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scarroll178's review
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Transphobia
Minor: Vomit
fanboyriot's review against another edition
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
A rom-com about a helpless romantic who falls in love in an unexpected place and with an unexpected person?? With a Trans dude MC and a Non-Binary MC??
♡ Trans Rep
♡ Rom-Com
♡ Great Humor
♡ Friends to Lovers
♡ Slight Angst but with a Happy Ending
This book was adorable with a rom-com worthy ending all the while keeping things realistic. Honestly, it took me a while to get into the story but that might have just been my readers block; however things did improve once Devin was brought into the picture. There were many lovable characters Brian and Becca being on that list, but Devin is seriously one of my new favorite fictional characters eir personality was just so pure and definitely had the: “Lovable Sunshine Character (with Anxiety)” vibes about em. I could literally go on about how much I loved em and how thoughtful e was, such an underrated character.
While the blog posts were formatted really nicely and I enjoyed them being added they were so frustrating to read when the drama with the blog started, I have never wanted to scream at the book more like: “Hush, it’s not like that and it doesn’t concern you stop being so dramatic bestie.”
Noah might have come off as annoying at first but to be honest he was realistic. He was a helpless romantic without an adult (or anyone but Becca and Brian (kinda)) in his life at the time to tell him: “Hey, if you’re trying to force the relationship because this is what you think you should feel…maybe it isn’t true love.” He wanted to believe it was real and fell in love with the idea of being in love. So while it was annoying reading about him finding all this out—it was kinda nice to see a romance book have that realness to it.
I was a bit nervous near the ending, I was a bit unsure how things were going to play out and it took a lot for me not to just read the last page and basically spoil it for myself but I continued on and it was absolutely lovely. The ending was great and it definitely had a rom-com worthy ending and I am for sure going to read more by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cursing, Transphobia, and Vomit
Minor: Alcohol, Bullying, Drug use, Racism, and Suicide attempt
parasolcrafter's review
emotional
funny
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
2.5
this book would have been better if the motivation for it were a LOT clearer earlier on. like, at first i thought the book was going to focus more on the 'troll' who's harassing Noah and his blog online, but it like...didnt? i thought it was going to end up being one of the characters (becca or drew) but it wasnt, and it just felt like a plotpoint that served no real purpose, as well as drew. like, what were his motivations as a character? he says hes not gay, so why did he start dating Noah in the first place? just because of the meet cute diary? it doesnt make any SENSE. noah and devin are fine characters, but i literally felt no chemistry between them. this book was just weak overall, which is unfortunate because the writing was good
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Transphobia, Bullying, Suicide attempt, Cursing, and Racism
Minor: Drug use, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, and Vomit
lilly_anne's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Outing
Moderate: Vomit, Transphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
Minor: Suicide attempt
xhndel's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Absolutely loved this book so much. The representation of diversity in this book is just phenomenal. Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit and Emotional abuse
Minor: Transphobia, Gaslighting, and Suicide attempt
nightshaderoots's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The book was cute and has wonderful representation for poc, trans people nonbinary people, ace people, and so much other people looking for love. This book had really good characters but by the end of the book I still wasn't a fan of the main character.
It didn't really seem like Noah made much character development by the end of the book and if he did it didn't seem finished or well rounded.
In addition to that I will say I wished I had an older brother like Brian around as well as Becca and Devin. They really were stars in the book and made it as great as it was.
There is also a character who goes through various pronouns and then settles with the neopronouns e/em/ey/eir.
In addition to that I will say I wished I had an older brother like Brian around as well as Becca and Devin. They really were stars in the book and made it as great as it was.
