This is a great book! Noah, the main character, creates a blog featuring real-life "meet cutes" of trans people in new relationships, called the Meet Cute Diary. The blog has a huge following. But Noah has a secret -- he is making up all the stories. He justifies it because he believes the blog is bringing comfort and hope to trans people, like himself, across the globe. When someone creates a new blog dedicating to exposing the Meet Cute Diary as a fake, Noah does not know what to do. But then he meets Drew, a fan of the blog who is willing to fake date him and depict their relationship on the blog, and Noah thinks all his problems are solved. As Noah and Drew spend more and more time together, though, Noah is forced to confront the difference between fictional and real-life relationships, and what he really wants out of the blog, his relationship, and his future.

This story is charming and well-executed. The premise is compelling and well implemented by the author. I tore through it in a day. Highly recommended!

In Emery Lee's novel, Meet Cute Diary, trans teen Noah is in flux. He runs the titular blog in which he uses his fantasies to fuel stories about trans kids who fall in love after "meet cute" moments occur. He has a huge following, but now some trolls are suggesting that Noah is a fraud and that all the meet cutes are faked and he's fooling trans kids that they can find love.

Noah's never been in love. He doesn't have a significant other. And he's in process of moving from Florida, where he came out as trans after hearing about a former classmate who had come out as a trans girl, to California. In between, he's spending his summer with his brother Brian in Colorado, far away from his best (and pretty much only) friend Becca, who is a lesbian.

It is in Colorado that Noah's fantasy meet cute - a boy he runs into at an ice cream parlor - becomes the real thing. Drew works at a bookstore and when Noah's brother's girlfriend suggests Noah apply for a job, he finds Drew behind the counter. He doesn't get the job, but gets the boy.

However, when Brian gets Noah a job as a counselor at a camp where Brian works, he meets Devin. And while initially, Devin annoys him (they meet when Devin vomits all over Noah), as the book goes on, Noah begins to question his relationship with Drew versus his relationship with Devin.

This was a warm, engaging book and I love that there are multiple LGBQT+ characters in it. It's a light, funny summer read. Very enjoyable!

Alright, so I literally read this in one sitting (staying up way too late) because once I started, I did not want to stop; I was hooked! That alone is evidence this was a very enjoyable and engaging read, in my experience.

My initial rating for this was 5 stars, but as I reflect on the book months later in order to finally write a full review, I've brought it down to 4 stars. The characters (including their damn names, which I've kept forgetting) just didn't stick with me enough to justify keeping the original rating. Noah is certainly not the most likeable MC, and while I think his immaturity works well for the overall arc, there was not quite as much character growth as I would've liked to see... and some of the other characters weren't as fleshed out as I think they should have been. This could partially be because Noah is such a self-involved character - I think this is similar to the issue I had with 'Between Perfect and Real' by Ray Stoeve.

However, I still think this is a really fun read that plays into and then subverts romcom tropes, while also addressing unhealthy relationships with some surprising depth. It surprised me in a very personal, raw way in regards to how someone's early experiences with romantic relationships can be negatively affected by 'hopeless romantic' ideals, self-worth & insecurity (especially as a young trans person), ineffective communication.... and toxic relationship dynamics result when those factors combine. This was what stood out most to me, personally, and is what I appreciate most about this book - specifically that this is addressed from the perspective of a queer trans boy!

I also think Lee did a great job of depicting Tumblr culture, and how *real* and *important* online interactions & reputation can be... especially to LGBTQ youth who, like Noah, may not have a large friend group or queer support system IRL. I'm in my mid-twenties and haven't been active on Tumblr for a few years now, but I was deeply invested in a particular (heavily LGBTQ) fandom a few years back and I can remember how *significant* my online life was at that time, as I was in early stages of my transition, dealing with social isolation and mental health struggles, and so on. Often my online life felt just as real, if not more real, that 'real life' because it had such a prominent role in my identity, social connection, and leisure activities. I think 'Meet Cute Diary' does a good job of honoring the importance of online communities while recognizing the toxicity they can breed, especially when one's obsession with reputation/appearances/social status takes over to the point of damaging relationships, self concept, and mental health.

