Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I’m always on the lookout for more asexual representation. And throw in a magical and mysterious lake monster? And I was hooked!

I want to preface this by saying this story deals with some really intense subjects. Callie’s father has anorexia, which she feels anxiety and responsibility for. Her friend Rafael is a victim of domestic violence from his mother’s boyfriend. And Callie herself is in an abusive relationship that she’s forcing herself into because she believes it’s what she’s supposed to do as a teen girl. So it makes for a tough read some times.

But this is also a very sweet story of the importance of friendships, coming to terms with your own struggles with identity, and the power of community. It does get frustrating when I just wanted Callie to react in a logical or more experienced manner, but that’s not the point of the story.

The monster itself is less important and less present than I had expected. But I did eventually realize that the mystery and magic of a lake monster wasn’t the main storyline. I did feel disappointed that it felt like there was an introduction late in the game of a new thread that ended up going nowhere, but maybe there’s supposed to be a sequel.

Content Warning, there is an on the page description of attempted sexual assault in the section titled The Monster.

Sadly, I’ve lost the notes I took during reading. So I can’t tell you when I DNF-ed. Probably better to take this review with a grain of salt.

I remember it being not that far into the story, though. I didn’t manage to get into the book at all and I also remember feeling put off by the way sensitive topics were handled.

I think, I also remember being annoyed by Callie? I wasn’t able to understand her, at all, and I wanted to yell at her more than once, I think.

I have absolutely no recollection of enjoying anything about the story. I guess, it read like your usual YA, nothing special, rather on the better-not-side. There probably was some eye-rolling of mine involved as well. At least I have the feeling, it was involved.

I was really excited and hopeful about The Facts and Legends of Callie Catwell. An asexual lesbian romance? Seriously, sign me up! I was also excited about her dad being the one who battles an eating disorder. I felt like this book could be really helpful to younger readers and educate them in a good and fun way.

I don’t think like this anymore. At all. Of course, there is the possibility the book gets better, right now overall reviews aren’t that bad. But for me to DNF a book in the early stages means I was seriously done with it. So there’s that.

Read this book on my own outside of net galley. It was tough reading about the darker theme for this book, like the abuse and eating disorder. But overall enjoyed the pace and tone set by DeRise.

I really enjoyed getting to know Callie Catwell and her story. This was a really well done story and worked perfectly LGBTQ+ Fiction. I had a lot of fun reading this.

The Facts and Legends of Callie Catwell was one of these books I was quite excited to be out this year – there aren’t a lot of books with ace protagonists to choose from, so each new one is one that I hope to love. Getting approved for it was like a dream come true. It is so good to see so much varied representation in a teen book – we have a ton of queer characters, eating disorder representation and a big chunk of the side characters (including the love interest) are also people of colour.

I really loved inhabiting Callie's mind, even if it was quite disturbing to see how she processed her relationship to her abusive ex. Her process of realizing that his behaviour was toxic and dangerous was quite hard, but I really rooted for her throughout.

The side characters were also amazing. Rafael was probably my favourite – I loved reading his friendship with Callie and his painfully awkward flirting with Jian. I also adored Mei, the love interest, and her process of figuring her sexuality and love life out.

My only critique is kind of minor – the first scene in the novel really gave me the impression that the story would have a different tone from what we got. It is a scene in which Callie sees a lake monster, and the whole thing has very strong magical realism vibes. But later in the story the magical vibes aren’t as present. In any case what we saw from this atmosphere and the monster was an asset to the story.

This is an amazing book about a girl figuring her sexuality and boundaries, about mental health and the importance of being honest about it. It is a story about friendship and love and support and I think these are one of the most important messages in YA.

3.75 Stars. This was a well written YA novel. This was actually better than I expected and a real solid debut for DeRise. This is the kind of book I wished would have been around when I was a kid. This book takes on some serious topics and I think it’s the kind of YA book that is important and should be in libraries for kids in the 14 to 18 age-ranges. And while I believe this would be a great book for teenagers, it still was plenty entertaining for someone who’s been out of high school for 2 decades -like me-.

