me a pretty long time to get through. Adichie weaved so many things into one story and one person and her relationships, and that was compelling and kept me interested in what would come next.