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longlost's review
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
fun book. appreciated the subversion of romance tropes. emery lee's writing style was also very engaging and bouncy and id def be interested to read more of eir books. on that note i very much appreciated that a major character uses neopronouns.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Vomit, Transphobia, Cursing, and Mental illness
Minor: Racism, Drug use, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, and Bullying
aseel_reads's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I enjoyed the beginning of this book and then I saw where it was going and while I applaud the idea, it became quite boring and predictable very early on
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
vike's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Transphobia
foreverinastory's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
Pretty adorable! I loved the pronoun fluidity and search for finding the right ones.
Rep: Triracial (white, Japanese, Afro-Caribbean) bisexual trans male MC, questioning genderqueer androphile asexual love interest with anxiety, lesbian side character.
CWs: Alcohol consumption (including underage), drug use, dysphoria, gaslighting, mental illness (anxiety), panic attacks/disorders, toxic relationship, transphobia/transmisia, mentions of past coming out, discussion of past suicidal thoughts and attempt, mentions of past bullying, arophobia/aromisia.
Rep: Triracial (white, Japanese, Afro-Caribbean) bisexual trans male MC, questioning genderqueer androphile asexual love interest with anxiety, lesbian side character.
CWs: Alcohol consumption (including underage), drug use, dysphoria, gaslighting, mental illness (anxiety), panic attacks/disorders, toxic relationship, transphobia/transmisia, mentions of past coming out, discussion of past suicidal thoughts and attempt, mentions of past bullying, arophobia/aromisia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
Moderate: Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Bullying
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia
emily_mh's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
4.25
This was just a really joyful book on trans love and trans joy. It really spoke to me given what I am discovering about my own gender identity, and the endgame romance made me feel all mushy (I basically fell in love with Devin). The reason this book did not get 5 stars is that I wish the ending was slightly different. Basically, I wish Noah hadn't had a tiff at the end over Becca. This felt really irrational and kind of against his character development and left his and Becca's relationship in a weird place again. I didn't so much mind his freak-out over Devin, but NOAH should have been the one to make the grand gesture for Devin, not the other way around. This would have given their relationship a little more power equality, and cemented more of Noah's character development, which I otherwise loved.
The main criticism of this book that I see other people have is that Noah is a bad main character. I want to challenge this as I think for the most part that's an unfair reason to dock the book stars. First of all, his narration is conversational and engaging. People say he is annoying, when really he is just cocky and confident which is a trait lauded in other beloved fictional characters (e.g. Tony Stark). And yeah, he's definitely not a perfect person, but that's a lot to expect 16 year-old - plus, he does undergo character development during the novel and recognises his own flaws. Finally, his flaws make him intensely relatable. Everyone messes up, especially at that age, and Noah's character shows how you can grow from those experiences. I really think that the ending of the book is just the beginning for his personal development. This is not to defend some of the decisions he makes, but to drive home the point that imperfection doesn't equal a bad character!
The main criticism of this book that I see other people have is that Noah is a bad main character. I want to challenge this as I think for the most part that's an unfair reason to dock the book stars. First of all, his narration is conversational and engaging. People say he is annoying, when really he is just cocky and confident which is a trait lauded in other beloved fictional characters (e.g. Tony Stark). And yeah, he's definitely not a perfect person, but that's a lot to expect 16 year-old - plus, he does undergo character development during the novel and recognises his own flaws. Finally, his flaws make him intensely relatable. Everyone messes up, especially at that age, and Noah's character shows how you can grow from those experiences. I really think that the ending of the book is just the beginning for his personal development. This is not to defend some of the decisions he makes, but to drive home the point that imperfection doesn't equal a bad character!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit, Cursing, Transphobia, Bullying, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Religious bigotry, Racism, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Mental illness, Infertility, and Infidelity
puttingwingsonwords's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
Minor: Suicide attempt
hannahmayhere's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! It has incredible representation. Loved another story with a trans MC. Loved a secondary character who is non-binary and trying to figure out the best pronouns and loved seeing ey/em/eir pronouns being used and normalized! Asexual representation! And lots of great anxiety representation. I also really appreciated the other character’s responses to changing of pronouns, asexuality, and anxiety. A great model of how others should react in those situations. :)
The MC is 16 and is a little immature at times, but he has these lots of shining moments and does a lot of growing throughout the book.
Even though I knew exactly where this plot was going, I still absolutely adored this book. I loved the representation and the arc and it was a great read of trans joy!! Looking forward to more books to come from the author!
The MC is 16 and is a little immature at times, but he has these lots of shining moments and does a lot of growing throughout the book.
