This was a strong sequel in the When it All Syncs Up series, it had everything that I enjoyed from the first book. The overall feel worked and enjoyed the plot of what has gone on. It had that young adult element that I wanted and enjoyed the way the characters were written. It left me wanting to read more in this series and from Maya Ameyaw.

I was initially so excited about the premise of this book because I typically love books like it where one or both of the MCs are famous, especially when they are musicians. Unfortunately this book did not meet my expectations. The main plus of this book was its representation—survivor of assault, LGBTQ, anxiety, indigenous, etc. Although it was an interesting perspective because it focused on Ollie and the instant fame he gets, the pacing felt very strange, and the ending felt sudden. This was not because it was so much of a cliffhanger but because it felt like it just left off at a random page, and not exactly one that left me wanting more. Instead I was just confused and thought I’d skipped the last page.

Actual rating 4.5 stars.

For fans of If This Gets Out or Kiss and Tell. Or those with a soft spot for anxious teen boys. And for those who can handle heavier and darker-themed stories.
 
Even though Under All the Lights is a sequel, this story is perfectly readable as a standalone.
 
I was curious but also a little scared when I started reading because Ollie was in a solid relationship with Aisha after book one. Although I really wanted to know what was going to happen between Ollie and Jessie, I didn’t want to get stuck in a cobweb of lies because of a love triangle. And luckily, that didn’t happen. But be prepared; this story is messy. Let me just love messy and harder hitting stories! Under All the Lights is about a boy and his confused feelings. About a boy who’s trying to battle with severe anxiety.  About a boy who’s suddenly in the spotlights, including sh*tty social media rumors. About a boy and his past and the inextricable link to his internal biphobia. And yeah, it’s also about a boy with a wonderful girlfriend who finds out he likes a guy, too.
 
I loved reading from Ollie’s POV. I already had a soft spot for him when I was reading When It All SyncsUp, and after I found out what happened to him in the first installment of this series, my blood was boiling, and I wanted to protect him against all costs. And therefore, I fully understood why Ollie felt he needed to ignore his feelings for boys. But after meeting Jesse, his feelings came flying back like a boomerang, and suddenly, he couldn’t shrug off what he knew deep inside anymore.
 
Some stories hit me hard, and this is one of them. Those two boys, both struggling so much but not letting the other in. I felt their inner fights throughout the book. The soft spot I had for Olly has become bigger, and he nestled himself deep into my heart. Just like Jesse, actually, and I’m secretly hoping Maya Ameyaw will write a follow-up story with a dual or even triple POV because with that ending and all, I’m not done yet with these characters, and I really, really, really need more!

I was excited about the idea of this book and I loved the diverse cast of characters. However, I couldn’t get into the writing style. I found it super choppy and hard to follow