DNF at 30%

Not a fan of this book at all. I think the catchphrase comparing this book to 'To all the boys' is highly deceitful. It focused way too much on the boys and I was very uncomfortable with the main character putting up with racism for a boy.

Maybe if I continued to read on, I would've seen different, but from what I did read, I did not enjoy it one bit.

Every so often there are characters that I really connect with, and June is definitely one of those characters. In fact, I identified with her so much that a lot of this story was actually painful to read. I felt like I was reliving part of my life over again.

Feeling as though she could never live up to her family, June makes a lot of choices designed to make her feel wanted, but ultimately leaving her feeling more alone and adrift than before. I wasn’t sure if she was going to break out of that cycle at any point during the story.

There is a lot of hope at the end of the book. But I also think there is still a lot of uncertainty as well. I don’t think anything was resolved with her family, especially with her mom. Some of her other relationships were strained towards the end as well.

I would love to know where June ends up down the road, I don’t know if a sequel has been considered. But if not, I’ll just write the story I hope for her in my head.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through NetGalley on behalf of the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Boys I know by Anna Gracia

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Coming of Age
Age range: Mature Teen ( ~16+ )

Overall: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 3/5
Writing and Setting: 5/5

Content warning: *themes surrounding racism, parental pressure, sexuality, identity, sexism, teenaged pregnancy, underage drinking, drug use*

I can’t express this enough… although the content warnings are surrounding some pretty heavy ideals, it shouldn’t stop you from reading one of the best coming of age novels I have ever come across.

It’s hard to put into words how truely incredible this book was. It addresses and immerses itself into some very challenging, yet incredibly relatable themes for the average teenager, so much so, I found myself angry that I didn’t have this book as a teenager.

I think for some parents, this book could come across as a little bit confronting, especially considering the sexual themes and casualness that the characters talk about sex, but in a real world narrative, teenagers are having these discussions, they’re engaging in first time encounters, and because of that, there needs to be positive and down-to-earth representations for them to relate to. That’s exactly what this book is. It’s sex positive, it’s open to prodding that line of taboo subjects, and it’s done so in a way that is still age appropriate without actually giving the young audience a ‘full frontal’ sex scene, etc. Adding to this, Gracia also explores the rough terrain of identity, racial stereotyping, and trans-generational conformity that a lot of teenagers nowadays struggle with. For me, and I’m sure a lot of readers, reading this book gave me a sense of being heard, seen, understood and validated.

I haven’t read a lot of books that explicitly highlight the complexities and the nuances of Asian culture within a Westernised world, but Gracia tied this in with the MC so incredibly well that it didn’t just feel like a cultural/ history lesson; it just felt so natural to the character and the story arch.

Characters: 5/5

Each and every character in this book was absolutely stunning in their simplicity… What I mean by this is that not a single character was this picture perfect, cookie cutter individual. All of them had their flaws. All of them felt real. All of them were beautifully frustrating, enjoyable, and human.

June, the MC, was an absolute delight to experience as a reader. Her inner monologue was embarrassingly similar to my own teenaged years and that made the book all the more hilarious and entertaining. I loved that she was constantly evolving and discovering herself and her place in her world.

Plot: 3/5

The plot itself wasn’t all that important to the main storyline. The main focus of the book was the character arch and the character development for June. Although this may be a turn off for some readers, I personally didn’t notice this factor all that much, because the progression of June from the beginning of the book in comparison to the end felt like such a special journey.

Writing and Setting: 5/5

The writing was easy to digest, entertaining, captivating, funny, and in parts, very ‘woke’ to a lot of social issues and themes. I liked that we only have the perspective of June throughout the book in first person POV because it really highlights her journey.

The settings within the book weren’t all that important to the storyline until June attends tours of the different universities. The way that Gracia uses description as a way to express June’s wants surrounding her post-high school studies was a technique that I almost missed in the whirlwind of the story, but I’m really glad I picked up on that. It’s a phenomenal example of ‘show, don’t tell’.

