TW for the book: transphobia
“All Kinds of Other” is unique but it did remind me of “Meet Cute Diary” in some ways. Mostly Adam and Evie’s vlog and the text message format of some parts of the book. The book is diverse with a main character that is trans and Indian, a gay love interest, and a variety of minor characters on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

While the love story is heartwarming, I appreciate that it is realistic. All of the parents are not perfect and understanding. There are bullies. It’s a good representation of what it was like to be gay in high school. I am not trans, but I imagine there is some accuracy in that representation as well.

I liked the way the book ended as well, even though I would have liked to see Jules’ Mom actually embrace learning in the end. I do understand the significance of it not ending that way, too.

I will watch for books by James Sie in the future.

This book wasn't quite what I expected, and I'm obviously not the target audience, but I appreciated the trans and gay rep and am really happy to see more and more books with some form(s) of LBGTQIA2S+ focus published in the YA world. As others have said, though, this isn't fully about queer joy and does have a fair amount of homophobic and transphobic material. My main issues, as 'an old,' though, were the tumblr passages and all of the textspeak in supplemental chapters. I didn't think I was THAT old, but I am. Not at all an issue with the book, though I'd guess the target audience could determine whether the slang and textspeak that are too 'new' for me are too 'passe' for them. The attempt seems great, though, as few books include direct 'transcriptions' of social media in such a pivotal way.

This book was sweet and sad and I really enjoyed it. Sie clearly has a good handle on the self-loathing that can come along with being trans and also an excellent grasp on how teenagers interact and talk to each other. Well written and inspiring. #NetGalley #AllKindsOfOther

Sie presents an engaging and poetic story in "All Kinds of Other." Jules and Jack are starting out life at a new high school, and each come in with their own challenges. Through alternative point of view chapters, we get to see two distinctly different perspectives, sometimes of the same moment. Sie really does a great job at differentiating their voices and styles so that you don't feel like you're reading everything from the same author. It helps that Sie consistently presents a balance of poetry and prose that is reminiscent of early David Levithan (a compliment from this reviewer).
While the two boys meet and bond relatively early in the story, the end game is a bit more of a slow burn. This works mostly because we get enough to make the reader feel like things are happening, but it does start to become a bit of a strain at the mid-point (ie. why the star ranking is not a 5). Once the crisis finally takes place, Sie reins in the story to bring it to a surprisingly good ending that is a bit off the beaten path from your typical story in this genre, which is quite welcome.

If you are looking for a cute, lighthearted LGBTQ+ read, this may not be the best fit for you. This book does explore some topics related to outing and hate crimes that could be triggering for some readers. While I don't have personal experience with these things as a straight person, I can definitely see why some readers may not want to read books with that content. Otherwise, I do think that this book was well written, the characters were explored well, and the plot itself is well paced and engaging.

I devoured this! I really enjoyed getting to know Jude and Adam. Both boys are starting at a new school. Jude is figuring out if he wants to be out as gay and what that looks like for him, while Adam is mourning a friendship that recently fell apart.

Content warning for outing and assault/hate crimes, which I typically avoid in YA books. It's hard to find a balance of a realistic amount of homophobia and transphobia, while still remaining uplifting and hopeful. This book does balance those things well. For kids who want an escape from the reality of transphobia and homophobia with a cute fluffy romance, this might not be the book for you. For kids who want to see their struggles reflected back to them without tragedy, definitely pick this one up.