Was already a bit weary of the book when the list of trigger warnings did not include car accidents/crashes when that's a huge plot of the storyline. Stopped reading due to a Harry Potter reference. May attempt to read this sometime in the future because I was very excited about it.
Yeah, white people recommending this as an “Autistic sad girl book” are YIKES considering this book is VERY fatphobic and there’s this disgusting “You sound like the Gestapo” line which we’re supposed to find funny.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Going into IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS by Anna Meriano, all I knew was that this was a YA book about a girl who accidentally gets half her bandmates kicked off the team and has to work to make things right. I have read Meriano’s entire LOVE SUGAR MAGIC middle-grade series and absolutely loved it, so my expectations were high!! I want to say this, there is nothing inherently wrong with this book. It maybe is a little slow and info-dumpy at the start, but I was really enjoying my time after the 50-page mark. I was interested in seeing where the story was going and would have kept reading if not for finding out this is a sequel.
A sequel to a book titled THIS IS HOW WE FLY which was released in 2020 and is a story about our main character’s sibling who joins a quidditch team. The entire premise of THIS IS HOW WE FLY is about Harry Potter, JKR, and being friends with Harry Potter fans. I looked through the reviews of that book and found LOADS of people happily talking about how this was an “acceptable way” for them to “enjoy Harry Potter without getting attacked.” I have seen Anna Meriano do a lot of good for the trans community, so seeing her market an entire book about transphobia ON transphobia, was disheartening, to say the least. Other Latine trans people have made reviews talking about how no matter how good THIS IS HOW WE FLY is, you should not be supporting it. I agree. I do not care that the line “JKR IS A TERF” is in the book, it still does not excuse you from profiting off of the harm she has caused TONS of marginalized communities.
With that said, I was not aware IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS was a follow-up to a book all about a transphobic, antisemitic, racist, bigoted series. If I had known that, I would have never asked for a copy of this book, to begin with. This is a real shame because Anna Meriano is a talented author of our time. I typically adore her works and was so excited to see where Yasmin was taken in IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS.
As someone who fell in love with PET, BITTER immediately went onto my list for the most anticipated 2022 releases!! I was worried going into this because I saw a *lot* of criticism for this book. However, after finishing it, I disagree with a lot of the negative things people have to say about this work. In my opinion, Akwaeke Emezi does not ever disappoint with their novels!! This was not a book that was ‘fun’ to read, by any means, there are some triggering topics discussed within this novel. However, I think the way the conversations are talked about is brilliant and that the book was one that I could not put down! There seem to be some adults who think this book is “too smart” for teenagers and I just don’t think you’re giving teens the credit they deserve. I could talk about BITTER for ages, but to save time and energy I’ll leave this review short.
CWs I can't link below: conversion therapy, depression, sex trafficking, etc.
MEMORIAL is a book that has been on my radar for quite some time. When I found a copy of it at my local indie bookstore, I knew right away I had to have it. This is a book I can definitely see people not liking due to a lack of understanding of what exactly Bryan Washington was going for. However, this 100% worked for me!! At its core, this is a story about messy relationships. Yes, there is the discussion of messy romantic and sexual relationships, but that is not all this book is about. There are also messy family dynamics, specifically the conversations revolve around what it means to be a queer son of color and the way your relationship with your dad changes because of this. As a Puerto Rican queer trans man with my own messy familial dynamic, the conversations in this book were so deeply impactful that I spent a solid 30 minutes sobbing between chapters. I can understand why this didn’t work for everyone, but by god, I read this at the exact time I needed it and I will forever be grateful to Bryan Washington for such an incredible piece!! I need to get my hands on anything he has written and I hope that if you give this book a try, you can appreciate it just as much as I did. If we’re mutuals and you’ve read this, please feel free to message me about it!!
CWs that I can't link below: death from cancer, gentrification, being HIV+.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent
Leah Johnson has never written anything I haven’t liked. She is such a genius with words!! I listened to the audiobook of this at work, which I do not recommend doing because it made me cry. There is a lot of unpacking each character does throughout the novel, which I really appreciated but it was difficult to read sometimes. On top of that, this book very heavily talks about mass shootings, so if that is something you find triggering, please know that before going into this!! I think all of the conversations were done so goddamn well. This is one of those books that I can absolutely see myself re-reading every summer!!
