Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney Review

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this YA! I don't really read YA, but this was great. I loved seeing Quinn develop as a character and learn about herself. I also enjoyed the haters to lovers trope! I had no idea who the blackmailer was, idk if I was overlooking something, but it wasn't a predictable read for a change, which I appreciated! This book delicately and directly hits issues of racism, blackmail, secrets, highschool drama, family dynamics, and cyber bullying. Exploring the normal pressures of a teenager and the affects and anxiety it causes really.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperAudio, and Joya Goffney for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook ARC kindly provided by Harper Audio/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Joya Goofney’s new book welcomes us with Quinn Jackson, a black high school girl that puts her life into her journal. All her fears, goals, list of kissable guys, confessions, and much more are there. The problem starts when she loses her journal, and someone blackmails her. Lucky her, she has Carter by her side!

This book grabbed my attention, and I couldn’t let it go. I listened to the audiobook, and I confess I’m not used to this form. The last time I tried it, it took me weeks to finish the book. With this one? I finished in 1 day. The author’s writing style is really smooth and enjoyable!

The whole blackmailing wasn’t even the focus for me. The discussions surrounding racism are all over the book showing us how it is present everywhere and in all sorts of forms. We see our main character struggling with it and having her “awakening”. Through the journal problem, Quinn gets to meet new people and make new friends. Shoutout to Olivia because in this house, we stan a queen. It was beautiful to see Quinn getting comfortable with Olivia and flowering.

Besides all said above, there is romance. I found myself cheering so hard for Quinn and Carter to get together. They went from “enemies” to friends, and finally lovers. They had an awesome dynamic and their chemistry, oh my god, THEIR CHEMISTRY, THE TENSION!!! Carter is such a great guy, smart, responsible, and kind.

I laughed, smiled, and cried a little.

One point that I didn’t like was the initial focus on Matt. He started having whole scenes, thoughts, and topics in her journal, but he nearly disappears through the end. I think he could have had less attention at the beginning.

I got the whole point about her lists, but damn, I want so much to start making lists too.

Summing it, I enjoyed this book a lot. It was catchy, smooth, and the discussions surrounding race were remarkable.

Goffney did a great job with this title. Quinn and Carter had great chemistry! This is such a great contemporary fiction, a must for your YA collection!

This was the perfect summer (even though it’s winter) read!!! It was so so so cute! And I’ve never related more to the need to write so many lists even ones that don’t make sense. This took me to another place in the midst of this pandemic and I’m so grateful for this ARC!

I think the one thing I couldn't get past is our main character, Quinn. I found it really difficult to sympathize with her as she was pretty judgemental as well as insecure. She complained about being characterized as the spoiled girl but like. . .she was. I did appreciate how she grew throughout the story though. I think this may just be personal preference as I prefer a different minded type of character.

One thing I loved about the story is how racism was discussed. It felt very realistic as I went to a small high school that was mostly white and saw similar types of behavior around my school. It also has the plotline of cyberbullying, another thing that was common when I was in high school. These aspects made the story seem more realistic while other parts of the story didn't seem as believable. I mean, I wasn't really sure how parents wouldn't notice a fake college acceptance letter but alright.

I think this is a nice coming of age story that teens might be able to relate to and with all the themes covered in this book, it's one they should probably read.

A coming of age story about a teenager that actually sounds like a teenager.

I gave it a 3.5/5 because while I liked the idea of the story and thought it was fine I just wasn't super in love with it but I can see why people really like it. I'd definitely be interested in seeing what else this author publishes.

Going to rate this one 5 stars becuase I know it’s going to be amazing and from the chapter u listened to I loved... I just can’t get past the audio. I still have the book preordered because I’m very excited but I just didn’t like the sound.