Even though I knew exactly where this plot was going, I still absolutely adored this book. I loved the representation and the arc and it was a great read of trans joy!! Looking forward to more books to come from the author!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Transphobia, and Vomit
Minor: Bullying and Suicide attempt
Context for minor bullying and minor Suicide attempt content warnings: a character mentions a history of bullying and suicide attempt, but nothing happens on the pagewordwilderness's review
emotional
hopeful
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
I picked this book up hoping for a cute romance and got exactly what I wanted. The tone of Meet Cute Diary was light and comical, but there was an underlying vulnerability woven into the narrative. Lee writes with such love for the trans community and touches on how transphobia impacts trans people’s ability to see themselves as worthy of love.
Noah was a delightful protagonist to follow. He could be selfish and a bit snarky, but it was obvious he felt deeply. I had so much fun fantasizing with Noah about the perfect meet-cute. It reminded me of how I thought about dating and relationships when I was 16. Romantic comedies are as much about individual growth as they are about romance, so I loved getting to see Noah grow as a character.
I also loved how Noah’s blog was integrated into the story. Lee effortlessly shows the pressure to have the perfect life that comes from social media while also showing how it can be used as a tool for good. As a trans boy, Noah didn’t see himself portrayed as desirable in love stories. He uses his blog, the Meet Cute Diary, both as a way to create a better reality for himself and to give hope to other trans people. When the troll exposed the blog as fiction, I felt torn about what I wanted for Noah. I could see how much the Meet Cute Diary meant to him, but I also wanted him to focus more on his reality. I loved how Lee showed the conflict between needing some form of escapism and the damage we can inflict when we become too absorbed in our own worlds.
The romance in Meet Cute Diary was definitely as cute as you’d expect. The connection between the characters was subtle at first, and their growth as a couple felt very natural. I loved how [redacted] brought out the best in Noah. The unquestionably kind love interest was a refreshing change from the typical dark and mysterious YA love interests. This was one of those love stories that left me feeling all the warm and fuzzy feelings.
The only issue I had with this book was that the ending was too long. I got bored during the last couple of chapters and think the ending could have wrapped up quicker. But, overall this was a cute, fun read that I’d recommend to any fan of romcoms.
Thank you to the author, Emery Lee, for my gifted copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Transphobia
betweentheshelves's review
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! It was just the meet cute romance that I needed as the weather gets warmer. While it has a few flaws, I absolutely flew through this book!
Yes, enemies to lovers is my favorite trope, but fake dating might become a close second! Especially fake dating that leads to real relationships. While the trajectory of the relationship was a bit predictable, I enjoyed seeing Noah get to fall in love and experience traditional romance tropes. It's great to have such a happy, upbeat book for a trans main character!
Noah's friendship with Devin is probably one of the best things about this book. Devin is questioning eir gender and pronouns, and e and Noah have some great conversations about it. For a teen who is also questioning their gender, seeing this play out on a page with a character who changes eir pronouns with a friend who just rolls with the punches? Priceless. Much needed representation.
That being said, Noah isn't the most likeable main character. He has a lot of maturing to do, which makes sense because he's 16! But he has a lot of great support around him, people who are incredibly patient. And his brother! I loved getting to see his support in the book and to have him stand up for Noah at points, too. I would have a loved a little more growth from Noah in the book, but by the end, you can definitely tell that he's headed in the right direction.
All in all, if you're looking for a swoon worthy rom-com, this one is for you! Emery Lee is definitely one to keep an eye on.
----
This has a lot of great things going for it, with a few flaws along the way. Mostly here for the side characters, as they definitely helped carry the story. Stay tuned for a full review later this week!
This has a lot of great things going for it, with a few flaws along the way. Mostly here for the side characters, as they definitely helped carry the story. Stay tuned for a full review later this week!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Vomit
The suicide mentions are referencing something from the past, it doesn't actually happen within the events of the book.fromjuliereads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
**Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.**
This book was really good! I ended up reading it in one day... which is not very common for me! It was an easy read, even though it deals with some more difficult topics. But all of the difficult subjects were handled well and with care, in my opinion. I laughed out loud, groaned from second hand embarrassment at the cringe-y sections, and even teared up at one point! There were so many things that I really loved about this book! I am not going to attempt to comment on the transgender or nonbinary representation in the book, as that is not my place. Please look for reviews from transgender and nonbinary readers to comment on the rep!
