Thank you to NetGalley and for this eArc. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars

There are so many stunning lines in Anna-Marie McLemore's Lakelore that I ended up making an unprecedented 12 highlights on my Kindle while reading it. McLemore's gorgeous language turns Lakelore into essentially one big extended metaphor—for being neurodivergent, for being trans and nonbinary, for living in a brown body, for attempting to accept yourself and fit into a world that doesn't know what to make of you.

A chance encounter at a magical local lake between Bastian and Lore starts the magical journey of our two protagonists. The lake hides Bastian's deepest secrets and worst days, in the form of the alebrijes, whimsical animals that combine colors and traits and parts to form magical creatures, that they craft out of paper mache with their brother Antonio on the days where their brain is fuzzy or anxious or mixed up. The brightly colored fabled animals come to life when Bastian releases them to the deeps of the lake, allowing them to breathe a little easier, to release the power that these disruptive thoughts have on Bastian. Lore has just escaped their hometown with their parents, hoping for a fresh start after an incident at their old school made them unsafe. Learning to manage and work with their dyslexia diagnosis, Lore is inadvertently drawn into the deep of the lake, too, when the real world suddenly becomes awash in the lake's vivid colors. Bastian and Lore work together to figure out the mysteries of the lake and why it keeps calling to the both of them.

The descriptions in this book are utterly gorgeous; I felt like I was right there in the world of the lake with Bastian and Lore as it washed over them. But magical lake aside, this book is really about finding your people and about expressing aloud all the things that go on inside your brain. This is no small feat, attempting to explain to someone who doesn't have ADHD or dyslexia what it is like to live with these life-long diagnoses, and then worry afterwards if they will still decide to like and accept you, but McLemore does so with such beauty and grace. Some of my favorites:

"Once you know the right thing, every minute you don't do it feels wrong."

"You can't separate everything hard from everything beautiful."

"We are still, and we are living currents. We are pulsars that appear as single points of blinking light..."

I have also never read anything that so aptly describes what it is like to grapple with your gender identity. From "gender forecasts" to Bastian's believable hesitancy in deciding whether or not to start HRT, Lore and Bastian's honesty with themselves and each other brings about such poignancy and empathy that I'd challenge anyone to read this and not walk away with a deeper understanding of what it means to be transgender.

My only quibble is the magic itself—I love magical realism, but I felt that the level of acceptance that these two had for the magic from the lake was a little too chill. They are much too reasonable and level-headed while figuring out what this massive, magical upheaval is in their lives. Then again, that is pretty typical of the genre—to accept that which is unbelievable as part of the ordinary and everyday.

This is a book for everyone—parents, teachers, students—who wants to know what it is like to be just a slightly crooked seam in the fabric of the world, but still be a part of its beautiful tapestry.

This book is a powerhouse.

In Lakelore, two non-binary and neurodivergent teens try to deal with their pasts coming back to haunt them. Literally. The world beneath the lake they both live near begins to infiltrate their lives, reminding them of things they’re both trying to outrun, ignore, and forget.

I find myself almost at a loss for words about how to review this book. AM McLemore pulled no punches with this book. They create a world that is so rich without spending really any time below the lake. And yet, as a reader, the feeling of what the world beneath the lake evokes is so strong that it’s as if most of the book deals with it.

But where this book shines the most is not with the fantastical elements; it’s with the characters. The dual perspective narrative made me feel for the two main characters (Bastián and Lore) and how their stories intertwined was exquisitely done. Following these two as they learned to trust each other and themselves felt like witnessing something so special.

This story is about acceptance, in so many different aspects. I think I just need to accept that I will never be able to put into adequate enough words how much of a force this book is. It’s going to stay with me for a long time.

McLemore is one of my favorite authors and this is another excellent book from them. It's full of romance, magical realism, and both characters learning so much about accepting themselves. It's definitely the first time I've seen two non-binary characters fall in love with each other, let alone being non-binary/trans and having ADHD and dyslexia. A delightful and beautiful addition to McLemore's work.

4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s for an advanced copy of this to review! McLemore is a newer author for me, but so far, I’ve enjoyed everything they’ve written. This book might be the best book of theirs I’ve read so far! And that’s saying something because I really loved Mirror Season.