This was a fun and impressive debut that i adored! Quinn is one of the few black students in a prestigious private school; she finds refuge in writing and making lists in her journal. Her journal goes missing and someone begins to blackmail her deepest and darkest secrets she freaks out, and has to begin working with Carter, a fellow black student who she has never gotten along with. Soon, the hate the hate they had for one another dismantles as they build a connection to retrieve her journal and also complete her lists from her journal her blackmailer is forcing her to do. This book is about facing your fears, being honest, and falling in love.

While I Like The Premise Of The Book. I Just Could Not Get Past The Fake Siri Sounding Voice On The Audio. I Believe That The Galley Should Have A Real Voice Or Something Close So That The Reader Can Actually Connect With The Book.

This Wasn’t It For Me. I’m Still Going To Purchase The Book When It Comes Out So That I Can Give It A Better Review.

Quinn is wound up tight with all her secrets and trying to live up to expectations she's not even sure she wants to live up to. When the handsome boy she thought she'd never have to deal with takes her list journal full of all her secrets and then loses it, she's forced to face all the things she's been hiding from and find herself along the way.
It's a solid coming-of-age story with interesting characters and a great message. Quinn is a great guide into being the only different one within a friend group and how fantastic it can be to find those you have the most in common with. She also serves as a great example of how life-changing facing your fears can be.
My only point of annoyance is that there's a lot of time spent developing a relationship with a character that's supposed to be super close and important, and then that character gets ghosted with no explanation or mention. It feels like the character got shoehorned in to make drama and then forgotten once the drama was achieved.
Other than that, it's a solid story done well with great messages. Definitely worth the read.

Many happy thanks to NetGalley and Harper for the early read.

Thank you to HarperTeen and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC of this adorable high-school rom-com in exchange for my review.

This book is rich with the everyday dramas of being a teen and what it’s like to be in between a kid and an adult. Our female protagonist, Quinn, is dealing with things every teen can relate to - a crush on the boy next door, a fight with her best friend, marital tension between her parents, an ailing grandparent, and (when her journal with her inner most thoughts is stolen) cyber bullying.

Beneath the drama and budding romance the author eloquently wove in issues of race and what it means to act and feel black when you’re surrounded by (slightly racist) white friends.

I found myself laughing and crying as Quinn discovers her true self in this debut 5 star novel by Joya Goffney.

I came into this book knowing nothing except that I liked the cover. I'm happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of this book. The characters are nuanced and they develop over the course of the book. I especially liked the frank discussion of racism and micro-aggressions that black people still have to deal with daily.

I had an advanced audio copy, which was a computer generated narrator. Despite this not being the final audio version, I was impressed by how few flaws there were and how seamless the audio was. This book had the normal annoyance of YA books in general for me - the characters were sometimes over-dramatic. The main character was a little hard for me to relate to because I have never been one to write in a journal past middle school. She was also an odd mix of extremely naïve goody two-shoes and reckless (are there many senior girls in high school who are virgins, don't like drinking, yet dress extremely sexy and take a fake ID to a club to get totally hammered?).

I'm also not entirely sure how two supposedly intelligent and involved parents would be fooled by a faked acceptance letter made in Word or how they wouldn't know their daughter's true GPA and ACT scores. Additionally, the blackmail scheme didn't make a ton of sense to me. Mean girls, yes. Cyber bullying, yes. Leaking secrets slowly, yes. But what was the point of having her tackle the biggest things on her "to do" list? How is that supposed to be a bad thing? I'm going to blackmail you into improving your life! Haha.

Despite those things, I really enjoyed this book. It didn't matter that some things weren't realistic. It didn't have to make perfect sense. The book was refreshing, honest, and a joy to read. I especially loved the Olivia character. I liked seeing character growth. I even enjoyed the tropes. And there were some great justice moments. Overall, this was exactly the right mix of fluffy and substantive.

Thank you Harper Teen, Harper Collins, NetGalley and Edelweiss for giving me an ARC copy of Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry.

