Pride Month 2020 Reading Recap

*Please note: Each book has a link to Amazon, which is an affiliate link - all earnings go into the upkeep of this blog, and I truly appreciate your support - but if you have a local indie bookshop you can support, please be sure to do so!

At the beginning of June, I shared a post featuring 12 LGBTQ+ books that were on my TBR for Pride Month. Throughout June, I managed to read seven LGBTQ+ books, but only four of them were actually from that list. For the list, I chose 12 books at random from my general TBR, but about a week into the month, I realized my list of 12 could easily have been doubled, especially as I added to my TBR almost daily.

I've always done my best to read diversely, but this month I realized I can - and should - be doing better. I love LGBTQ+ books and have read many over the years, but most of them have been by white authors and tend to feature gay, lesbian, and bi characters. It wasn't a conscious thing - I often choose books at random - but now I'm going to make sure I seek out more LGBTQ+ books by BIPOC authors that also feature a wider range of the queer spectrum.

I read some truly fantastic books in June. I broadened my usual reading horizons and aimed to include as much intersectional diversity as possible on my reading list. These are the seven LGBTQ+ books I read in June, in the order I read them:

Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner
Genre: Contemporary Romance
My rating: 2 stars
Representation: Lesbian Chinese-American heroine, Jewish bisexual heroine 
Goodreads || Buy

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
My rating: 5 stars
Representation: Black queer trans demiboy hero, biracial bisexual love interest
Read my review
Add to Goodreads || Buy

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Dystopian/Retelling
My rating: 4.5 stars
Representation: Black lesbian heroine, lesbian love interest
Add to Goodreads || Buy

The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth
Genre: Young Adult Romantic Comedy
My rating: 4.5 stars
Representation: Lesbian heroine, lesbian love interest
Read my review
Add to Goodreads || Buy

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
My rating: DNF at 50%
Representation: Black biromantic asexual heroine, Japanese love interest
Add to Goodreads || Buy

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
Genre: Romantic Comedy
My rating: 5 stars
Representation: Black bisexual curvy heroine, Pakistani Muslim hero with anxiety
Read my review
Add to Goodreads || Buy

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
Genre: Romantic Comedy
My rating: 5 stars
Representation: Gay hero, gay love interest
Read my review
Add to Goodreads || Buy

Did you read any LGBTQ+ books in June? Have you read any of these seven books?

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Review: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

 

This novel was partly inspired by Mackenzi Lee's discovery of the concept of the Grand Tour, something done by many rich people in the 18th century, that would last for months or even years, depending on funds. It's similar to our modern day 'gap year', where young people see the world between high school/college and pursuing further education or employment. I always wished I could have taken a gap year, and I still harbour a not-so-secret fantasy of taking several months or even a year and travelling through my own home country of Canada, plus Europe, so adventure/travel books like this really appeal to me. Plus, as a historical novel, it's interesting to see how difficult it often was to travel back then when people were limited to horse-drawn carriages and boats.   

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The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Series: Standalone
Published: June 27th, 2017
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
528 pages (eARC)
Genre: Historical Fiction/LGBTQ+/Adventure
Acquired this book: Via Edelweiss in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy: Amazon US ~ Canada || Chapters/Indigo}

An unforgettable tale of two friends on their Grand Tour of 18th-century Europe who stumble upon a magical artifact that leads them from Paris to Venice in a dangerous manhunt, fighting pirates, highwaymen, and their feelings for each other along the way.

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue was one of my most anticipated books of 2017. I was even more excited when I saw a few trusted reader/blogger friends raving about it. When I finally picked it up, I giggled my way through the first 10% and then...well, then the disappointment kicked in. While the book started out funny and set things up nicely, I found myself bored through a lot of the book. I skimmed a lot, which I don’t normally do, and I considered DNFing several times, but by then I’d already dedicated several hours to the story and my mama didn’t raise a quitter!

I’ll start out with the things I liked. I loved Monty’s voice. He was hilarious and irreverent and selfish and hugely flawed, but also really likeable, and experienced great growth throughout the story. I also liked his sister, Felicity (she’s just the type of strong-willed, intelligent, against-the-grain girl I love seeing in historical fiction, and I'm incredibly excited she's getting her own book) and best friend/love interest, Percy. I loved the diversity in the story - Monty was bisexual, Percy was biracial and had a disability (I won’t mention what because I’d consider it a spoiler, but it was fascinating to learn how it was perceived in the 18th century and what the fate of someone with Percy’s condition often was), and they met up with a band of African pirates during the course of their adventures. You so rarely see any diversity in historical fiction, so it was refreshing to see. I also enjoyed the humour and the adventure itself (which was more of a misadventure) with highwaymen, pirates, alchemists, a sinking island, and lots of mishaps that ranged from amusing to tense.