First of all, I don’t think I can think of another YA book that has two nonbinary protagonists that fall in love. If you can think of one, let me know! But right from the beginning, Bastián and Lore feel like they have a kinship because of their nonbinary identities. And we get different ends of the spectrum: Bastián is just starting testosterone injections, while Lore is still exploring their identity. I loved that they both got to talk to each other about this, and their gender forecasts? Those were adroable and felt like something so relatable to nonbinary teens.

In addition to their nonbinary identities, Bastián and Lore both struggle with different neurodivergences. Bastián struggles with ADHD and Lore struggles with dyslexia. With Bastián, we get the full spectrum of ADHD. Where people normally think of ADHD as hyperactivity, there’s so much more than that. There’s also a brief discussion about how gender is related to ADHD diagnosis, which I also don’t think is something I’ve seen in a YA book. Lore struggles with figuring out words, and the way they describe it feels realistic and definitely relatable for teens also struggling with these issues.

Like most McLemore’s books, there’s a magical realism element that directly correlates with what the characters are struggling with. I especially like the way that the lake paralleled the way Lore felt like they were spiraling out of control, unsure of how to stop it. It’s a subtle magical realism, but it works so well with the story.

All in all, I absolutely loved this book and think it’s going to continue to get a lot of good buzz when it comes out in March. It’s definitely one that you won’t want to miss!

I really enjoyed this read. The neurodivergent rep really stood out to me and was relatable. Plus, the romance between Lore and Bastian was really cute and made me smile. I think this book did a really good job giving us insight into these characters and making them feel more real. I almost wish i got to know the side characters more, though.

Great story about two non-binary teens learning to accept all of themselves, even the parts they would rather throw away. I went into this title expecting the fantasy elements of the land below the lake to play more of a part, but really they were used more as physical representations of the teens' neurodivergences (one is dyslexic, the other has ADHD) with the focus being firmly on the relationship the teens have with themselves and each other. I did find it a bit difficult to distinguish the two main characters, as I felt their voices were very similar. Otherwise this is a great #ownvoices story that models healthy and progressive relationships/interactions with a diverse cast.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been a fan of McLemore’s books for a long time and while I liked this one, I think this book wasn’t their best. There was a disconnect that happened with the plot but the characters were all there. It’s not the worst, but it’s kind of …eh? (for me at least).

I do love the short chapters and McLemore is a genius when it comes to packing a lot in a few pages. If you need to learn about fast pacing in a few pages, any of McLemore’s books would fit that bill.

I really did like the examination of a character with ADHD and another with dyslexia and how they see and operate in the world in a similar way. The representation of the world under the lake as Bastian’s brain was a lovely touch. I wish there was a similarity to Lore’s brain unless it was also the lake.

Expectation: character driven plot in McLemore’s style

Reality: character driven, a little plot, more fantastical (I think that’s the word I’m going for), a love letter to those with ADHD and dyslexia

Lakelore is a YA book about a couple of teenagers trying to find themselves. Bastián has ADHD and Lore is dyslexic and both are nonbinary. The book is told in alternating chapters which I do enjoy but in this case, the voices were so similar I would forget which character was narrating. However, I did love the characters and thought they were very well-written. I have kids similar to both so it really hit home for me. I think the messages and themes in the book are fantastic and hope it gets a huge audience.

So thrilled I had the opportunity to read an e-galley Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. I am counting down the days until I can recommend this book to my students and they can buy or check out a copy from the library. That both main characters are non-binary and use they/them pronouns is a reason to be giddy. That we get these characters along with McLemore's beautiful, evocative writing is a real gift.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was perfect in every imaginable way. The prose was gorgeous; McLemore has a talent at describing colors. The story was deeply relatable as a queer, trans, and neurodivergent individual. I loved every moment in this book and I already want to read it again. I hope neurodivergent teens read this book and see themselves in these pages, because I sure did.