I received an ARC of CAFE CON LYCHEE in exchange for an honest review.
After receiving an ARC of Emery Lee’s debut novel, MEET CUTE DIARY, and absolutely falling in love with it, CAFE CON LYCHEE quickly became one of my most anticipated reads of 2022. A closeted Puerto Rican boy struggling to openly be himself whilst also attempting to save his parents’ local restaurant from closing? I was sold. I am happy to say that this book has exceeded all of my expectations! CAFE CON LYCHEE can be summed up into two words: downright sweet. Yes, the pun was intended. There is something about Emery Lee’s writing style that is just so enjoyable to read! Not only do the books always hook you from the start, but they’re also always fun and fast-paced.
As a queer Boricua, the rep in this book meant so much to me. Seeing Gabi work through his own internalized biases, and the pressure from those closest to him, hit very close to home. I adored seeing him grow and learn throughout this book. Yes, it’s amazing seeing him fall for a boy, but I think it’s also amazing to see Gabi fall in love with himself. It’s not often that a character comes around that I want to protect with my entire being, but Gabi Moreno is one of those characters. I know he is going to do so much good to young queer Latine boys who read about him!
Honestly, all of the characters are wonderfully developed. Our other perspective is from Theo Mori, the son of an Asian rival restaurant. Theo is a character that broke my heart. I can resonate with the pain he feels regarding his family. He is yet another character whom I want to wrap in a hug and protect from the world. The work Emery Lee is doing- to show queer boys of color being complex human beings capable of anger, fear, hope, love, apprehension, doubt, excitement, joy, etc- is work I cannot begin to express my appreciation for. After living decades witnessing POC being portrayed as caricatures, Emery Lee is a refreshing voice in the writing world. All of e’s characters- including the amazing, and amazingly awful, side characters- are written with such a focused voice.
All of this to say, you should read this book. If you’re a foodie, a queer POC, a lover of angst, or just a fan of YA books, CAFE CON LYCHEE is definitely worth a read!
(I usually put CWs at the end of my reviews but unfortunately lost the list I made whilst reading.)
Kayla Ancrum can do absolutely no wrong!! MURDER OF CROWS quickly became one of my favorite books written by her. If you’re looking for a quick, fast, mystery thriller that does not take itself too seriously and is just overall a lot of fun, MURDER OF CROWS should be on your radar! Highly suggest the audiobook because it is THE best audiobook production i have ever listened to.
This book was a huge disappointment. It started off as a hilarious five-star read but I have so many problems with this. I will say that if you are not a fan of books with massive pop cultural references, this is not the book for you. There is a reference on nearly every page. I was really enjoying all of them, laughing a lot at the humor in the book, until Kosoko Jackson decided to reference two transphobic people multiple times. I truly wish that was the only reason I deducted stars, but it’s not.
The premise of this book is that Hudson dumped our protagonist Kian out of the blue. Now Hudson needs Kian to fake date him for a family wedding his parents are hosting. The romance was infuriating to me. I was waiting for the moment Kian and Hudson got together and had the “I’m so sorry I hurt you, Kian. The reason I did that was…” but that conversation is never had. The two go from snapping at each other to “are you my boyfriend now?” It made no sense to me. It got to the point where I went back to re-read sections to ensure I did not miss a major plot point or conversation. In reality, I didn’t miss anything. The relationship just felt rushed and immature. These did not read to me as two exes still in love.
Kian is an infuriating protagonist because he never says what he is thinking!! So many arguments could be avoided if he just said what was on his mind instead of lying about it. Maybe it is because I’m Autistic, but I cannot stand it when people just do not be honest about their thoughts.
I gave this a three-star rating because I think it was funny, engaging (for a majority of the book), and has the potential to bring a lot of joy to a lot of people. The writing was solid and I will try some of Kosoko’s other works to see if those fit me any better.
CWs/TWs: racism, alcohol, sexual content, panic attacks, anxiety, classism, homophobia, Harry Potter references, Rupaul reference, etc.