I think this book could have easily been a five-star read for me if it hadn’t been so long. It felt like it took me forever to read and like it was never going to end. I’d be reading for ages and think I must be close to the end only to look down and see I’d only read 10% and was merely halfway through the book with another 3-4 hours to go. A book like this should have been so action-packed and exciting that I didn’t want to put it down, but instead I had to force myself to keep reading. 

I’m so sad and disappointed to say The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue didn’t live up to my expectations. Despite enjoying the adventures and liking the characters, I felt like I was slogging through, and I honestly couldn’t wait to be finished. I did appreciate Monty’s growth, and I was glad to see he got a happy ending after all he went through, plus there were definitely many laugh-out-loud moments, and a sweet romance. I’ve seen plenty of people raving about this book, which could make it a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ or 'right book, wrong time'. As always, I encourage you to give this one a try if it sounds like something that would interest you.

Have you read The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you read any other LGBTQ+ historical fiction books?

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Pride Month 2017: LGBTQ+ Book Recommendations

You know how sometimes you're thinking about books and you wish you could find one with a certain type of character or something specific within your favourite genre? I'll read almost any type of LGBTQ+ book, but sometimes I'm looking for something in particular and it's hard to find. I figured I can't be the only one, and thus the idea for this post was born. It's by no means an extensive list, but it was fun to put together, and I hope some of you will find it useful! Maybe you'll even find something you didn't know you were looking for.

Looking for...

Characters:

*A gay superhero? 
Midnighter by Steve Orlando

*A bisexual Middle Grader? 
Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee

*A transgender MC? 
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

*A POC lesbian MC?
It’s Not Like it’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura

*A disabled bisexual MC?
Far From You by Tess Sharpe

*A bisexual POC celebrity MC?
Under the Lights by Dahlia Adler

*A Jewish lesbian MC?
Knit One Girl Two by Shira Glassman

*A lesbian Christian MC?
Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown

Genres/Miscellaneous:

*F/F Historical Fiction?
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

*M/M Thriller?
Hushed by Kelley York

*F/F Non-Fiction?
Girl Hearts Girl by Lucy Sutcliffe

*F/F Science Fiction/Fantasy?
The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie

*M/M Road Trip?
Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson

*F/F Set outside North America?
Get it Together, Delilah! by Erin Gough

*F/F Set in Canada?
Take Them by Storm by Marie Landry

*F/F Retelling?
As I Descended by Robin Talley
SPOILER (highlight the black lines to read): Please note this is a retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth. I know some people were angry about the characters' deaths because of the unfortunate prevalence of a ‘kill the queers’ mentality in books/TV shows/film, and I normally despise that myself, but in the case of a retelling, you have to know it's inevitable. Macbeth is a tragedy - it's not meant to have a happy ending.

A surprise LGBTQ+ book (one I didn’t know going in had a f/f relationship:
SPOILER (highlight the black to read): The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

What are some of your favourite LGBTQ+ books? Are there any you recommend regularly? Anything specific you're looking for in an LGBTQ+ book?

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Review: Girl Hearts Girl by Lucy Sutcliffe

Girl Hearts Girl by Lucy Sutcliffe
Published: June 24th, 2016
Publisher: Scholastic
272 pages (ebook)
Genre: Contemporary Memoir/LGBTQ+
Acquired this book: Bought
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon US ~ Canada|| Chapters/Indigo}

An inspiring, uplifting and sympathetic story about sexuality and self-acceptance, Lucy Sutcliffe's debut memoir is a personal and moving coming out story. In 2010, at seventeen, Lucy Sutcliffe began an online friendship with Kaelyn, a young veterinary student from Michigan. Within months, they began a long distance relationship, finally meeting in the summer of 2011. Lucy's video montage of their first week spent together in Saint Kitts, which she posted to the couple's YouTube channel, was the first in a series of films documenting their long-distance relationship. Funny, tender and candid, the films attracted them a vast online following. Now, for the first time, Lucy's writing about the incredible personal journey she's been on; from never quite wanting the fairy-tale of Prince Charming to realising she was gay at the age of 14, through three years of self-denial to finally coming out to friends and family, to meeting her American girlfriend Kaelyn. 