If the premise of this book appeals to you, I highly recommend it - and going in to it with an open mind & as few spoilers as possible, because I think the story is best enjoyed that way. However, there are TW to be aware of, including transphobia, underage substance use & peer pressure, unhealthy romantic relationships, anxiety & panic attacks, and (separate) references to suicide, divorce, and FtM contraceptive needs. I will post a bit more details info on these TW below.

One last criticism: Noah uses the language 'mascs' and 'femmes' instead of 'men/guys' and 'women/girls' to refer to other characters whom he is meeting for the first time, in what I assume is an attempt at 'not assuming gender' and using trans-inclusive language.... However, this type of language just seems to reinforce the gender binary in a ~new way~ and does not make sense to me (as a nonbinary trans person who is transmasculine & is not particular 'masc' & aims to be read as a fem/flamboyant male). This isn't to say the trans rep is inauthentic or anything - just that the author and I likely have different trans experiences, opinions, and views of gender.

Overall, this book was cute, funny, emotional, thought-provoking, and a relatively quick read. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for gay/trans YA romance & coming-of-age stories with happy endings, especially teens looking for transmasc MCs that have already begun transitioning & are navigating dating for the first time. It also has some great nonbinary rep with an extremely loveable character who goes through the process of trying several different sets of pronouns, and this gender questioning is met with absolute support. I won't say much more to avoid spoilers, but it was very adorable & sweet!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read & review this eARC.

*Possible vague spoilers below*
Potentially triggering content includes, but is not limited to:
Transphobia, particularly the implication that trans men are not real men:
- A cis guy is like “I’m not gay; [name of trans guy I’m dating] is special.”
- Someone describes a trans guy as having “a girl body”
References to suicide / suicide attempt by a trans teenager
Reference to the reproductive / contraceptive needs of a trans male
Toxic / unhealthy relationships, including: lying/lying by omission, manipulation, jealousy and possessiveness, poor communication, under-negotiated boundaries
Underage substance use, specifically alcohol and marijuana, and peer pressure regarding it
References to divorce
Social anxiety and panic attacks

Rainbows and Sunshine Book Blog
May 2, 2021
Rep: Afro-Puerto Rican, Japanese American trans bi mc, Cuban nonbinary ace character with anxiety, Cuban lesbian character

I really enjoyed reading Meet Cute Diary. The blogging aspect was really interesting and I loved how there's a post ir comment at the start of each chapter. It was so much fun. A tumblr blog with meet-cutes of trans people finding their HEAs. Even if it's fake, it was really good.

Noah is our 16 year old MC and it took me a while to warm up to him because he's sort of selfish and obsessed with the idea of love. His relationship with his best friend Becca is where it's showcased the most. It was always about Noah and while it was resolved, I don't think Noah really apologized for his behaviour. There is a character development though and I like how all the characters are flawed as it makes them real.

Noah's relationship with his brother Brian was so wholesome and I just adored it. I also loved Devin! E might be my favourite character and e will slowly but surely steal your heart. Devin is awkward and sweet and so damn adorable. I love how this book tells you that pronouns are for you and you can change them whenever you feel they don't fit.

So synopsis made me think it was going in one direction but then it just a completely different way and I really loved that. I was absolutely delighted when I figured it out!

This book is filled with trans joy, meet-cutes and happily ever afters. It's a very happy read and I would highly recommend it. It has great characters and if you love rom-coms, you'll definitely love this!

CW: emotional abuse, transphobia, anxiety/panic attacks, mention of attempted suicide

*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

DNF @ 41%

Meet Cute Diary was one of my most anticipated 2021 releases, but it ended up just not working for me. I’m going to put it down to not being the right audience but I’m so glad this book exists and I know it’s going to find many readers who are going to love it. If you want a secure trans guy fake dating a cis guy to prove his fake meet-cute tumblr is real, plus friendships and trans feelings, this book may be perfect for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the arc of this book!