At first I rather enjoyed this book. But after I got about a third of the way through I had put it down to finish another book and when I came back to it, I found that I hit a bit of a brick wall, you could say, and felt like I couldn’t get back into the story and finish it. To me it felt like it teetered between the storyline/plot dragged on and there being no discernable/strong storyline at all. And I tend to be one of those people who prefers to read books that are more plot/story driven than character driven. So, unfortunately, I think this will be one book that I’ll have to end up putting on my ‘did not finish’ pile.

Lakelore is a young adult contemporary fantasy that tells the story of two neurodiverse and nonbinary teenagers. They’re connected through Lakelore, an ethereal world beneath a lake that they both visited when they met for the first time seven years ago. Lore’s only seen the world once, but that one encounter changed their fate. Many years later, Lore moves to the same town as Bastián as they’re once again connected as the lines between air and water begin to blur.

Bastián’s story is a portrayal of living with ADHD. They are Mexican-American, trans nonbinary, and start testosterone during the book, an event that becomes key to showing their ADHD experience. They turn what they perceive to be the bad parts of themselves into art and hide it under the lake for no one to see. Their storyline documents overcoming the fear of being seen for all aspects of yourself and getting to the part of life where you know you’re not alone with your troubles. Bastián also has lesbian moms and I wish they had more time on the page because they seem cool and we didn’t get to know them as well as Lore’s parents.

Lore’s story is a portrayal of living with dyslexia. They are also Mexican-American and show a different portrayal of being nonbinary, specifically how people treat you based on your gender presentation. Their storyline also shows how ableism causes trauma and how long it takes for someone to heal from it, if they ever do.

This is an #OwnVoices novel and the author’s note states that these characters are written from their own experience of living with a neurodivergent brain and their lived experience being nonbinary and Mexican-American. There’s also a mention of how the author feels like they are exactly what some people think of when they think of ADHD, but how they also burn themselves out trying to mask the less pleasant symptoms. It was incredibly refreshing to read about this experience, and it was incredibly important and valuable to me specifically to read about people who simply existed with neurodivergence without their story revolving around finding a ‘cure’ or being a burden to the people who surround them.

Above everything else, Lakelore is about friendship and finding people who accept you for <i>you</i>. I cannot emphasise the importance of both the neurodivergent and nonbinary representation, but mostly how significant it is to show families and friends that are supportive on the page.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)

This book is beautiful! It's a story opening up and learning to trust people with just a little magic to help it along. It has ADHD rep that made me feel so seen. It also has two non-binary main characters that represent different ways of being non-binary. It was full of stunning imagery and metaphor. It's a book I wish I could send back in time to my teenage self because reading it would've helped me see and understand things. It would've helped me understand who I was.

If I taught high school, and had my own classrom room, this would be on the shelf in it.

This book was a real page turner. It really shows you what it’s like to be apart of two different worlds .this book includes all kinds of characters and is very inclusive, you don’t get to see that very often but I think that we should.

It turns out that this isn’t my sort of book at all as it is more character-driven than my preferred plot-driven. Nonetheless, I think it’s potentially a valuable book as its two main characters are “brown and trans,” use they/their pronouns, and are neurodivergent.

The plot is slight: highschoolers Bastián and Lore are able to see and visit a magical world under a lake. It becomes a metaphor for the parts of themselves that they wish to hide - which are only connected to their neurodivergence - but it becomes apparent that “you can’t separate everything hard from everything beautiful.” It’s only by revealing and expressing their whole persons can they truly know each other.

Alternating narration, we get to experience their inner thoughts and processes: Bastián has ADHD and Lore is dyslexic. The author whose brain is “wired a little differently” does a brilliant job of describing what these conditions feel like, the coping mechanisms that the characters use, and the emotional pressure they can cause. That the characters are also Mexican American and trans (the author is Mexican American and nonbinary) is more background than their neurodivergence, though a bullying incident leads to them meeting. Their friends and families are wholly accepting and supportive.

My interest was piqued by Bastián’s creation of alebrijes - small papier mache fantastical animals - as a way of transferring bad experiences or things that bother him into something inanimate. These brightly painted models come alive in the world under the lake (and for Lore, it is tins of brightly colored paint) and this precipitates that world moving above the water. It is only when Bastián and Lore accept that these experiences are part of them that the status quo is restored.

So, not a novel I particularly enjoyed (and I'm not really the audience), but one that will be a valuable addition to my school library.