 

I’m not sure how I originally discovered Girl Hearts Girl. I’m guessing I must have seen something on YouTube or maybe Instagram. I had a note for months on my whiteboard that said ‘Lucy Sutcliffe’ and when I finally looked her up, I discovered this book and thought Pride Month would be the perfect time to read it.

Girl Hearts Girl is the story of Lucy Sutcliffe growing up, figuring out she's gay, and dealing with those confusing, scary feelings. It’s about her friends, her family, and eventually her long-distance girlfriend, Kaelyn. I think the synopsis is a tad misleading - it sounds like this is ‘their’ story - how they met, fell in love, got together - and if someone picked this book up because they were a fan Lucy’s and Kaelyn’s YouTube videos, they might be disappointed to learn the first half of the book is about Lucy’s experiences growing up.

Personally, I enjoyed reading about her younger years, but then I had never heard of Lucy and Kaelyn and knew nothing about their YouTube videos. I just liked that Lucy was a regular kid - kinda weird and nerdy, and obsessed with Harry Potter, like me. I’m glad we got to see a lot of her struggles as a young teen before the romance aspect came into play because that could have easily overshadowed some of the important bits about friendship and finding acceptance at a younger age.

I also appreciated that Lucy talked openly about her anxiety and eventually seeking help. People are starting to talk more openly about mental health and we’re seeing it dealt with a bit more in fiction, but it was a nice surprise to see it in this book, and it helped me connect to Lucy even more. I felt for her in a lot of ways - worrying about fitting in, being self-conscious about being weird and different, and then struggling with the myriad of emotions surrounding realizing she likes girls. She made herself sick over thinking there was something wrong with her and worrying what people would think, and I’m sure a lot of people will be able to connect to that.

While I identified with Lucy in several ways, I had trouble connecting to the writing. The style was very simple - almost too simple. Because of the simplistic writing, this book could be read by anyone at any age, but I found myself wishing for a bit more depth. Usually in a book like this, you’d get a lot of profound realizations and poignant discoveries, and while there were a few inspirational moments, I wanted to feel more, connect more with Lucy. I also wish that because half the book was largely about her relationship with Kaelyn, that we’d seen more of their relationship. I know they were long distance for many years, but it would have been nice to see more of the emotional side of things. Also, while I get that this is a memoir and Lucy can only talk about her own personal experiences, I felt like the whole thing was a bit idealistic. She dealt with very little homophobia (which is obviously great, and I’m pleased for her) and a few times things were said by other people along the lines of no one cares anymore if you’re gay, or it doesn’t matter to people anymore, but that’s simply not true. Sure, there are plenty of wonderful, accepting people - more now than even a decade or two ago - but there’s still a lot of homophobia out there. A lot of hateful, hurtful people. I would hope that most people have the good experiences and support Lucy did, but it’s often not the case. It’s nice to see good experiences and know they’re possible; people, especially younger people who are just discovering their sexuality or deciding to come out, deserve to see the good side of things, but I think it can also be harmful and misleading to think it’s always that simple or that safe.

That being said, I did appreciate how Lucy mentioned that once she and Kaelyn started posting their videos, they got a lot of letters, including from gay teens in places where you could be jailed or even killed for being gay, and they said how inspirational the videos were and how much they helped them. Lucy does acknowledge her good fortune and privilege to have dealt very little with homophobia, and to live in a place where it’s mostly safe to be out, which was nice to see.

Overall, I enjoyed Girl Hearts Girl. It was sweet, funny, and had some touching and inspirational moments. I liked the overall message of finding the people who love you for who you are, being true to yourself, and finding the inner strength to carry on no matter what. I’d recommend this to teens and young adults, especially those who are uncertain about their sexuality or who are thinking of coming out/starting to come out/are newly out. I think many people will find comfort and inspiration in Lucy’s journey. She’s just a regular girl who goes through many of the normal pains of growing up, and for a lot of people I think it will be comforting to know they’re not alone.

Have you read Girl Hearts Girl? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Do you read non-fiction?

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Blog Tour Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I'm honoured to be part of Simon & Schuster Canada's blog tour for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I've been a fan of Ms Jenkins Reid since her debut novel, and she's got another winner with her latest release. 

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Series: Standalone
Published: June 13th, 2017
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada
400 pages (ARC)
Genre: Women’s fiction
Acquired this book: From the publisher in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: This review contains marked spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon US ~ Canada || Chapters/Indigo}

Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds through the decades—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Filled with emotional insight and written with Reid’s signature talent, this is a fascinating journey through the splendor of Old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it takes—to face the truth.

