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bookcaptivated's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Biphobia, Transphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
elliott_the_clementine's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Dear Wendy is everything I expected it would be and more. From the excellently selected pop culture references to the myriad of fleshed out characters including and beyond main characters Sophie and Jo, Ann Zhao creates a friend-com that stands out among other young adult contemporary fiction novels. The friendship between Sophie and Jo, depicted in a perfectly trope-y plot, feels like a safe, warm hug. They are two real flawed people learning how best to love each other and themselves. As a lover of romance novels, a bisexual girl, a former gifted kid from the suburbs of Chicago, and someone who knows and remembers Ann Zhao's kindness, I cannot over-emphasize how incredible and validating Dear Wendy is to me and will be for so many others. Read it - I hope you adore it as much as I do.
Also, I firmly endorse Sophie's recommendation of The Half of It, a very cinematically pleasing and completely adorable love story. If you love Dear Wendy, you will probably love The Half of It.
Also, I firmly endorse Sophie's recommendation of The Half of It, a very cinematically pleasing and completely adorable love story. If you love Dear Wendy, you will probably love The Half of It.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Biphobia, Lesbophobia, Racism, and Transphobia
Minor: Sexism and Mental illness
blakeandbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Feiwel & Friends + NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book centers around 2 college-aged, aroace friends, Sophie (she/her, Chinese American) + Jo (she/they, white) who are able to bond over their aroace identities and form a queer platonic relationship in the end.
I think that we need more books like this! Zhao did a great job of explaining how both Sophie and Jo feel—what aroace means and what it means to each of them. I love when they both discover they’re aroace, and they get so excited to connect and discuss with someone who understands 🥲
I loved how quickly they became friends and realized how much they enjoy each other’s company. When they created the aroace college group, I thought this was such a great addition to the story! All of the characters who came to be a part of it, and all of them able to connect and affirm each other was so awesome.
I believe this book is going to affirm so many people in their aroace identities, and I hope it continues to connect others!
This book centers around 2 college-aged, aroace friends, Sophie (she/her, Chinese American) + Jo (she/they, white) who are able to bond over their aroace identities and form a queer platonic relationship in the end.
I think that we need more books like this! Zhao did a great job of explaining how both Sophie and Jo feel—what aroace means and what it means to each of them. I love when they both discover they’re aroace, and they get so excited to connect and discuss with someone who understands 🥲
I loved how quickly they became friends and realized how much they enjoy each other’s company. When they created the aroace college group, I thought this was such a great addition to the story! All of the characters who came to be a part of it, and all of them able to connect and affirm each other was so awesome.
I believe this book is going to affirm so many people in their aroace identities, and I hope it continues to connect others!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, and Bullying
ashylibrarian's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a phenomenal YA book celebrating aro/ace characters while also being funny and witty.
We need more books with aro and/or ace rep, and I am so happy this one exists.
I felt seen. I felt heard. I hope this makes many readers feel the same way.
I am hoping to get my hands on a physical copy to annotate and have a more thought-out review soon 😅
We need more books with aro and/or ace rep, and I am so happy this one exists.
I felt seen. I felt heard. I hope this makes many readers feel the same way.
I am hoping to get my hands on a physical copy to annotate and have a more thought-out review soon 😅
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Lesbophobia, and Biphobia
Minor: Transphobia and Toxic relationship
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
This is both the funniest and most tender young adult story I have read lately!
Sophie (Wendy) & Jo (Wanda) create anonymous dating advice Instagrams for their fellow students at Wellesley College, but they differ in style, delivery, & seriousness. They begin passive aggressively commenting on each other’s posts & reposting messages about each other to their respective stories. It’s goofy, it’s petty, & it’s hilarious!
Meanwhile, they become friends offline & connect over their shared aroace identities! They revive an aroace student discussion group on campus & deepen their friendship. However, they don’t know the other is running the Wendy/Wanda advice column!!!
I loved the use of Instagram, the messy comments, the unserious advice, the cast of queer characters, & Sophie & Jo’s journeys. I especially appreciated how the author highlighted Jo's concerns about their friends getting romantically involved and inadvertently being left behind or forgotten about. It's a stark realization to think about the fact that your alloromantic & allosexual friends could be *your* person, but you may not end up being theirs (because theirs will be their romantic partners). I loved the journey that Sophie & Jo take towards realizing they could be each other's non-romantic partners instead, and that it was enough!