There is also a character who goes through various pronouns and then settles with the neopronouns e/em/ey/eir.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Mental illness, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Transphobia, Bullying, Dysphoria, and Homophobia
kelsreadsthings's review
emotional
inspiring
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
the last 150 pages or so saved this book for me. i didn't enjoy noah as a character however his development was enough for me to overlook his previous behaviors and actions. devin and brian are by far my favorite characters. i loved the use of neopronouns in this book and enjoyed the theme of exploring who you are. although it was a rough start, i'm happy i stuck it out and didn't dnf this book. i enjoyed the writing style a lot, so i'd pick up another book from this author again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Transphobia and Vomit
seawarrior's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I really did try to like this book, yet Noah has to be the most unlikeable and entitled teenage protagonist I've encountered in young adult literature so far, and his character development was far too weak to make up for how selfishly he behaved throughout the story.
First of all, I take serious issue with Noah feeling that his serial lying on the Meet Cute Diary is the only thing standing in the way of some trans teenagers killing themselves. I had assumed that we would learn that Noah got in over his head with the Diary to explain why he felt it was appropriate to lie to so many people for attention, yet instead he seems to feel no guilt for being dishonest for popularity and justifies his decision to waste his parents' money to seek out more strangers to romanticize fake relationships with because "trans kids may lose hope and kill themselves if I don't continue placating them with an endless series of lies". His eventual apology to his followers was not nearly enough to make up for his self-absorbed behavior in my opinion. If he had actually wanted to help other trans people he would have asked for them to submit their own stories from the beginning instead of presenting them with poorly written fantasies to serve his own ego and further delude himself that his dishonesty was needed so desperately that the situation was life or death.
To make matters worse, Noah likens his role as the writer of this blog to a situation where a transgender girl he did not know in high school inspired him to discover he was trans after he heard that she was bullied so severely that she attempted suicide. Perhaps predictably,this same transgender girl, who now identifies as nonbinary and uses e / em pronouns, becomes Noah's endgame love interest. Yet e's history as a survivor of a suicide attempt and vicious harassment is only discussed briefly in its application to Noah's life, which I find deplorable. Suicidal trans teenagers deserve more than to be "inspiration" or an excuse for why an egotistical character feels no remorse for doing something that is ultimately self-serving. I also find it interesting how Noah's "trolls" are presented as anonymous haters with un-explored motivations when they were right about his blog to begin with and have a reason to be angry with him. Why would anyone thinking critically about this scenario not agree that Noah was undeserving of the endless praise being sent his way?
I don't even want to bother fully reviewing other elements of the book, because I don't see the point. Why create a character this selfish and manipulative to begin with if you don't intend to confront his actions? Noah's behavior just put me in a foul mood whenever I was reading about him, and I only stuck around because I was hoping he would grow up. Unfortunately these hopes were not met. It is not uncommon for young adult literature to contain self-absorbed protagonists, yet these characters generally learn that their attitudes and behaviors are unacceptable to continue if they want to mature as people and develop relationships that are lasting and not toxic. This did not happen with Noah.
Noah never had to seriously reevaluate why he felt so secure being manipulative and egotistical because every character exists in this book to serve Noah. Their identities revolve around Noah. Even when they were said to be upset with Noah they forgave his half-hearted apologies because they are useless to the narrative when not there to bolster Noah's self esteem. This applies to every character in the book, even Noah's parents. Worst of all for a romance book, the end romance did not feel genuine because it was manufactured to be perfect for Noah, a person who remained too immature and self-serving to healthily participate in any romantic relationship. This book is a shadow of what it could have been if the author had been willing to put Noah into scenarios where forgiveness was not so easily given, and worked to make the supporting characters less one-dimensional. I believe that teenage readers are intelligent enough that they should not be asked to relate to a protagonist this shallow. I am angry with this book now and I would have been angry with it when I was sixteen. It is insulting to the very people it intends to uplift.
I love to see trans authors flourishing, so despite my frustrations with this book I will keep an open mind for Lee's next title. However, I would not recommend Meet Cute Diary to anyone but the most desperate seekers of trans representation. Trans identity is not the forefront of this book, which is not an inherent flaw, yet the book's focus is reserved for deceit, egomaniacal behavior, and poorly developed romances. I wish I had never read it to begin with. I feel nothing but manipulated and diminished by the story it held.