This is mostly a pretty dramatic YA book but it also has a little drop of magic. I don’t know if everyone will like the lake monster part but I actually enjoyed it. There is so much YA out there nowadays that the reason this book stood out to me was because of the lake monster part. So while it might make the book seem a little less realistic, I thought the magic added a nice balance to some of the harder moments.

There are some reasonable big triggers for this book but I’ll put them behind a spoiler since they could be a little spoilerish. (view spoiler) Some of these moments were hard to read about and I found myself yelling at the characters to get themselves out of these bad situations. This book throws a lot at the main character -and us as a reader- but I think the author juggled these tough topics very well. Usually, it is better to stick to one tough thing, but I was surprised how much she made it all work.

I was really happy with the diverse cast of LGBTQ+ characters. I liked that the main character was not just coming to terms with her feelings for her best friend but also wondering if she is might be asexual too. There were also some WLW and MLM relationships that were evolving. All the characters were well written and very easy to root for. I even found the father’s storyline to be interesting. When you hear anorexia, I can’t help but think that it must be a woman or girl who has an eating disorder. That is obviously not the case and I think having a character with an anorexic father was an important storyline.

There is so much going on in this book that there is not a lot of time for a romance. On the good side, what romance is there is super sweet and just put a huge smile on my face. The story needed this goodness and joy after these tougher subjects. I think anyone who reads this would just totally ship these two as they are adorable together.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was well written and I was hooked after the first few pages. I’m even more impressed since it looks to be a debut. This is a book that I hope librarians will read because I think it’s an important book for teenagers, while still entertaining for adults. If DeRise writes more LGBTQ+ fiction, I would absolutely read it.

A profound story that definitely made me work to get in to. Easy writing makes for an easy read, but the content can get very heavy. Sweet enough that maybe I’d pick it up again some day.

This book isn’t like anything I’ve ever read before! Completely unique in its mix of fairytale atmosphere with lake monsters and the very raw and painful reality with a dead mother, a father with eating disorders, a predator on/off boyfriend, a friend who is abused by his step dad and the struggle for Callie to figure out her own sexuality and feelings for her best friend. Beautiful and poignant, desperate and hopeful, and awkward and sweet at the same time.

The story follows teenager Callie Catwell, whose life certainly is not a walk in the park. After the death of her mother, she’s living in a trailer park with her father, who is struggling with anorexia and panic attacks. Her best friend and neighbor, Rafael, is living with an abusive and homophobic step father and Callie herself is in an on/off toxic relationship with her ex-boyfriend Joseph. In addition to all that, she’s struggling with her own sexuality and the growing romantic feelings for her best girl friend Mei. When she sees a lake monster one morning, it brings Callie some magic for the first time in her life, and a way to forget all difficulties in her life.

Callie was such a unique and amazing main character! It took me a little while to fully root for her and the way she told the story. The writing style and the language was very special, in the way Callie reflected upon the world and in the way she thought and dissected and worried about just about all and everything. But once I got into it, I absolutely loved the narration and Callie herself! She was so caring and emphatic of others, yet with so little self-esteem herself. She took on so much emotional responsibilities, especially for her father, and put everyone else’s needs first. It was so frustrating how she let her ex Joseph treat her, and how she self-destructively she kept seeking him out, when she knew that he was nothing but trouble. But eventually, and with the help of her friends (and the lake monster in a way), she started an amazing growth journey to explore her sexuality and find the courage to be true to herself.

The monster didn’t play as big a part in the story as I’d first thought, but it did add a wonderful magical touch and worked as a guiding light to Callie in her struggles to stand up for herself and find hope and courage in her difficulties.

All in all, this was a unique, raw, honest and beautiful coming-of-age story, with great representation and a touch of magic to light up a very harsh and painful reality. It was a powerful and gripping tale exploring eating disorders, abuse and victim blaming, that was heartbreaking at times, but most of all empowering and heartwarming. I sincerely enjoyed it, and know that I will keep think about it and Callie and her friends for a long time.