The sadness with with Sophie feels erased by her immigrant Chinese American parents was also so authentically portrayed, with the flippant comments of "You're just picky," or "You'll find someone eventually," being cast her way every time she spoke about being aroace.
This absolutely could be adapted on Netflix to be the next hit of a young adult/new adult coming-of-age tv series about friendship, exploration of self, & communication - this book was both informative and entertaining, and I think so many people will adore Sophie & Jo!
I highly recommend this & am so grateful I read it!
This is both the funniest and most tender young adult story I have read lately!
Sophie (Wendy) & Jo (Wanda) create anonymous dating advice Instagrams for their fellow students at Wellesley College, but they differ in style, delivery, & seriousness. They begin passive aggressively commenting on each other’s posts & reposting messages about each other to their respective stories. It’s goofy, it’s petty, & it’s hilarious!
Meanwhile, they become friends offline & connect over their shared aroace identities! They revive an aroace student discussion group on campus & deepen their friendship. However, they don’t know the other is running the Wendy/Wanda advice column!!!
I loved the use of Instagram, the messy comments, the unserious advice, the cast of queer characters, & Sophie & Jo’s journeys. I especially appreciated how the author highlighted Jo's concerns about their friends getting romantically involved and inadvertently being left behind or forgotten about. It's a stark realization to think about the fact that your alloromantic & allosexual friends could be *your* person, but you may not end up being theirs (because theirs will be their romantic partners). I loved the journey that Sophie & Jo take towards realizing they could be each other's non-romantic partners instead, and that it was enough!
The sadness with with Sophie feels erased by her immigrant Chinese American parents was also so authentically portrayed, with the flippant comments of "You're just picky," or "You'll find someone eventually," being cast her way every time she spoke about being aroace.
This absolutely could be adapted on Netflix to be the next hit of a young adult/new adult coming-of-age tv series about friendship, exploration of self, & communication - this book was both informative and entertaining, and I think so many people will adore Sophie & Jo!
I highly recommend this & am so grateful I read it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Biphobia, Lesbophobia, Transphobia, and Bullying
jazzyjbox's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I am LIVING for the a-spec representation in this book! As an asexual person, these characters made me feel so seen in many different ways.
Sophie and Jo are both aroace and attending Wellesley, and they are both secretly running anonymous advice accounts on Instagram. One is a serious advice column, and the other is a snarky take on it. Their rivalry heats up as their in-person friendship blossoms.
This is one of those books that I wish I'd had a decade ago. I love the platonic love, the Sapphic relationships around the two main characters, and the mixed media format of their posts and texts. I adore the various BIPOC representations and the college-level discussions of exclusion and attraction. The family and friendship dynamics were really interesting, and I adore the idea of an a-spec club.
I think the writing could have been tightened up a little bit, and I unfortunately think this book will not have the lasting power since it is so focused on actual current technology. But I definitely look forward to seeing more from this author with hopefully more a-spec characters!
Sophie and Jo are both aroace and attending Wellesley, and they are both secretly running anonymous advice accounts on Instagram. One is a serious advice column, and the other is a snarky take on it. Their rivalry heats up as their in-person friendship blossoms.
This is one of those books that I wish I'd had a decade ago. I love the platonic love, the Sapphic relationships around the two main characters, and the mixed media format of their posts and texts. I adore the various BIPOC representations and the college-level discussions of exclusion and attraction. The family and friendship dynamics were really interesting, and I adore the idea of an a-spec club.
I think the writing could have been tightened up a little bit, and I unfortunately think this book will not have the lasting power since it is so focused on actual current technology. But I definitely look forward to seeing more from this author with hopefully more a-spec characters!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Biphobia, Transphobia, and Lesbophobia
daniellereadslikealot_'s review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think we need more platonic love stories like this. I had a blast reading it! Both Sophie and Jo were so vivid and complex. I found myself relating to both of them in different ways. I realized I hadn’t read a book where the main characters were aroace before and I really loved how Zhao explained all the complexities and nuances of that community. The author’s note at the beginning was especially great. I really enjoyed the Wendy and Wanda battles. They were silly and ridiculous, but I found myself cackling several times at their online banter. I did think that the story dragged on a few places, especially towards the end, but I was still loving these characters and their friendship. I loved the focus on platonic soulmates. I did also think Priya and Lianne were reeeeeeeeally judgmental and off putting at times. Overall though, this was such a sweet read and I’m so happy it exists
CW: biphobia, lesphobia, aroace phobia, mentions of diaspora
Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Biphobia, and Lesbophobia
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