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry - Joya Goffney

I initially was drawn to this book because of the cover. I love the bright colours and cartoon-ish characters. I feel on a shelf in the bookstore, this novel will be very eye-catching if placed well.
I loved listening to this audiobook. I feel this book covered a range of topics, including betrayal from friends, racial discrimination, and the day-to-day struggles teenagers have in high school. The novel quickly dove into Quinn's blackmailer forcing her to complete her private 'to-do' lists that she keeps in her journal or all of her secrets being revealed. Quinn's journey with her parents was interesting as there were so many moving parts that involved a big secret that she was scared to admit. With the help of her new friends, and new crush, I loved the character development she had with overcoming all of her obstacles. I think this book showed Quinn's growth in facing friends in hard situations and learning the hard way about how lies can affect many people.
I really enjoyed this story and I am excited for others to read it.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of the audiobook through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

TW : racism, blackmail, cyberbullying, chronic illness bereavement

Okay, first things first, while reading my review, keep in mind that : being an ARC, the content was generated by a synthetic voice. Which means the voice is flat even during emotional moments, and everyone speaks the same way. Which is also extremely weird when an 8 year old has the voice of an adult 😂 It took a while to get used to, which could also explain why I only truly got invested into the book about halfway through. Gotta thank those insomnia nights, had nothing else to do but push forward 😅👍

This book adresses so many important subjects, like racism leading to blackmail and cyberbullying, privilege, dealing with highschool drama, the consequences of keeping secrets and lying, as well as facing your fears and atoning for your mistakes.

You also can't ignore the important messages about relationships in this story : different dynamics with family members and friends, the importance of kinship while navigating a predominantly white highschool, and distancing yourself from toxic relationships. This book also explores the phases of bereavement when it comes to a family member's chronic illness.

I appreciated how everything tied up nicely at the end of the book, the positive ending, annnnd the enemies to lovers trope! 3⭐

This was a fun read! I enjoyed the writing, the characters, and loved how the character deals with the challenges she faces in the book. It had a unique premise!

This one is tough to review because I really enjoyed a lot that this book had to offer, but I disliked the main character so much that it took away from the rest of the story for me.

However, to make this easier to read AND in honor of the book, I will make a couple lists:

Things I liked about this book:
- Black female lead & in general, quite a few strong, black, female characters
- Race being discussed in multiple ways (everything from how people see themselves and other people of one's own race to feelings about race from those outside of one's own race)
- An interesting plot/premise with the lists & a missing notebook - really fun
- A slight nod to mental health issues and the need for proper coping

Because my issues with the book stemmed from not liking the main character, Quinn, here are the things that made me not like her:
- I get that she's a high school student with lots of emotions, but the hypocrisy in this girl is on an insane level, especially when it comes to Olivia/Carter
- She gets upset that she is stereotyped as being a spoiled rich girl but completely acted like a spoiled rich girl (and a very rude one) when they go on a road trip (in which people are being nice & helping her out)

So, by the time that she potentially evolved, I disliked her so much that I didn't even care much about what happened to her & felt sorry for the people who were interacting with her. I love unlikeable and flawed characters, and Olivia, Carter, and even Quinn's parents were all flawed characters that I still felt I could relate to or at least empathize with, but not Quinn.

I do also want to note that the cover art is for this book is really great. It's the first thing that drew me to it, plus there's nothing better than an enemies to lovers story :)

I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperAudio, and Joya Goffney for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Excuse me while I leave my review..... I give Joya Goffney (3.5 rounded up) 4 birds out of 5. I'm in the middle with this book. Things I loved and things I just didn't connect with. There were times I felt like I had a clashing relationship with main character- I know what I just wrote is insane and I need to remind myself it's FICTION! I love that the main characters in this book were people of color. We need more books that highlight diversity. I had an in-depth look into what it might be like to be the only black person in a mostly white high school. I thought the author nailed intertwining race in this book in such a helpful way. She had two characters at one point mirror how someone can approach a conversation about race and have it be constructive and a learning experience. I know many people are wanting to figure out the best way to go about having these conversations and for that alone I'd give it to my teen to read.

I received this ARC Audio book from Netgalley for free in exchange for my honest review. What what!