Thank you NetGalley and GenZ Publishing for the opportunity to read this wonderful book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

CW: eating disorder, violence/domestic violence, bullying, sexual assault

Thank you to NetGalley and GenZ Publishing/Zenith Publishing for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Callie Catwell has a lot going on: a father struggling with anorexia, a best friend with an abusive stepfather, an ex boyfriend who won't let things go, and some feelings for her best friend that have her questioning her sexuality. One morning, she sees a monster in the Lost Lake, and an obsession forms. If Callie can just see the lake monster again, maybe everything else won't seem so bad...

This is a story that is easy to keep reading because it just flows so well. I was rooting for Callie and her friends throughout the whole book. I think this novel is great LGBTQ representation for those who aren't sure how they identify or how they're meant to figure it out. Callie and her friends are relatable characters, and they all deserve a happy ending.

#TheFactsandLegendsofCallieCatwell #NetGalley
I quite enjoyed this book and I can't wait to have my own copy :-)

The Facts and Legends of Callie Catwell by @SophiaDeRise has truly immaculate eerie queer girl vibes. In Facts and Legends, Callie is trying to figure who she is and find her place in the world when she spots a pink-eyed monster in the lake where she lives. She's worried about her dad who's struggling in his recovery from anorexia, her bestie who's dealing with his mom's jerk of a boyfriend, and her ex who's pressuring her to get back together. Callie wants to make everyone happy, but is letting herself disappear in the process. Even though she's still questioning everything, she's driven to go deep - in her relationships, into understanding herself, and into trying to find her lake monster.

The writing style is moody, indie, and a bit spooky, which I loved. It evoked the same feelings for me as The Great Gatsby (the book), The Fault in Our Stars, Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Twin Peaks. It has a quiet tone, but the tension is always simmering under the surface, pulling the reader forward.

I loved the representation in this book (listed below) but also how the story wasn't just about those identities. It was so very human - I think everyone can see themselves in these characters.

Recommended soundtrack while reading: Evermore by Taylor Swift

Themes: dealing with rape culture, anxiety and depression, recovering from people pleasing, finding your authentic self, sexuality exploration

Representation: wlw, asexual, demiromantic main character, wlw and mlm side characters, Asian and mid-size or plus-size love interest, Latinx bestie

Trigger warnings: moderate descriptions of anorexia (side character), lots of non consensual touching, moderate descriptions of physical abuse, moderate description of sexual assault, realistic descriptions of anxiety and depression (see my StoryGraph for even more details)

The Facts and Legends of Callie Catwell captured my attention with it’s plot from the very beginning.

I liked the story and how it was filled with relatable everyday problems, spiced up with teenagers discovering their sexuality is just made the book more relevant for nowadays readers.

I don’t really like to read books written in kid/teenager language, but then it’s a Young Adult story, that’s why I can understand the author’s intentions, it makes Callie more relatable for the readers.

I was enjoying Callie’s journey because it was delightfully described how a teenager needs to fight her own way, stay strong in difficult times and be accepted not only by orhers but by herself as well.

All the characters in this book were well-written, even the protagonist’s personality was absolutely believeable, and someone unlikeable from the beginning.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4 stars - enjoyable, sweet and profound

"I think you can't help but be yourself, but it takes some kind of couratge to try and understand what being yourself even means."

I have received an arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you!

This is the story of Callie, a teenager with quite a lot going on. She doesn't have a great lot of self-esteem and takes on emotional responsibility where she really shouldn't. She lives with her widowed and anorexic father in a mobile home by a lake, her best friends and she are just about to explore their feelings and sexuality and there is also her ex Joseph, who is bad news but just won't let her alone. Then one day she sees a monster in the lake and surprisingly, this is the most uplifting and magical thing in her life at that moment.

