*3.5

I absolutely adored the main character and the supporting characters. However, I did feel as though this book tried to tackle a lot of tough themes but didn’t always go about it the right way. This meant that I found myself getting annoyed at the characters a lot. That being said they were still easy to relate to. The plot and relationships were enjoyable so overall I loved the book.

I'm suuuch a sucker for stories about Serious Feminist Teen Girls Learning To Respect And Value Seemingly Frivolous Types Of Teen Girls (and vice versa). End "Not Like Other Girls" syndrome!!! I really loved Eliza as a chararacter (despite her "unlikability") and I just enjoyed her and her journey, but also the complexity of the side characters.

Eliza Quan is set on being the next editor in chief for the school newspaper, she’s the perfect candidate, however, her plans are derailed when Len DiMartile decides to run against her. He wins and Eliza sees this as an obvious form of misogyny. She spills her frustration into an essay that accidentally gets posted and becomes viral (or at least viral amongst those in the high school). She finds herself leading a feminist movement and of course, there are those who believe she is crying wolf and speaking nonsense. On top of that, she is asked to work with Len to demonstrate their civility and as they grow closer, Eliza realizes that she may be falling for the patriarchy himself.

I really liked how this book covered issues such as misogyny and the slightest bit on racism. Although Eliza is the leader of this feminist movement, she still struggles with figuring out the true meaning of feminism (ex: a girl gets called a sl*t and Eliza struggles with internal misogyny that has been drilled into her by society). This book also touches on the double standard that women face and this is especially prominent when Len and Eliza are caught kissing and Len is congratulated while Eliza is shamed.

I really loved and admired Eliza’s character because she was just so driven and she wouldn’t let anything get in her way. She’ll tell you the truth, even if it’s something you don’t want to hear. Some may see this as bitchy and mean (oh there goes the misogyny again), but I genuinely think it makes her a great person.

While I thought it was nice that the story covered topics such as immigration, racism, and culture, I felt like it was trying to cram it all into the story and much of it did not necessarily contribute to the story. Don’t get me wrong, I liked seeing the representation, especially the needing to translate everything for your parents, but I didn’t really see how that contributed to the main plot of the story.

There was also the aspect of the stereotypical groups of high schoolers; the jocks, the “alt” kids, the popular girls, etc. I know those groups exist but their portrayal isn’t super realistic and it feeds into the stereotypes that are set for them. It seems as if those groups are separate and never intermix but in real life (from my own experience as a high schooler) they do mix.

Overall, I think this book was a solid read but it lacked depth in most of the topics it tried to cover since there were many it tried to touch on in such a short time.

FIRST OF ALL I want to say that the rating is not on the THEMES of the book, but rather the execution. Ok. So starting with Eliza. I did not like her. I thought her verryyyy boring. I would have much rather read a story on Winona. And then there was Len. He was okay I guess. But my main problem was with all the cheesiness and melodrama. I felt if there was better banter and conversations then my rating would have been a whole lot higher...

I liked the character building in this story…the main and supporting characters learning and being open minded to change their ways of thinking. The romance part of it was cute and I really like that this book spoke about not only feminism but sexism and racism. I would definitely recommend this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this YA. Enjoyable in its address of the universal themes often found in YA (first love/relationships, identity, and family/friendships) while also providing fresh perspective on important issues for young readers. This is a great title for students in that it can be read purely for enjoyment or serve as a starting point for excellent conversations surrounding feminism, patriarchy, and systemic racism. Highly recommended.