I'm kind of obsessed with this one, honestly,

Noah is 16 and runs a blog about, what else, meet-cutes. Only, the stories are just that- stories. He makes them up, and his readers eat them up. Until someone doesn't and throws a wrench in his gig. So, naturally, Noah and Drew decide to fake a relationship and show those online trolls that the blog is REAL, thank you very much.

This was just a really cute, fun read. Noah is definitely 16, and it shows, but I don't think that's a bad thing. At time's he's insufferable and selfish and messy- like another other 16-year-old kid, but I don't think the backlash I saw in some of the other reviews is warranted. What 16 year old isn't selfish as hell?

Also, I can't review this book without mentioning Devin and my love for em. If you get nothing else from this book, please love em as much as I do. It's what e deserves.

There is also so much rep in this book and it makes me so very happy.

I really enjoyed this.

PS; I nearly gave an extra star just for the subtle dig at the tv show Superntural. Bless you, Emery. Bless you.

This book was super sweet. At times I did struggle with how really young Noah was, but I'm not the intended audience so I don't hold it against the book. I loved how effortlessly pronouns were switched as soon as the character said they felt their current choice did not fit.

My only issue keeping it from being a 5 star, is never labeling the relationship with Drew as abusive. I think when writing for a young audience it's important to be very clear on what is not acceptable and what are red flags. Lying, being emotionally abusive, and saying you're not gay because your trans boyfriend is special are all abuse and need to called out.

I really liked how this book had such a clear exploration of identity. Each character, major or minor, was really trying to figure out and express who they are and that presented in a lot of different and interesting ways.

I thought Devin’s anxiety was handled really well. There wasn’t any convoluted explanation for “why” Devin dealt with panic attacks and social anxiety, it just was a reality of Devin’s life. It would have been easy to use past events as an “explanation” for anxiety, but anxiety is often just a part of who someone is, without some major cause so I really appreciated this.

Noah as a main character was irritating to me at times (especially when he was letting other people dictate his life) but I think this is just the fact that I am reading this as an adult and with adult perspective. As a teenager, I definitely would have related so much to this sense of wanting to find yourself and branch out without wanting to upset the people I care about. It is such a universal teenage experience that I think younger readers would absolutely connect to.

What I most enjoyed was the idea that you don’t have to know exactly who you are, especially as a teenager. Devin struggled with finding pronouns that felt right, and Noah helped em to see that changing your mind doesn’t make your previous ideas of yourself wrong, it makes you more aware of who you are and how you want to express that to the world.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! It was just the meet cute romance that I needed as the weather gets warmer. While it has a few flaws, I absolutely flew through this book!

Yes, enemies to lovers is my favorite trope, but fake dating might become a close second! Especially fake dating that leads to real relationships. While the trajectory of the relationship was a bit predictable, I enjoyed seeing Noah get to fall in love and experience traditional romance tropes. It's great to have such a happy, upbeat book for a trans main character!

Noah's friendship with Devin is probably one of the best things about this book. Devin is questioning eir gender and pronouns, and e and Noah have some great conversations about it. For a teen who is also questioning their gender, seeing this play out on a page with a character who changes eir pronouns with a friend who just rolls with the punches? Priceless. Much needed representation.

That being said, Noah isn't the most likeable main character. He has a lot of maturing to do, which makes sense because he's 16! But he has a lot of great support around him, people who are incredibly patient. And his brother! I loved getting to see his support in the book and to have him stand up for Noah at points, too. I would have a loved a little more growth from Noah in the book, but by the end, you can definitely tell that he's headed in the right direction.

All in all, if you're looking for a swoon worthy rom-com, this one is for you! Emery Lee is definitely one to keep an eye on.

I was so looking forward to this book, and it didn't disappoint. It was so refreshing to see a nonbinary love interest, different pronouns being used, people being corrected for using wrong pronouns, and a couple where neither party is straight. All my favorite things about YA romcoms by for the trans community. I love Emery on Twitter, and I felt there were so many facets of em in eir book.