Starting out, I was a bit taken aback by the very teenage-ey language. It's, like, you know ... totally, like, really a bit annoying. But then I realized that this was just capturing Callie's voice, and it is actually well done. And underneath the surface are many very truthful observations about how it is like to be a teenager who is struggling with self-esteem, overwhelmed with feeling responsible for her only parent left, trying to keep any romantic feelings for a friend locked away and just not really knowing who she is.
Particularly the relationship with sinister Joseph is captured disturbingly well. How high the pressure is that Callie puts on herself to just do the things that girls and boys are supposed to do if they are normal. And with how much ease Joseph is exploiting and manipulating Callie.

However, this is also my greatest frustration with this story. How Callie constantly and actively seeks this relationship out of a self-destructive impulse. It serves as a warning but at the same time reinforces this behaviour pattern as kind of normal. To be honest, I much prefer YA where the protagonists recognize bad people earlier on and seek healthy relationships instead. Fortunately, Callie does understand eventually that there are bad people out there and that there can never be a good reason to hurt others deliberately.

In that regard, this story presents some very simple but nevertheless universal truths we all hope to discover sooner or later when growing up. The monster isn't an integral part of the story (although it does make a very relevant appearance) it just added a little bit of magic, representing the "all will be well eventually".

I would have loved to read this as a teenager, so if you like YA you will probably enjoy this one!

4 stars

I loved this. This is lovely. Not sure how to sum it up, but it’s beautiful & real & awkward & honest. I wish I had this book to read when I was 17.

[What I liked:]

•The narration is first person which is not my favorite, but it’s so well done in this book. Callie’s voice is natural & believable, yet poetic at touches. It’s a really great blend of awkward teen inner monologue & eloquent wistfulness.

•Every character is important & means something to the story. Each one feels unique & real & has their own voice. That’s hard to achieve.

•Callie is so three dimensional & real—her awkwardness around people, her frustrations in figuring out her sexuality, her struggles to support Raf & her dad & Mei but not push them too hard. I don’t know, but the whole story really resonated for me.

•I think the weightier issues (eating disorder, domestic violence, sexual assault, unhealthy relationships) were handled sensitively but I think realistically; and without getting melodramatic or just adding trauma to manipulate reader emotions. I respect that.

•Yay for queer characters! There are 5(?), including the 3 MC’s, & including an ace character.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•I’m not sure I have anything major to critique? At points Callie’s denial & trying to force herself to like someone & something she obviously didn’t was painful. Like it felt like it dragged out a bit too long. But then again, those things are confusing when you’re a teen & still figuring stuff out (been there, know that), so maybe that’s an unfair criticism.

CW: eating disorder/anorexia, sexual assault, domestic violence

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

Callie Catwell is a teenager with many worries, including her father who struggles with anorexia, her friend who has an abusive father and an ex-boyfriend who she can't seemed to let go of. Oh, right, and she is also figuring her sexuality and her possible romantic feelings for her best friend. When she sees a lake monster one morning, she becomes obsessed and also uses it to forget everything that is wrong with her life.

I got this book because I was a bit intrigued by the summary, and it was interesting. Heartbreaking at many points but real. It is heartbreaking to know that there are so many teenagers going through this bad experiences or worse and that is why having books like this one is important. It is important for them to see their situations in stories and know that there are happy endings and ways out of their difficulties. I think it also good to highlight the sexual discovery Callie went through and her best friend. So, thank you Sophia for putting this type of stories out there and in a way give countless teenagers a voice.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tw for / eating dissorder, abuse, attempted sexual assault.

This was very nice and also heartbreaking. The inner thoughts of Callie was painful to read. I think struggling with your sexuality no matter what you think you might be is always difficult so I could really feel her on that. Loved Rafael as well, he deserves the world. I do found the story with the monster a bit strange? Like it was just kind of there and in my opinion really didn't add much to the story so I could have done without it. But a solid read and happy I got the chance to read it

I love this book! The representation, the dreamy setting, the lake monster? All of it worked together so well for a stunning contemporary fantasy debut that I already can't wait to read again. Callie felt so real. I could literally see her in my friends and feel her struggles so clearly as a high school student struggling with her sexuality and her feelings for her best friend.
There's so much to love about this book and I can't wait to read more by this author. This is definitely a book that teen me would have loved in high school and I would recommend it to everyone.