4/5 ⭐️
Eliza Quan is running for Editor in Chief of her school newspaper, the Bugle, and is certain she will succeed since she is running unopposed. But when a boy named Len suddenly runs against her and earns the support of her classmates (while being less experienced and dedicated), Eliza brings light to the problems of sexism in their school.
I really enjoyed the themes of feminism in this book! Sometimes I thought Eliza went about it wrong, but she was forced into a difficult situation and she powered through it- which I really admire. Most of the characters were fairly likable, but I absolutely adored Len. He had his bad moments, but still. It’s really hard not to fall for “the face of the patriarchy” when it's Len. Sometimes it felt like Eliza and other people just blamed things on Len because he was stereotyped as the jock dude, but I felt like Eliza went through a lot of development with that. The characters are diverse, and all of the MCs are POC. There was hardly any buildup of tension leading up to the romance, but once the romance began, I absolutely loved it. Lastly, the reference to The Regrettes was amazing, I had to physically put my phone down and scream (in a good way, of course). That earned so many brownie points from me :) What dragged me into the book was the gorgeous cover art, but I ended up with a wonderfully cute and simultaneously powerful feminist novel!

As someone who lacked representation growing up and still now, there’s something so comforting about reading stories from Own Voice authors who have led similar lives to me. There’s still a part of me that gets a thrill from seeing these characters lead the lives I wish I did when I was their age. I honestly related to the stubbornness of our protagonist, Eliza Quan, a lot as she grappled with the struggles of high school, boys, and the navigation her journey as a feminist. Being the daughter of immigrants is a unique experience that I think that Quach captured well, a pressure to appease your parents but also fantasize more for yourself. I think Eliza is a good representation of trying to find the right balances in life in several different aspects. Overall, I really enjoyed it and hope to see more from Michelle Quach in the future!

YA definitely needs more diverse options, and NOT HERE TO BE LIKED certainly delivers. Eliza's journey as the daughter of immigrants is such a needed POV in the genre.

Is Eliza likeable? Not really. Did I identify with her prickly exterior and need to excel? Yes.

I didn't really feel like we got enough back story about Len, though -- why is he attracted to someone who basically hates him?

The best part is the strong female friendships and interesting side plots happening throughout.

This story has a diverse cast of characters that I liked. The characters were well thought out and well written. Eliza’s family is Chinese-Vietnamese and we learn a little bit of their traditions and her mother’s experience as a refugee. Len is half Japanese and half white. Eliza’s best friend is black, and her new friend is Korean. Most of the students at school are either white or Asian. The story takes place in California. There are some phrases (most translated) in Cantonese and Vietnamese which I thought added something to the story.

This was a love story (rival turned love) and a story about feminism. It discussed a few different views on it and showed different ways students were being sexist. I liked that the principal and many teachers were in support of what Eliza and her following were trying to accomplish, but that they also discussed the better way of making a difference. They told her things she was doing right, and things that could have been done better.

In the beginning, I really connected with Eliza and her embarrassment, anxiety, and frustration made me anxious and even made me cry, until the story made me laugh.

I really liked this story. It made some good points and could lead to a lot of great discussions. There were a lot of little lessons for the reader to learn. It was well written. I love when I have to look up words to see what they mean.

A great debut novel! I would recommend it.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Katherine Tegen Books for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #NotHeretoBeLiked

I loved this book! Definitely going on my sex/dating/consent booklist. Super sex positive without being steamy for teens who don't like that. This is a realistic portrayal of slut shaming and sexism that probably happens in many high schools across America. Well-written, perfectly paced, and a satisfying conclusion.

Eliza Quan knows she will be the next editor of Willoughby's school newspaper, The Bugle. Well, she thought she knew until Len DiMartle, the easy-going and likable ex-jock, decides to run at the last minute. Eliza’s frustration takes form in a manifesto that is published without her knowledge sparking a feminist movement at her school. In the meantime, Len and Eliza are forced to work together on several newspaper articles. Eliza starts to find she’s not as annoyed with Len. In fact, there may be more there.

Eliza is such a real character. Her friendships and interactions with other characters in the book feel authentic and are fully developed. Not Here to Be Liked is more than just a cute YA romance. It has substance dealing with sexism and mixes in Asian culture through the characters’ backgrounds.

**Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Eliza Quan has her sights set on being the next editor in chief of her school's paper, it's all she's been thinking about since joining the paper her freshman year. But her dreams are dashed when ex-jock Len DiMartile is voted editor in chief instead. Eliza vents her frustration the only way she knows how, through writing. However, her "manifesto" on the misogyny that led to Len being promoted over her, is accidentally posted to the school's homepage and, over night, Eliza finds herself the school's feminist figurehead. Soon, Eliza is leading the charge for gender equality in school, while also falling for Len.

Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach is a great starting point for discussions on feminism and what it means to be a feminist. Eliza struggles with what it means to be "the right kind of feminist" and her growing feelings for the boy she declared was the "face of the patriarchy."

Alongside the issue of feminism, Quach also touches on family dynamics, race, and culture.

While I enjoyed this book, I found myself skimming quite a bit. Don't get me wrong, Quach has written a delightful YA romance that deals with larger topics. However, I found that she was trying to put too much into Not Here to Be Liked, which meant that a lot of the story was surface level. I found myself wanting the story to focus on one element or the other in order to dive deeper into the issue. I also felt that, while the romance between Eliza and Len was cute, it lacked depth and development.

I found Quach's Not Here to Be Liked to be a quick, easy read that was perfect for a cozy weekend in. Though I wish the story had gone deeper into such important issues, I nonetheless sped through the book and found it to be a nice, enjoyable read.

Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Eliza dreams of being the Editor-in-Chief at her high school and she believe she will win. That is, until Len’s speech blows everyone away. Len is an ex-jock who’s annoyingly charismatic. Eliza is Chinese and Len is Half-White, Half- Japanese. I loved this book and I highly recommend it for fans of Tweet Cute and A Pho Love Story!

NOT HERE TO BE LIKED is a smartly written book with a wonderfully prickly protagonist in Eliza . When she doesn't get voted as the next editor in chief of her high school's newspaper over the less experienced, but more likable Len, she unintentionally (at first) begins a feminist campaign that snowballs. It analyzes the complex feelings about what feminism means and how people can act in misguided ways even if their intentions are good.

We also meet Eliza's Chinese-Vietnamese family. There are so many details I appreciate about her family and how acutely Quach includes her parents' refugee experiences and how that informs her family's dynamic. As someone with a similar cultural background, so many of the phrases and mannerisms and history are relatable and funny in its honesty. In short, I love this book so much. It is certainly the kind of book I would have loved to have when I was a teenager.

4.5/5 stars

Eliza wants to become editor in chief of her high school newspaper and is expected to win. Until, a new competitor enters the night before the election. Len DiMartile. Who is an ex-jock as well as extremely attractive and charming. Suddenly, Len's speech blows everyone away, and he ends up winning. In a moment of anger, Eliza writes an essay that becomes viral, bashing Len and blaming everything on sexism. She finds herself being forced to work with Len to get rid of their problems. But, everything changes when she finds herself falling for him.

WOW. This book was incredible and I loved almost every second of it.

The characters.
I'll be honest, I didn't love Eliza. I felt like she was undermining Len's experience as a writer just because he was a jock and she was stereotyping him. She did have some character development. But, I think she continued to just be meh. I adored Winoma and Len. They were definitely my favorite characters. Winoma continued to be there for Eliza, and was just a great side character. Len was indeed charming and he was just amazing. He supported the feminism movement and all of his "bad" actions had decent reasoning behind them. Eliza's dislike for him was unwarranted. ALSO, almost all of the main characters are POC. That made my heart so happy, especially because the main character, Eliza is Chinese and Len is half- white and half- Japanese. You don't see a lot of biracial representation and the fact that a main character's love interest is biracial makes me so happy.

The plot
Feminism. That was kind of the main plot here. I think the novel discussed many different aspects of feminism and how hard it is to be a female at times. The book discusses a ton of sexism and how men get the upper hand almost every time. There was a lot of important discussions in this book and it's the first book that I have ever read that really dealt with these issues head on. The plot moved forward well and the romance between the two characters was entertaining to read. There was always excitement and the book did not drag at all.

I would recommend this book to anyone, literally anyone. Pick up this book in September, you won't regret it.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.