Sixteen-year-old Noah is spending his summer vacation focusing on his popular blog. The Meet Cute Diary tells stories of trans youth meeting their significant other and falling in love. Except the stories aren't real—Noah makes them up to give trans kids hope that love can happen for them. Is that so wrong? A troll thinks so, and tries to prove that the blog is all a lie. Will a fake boyfriend help Noah save his life's work?

This adorable ownvoices, multicultural trans YA novel shows love doesn't always happen the way you imagined it. If you like YA or YA romance, give this one a try. It's a beautiful, uplifting story about friendship, romance, and learning to be true to yourself in a world full of negative voices.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Sixteen-year-old Noah Ramirez is the internet-famous founder of The Meet Cute Diary, a blog all about trans happily ever afters. The only problem? All the stories are fake, written by Noah as a way to inspire trans readers everywhere. But when an anonymous troll reveals the truth, Noah must figure out a way to prove them wrong before it’s too late. So, when Noah bumps into the charming Drew, it feels like fate, especially when the two agree to fake-date to save the Diary. How could anyone deny that all the stories are true if Noah provides proof of his summer fling? But as Noah’s feelings for Drew grow and a new job complicates everything, Noah starts to realize that real-life romance isn’t quite the same as the love stories he’s created. To find the perfect happily ever after, Noah may just have to pick up the pen and write his own.

Emery Lee’s young adult debut is a queer rom-com full of OwnVoices representation, trans joy, and cuteness galore! Heart and humor collide as Meet Cute Diary is equally as touching as it is hilarious. Readers can look forward to plenty of romantic shenanigans and beloved tropes. Noah’s not perfect (who is?), but the growth he experiences is both inspiring and heartwarming. All of the characters are so nuanced, and each goes through their own journey of self-discovery; we especially found ourselves falling in love with Devin, Brian, and Becca. Exploring so many fantastic themes like first love, sibling dynamics, and unbreakable friendship, Meet Cute Diary is the perfect summer read for romance connoisseurs and young readers looking for a swoon-worthy story to sweep them off their feet.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

I loved the heck out of Felix Ever After and had high hopes that Meet Cute Diary would enrapture me like Felix did. I was so wrong.

Noah is the most condescending and entitled character I have ever read. He is truly unlikeable, and I tried REALLY hard to find some redeeming quality. He is snobby and super-judgmental, and maybe that's what being 16 years old is all about? However, I waited and waited for some growth or self-realization when it came to his brattiness, but it never came. There usually is some awareness and adjustment in character development as a story progresses that make the terrible parts of the character bearable. Not in Meet Cute Diary.

Devin would have made a better MC. Noah knows who he is and is confident in his identify. Devin goes through enough self-discovery that eir book; would have been a better story. E's much more likeable; eir story would have evoked a heck of a lot more empathy from me.

I do have to mention that I was pleased by the quick ace rep.

***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.***

Meet Cute Diary follows 16-year-old Noah, who runs a popular blog about trans love stories that all start with a "meet cute" of some kind. The stories are all made up, but his followers don't need to know that, right? Noah is okay with this deception. He feels it's more important to give trans people hope for a happily ever after, and things go smoothly until a commenter starts pointing out all the inconsistencies. The only solution? Fake dating a boy named Drew, who Noah meets while visiting his brother for the summer. Drew knows the secret to the Meet Cute Diary and is all too willing to help. Add in a strained long-distance friendship with Noah's BFF Becca and a new friendship with sweet co-worker Devin (that starts as anything *but* a meet cute), and you have plenty of drama for a summer rom-com.

This novel is set against some favorite romantic comedy tropes and features a lot of great representation. I felt that Noah was a pretty realistic teen: caught up in big, dramatic emotions, equal turns self-absorbed and insecure, ultimately a good kid but making plenty of mistakes along the way. The ultimate problem for me was that he didn't see to grow beyond a fundamental surface level; that is, he said he understood how he let himself get caught up in certain emotions and behaved poorly, but his actions toward the end of the novel seem to indicate that he hasn't completely broken these habits. Which is fine! It's realistic! It is still a bit frustrating to read, though.

