All the Yellow Suns was such a unique book and captured the struggle of being a queer teen in a complicated relationship and just trying to find their place so well.

This book was full of unlikeable characters that made me want to yell at them through the pages. My heart broke for Maya when she tried to connect with her estranged father, and Juneau was infuriating.

While this was a tough read, the writing was compelling and kept me going. I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you so much to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for netgalley for giving me a free copy of the arc to review. This is the coming of age story every South Asian girl has wanted and needed. Messy and real. I don't think I have the words to do this justice to be honest.

This had so many elements that made me believe this was going to be perfect for me - queer, community, art - but in the end the writing felt clunky and didn't work for me

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

So this book is compared to Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe and honestly I think that does this book a disservice because this book has all of the same coming of age queer yearning and heartbreak that ari and dante has without any of the transphobia and problematic moments.

In all honesty it's been about a month since I've listened to this book and my memory is awful but I did enjoy this book. I don't quite get what people are saying about it being disappointing. This book is not a romance it is a coming-of-age story. We have a queer Indian main character who discovers and embraces her sexuality throughout the entire book and it gets hurt in the process and hurts other than the process and while there is a romance it is not the focus of the book and it is not present throughout the entire book.

I especially loved the depictions of healing through art and I wish there was more of that. Overall I did really enjoy this one and it's when I would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I was a huge fan of the mc, Maya, and loved her inner voice. I thought that Maya's story and personal journey of self discovery and realization were so well crafted, I felt for her at every turn, and I loved how much time and space the relationships in this book were given.

"All the Yellow Suns" by Malavika Kannan is a poignant and evocative exploration of identity, resilience, and the power of hope. Kannan's prose beautifully navigates the complexities of growing up, offering a heartfelt portrayal of characters grappling with their place in the world amidst societal expectations. The book adeptly delves into themes of self-discovery, friendship, and the search for one's voice in a world filled with challenges. Through vivid storytelling and empathetic character development, Kannan crafts a narrative that resonates deeply, leaving a lasting impression on readers. "All the Yellow Suns" is a touching and compelling read that celebrates the human spirit's ability to shine brightly even in the face of adversity.

I really enjoy reading coming-of-age novels that are a bit chaotic, but this particular book had so many different themes (such as absent fathers, coming-out struggles, secret societies, crimes, and issues within friend groups) that it was difficult to keep track of them all. The way everything wrapped up neatly at the end also felt a bit too convenient.

The main character, Maya, was always seen as a "good girl" who excelled in school and had a solid group of friends. However, things start to change when she becomes involved with a girl named Juneau who is part of an underground art group. Meanwhile, Maya's dad reappears in her life and her mom is always busy working. Although this is a coming-of-age story, I felt like Maya's journey could have been more fulfilling.

I was hooked immediately! Malavika Kannan has a unique voice that just reels you in. All of these characters are flawed (because at the end of the day, they're simply human) but I loved them all. Malavika Kannan wrote so much depth into them, that while some moments were a bit cheesy, I felt like they were very real.

This book was very conflicting to me. I absolutely loved the plot and writing style of Kannan and would read future works. But the obsession with Juneau and her white savior vibe was really unflattering. I feel like the main character not making her own choice near the end, even when she didn't want to go along with many of the plans was such a let down. Like ultimately she was still having things be decided for her and therefore felt like she didn't truly grow as a person and into her own autonomy.

A pitch perfect coming of age with an excellent cast of characters. All the a Yellow Suns felt so true to life and the experience of being a teenager.

When I realized the author is just 21 (or was 21 when she wrote it), this book made a lot more sense to me. This was not my favorite.

I found the narrator annoying and cutesy, and the approach to the topics felt a little simplistic and young, even for a teenage audience. Teens don't need to be taught this stuff exists--they know--and they don't have patience for being patronized. An Echo in the City wore it better.

So I loved the book. I loved the man character and honestly couldn’t get enough. Not going to lie the book wasn’t life changing but I did enjoy the story. I would loved to read more books by this authors. I would recommend reading this book.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- a story about advocacy and standing up for what is right, even if it is messy and wrong. with modern and powerful writing, extremely flawed characters, and scenes that influence the readers emotion like a siren song, this book is one not to miss if you love advocacy and activism.

We are a "secret society of artists and activists forcing Citrus Grove to wake the fuck up; we specialize in pranks, mischief, and chaos..."

Lame reference or not... the protest aspect of this book reminded me of "Step Up 4." 😂😂

I couldn't put this book down and highlighted so many amazing things!

"They don't care how they treat their students of color, as long as they look like they're not racist."

"... when we watch American TV, the only girls who find love look like Barbie."

"Once, we nailed lockboxes over the toilet paper in the men's bathroom, just to show the absurdity of making girls pay for tampons."

An aspect of the book that fell flat for me was a lot of the relationships. Everything just felt kind of... shallow, fragile, and inconsistent, even taking into account the age of the characters. For me, it felt a little one dimensional.

An impactful debut! In short, this book was not only beautiful and emotional, but covered important topics that are under-discussed. All The Yellow Suns is a coming-of-age story about a queer 16-year-old Indian-American girl who is exploring activism and identity through art.

Meet Maya Krishnan. She is fiercely protective but doesn’t rock the boat in her conservative Florida suburb. Meet Juneau Zale. She is a wealthy, white, and will capsize the boat. She invites Maya to join a secret society of artists, vandals, and mischief-makers who fight for justice at their school.

Maya descends into the world of change-making and resistance. Soon, she and Juneau forge a friendship that inspires Maya to confront the challenges in her own life. But as their relationship grows romantic, painful, and twisted, Maya begins to suspect that there's a whole different person beneath Juneau's painted-on facade. Now Maya must learn to speak her truth in this mysterious, mixed-up world-even if it results in heartbreak.

I loved everything about this book and it really did not disappoint. Kannan was able to create well-developed characters with realistic dialogue. This was paired with a unique writing voice and unforgettable metaphors as Kannan tackled important topics. I would get into what these important topics are, but I want you to read the book so go do that instead.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The story was so good. It was definitely a story that needed to be told. The words was so well written and the characters were well developed

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. From the first chapter I was interested. The descriptions of Maya’s artwork were great, and I loved the activism coming from teenagers, we need more of that in life. I like Juneau’s character as well, she seems rebellious and someone I would like to be more like. Mayas relationship with her parents was also a great emotional part of the book, it was very realistic to the story and why Maya is who she is in the book. Great writing by Malavika, I hope she writes more novels in the future!

ALL THE YELLOW SUNS by malavika kannan is out today & this debut is a breathtaking exploration of girlhood, rage, and art.

told with a lyrical & authentic voice, this novel is for brown girls, queer girls, and qbipoc who grew up in the suburbs. a must read. ♡