Let me quickly start with why I felt like I couldn't give this book 5 stars. The biggest thing that I had an issue with was that the main character, Noah, came across as the stereotypical surly teenager through 2/3 of the book. I honestly don't feel like I had enough character development for Noah in some ways. I can tell you multiple things that Noah hates - his brother's girlfriend, hiking and exercise, kids, and many other things. Really, the only thing that I got that Noah likes is romance and Tumblr... and an off hand comment about liking manga at the beginning... that's it? I just think that his character could have been developed a bit more in that way. Honestly, a lot of aspects of Noah's character came off pretty negative and selfish for a majority of the book. And while I didn't dislike Noah, I did find myself a bit annoyed at points. BUT I will say that the character growth that happened and the revelations that occurred further into the book were really well done!
Also, while I love a happily ever after, there was one aspect that seemed a little too convenient to the end... but that's more me being picky than anything! I still really loved the ending :)
Anyways! There were so many other aspects of this book that I really liked! I loved the portrayal that we had of Noah's relationship with his brother, Brian. The scenes at the camp were so much fun! The initial day at the camp - such a good scene!!! I loved that so much and how it became kind of this turning point. And Devin was such a fantastic character! I also really appreciate the panic attack/anxiety rep. As someone who has had panic attacks, it's really nice to see them written about in a more realistic way. I like that Noah didn't know what to do and it was a struggle to help in the situation, but it was all done so well in a realistic portrayal of an ACTUAL situation for someone with a panic attack and someone seeing one for the first time. As I mentioned above, I liked the character growth that happened for Noah in all of the different ways that it came together for him to better understand himself and the people around him in the end. It was really well done!
I enjoyed the format where text messages and Tumblr posts/comments were integrated into the text! As someone who went through a Tumblr stage (and still sneaks onto it sometimes), it's so much fun to see blogging included in a story! It was integrated in a really fantastic way and a great set up for this fake dating story!
I'm hoping this doesn't come across as a spoiler, but if you are looking for some LGBTQIA+ rep with the fake dating AND enemies to lovers tropes, definitely check this book out! It was a great read and I hope a lot of people will enjoy it! I will mention to PLEASE check the trigger warnings before venturing into this novel. Safe reading, everyone!
This book was really good! I ended up reading it in one day... which is not very common for me! It was an easy read, even though it deals with some more difficult topics. But all of the difficult subjects were handled well and with care, in my opinion. I laughed out loud, groaned from second hand embarrassment at the cringe-y sections, and even teared up at one point! There were so many things that I really loved about this book! I am not going to attempt to comment on the transgender or nonbinary representation in the book, as that is not my place. Please look for reviews from transgender and nonbinary readers to comment on the rep!
Let me quickly start with why I felt like I couldn't give this book 5 stars. The biggest thing that I had an issue with was that the main character, Noah, came across as the stereotypical surly teenager through 2/3 of the book. I honestly don't feel like I had enough character development for Noah in some ways. I can tell you multiple things that Noah hates - his brother's girlfriend, hiking and exercise, kids, and many other things. Really, the only thing that I got that Noah likes is romance and Tumblr... and an off hand comment about liking manga at the beginning... that's it? I just think that his character could have been developed a bit more in that way. Honestly, a lot of aspects of Noah's character came off pretty negative and selfish for a majority of the book. And while I didn't dislike Noah, I did find myself a bit annoyed at points. BUT I will say that the character growth that happened and the revelations that occurred further into the book were really well done!
Also, while I love a happily ever after, there was one aspect that seemed a little too convenient to the end... but that's more me being picky than anything! I still really loved the ending :)
Anyways! There were so many other aspects of this book that I really liked! I loved the portrayal that we had of Noah's relationship with his brother, Brian. The scenes at the camp were so much fun! The initial day at the camp - such a good scene!!! I loved that so much and how it became kind of this turning point. And Devin was such a fantastic character! I also really appreciate the panic attack/anxiety rep. As someone who has had panic attacks, it's really nice to see them written about in a more realistic way. I like that Noah didn't know what to do and it was a struggle to help in the situation, but it was all done so well in a realistic portrayal of an ACTUAL situation for someone with a panic attack and someone seeing one for the first time. As I mentioned above, I liked the character growth that happened for Noah in all of the different ways that it came together for him to better understand himself and the people around him in the end. It was really well done!
I enjoyed the format where text messages and Tumblr posts/comments were integrated into the text! As someone who went through a Tumblr stage (and still sneaks onto it sometimes), it's so much fun to see blogging included in a story! It was integrated in a really fantastic way and a great set up for this fake dating story!
I'm hoping this doesn't come across as a spoiler, but if you are looking for some LGBTQIA+ rep with the fake dating AND enemies to lovers tropes, definitely check this book out! It was a great read and I hope a lot of people will enjoy it! I will mention to PLEASE check the trigger warnings before venturing into this novel. Safe reading, everyone!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Vomit
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