Cover Image: This Is Why They Hate Us

This Is Why They Hate Us

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This was amazing i almost cried reading it on audiobook, while it wasnt a book I read in one sitting it was one of the books i took a short time to read

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Coming of age story about a 17 year old bisexual boy. Themes of self worth, anxiety, belonging, finding himself, coming into his own through connections with other boys, his best friend, and a great teacher.

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whatttttttt?! I loved it! I couldn't put this one down. the twist took me for a loop and I never wanted it to end. the ending was perfect and im honestly so surpirsed at this one.

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Enjoyable enough plot! I just may be too old for this type of story BUT I have students who would love it and feel seen by it. I really appreciate the concept and storytelling. It’s definitely one I’ll rec to my students. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

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If I had to sum up this entire book in one sentence, I would reference this famous quote: “Good judgement is the result of experience and experience the result of bad judgement.”

I wouldn’t co-sign most of what the character does and thinks before he ends up where his journey leads him.

It’s as tiring as spending time with an actual 17-year-old with no filter and just spewing poorly-formed ideas.

The main character has experiences, learns lessons, then backslides and makes the mistakes again.

I most related to the unamused and tired English teacher in his 30s that had to tolerate the 17-year-old and his terrible ideas.

I can’t say the book is good or bad. There’s lots of good in it, but throughout the entire journey, it was always a mixed bag. For the entire book, the main character vacillated between relatable and repulsive/unlikable to me.

I spent half my reading time with a cringe on my face.

It’s chaotic. It’s a mess. It’s often angst-ridden and not enjoyable. It gives a whole new meaning to “bisexual disaster.”

The full first third of the book was internalized homophobia and angst. There was so much angst that it was painful at points and I had to just power through it.

The main character is often unlikable. He is often relatable, but his self-centeredness is not always endearing.

From time to time, it gets graphic sexually. It has a fair amount of underage alcohol use—which is condoned and supported by both parents.

I’m glad they actually said the words (“bi”, “bisexual”, and “biphobia”).

I really liked that the main character came out as bisexual to their friend to only find out they are bisexual too. That seems realistic in a way that isn’t usually covered.

It has good representation of cultures.

As anxious as the main character is, I’m glad that most of their imagined fears don’t come to fruition.

It reminded me of Eyes Wide Shut in that the lustful main character is blessed to not have destroyed themselves with a series of dangerous/ill-advised decisions.

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First off, I absolutely adore the narrator of this story!! His voice is just everything and I think that if this book was turned into a movie he would absolutely HAVE to play Enrique, simply because his voice matches perfectly.
I love how this book not only covers some of the LGBTQ problems in the world, but it also covers problems with race. Enrique is going through a quarter life crisis. He is a 17 year old bisexual boy who is trying to figure out everything in his life in one summer. I love that this author chose to have ✨steamy✨ parts in this book, even though the characters were high schoolers. Everyone seems to act as if a normal high schooler would not have a sex drive. There’s a great amount of ✨steam✨, just enough to not be able to listen to it around your family. I love that everyone is trying to find themselves in different ways. Deep into the book it talks about the anxiety of mass shootings and it hit me deep. It’s my exact same thoughts and in the same setting as the main character. I love that the author doesn’t skip over hard stuff, especially with the main characters anxiety.
There are so many HILARIOUS moments in this book.
STOP. The end of this book. It’s amazing. Everyone should read this book I love it so much.
In conclusion, I am absolutely in love with this book and it truly feels like a book made for the lgbtq community. I’ve never felt more in touch with a character than I have felt with Enrique. This book is seriously a New York Times Bestseller waiting to happen.
Aaron Aceves, thank you for making this book exactly what I needed it to be at this moment. This is honestly such a beautiful, funny, heartwarming book.

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This was a case of it’s not you it’s me. I found Enrique to be a really annoying and immature character. I found myself really frustrated with his behavior most of the time. It was also super true to life based on his age.

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I liked this but it wasn't very memorable, unfortunately. I read the whole thing pretty quickly but it felt a bit too predictable for my tastes. There was no mystery and while I liked Quique, he was a pretty average YA character.

Hopefully, I'm just in a funk and jaded. :)

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This is a compelling coming of age audiobook. Fans of Darius the Great is not ok will enjoy this story.

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a really good book with a great bisexual rep. the writing was good and immersive and i think it was the narrator's fault as well. the characters are great too

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An absolutely amazing YA story that has so much depth, love, heartbreak, and humor. I was blown away with how visceral so many of Quique’s emotional moments came through— you could feel his struggle, that rawness and loneliness leap off the page and reflect parts of us that I’m sure we have all felt at one time or another.

