This is easily one of the best YA books I have read in a long time and one of my favourite reads of the year so far! It is a beautiful exploration of queerness that is simultaneously realistic and optimistic. I wish I could have read it when I was younger as the representation of fandom culture and relationships and how queerness interacts with that was something I would have love to have seen explored so honestly.
I have seen this book compared to a sapphic Hearstopper and I definitely agree with this comparison. They are both heartwarming queer joy with nuanced and realistic relationships that explore the intersection between queerness and relationships, school and self image in a way that is honest and realistic. However, as much as the the warmth and joy these books both bring are similar, this book should be seen as its own thing and although I definitely recommend it to fans of Heartstopper, I would not call it the sapphic version.
More than just being a sapphic YA romance, it is a story of family, heritage, friendship and connection which was done beautifully. It may have been a sweet story but that doesn't take away from the permeating depth that brings nuance to each relationship and interaction. It was a very real look into the difficulties that can come in family and friendships, particularly from a queer perspective. I loved the interplay of culture and race and how that affected the love shown in this book. The role of fandom was also done fantastically. Fandom and the internet has always acted as a safe space, particularly for young queer teens as they get to see and understand themselves and make friends who know and fully accept them through this. I loved how realistically this was portrayed and the importance put on it throughout.
Also, the representation in this book is fantastic. I really enjoyed reading about Elsie and her family and their culture, and particularly how love and queerness plays into this. On top of this, it was lovely to see so many queer identities represented and integrated so well and, more than this, in so many age groups. We always see stories about teenagers, but it was so lovely to see these identities and stories being represented in adults too.
I can't wait to read everything that Cynthia So comes out with because this book was wonderful.
Thank you for NetGalley for providing me with an arc in return for an honest review!
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