Ultimately, a cute read that I will recommend to teens. 3/5

This was really cute and sweet. Noah really felt like a genuine teenager, and I'm a little disturbed by the number of reviews that act like that's a bad thing.

Trigger Warning: racial microaggressions, transphobia, misgendering, gaslighting, emotional manipulation

Noah Ramirez runs the famous Meet Cute Diary, an online blog featuring trans romances and happily ever afters. Except there’s just one problem: the Diary is a lie. There are no submissions of stories, Noah made it all up.

When an online troll exposes Noah’s secret, he scrambles to find a cover-up, all while spending the summer in Denver with his college-age brother as his parents move from Florida to California. While job-hunting, he meets Drew, the perfect, most adorable boy. And Drew is totally willing to fake-date Noah to save the Diary. Nothing can go wrong, right?

I think you just need to make sure you’re actually into him, not just using him to mark off checkpoints on your pegboard.

This is an incredibly tough book to rate.

On the one hand, I need to talk expectations. I expected cute, fluffy, meet-cute level YA rom-com. But like life, real romance is neither perfect, fluffy, nor entirely meet-cute level, and teens are messy. And this book gets that on an intrinsic level.

It is not fluffy or rom-comy. That’s the point. But the point is also that while real life is not rom-com adorkableness, there are happily ever afters and happily for nows, even if expectation does not meet reality.

“Stop treating me like a diva.”

“You are a diva. You’ve always been a diva. You’ll die a diva.”

I’ve seen a lot of criticism on this book (people either love it or hate it—I was more ambivalent but I appreciated it and it was engaging if enraging at times), and much of the criticism is centered on Noah, the main character.

I’m not going to mince words here.

Noah is a little shit. He’s messy. He’s self-centered. He’s convinced he’s right, even when he’s dead wrong. He’s a little damn diva.

But, mild spoiler, what fucking teen isn’t?

I want to say this is one of the more real depictions of a teenager that I’ve read, and it makes me happy, because unlike so much of YA, this is a book directed towards queer teens of color instead of 30+ year old white women like me. And, major spoiler: of course the Olds are going to dislike this, because it reminds us what absolute shitstains we were as teens.

Noah makes mistakes—so many. He lies. He enters into a fake-dating scheme with Drew, who is older (18ish to Noah’s 16) despite so many red flags about this relationship that it’s not even funny. He treats his friends like ass. He acts the fool at work. He bombs a (very informal, unprofessional and unempathetic on the part of the owner, IMO) interview. He digs himself so deeply into his lies that he can no longer see the opening and sunlight at the top.

And yet, you can see why he’s doing what he’s doing.

It’s hard to admit when you are wrong. And it’s even harder when you are young, and trying to figure yourself out, and breaking out for independence, and you are queer and a person of color and have the deck stacked against you. It’s really hard, particularly when you’re fighting tooth and nail for acceptance into spaces denied you, to take a step back and say, this isn’t working or this is wrong for me.

He is very much a child, and he’s very much growing and learning—slowly and not without lots of backsliding, but we must remember that growth is not always one way or ever-increasingly forward.

I’m not judging you, okay? I just think it’s kind of concerning that you start hanging out with some guy you just met and suddenly he’s got you doing things you would never do on your own

So let’s talk Drew.

This motherfucker.

Okay, yeah sure he’s eighteen and just graduated high school or whatever (I think he’s going to be a college freshman or something), but home dude is allllll about dating Noah, who is 16 and looks younger than that.