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry drops May 4th, 2021!

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Excuse me while I ugly cry

This was a young adult novel that features out main protagonist, Quinn. She is a type A, list maker. She keeps a journal that holds all of her secrets, her mistakes, and her goals. One day she loses her journal and becomes afraid that her secrets will be revealed.

I liked that this book was kind of a lighter read, but actually dealt with some pretty heavy topics, especially racism and being Black in America. Quinn deals with some pretty serious racist remarks from her friends that they write off as jokes, or that they didn’t mean anything by it. Eventually we get to see how Quinn matures and grows more confident in her ability to stand up for herself. I really enjoyed seeing this character develop in this way.

The plot was pretty interesting as it was kind of a mystery and a coming of age. I also liked the characters development and felt the author did a good job of representing not just the experience of youth, but also Black youth in an oppressive system that doesn’t always recognize the ways Black youth are marginalized or oppressed.

I would definitely recommend to a young adult reader.

I loved this! Quinn keeps lists about everything in a journal that holds her biggest secrets. Then all of a sudden her journal is gone. An account posts one of her lists in the attempt of blackmailing her, so she goes on a journey of finding who has her journal while also facing the secrets she's tried to hide. Along the way she has a journey of self-discovery, making friends, and dealing with the truth. I really enjoyed this book, it had mystery, romance, and friendship. This book was not only a fun and adorable read but it also talked about racism and how difficult and confusing it is to be a black person around mainly white people. It was really easy to connect to the characters and became invested in their journeys. I thought based on the description that it was going to be a cheesy yet fun read and I ended up really liking it and will definitely be purchasing this in a physical copy to reread and have on myself.
Thank you Netgalley and Harper Audio for giving me this ARC for an honest review!

"Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry" is a debut novel that follows a Black teenager named Quinn who adores creating and making lists of everything and anything in her precious journal. One day, unfortunately, her journal goes missing and Quinn is blackmailed by an anonymous instagram account. The account is asking her to face her seven greatest fear or else they are going to post the entirety of the journal online. Quinn then decides to team up with the last known person to have had the journal; Carter.

I had heard nothing but good reviews for this book and was so excited when I saw I was sent an ARC for it, of course I had to immediately pick it up. The book has been said to have many great assets such as sexual tension, enemies to lovers, juicy secrets all the while discussing more serious and important issues like race and diversity.

My review; like I mentioned, I had received an ARC for this book in the form of an audiobook. I picked it up on the very first day of the readathon and was quickly interested in the story despite the narration sounding like google translator was reading the book. I felt like the narrator was showing no emotions at all and was very monotone to the point where I was seriously thinking the book was being read by an automated generated voice. But of course, I consumed this book via an unfinished copy so perhaps the final product of the audiobook will be more enjoyable.

The story itself on the other hand was a great read. I was pleasantly surprised with how invested I was in the story. I got everything I was expecting and more. the main character's development was interesting to see and the talks and discussion about race and racism were in my opinion well done. Keep in mind that I am not a person of colour, therefore, my opinion on the way the book dealt with racism is NOT the one you should listen to or look up to. Everything else aside, I really enjoyed my time reading this book and would suggest it to anyone who is interested in reading about a Black teenage main character who deals with cyberbullying and racism all the while figuring out who she is and what she wants in life then this book is definitely for you.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Audio, and Joya Goffney for an ARC of this audiobook! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry is an own voices novel by debut author Joya Goffney. This story follows Quinn, a list-obsessed teen who writes lists of her worst fears. However, one day her journal goes missing, and her list gets posted to an anonymous instagram account. She soon finds herself not having to face her lists on paper, but in real life when the account blackmails her to complete seven of the items on her list or the entire journal will go public.

Quinn teams up with the last known person to have her journal in a race to discover the blackmailer. Along the way, Quinn discovers herself and a new romance. This book was so much fun! I will definitely re-read when I can get my hands on a physical copy as the synthesized voice detracted from the story line a little.