Having read all of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books, I know one thing for sure: when you read one of her books, you can expect the unexpected. Going into The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I knew absolutely nothing about the story. I didn’t care. From the time I finished TJR's debut, Forever, Interrupted, she’s had a spot on my auto-read list, so it didn’t really matter what her latest book was about, because I knew I’d likely devour it and love it, and I was right.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a story about love, friendship, secrets, loss, and doing whatever is necessary to survive and succeed. It takes place from the 1950s until present day, alternating between modern day, with Monique’s story, and spanning through the decades with Evelyn’s story about her humble beginnings through her success as a Hollywood star.

Evelyn was an incredibly complex character. She was deeply flawed, but she was refreshingly aware of those flaws - in fact, she’d be the first to point them out. She was ruthless at times, and she knew it. She did whatever it took to rise to the top - used people, hurt people, told lies. She was criticized for the things men often do that no one thinks twice about, and she was shameless in that. She used her body and her sex appeal to get what she wanted. She did whatever it took to get ahead, to keep her secrets, to live the life she wanted. Her strength and her vulnerability made me truly feel for her.

This story really makes you think about Hollywood and how things are handled. I loved the addition of the tabloid articles every few chapters. You’d see things from Evelyn’s perspective as they happened and then get the media’s skewed version, almost always more salacious. There’s so much speculation and out-and-out lies told about celebrities, and this book really showcased that. It was sad that Evelyn had to be careful who she trusted, but it was also fascinating how she learned to spin the press to her own advantage on many occasions. I’m not the type to believe anything in tabloids (I don’t actually read them, but I’ve made a game out of reading the ludicrous headlines in a scandalized voice while waiting in line at the grocery store - as you do), but I do see occasional celebrity gossip/news online, and it makes me wonder about some of the things I’ve read and heard about my favourite celebrities. It’ll definitely make me stop and think about certain things I hear from now on.

SPOILERS AHEAD DEALING WITH THE ROMANCE IN THE BOOK

Before I read this book, I saw several people shelve it under LGBTQ+ on GoodReads, and I was curious. I thought maybe Evelyn had kissed a woman or even had sex with a woman, or that maybe one of her husbands was gay, hence the LGBTQ+ shelving. So I was shocked - pleasantly so - to discover Evelyn Hugo was bisexual. As a bisexual woman myself, I think the storyline was handled well, and I was impressed and pleased with how TJR captured the complexities and nuances of sexuality, and the fact it’s not black and white (as Evelyn once said Celia saw it, depending on whether she loved or hated Evelyn). It was heartbreaking and eye-opening to see how Evelyn and Celia had to hide their relationship for fear it would ruin their careers or possibly even put them in danger. I rooted for them, laughed with them, cried with them. Their relationship was tumultuous, frustrating, passionate, full of heartache and joy, and was ultimately so beautiful and meaningful. I was glad that in the end, Evelyn wanted people to know her true self and who her one true love was.

/END SPOILERS

Words can’t do justice to how impressed I am with Taylor Jenkins Reid’s storytelling abilities. Once again, with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, she has blown me away. This is an emotional story with characters that leap off the pages. If you’re looking for a unique, fast-paced, compelling story with plenty of twists, I highly recommend The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

 

 

{My review of Forever, Interrupted || My review of After I Do || My review of Maybe in Another Life || My review of One True Loves}

Have you read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you read any of Taylor Jenkins Reid's other books? If you could read a biography about any celebrity, who would it be?{Instagram || Facebook || Twitter || GoodReads || Pinterest}

Review: Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee

Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee

Series: Standalone
Published: March 14th, 2017
Publisher: Aladdin
256 pages (eARC)
Genre: Contemporary Middle Grade/Retelling/LGBTQ
Acquired this book: Via Edelweiss in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon US ~ Canada || Chapters/Indigo}

Mattie, a star student and passionate reader, is delighted when her English teacher announces the eighth grade will be staging Romeo and Juliet. And she is even more excited when, after a series of events, she finds herself playing Romeo, opposite Gemma Braithwaite’s Juliet. Gemma, the new girl at school, is brilliant, pretty, outgoing—and, if all that wasn’t enough: British.

As the cast prepares for opening night, Mattie finds herself growing increasingly attracted to Gemma and confused, since, just days before, she had found herself crushing on a boy named Elijah. Is it possible to have a crush on both boys AND girls? If that wasn’t enough to deal with, things backstage at the production are starting to rival any Shakespearean drama! In this sweet and funny look at the complicated nature of middle school romance, Mattie learns how to be the lead player in her own life.