Yeah, there’s this meet-cute romance-aspect to it, but right away there are stranger-danger signals coming up. Noah sees the signals, but ignores his misgivings because Drew is cool, he’s not like the other guys, and he’s always so nice after not respecting Noah’s boundaries or priorities. And yeah Drew seems to be focused on the blog and despite being all into it seems to be going after it for increasing his own clout, and also treating Noah like a novelty (he calls Noah his boyfriend freely but also calls Noah special and insists he is not gay to his friends), but he has this grand gestures and his parents are divorcing and going through a really hard time so think of his feelings, k?

So mild spoiler that this fake-dating thing doesn’t exactly go over well.

Oh fuck I’m already way over mini review status. Wrapping up!

I’m always worried I’m going to pick something, and then people are going to tell me that’s my final form, you know? Like you can’t go back.

One of the things I loved, loved, loved about this book was the frank discussion of gender discovery, and that it’s okay and valid to change your pronouns, that each iteration of you is valid and right at that moment, and that it’s 100% okay to discover something new about yourself and adjust accordingly.

Combined with this is the notion of an anti-meet cute, and the understanding that first impressions don’t necessarily hold true—and that relationships change and evolve over time.

Basically, there is the idea that nothing is static—not you, not your family, not your friends, not your world. Sometimes things go sideways, and sometimes things go right, and both things are okay.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

Meet Cute Diary releases May 4, 2021

4.5 rounded up to 5/5
This review will contain minor spoilers because in order to talk about my completely honest feelings I need to talk about both of the love interests and their relationships with Noah.




I only have one issue with this book and it has nothing to do with the quality of this amazing novel, just my own personal triggers related to gaslighting and manipulation. The scenes with Drew were very difficult for me to read due to a personal history of dealing with gaslighting so those sections were a challenge to get through and almost made me DNF the book. So if you are someone with similar triggers, that is something to be aware of when picking up this book.
While this book was a challenge for me, I’m happy there is this representation of manipulative relationships in a YA book that are portrayed as unhealthy. This is a relationship I needed to see as a teen, to know how sometimes what you think is what you dream of is actually hurting you more.
Now, when I tell you all of it was worth it for Devin, oh my god it was worth it. The second we got to see more of em I was in this to the end. I adore Devin as a character so much. E’s such wonderful representation in gender discovery and this book feels so safe to be any kind of trans because of em and Noah.
It’s funny that this book contained one of the hardest characters and relationships for me to read as well as one of the best. Devin is the enby representation that young queer kids need and the message of love and trans love of this book is such a light. Also the diversity and representation? Stellar. The story goes in a different direction than originally expected but that is for the better because the story we do get and the message we receive is everything we need our teens and even our adults to read.

What a great time!!! So many important conversations were introduced, but they were each done with such a cute rom-com vibe that even reading the hard lessons was a fun time!!
The friend and family dynamics were intricate and important, the coming of age / self discovery was beautifully done, and all the queer AF representation made my heart so warm! Overall, a quick, cute, entertaining book that I would definitely recommend for any YA contemporary fans!
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** very slightly spoilery tid-bit **
I also really loved seeing a YA book touch on what unhealthy relationships / toxic partners can look like!! It’s not something I see addressed very often, but it seems important that teens learn how to recognize those behaviours.

GENDER! ROMANCE! HAPPINESS! This is gonna be a fairly short review because this book is just an absolute joy to read, and in times like this, I'd argue it's almost necessary for trans youth to have a book like this. Transphobia exists, but it remains and the backdrop while our cast deals with... well, life, relationships (both platonic and romantic), and gender. There's just some fantastic queer rep here. If you love the fake dating trope as much as I do, you'll love this one.

That said, I know some people have had a few problems with the main character since he teeters on unlikeable, and I kind of... agree, actually, but it's not a drawback? Teens can be awful and he certainly gets better, and I feel like those moments, especially near the beginning, where you're just going "that's kind of hypocritical?" are intentional for the sake of his character arc.