My thoughts:

I think this book could easily have a sequel. I am desperate to know how June progresses as she attends university and ages past high school, but at the same time I think there is something almost poetic about the idea of living within that moment of time with June and no further.
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Thank you to Anna Gracia and her team for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book (even though I’m frightfully late to the party 😅), in exchange for my honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Gorgeously written novel about self-discovery and identity. A rather unflinching account of the expectations of teen girls.

Boys I Know is a highly slept on YA debut. Gracia was able to tell the story of June, a Taiwanese-American senior in high school, perfectly. This book really brought me back to being in high school and not knowing anything that I want to do. Not knowing which career path to go down, which college to go to, and not to mention the boys and
best friends drama. While the characters could be a little frustrating in their decisions, they're teens and are learning from their mistakes. We allllllllll went through that (and probably still are.) I just really enjoyed this one and feel like it deserves all the hype.

I really enjoyed this book and the dynamics that you see play out through al the characters. I was rooting for June the whole time. The author does a great betrayal of what it feels like around that age. I relayed a lot to some of June struggles especially around being “good enough” so that was really nice to read a character going through that and how they navigate it. Some of June’s decisions weren’t always right but also at that age most teens would probably do the same things so U found that authentic. I enjoyed the rep in this story a lot. Definitely recommend this book to YA readers!

A very good ya novel, I recommend to almost anyone who comes into our store. Fun, serious, and perfect for fans of TSITP.

This was a pleasantly surprising read! June was the perfect main character for this story and journey, with her very realistic need to be accepted by all, regardless of the obvious degrading comments and actions around her. What made the story stand out for me, however, was its similarity to “The Bell Jar”. June meets people whom she always hopes will be the perfect match for her, but is left alone due to naïveté and her striving for fitting in. Slowly but surely, she realizes the faults in her actions and not only sets higher standards for others, but also herself. The note that this novel leaves off on is so fitting, and I think this emulates the arc that a classic novel would take on, with a more diverse and modern take.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review :)

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! I highly recommend this! It was absolutely adorable, raw and engaging.

A raw, relatable coming of age YA story featuring June Chu, an Asian American senior coming to terms with both her sexuality and Asian identity as she tries to decide what kind of future she wants for herself despite pressures from her parents, boyfriends and a complicated sister relationship.

Perfect for fans of Mary H.K. Choi or Kelly Yang, this book takes an unflinching look at the ways some teen girls feel pressure to please boys sexually and how hard it can be to find your way, especially when one is constantly being bombarded with messages of not being 'enough' - not Asian enough, not pleasing enough, not good enough, not the best daughter, etc.

Good on audio but recommended for older teens as there is explicit sexual content (including use of the morning after pill). Much thanks to NetGalley for an early digital copy and to @prhaudio for a complimentary audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

CW: racism, teen sex

It was kinda boring and I could not get into the story because of the writing style. I liked the idea and I am sure that others could empathise with the main character but it was not the book I looked for.

Boys I Know is a story about self-discovery but touches upon heavier topics of parental mistreatment, racism, teen pregnancy scares, and more. It's a real and poignant story about teenagers and what they might be going through. I personally was a not a big fan but the story itself was fine.

A modern Judy Blume meets Jenny Han, Boys I Know is a raw and realistic look into the lives of teen girls, examining the complex overlap between teen sexuality and Asian American identity. A sharp and unflinchingly honest journey of self-discovery.

June Chu has always been the "just good enough" girl. Good enough to line the shelves with third-place trophies and steal secret kisses from her AP Bio partner, Rhys. But not good enough to meet her mother’s unrelenting expectations, or get Rhys to commit.

While June’s mother insists she follow in her (perfect) sister’s footsteps and get a (full-ride) violin scholarship, June doesn’t see the point in trying too hard if she’s destined to fall short anyway. Instead, she focuses her efforts on making her relationship with Rhys "official."

But after her methodically planned, tipsily executed scheme explodes on the level of a nuclear disaster, she flings herself into a new relationship with a guy who’s not allergic to the word girlfriend.

As the line between sex and love blurs, and pressure to map out her entire future threatens to burst, June will have to decide on whose terms she’s going to live her life—even if it means fraying her relationship with her mother beyond repair.