 

I’d just like to start out by saying I am so glad this book exists. When I first heard about Star-Crossed and discovered it was LGBTQ+ Middle Grade, I was over the moon. I tried to keep my expectations in check, but I was excited, and luckily this book exceeded my expectations.

When I was twelve I was obsessed with Romeo and Juliet. The Leo DiCaprio/Claire Danes movie version had just come out and I bought myself a copy of the play to read. While I see the story’s faults as an adult, I loved it back then, so I know I would have loved this book and its many creative parallels to Shakespeare’s story. I loved the way the author took a well-known story and made it something new and fresh not only with its middle school setting, but also by having the role of Romeo be a young girl, Mattie, who was questioning her budding feelings for Juliet, or in this case, Gemma. For so many reasons, I wish I’d had this book as a tween or young teen. It would have been nice to see a character like myself, uncertain and questioning.

It’s so important to have books like this in schools and libraries, where kids can seek them out and find characters like themselves - or like their friends or family - in the pages. I appreciated how it was completely age-appropriate and dealt with other real-life issues as well as Mattie’s growth, plus - my favourite part - the realization that it’s okay to like whoever you want, whether that’s boys or girls or both. I’ve read so few books with positive bisexual rep, and the fact a Middle Grade book not only did it, but did it so well makes me incredibly happy.

Star-Crossed is a sweet, funny, touching story with a relatable and memorable main character as well as a wonderful cast of side characters. It took me back to my own middle school days of obsessive, confusing, angsty, all-consuming crushes and navigating school and friends and family life. I loved that Mattie’s bisexuality wasn’t something for her to ‘overcome’ or this big, shameful thing - it was just another part of her, albeit a confusing part as she figured things out. I’d love to see books like this as required reading for tweens and young teens, whether they’re gay, straight, or anywhere in between, and I also think it’d be a great book for teachers and parents to read. I’ve been recommending Star-Crossed a lot since I read it and I’ll continue to do so!

Have you read Star-Crossed? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you read any other Middle Grade books with LGBTQ+ characters?

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Review: You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan

You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan

Series: Standalone
Published: June 7th, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
248 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult/LGBTQ
Acquired this book: From the library
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon US ~ Canada || Chapters/Indigo}

Who knows you well? Your best friend? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? A stranger you meet on a crazy night? No one, really?

Mark and Kate have sat next to each other for an entire year, but have never spoken. For whatever reason, their paths outside of class have never crossed.

That is, until Kate spots Mark miles away from home, out in the city for a wild, unexpected night. Kate is lost, having just run away from a chance to finally meet the girl she has been in love with from afar. Mark, meanwhile, is in love with his best friend Ryan, who may or may not feel the same way.

When Kate and Mark meet up, little do they know how important they will become to each other—and how, in a very short time, they will know each other better than any of the people who are supposed to know them more.

You Know Me Well is the type of book I think a lot of people have been looking for, myself included. I’ve been desperate for more books where characters are out, happy, and just living life. I know we will always need coming-out stories and stories about queer characters struggling with their sexuality, gender, etc., but I want so many more stories about happy queer people, teens especially, who are living their lives and who get a happy ending.

And this book...holy queer characters, Batman! I think just about everyone in this book except the parents was queer. You get so used to reading books with no queer characters or maybe the gay friend/side character, so it was refreshing to see this eclectic group of queer kids.

My favourite part of this book was the friendship aspect and the idea that a stranger can see you more clearly and know you better than the people who have known you forever. With longtime friendships, people can see you the way they want to see you or the way you used to be or as what they need you to be and not who you truly are. I think this is particularly true for teens when you’re trying to figure out yourself and the world, and you’re constantly changing but some people only ever see you one way. The uncertain teen who still lives inside me connected with this story and these characters, and while Adult Me realized the story was a touch idealistic at times, it was Teen Me’s emotions that overruled and loved this story for exactly what it was: a story about friendship, love, and figuring out life. I think it was one of those ‘right time’ books for me - the type of book where if I read it at another point in my life, it might not have resonated as much, but I picked it up at the exact right time and it really struck a chord. It left me smiling, teary eyed, and completely satisfied.

You Know Me Well is beautiful and poignant in its sweetness and simplicity. If you’re looking for a quick contemporary, especially one with LGBTQ+ characters, be sure to give this one a try.

Have you read You Know Me Well? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Do you know what I mean by 'right book, right time'? Does that ever happen to you?

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