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

The premise:
Noah is a 16-year-old mixed-race trans guy who writes the Meet Cute Diary, a popular happily ever after blog showcasing anonymous stories of trans joy. Unfortunately, an online troll exposes the truth—all of these stories are fictions that Noah made up. Just as his online world is starting to unravel Noah meets Drew, a fan of the Diary. In an attempt to make people believe the Diary stories are true, Noah and Drew decide to fake date and document their perfect relationship on the blog. But what happens when Noah finds that real life isn’t like the perfectly scripted fictions that he’s been creating all this time?

My Review: *** (2.5 stars – I’m rounding up for representation)
I feel terrible about this because I really support queer literature and encourage the publishing industry to put out more books that showcase the BROAD HUMAN EXPERIENCE which too often leaves behind marginalized communities. Unfortunately for me after over 3 months of trying to get through this book, I ultimately had to DNF at 33%.

There are multiple things I liked about this book (from what I read). I loved the representation. (PUBLISHERS, PLEASE DO MORE OF THIS!) I loved that not only was it a kid of color, but also that it was a trans protagonist. (Identities intersect, you can be more than just one thing!) I especially loved that it was from the perspective of a trans guy which I have encountered very few of in literature. In my experience, most books I’ve come across with trans rep tend to be girls so it was nice to see this different perspective. I think it is super important for ALL youth to have access to stories where they can see themselves reflected in the character. For too long this has been a rarity for folks who aren’t part of the dominant majority. I also think it is important for youth who are part of that dominant majority to see other identities that are different from their own reflected in stories because it helps to normalize things, builds empathy, and acceptance. It humanizes the “other”.

I liked the premise of the book. I thought it was an interesting idea. A teenage Japanese/Afro-Cuban trans guy feels suffocated in his Florida hometown so he creates a blog to inspire not only himself but also others with stories of what happiness could look like. We know the rates of self-harm and suicide for trans youth are alarmingly high. We know that greater levels of support and acceptance can drastically reduce those rates. I really appreciate both what the character and the author were trying to do here in providing hope for these folks.

In the story, Noah is finally out of his hometown and staying with his brother in Colorado for the summer. A troll uncovers that these happily ever afters are all made up and reveals that to the rest of the blog’s readers. Noah starts to spiral because this blog is pretty much at the center of his world. His solution? Fake a relationship with Drew, this person he keeps running into in his new town, and put it on the blog as “proof” that the stories are real.

Ultimately there were just a couple of issues that made me have to give up on this one. The first is the pacing felt really slow (to me). I would sit down excited to read this book that I’d been looking forward to, but after a few pages I’d get bored or distracted and end up walking away to do something else. The second is that the main character is terribly unlikeable (again, to me). He seemed super whiny, inconsiderate, rude, and self-centered. When I’m reading, I need to be able to empathize with the character. I am standing in their shoes and trying to see the world from their perspective. Even if I don’t always agree with their choices, I can usually at least understand their logic. I just didn’t feel that with Noah. I understand coming from a really stifling home town and how that can be soul-crushing. I understand that at the first opportunity to get out you want to spread your wings, try new things, and express yourself more authentically once you have escaped that environment. But I think you still need to treat others with a certain level of respect as fellow human beings. Especially if those are the people who have been there for you providing you with support when you were stuck in that situation. The way Noah treated members of his family who tried to help him after he came out and especially his supposed best friend just really confused me. The way he talked to her and expected her world to revolve around him and his expectations just felt really unreasonable to me. (I realize he’s a teenager and their hormones are going crazy and whatever, but still.)

For me, it was like there were lots of little things about Noah’s behavior that ultimately kept snowballing until I hit that point where I couldn’t put up with it anymore. I felt like I was slogging through this trying to finish just for the sake of finishing so that I could move on to reading something I’d actually enjoy and that started making me feel more resentful towards the book.

I thought Drew’s character was really interesting and had a lot of potential. I don’t know if it ultimately ended up going anywhere because I didn’t finish the book, but I kinda wish the book had been written from that character’s perspective. I think if that were the case, I might have been able to stick with it longer. Having to give up on this book just makes me sad because it felt like there was so much potential here. I hope there are other readers who really enjoy this book and can get the positive experience that I think the author was trying for.