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abeck42's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kelskiiz's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.5
although the first half made me very angry with hunter, i always understood where he was coming from. many of his actions and thoughts weren’t great, but as we kept going along, i just felt sad for him. both sides of the relationship will make many kids out there, not just queer ones, feel seen.
glad this was written in verse tho; this is the kind of story i would not have the patience or tolerance for in general novel form. i really enjoyed the last third of the book; i appreciated everybody’s growth and the note that we’re left on.
glad this was written in verse tho; this is the kind of story i would not have the patience or tolerance for in general novel form. i really enjoyed the last third of the book; i appreciated everybody’s growth and the note that we’re left on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Misogyny, Infidelity, Gaslighting, and Sexual content
Minor: Deadnaming
agreco92's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
katiebookqueen's review against another edition
5.0
Reviewed at: http://www.queenofteenfiction.co.uk/
As someone who is constantly shouting into the void for more books with asexual characters, you can imagine just how excited I was to hear about Vanilla. Focusing on the relationship between Vanilla and his boyfriend, Hunter, this story shows how Vanilla comes to the realisation that he is asexual. Together since middle school, Vanilla and Hunter have had a strong relationship for years, one that people can't help but envy. But when Hunter decides he wants to start moving further with their relationship, Vanilla struggles to explain to his boyfriend how he feels about sex.
Not only is this book about a sexuality that really needs more discussion, but it's also told entirely in verse, so it's just beautiful to read. I can't even begin to describe how happy I was with this story. Asexuality is so often overlooked, and so often excluded from LGBTQ+ groups. Thanks to books like this one, more people have the chance to learn what it means to be asexual, and begin to understand it.
The characters within this story are so rich. Vanilla himself is wonderful. As readers, we get to go on this confusing and difficult journey to discovery along with him. My heart broke for him so many times when he struggled to make Hunter understand what he was feeling. Hunter was a character that had me frustrated, but he was such an important part of showing that people can learn to understand eventually, despite how they initially react to a situation. One of my favourite characters had to be Angel, though. I wasn't expecting their story to have such an impact, considering I only expected it to focus on Vanilla and Hunter, and asexuality. Angel was such an unexpected but welcome part of the story that brought up valid discussions about gender and identity.
It makes me so happy to know that there will be people out there who can relate to this story and the emotions that Vanilla has, not to mention the challenges he has to face. But throughout this book, readers must keep in mind that this is only one story about a person discovering asexuality. No two people go through the exact same experiences, especially not when it comes to something as complex as sexuality. So for any asexual readers, it's fine if you don't relate to Vanilla's story. Everyone has their own path.
I'm so glad I had the chance to discover this wonderful story, and I only hope that more books like this one come my way very soon. Not only did it open my eyes to a lot of things, but it also upped my interest in reading more verse. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever Merrell is working on next.
As someone who is constantly shouting into the void for more books with asexual characters, you can imagine just how excited I was to hear about Vanilla. Focusing on the relationship between Vanilla and his boyfriend, Hunter, this story shows how Vanilla comes to the realisation that he is asexual. Together since middle school, Vanilla and Hunter have had a strong relationship for years, one that people can't help but envy. But when Hunter decides he wants to start moving further with their relationship, Vanilla struggles to explain to his boyfriend how he feels about sex.
Not only is this book about a sexuality that really needs more discussion, but it's also told entirely in verse, so it's just beautiful to read. I can't even begin to describe how happy I was with this story. Asexuality is so often overlooked, and so often excluded from LGBTQ+ groups. Thanks to books like this one, more people have the chance to learn what it means to be asexual, and begin to understand it.
The characters within this story are so rich. Vanilla himself is wonderful. As readers, we get to go on this confusing and difficult journey to discovery along with him. My heart broke for him so many times when he struggled to make Hunter understand what he was feeling. Hunter was a character that had me frustrated, but he was such an important part of showing that people can learn to understand eventually, despite how they initially react to a situation. One of my favourite characters had to be Angel, though. I wasn't expecting their story to have such an impact, considering I only expected it to focus on Vanilla and Hunter, and asexuality. Angel was such an unexpected but welcome part of the story that brought up valid discussions about gender and identity.
It makes me so happy to know that there will be people out there who can relate to this story and the emotions that Vanilla has, not to mention the challenges he has to face. But throughout this book, readers must keep in mind that this is only one story about a person discovering asexuality. No two people go through the exact same experiences, especially not when it comes to something as complex as sexuality. So for any asexual readers, it's fine if you don't relate to Vanilla's story. Everyone has their own path.
I'm so glad I had the chance to discover this wonderful story, and I only hope that more books like this one come my way very soon. Not only did it open my eyes to a lot of things, but it also upped my interest in reading more verse. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever Merrell is working on next.
_reedmylife_'s review against another edition
1.0
I hate that I have to give this book one star because I love the idea of what this book was trying to convey, but I personally was unable to like this book. It did have good moments, but as a whole, I was either confused, bored or just waiting to see if it got better.
ashleighmacro's review
4.0
I’ve never read a book quite like this one! Not entirely relatable to me but compelling and beautifully written nonetheless.
vkluivers's review against another edition
3.0
You can really tell when a novel is written by queer people for queer people, which is definitely the case for this book.; a queer coming-of-age story told in poems.
I really liked that the story was told from multiple perspectives. In the beginning of the story it can be a little confusing because it starts out of nowhere, but that's also what I like about this book. Through the poems you can piece together their story. At some point in the story I wanted to yell at Hunter and give Vanilla or Angel a hug. It really made me feel for the characters and it was so lovely to see them coming to terms with who they are, who they really are. Sometimes coming out isn't just a one time thing and that is often not addressed in the media. At the end of the novel the perspective is more about Vanilla (and Angel) and less about Hunter. So even if the story is told from multiple perspectives, it shifts along with Vanilla.
I think I might have liked the novel even better if I was still in high school because I might have related to the characters a little more, but despite that I still really enjoyed the story!
In my opinion, this book displayed asexuality well and you can tell that the author really took the time to learn more about it and talk to people who identify as asexual. There should be more asexual representation in the media!
I really liked that the story was told from multiple perspectives. In the beginning of the story it can be a little confusing because it starts out of nowhere, but that's also what I like about this book. Through the poems you can piece together their story. At some point in the story I wanted to yell at Hunter and give Vanilla or Angel a hug. It really made me feel for the characters and it was so lovely to see them coming to terms with who they are, who they really are. Sometimes coming out isn't just a one time thing and that is often not addressed in the media. At the end of the novel the perspective is more about Vanilla (and Angel) and less about Hunter. So even if the story is told from multiple perspectives, it shifts along with Vanilla.
I think I might have liked the novel even better if I was still in high school because I might have related to the characters a little more, but despite that I still really enjoyed the story!
In my opinion, this book displayed asexuality well and you can tell that the author really took the time to learn more about it and talk to people who identify as asexual. There should be more asexual representation in the media!
kaylin_2's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0