First of all, I take serious issue with Noah feeling that his serial lying on the Meet Cute Diary is the only thing standing in the way of some trans teenagers killing themselves. I had assumed that we would learn that Noah got in over his head with the Diary to explain why he felt it was appropriate to lie to so many people for attention, yet instead he seems to feel no guilt for being dishonest for popularity and justifies his decision to waste his parents' money to seek out more strangers to romanticize fake relationships with because "trans kids may lose hope and kill themselves if I don't continue placating them with an endless series of lies". His eventual apology to his followers was not nearly enough to make up for his self-absorbed behavior in my opinion. If he had actually wanted to help other trans people he would have asked for them to submit their own stories from the beginning instead of presenting them with poorly written fantasies to serve his own ego and further delude himself that his dishonesty was needed so desperately that the situation was life or death.
To make matters worse, Noah likens his role as the writer of this blog to a situation where a transgender girl he did not know in high school inspired him to discover he was trans after he heard that she was bullied so severely that she attempted suicide. Perhaps predictably,
I don't even want to bother fully reviewing other elements of the book, because I don't see the point. Why create a character this selfish and manipulative to begin with if you don't intend to confront his actions? Noah's behavior just put me in a foul mood whenever I was reading about him, and I only stuck around because I was hoping he would grow up. Unfortunately these hopes were not met. It is not uncommon for young adult literature to contain self-absorbed protagonists, yet these characters generally learn that their attitudes and behaviors are unacceptable to continue if they want to mature as people and develop relationships that are lasting and not toxic. This did not happen with Noah.
Noah never had to seriously reevaluate why he felt so secure being manipulative and egotistical because every character exists in this book to serve Noah. Their identities revolve around Noah. Even when they were said to be upset with Noah they forgave his half-hearted apologies because they are useless to the narrative when not there to bolster Noah's self esteem. This applies to every character in the book, even Noah's parents. Worst of all for a romance book, the end romance did not feel genuine because it was manufactured to be perfect for Noah, a person who remained too immature and self-serving to healthily participate in any romantic relationship. This book is a shadow of what it could have been if the author had been willing to put Noah into scenarios where forgiveness was not so easily given, and worked to make the supporting characters less one-dimensional. I believe that teenage readers are intelligent enough that they should not be asked to relate to a protagonist this shallow. I am angry with this book now and I would have been angry with it when I was sixteen. It is insulting to the very people it intends to uplift.
I love to see trans authors flourishing, so despite my frustrations with this book I will keep an open mind for Lee's next title. However, I would not recommend Meet Cute Diary to anyone but the most desperate seekers of trans representation. Trans identity is not the forefront of this book, which is not an inherent flaw, yet the book's focus is reserved for deceit, egomaniacal behavior, and poorly developed romances. I wish I had never read it to begin with. I feel nothing but manipulated and diminished by the story it held.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Vomit
ginadapooh's review
emotional
hopeful
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Bullying
kaylamoran's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Okay, so I know people are getting annoyed with adult reviewers saying this, but I have to. Devin and Brian were the only characters in the book that were even a little bit likeable. This made me have a really hard time caring about it.
I picked up this book because I needed something cute and fluffy and this was that.
I'm a bit confused by the genre though. It felt very juvenile (which is fine, not a bad thing) but then there was a lot of the f word so I'm confused as to who the audience was supposed to be.
I really wanted to love this, I just didn't.
I picked up this book because I needed something cute and fluffy and this was that.
I'm a bit confused by the genre though. It felt very juvenile (which is fine, not a bad thing) but then there was a lot of the f word so I'm confused as to who the audience was supposed to be.
I really wanted to love this, I just didn't.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing, Dysphoria, Vomit, Alcohol, and Bullying