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SO excited when I received the copy but sadly, it's not as good as what I thought it's going to be. Look at those cover! it's so gorgeous. June is so relatable sometimes i feel bad for myself. She reminds me a lot of myself.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the copy!

Boys I Know is a sweet story of self-discovery; of finding out why you are striving for certain things, of trying to figure out what YOU want from your life, of falling in love and falling out of love, cause sometimes our ideas of someone are just that - ideas. The book also deals with some heavier topics like racism, parental mistreatment, pregnancy scares, and alcohol and drug use, so I do advise you to check out the trigger warnings before starting it.

I enjoyed this quick and sweet read, but it didn't particularly stand out for me.

This book! This book is perfect for people who want something with more realism for teens. Great to recommend not just to teens who want some reality with their messy romance, but for parents and other adults shopping for teenagers as well. A good coming-of-age rec.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Let me start off by saying this is a genuine story - which is very high praise, as it can't be said about most books these days. It's not up to me to say if this was an accurate depiction of growing up in an Asian household and all the experiences that come with it, so I won't comment on that aspect, but the dynamic between June and her mom was incredibly interesting and you could tell the author put a lot of effort in it. My main issue with this story is that it didn't feel very cohesive, and I wish there had been more of a point to it ultimately. I also suggest checking trigger warnings beforehand, which I think should have been mentioned.
Overall, I'm glad I read Boys I Know, and I can see the reasons why other people will too.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Peachtree teens and the author, for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It took me some time to articulate my thoughts on this book. It was underwhelming to be short.

The book tells the story of June, living her normal teenage life as the daughter of immigrants, understanding herself, her body, her culture, her sexuality and so on. To start with I loved how all issues you face as a teenager and are often forgotten is presented in the book messy and all, with absolutely no sugar coating. I appreciate how June makes mistakes again and again, and how we see the conflict between her and her traditional parents. We also get to see how second gen immigrants deal with racism and sex and everything related to growing up in its raw form, again no glossing over. The way June goes from being uncertain about sex and her body to take responsibility of her body was brilliant. Also loved how important conversations about, condoms and morning after pills happened on page.

As a teenager, I have always felt that the struggles go unseen in spite of the fact that all adults around us were teenagers once, its as if once you become an adult, that part of your life is completely blacked out. Another reason why the cover and the blurb got me so excited! I will say this, I felt seen in this books, which as the author talks about in the preface is the main point of a book like this. And as you would expect, this is the best part of an own voice book. For me the most significant part of this book is how June's relationship with her elder sister grows. As an South Asian immigrant who is also the elder daughter of the family, I understand the pressure of being the perfect daughter and also how this affects your relationship with your younger sibling. The conflict of sticking to your good perfect daughter façade or to be a supportive sibling to a younger sibling is real! no kidding!.

Now the issues, I had with the plot, first and foremost, I hated all the boys lol, they were all little sh*ts and so were a few of June's friends. The second one is that the story felt incomplete. I felt like I was kicked out of June's life with no satisfaction of understanding where she is at her life right now. The ending felt very abrupt and had me sitting like: "That's it??

CWs: Questionable consent, pregnancy scare, microaggressions, racism, parental pressure, injury

I'm not overly fond of this protagonist nor do I find her especially sympathetic. Her choices are incredibly destructive. But I acknowledge that she is a pretty realistic portrayal of a teenager. The secondary characters are strong as well. While I don't especially like this book, I find it's aims and conclusions admirable.

It took me awhile to get my thoughts together for Boys I know which is why the late review. I know how hard it is to be a teenager, I was one once 😂 I was really excited when I read the premise of this book, but honestly I wound up quite a bit disappointed. There were so many times in the book that I wanted to yell at June, and others when I wanted to give her a hug and tell her life would turn out okay. While the emotional pull with June is there, everyone else fell a bit flat making the entire story just, okay.

Boys I Know is the book I wish I'd had as a teen girl navigating relationships—Gracia's characterization is respectful to the complex thoughts, feelings, and relationships of teens, showing all the mess but all the good intentions. Her characters feel real, and the learning/catharsis by the end of the novel is earned and heartwarming. The sex-positive, empowering message is one that will change some girls' lives. (And it's funny and page-turning, too!)