paperbackparker's reviews
446 reviews

wow. just... wow.
i never desperately hope for happy endings bc i find them a lil unrealistic and they sometimes cheapen the story. however, i could not, for a second, help myself from hoping for happy endings for these characters.
this is definitely one of my favourite books now.

thank you for this series, chris. just... thank you.

3.5/5 stars from me!!
- the characterization was sort of annoying. i found both main characters to be pretty unbearable at times, but i am undecided whether this was detrimental to the overall quality of the book or whether it just made it more realistic...
- i appreciated the real, relatable problems the characters went through in this story, but a lot of the plot was actually unrealistic and made me roll my eyes multiple times while reading.
- as a young queer gal, the last bit of the book was enjoyable and sweet. the way nina and david wrote the actual feeling of pride in the queer community made my heart swell and actually made me feel very proud as well.
overall, this book was quick and enjoyable. it was a cute, fluffy, and inclusive read. it’s not my favourite book in the world, but i definitely see myself recommending it to people who are looking for a fluffy, queer, contemporary.

this was great, besides the fact that i was able to predict who blue was. also - the story seemed a bit too perfect in some cases. it's nice to have the book end on a positive note, but i found myself wishing for just SOMETHING to not be fixed or resolved. it would have made the story a bit more relatable and realistic. additionally, i could've done w/o the condescending or mocking tone around alice's "political" statements. the way simon narrated her remarks made it seem like her ideas and criticisms were a bit foolish, and i was definitely not a fan of that. overall, it was a fun book and i am excited for the movie. is it the best book i've ever read?? definitely not. i usually cry when reading, and i didn't cry at this one, so i just know that it just hasn't impacted me v much. but i had a good time reading it, and i would recommend it if you just want something quick and fluffy.

ps. I REALLY DISLIKED LEAH. ugh. also - i had a really hard time figuring out simon's opinion of martin and whether or not they were friends. i wish the writing around that relationship was a bit clearer and less flip-floppy.

this was gonna be a 3 star review but the last bit of the book really saved it for me. i’m glad the story ended how it did.

i absolutely loved this book. i haven't read very many self-help/memoir books, so i didn't have much to compare it to, and i think that's what made me like it so much. i had the chance of meeting lilly on her book tour, so i could really picture her saying everything in this book. just some quick notes:
- there's a lot of information, but it's short and sweet. lilly was quick to the point and didn't add much fluff.
- besides the wonderful words of wisdom in the book, it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. the various colours, fonts and photos made the whole experience even more enjoyable.
- everything she said was inclusive. i didn't really expect any less, considering how lovely a person lilly is, but it was really refreshing to read advice that was respectful and considerate to all types of people.
- this book inspired me, made me laugh, made me cry, and just made me want to be a better person.
i am sooo proud of lilly for making such a great book. i loved it so much. i hope you did, or will, too.

i really loved the characters in this book, and i was so happy to see (mostly) positive relationships between females. i kind of felt like the whole thing was sort of rushed though. it felt like everything was happening too quick and the author never really took the time to describe events. but perhaps this just adds to the uniqueness of this book. as well, i wasn't a huge fan of the plot twist because i really would have loved to see a story about an actual sick girl, struggling with her place (or lack thereof) in the world. i'm sure there are many stories out there that are like that though, i just haven't found them. overall, this was an enjoyable, fairly quick read. i had quite a lot of fun reading most of it, but like i said, it's not the perfect book so that's why i gave it four stars. i am very excited for the movie though omg