Thanks to Feiwel & Friends and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

4 stars

McLemore just keeps cranking out the hits, and this is another memorable example of their tremendous contributions to YA literature - and literature in general - in this moment.

Lore and Bastian, the main characters from whose alternating perspectives this story is told, make a riveting pair. They are both harboring uncertainty, shame, and a feeling of being different, and for the first time, they both seem to have found another person who can relate. An obvious contributing factor to this sentiment is that they are both exploring their understanding of gender (and giving each other updated gender forecasts, which is totally endearing). McLemore always tackles this subject with grace, but I especially appreciate the layered approach provided in this instance. Additionally, there are some gripping explorations of dyslexia and ADHD, which so many readers will be able to relate to, empathize with, and build empathy for (where needed). McLemore also creates a characteristically magically infused environment in which all of the action takes place. As in all of their books, this is an absolute standout aspect of an already enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed the portrayal of these characters, the representation, and the methodical and vulnerable rolling out of their inner selves. Every reader will learn - or be reminded - that we all have something magical under the surface. I'm adding this one to my long list of McLemore recs for students.

"Lakelore" by Anna-Marie McLemore is a gorgeously written extended character study of two non-binary teens who are struggling with their place in the world. Lore is new in town, troubled and trying their best, and struggling with dyslexia. Bastien is working hard to manage their ADHD while beginning the process of taking T shots on their own. And there's something happening with the lake... something that is calling out to the two teens.

First of all - the representation is fantastic. It's clear that McLemore knows what they're talking about and both POVs are distinctly written. The writing itself is as liquid and flowing as the lake waters it's frequently describing; in parts this reminded me of a prose poem. Sometimes this worked - particularly with the emotional scenes between Lore and Bastien. Sometimes I was confused as to what exactly was happening - I feel like the "why" behind the lake mystery was a little subtle and I was uncertain as to what exactly the worldbuilding was saying. I feel like the book description is a little wonky, too - I went into this expecting a kind of adventurous fantasy about the world beneath the lake, and this was a much quieter, character-driven story. Just as lovely as a straight fantasy, but not quite what I was envisioning. Go into this for a deep-dive of two lovely characters; it's where the story's heart is. I enjoyed my time with this book, and would recommend it to anyone who has ever felt on the outside looking in. Thank you so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Anna-Marie McLemore never disappoints! I love the way this novel blends that sort of dreamy surrealism and contemporary fantasy. Lakelore is somehow both new and nostalgic, absolutely perfect!

4.75/5

I saw the cover of this book and knew that I wanted to read it. Adding that the two main characters are both nonbinary and it became a need. I am so very thankful to the publisher for allowing me an eARC of this book.

I’ll start this review with my only hesitation about this book. The writing style is a bit unique and took me a second to get used to. Especially considering there was a time jump that I had to go back and read again to notice. I did eventually get used to the writing style and it even suits the book very well. Both characters are neurodivergent, one with ADHD and the other has dyslexia, so it makes sense if the writing style wasn’t always linear.

I loved both these characters! They’re kind of hot messes, but not in a negative way. Rather it’s in a "learning to cope and discuss your problems with other people" kind of way. Each of these characters was allowed space to grow without compromising who they are. I loved watching them grow even if I was slightly frustrated about them not talking things through (though who am I to say anything).

I also really loved the blend and melding of the real world and the world under the lake. It’s not something that makes logical sense, but it doesn’t need to. The descriptions of the world both when it was under the lake and when it was trying to drag the two back under were amazing. It sounds like a paradise, somewhere to be safe and comfortable.

I had high hopes for this book. I really wanted it to be good and I would have even taken passable. It was so much better than what I was expecting. The characters were amazing and relatable, and the setting and plot were just fascinating.

Thank you, Feiwel & Friends, for allowing me to read Lakelore early.

Really, really thank you so much for this book. I have been a fervent supporter of McLemore since their debut The Weight of Feathers and with each new story my love for them grows infinitely. I adored Lakelore so much and I can't wait to share it with students. It has such important themes and the protagonists, oh the protagonist, were simply splendid. Both so heartfelt and beautiful.