As Quique embarks on a journey of dating and experimentation, trying to figure out how he wants to identify and what it means to him, but also grappling with the bisexual erasure that seems to be everywhere, this felt so real, and needed, and honest, it was all truly so well executed. Along with sexual identity and relationships, this also tackles mental health unapologetically. There’s discussion of suicide or suicidal ideation, self harm, depression, breakdowns, medication, treatment, and pain he stigma associated with mental health. All of those is laid bare and we see both how is can wreak havoc on a young teens’ mind and self worth, and ability to interact with peers and those around them. It was so refreshing to see on the page and yet also not attempt to offer any perfect answer or solutions.

I also really loved the balance this strikes with giving Quique very authentic, normal relationships and interactions, whether with his family or his best friends, this doesn’t make those side relationships caricatures or imbue them with so much wisdom you have to truly suspend relief that these could be real people you know. Often, I see authors using side characters like these to postulate or feature long narratives that just try to explain the author’s point of key themes, but here, the interactions flow seamlessly.

So many moments made me laugh out loud or just hug the book itself and the ending was the perfect high note. Not with everything buttoned up perfectly, but with so much heart and hope and with Quique finally loving himself and knowing the value and respect he is owed.

I can’t recommend this enough, this is truly so special. The audiobook is spectacular, really driving the emotions home, whether in moments of tearful exchange and pain, or during laugh out loud moments.

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So good and so so important. I marked it as a four star on my personal tracker, but am marking it as a five star here and on goodreads, because it is objectively a great book !! (I'm just outside the age demographic for the intended audience and that had an effect on my personal enjoyment).

But I would absolutely highly recommend, and I have already ordered a copy in my store. Can't wait to see this story in the hands of its intended readers. It will mean a lot to the right audience.

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*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review*

I think, from what I've heard, this is a good coming-of-age novel, and from what I read, it was good! I got 20% in before I had to put it down after hearing about some scenes.

I do think there are some problems with it being classified as YA and 14+ via the publisher. There are graphic sex scenes (I've heard, I haven't, and probably won't finish it because of this). I think that 18+ material that is graphic, such as the things I've heard in this, are a problem. YA books can have more sexual scenes, but writing them in detail is where I think it crosses a line. You can allude to it, or fade to black! It doesn't need to be in heavy detail.

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Enrique, aka Quique, is bisexual. He has not come out to anyone except for his best friend Fabiola. Fabiola is also bisexual and hasn't come out to very many people either. Quique has a huge crush on a classmate named Saleem and they hang out a lot. He hasn't confessed his feelings and thinks that Saleem is not interested and doesn't want to ruin their friendship. Quique and Fabiola agree that he should either take the plunge and confess to Saleem or develop a relationship with some of his other crushes at school. When Saleem goes away for a month for the summer Quique thinks it's a good opportunity to try developing relationships with his other crushes. Thus an awkward string of real situations happen where a teen is exploring their sexuality with new partners and having different outcomes based on their personalities. This book would be a good way to talk about sexuality and partners with teens but it kind of made me uncomfortable. In the end Quique confessed to Saleem and wound up happy with him. Sometimes you have to wade through the mess and explore before getting there. So in that way it's a real life example but it would have been nicer if Quique was honest.

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A YA novel about a bisexual latino coming out and coming of age. Enrique is in high school and has an unrequited crush on one of his best friends, Saleem. When Saleem heads across the country for a month long summer vacation with his family, Enrique decides he will explore other options. Enrique's other best friend is his bi sexual girlfriend Fabiola. She is completely out and speaks her mind and encourages Enrique to test the waters of his sexuality. This makes it sound like the whole book is about sex, but it is more about the emotions that go along with teenage hormones, belonging, acceptance, feeling like an outsider in your own skin, in your own family, and in society.

The book also could be described as a rom-com because it is very funny in places.

Enrique explores the difficulties of coming out to people who might think like you, might use you, and might shun you. There is the fear that the people he is attracted to won't like him back and worse, not even want to continue to be friends with him after he shares his truth with them. He tests the waters of internet "dating" sites that might be nothing more then hook up sites or sites that exploit young people. Some of these issues are unique to non-cis people and some are experienced by people of any age and any gender preference.

While he worries about coming out to his parents, he discovers that they sort of already knew but were not sure because he wasn't sure of himself. They worried about him being gay in a world that doesn't fully accept and welcome non-cis sexuality. At one point Enrique hears his parents asking if it was their "fault" and he thinks they are blaming them selves for his queerness which implies that there is blame - fault - in that identity. I was hoping that he had misunderstood their need to blame themselves and that in reality they were blaming themselves for him not knowing that he could have come to them about anything, anytime. Enrique learns that he has supports, mentors, friends, and like-minded people in his corner. The hope is that every LGBTQ+ teen has these types of supporters even if they don't know it.

I listened to the audio book and the narrator was great.

Thank you Netgalley for a free copy in return for an unbiased review.

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I really don't like when characters become super petty and cruel to others, to me it's an overplayed and unecessary trope. I do think there is an audience for this book, but it just wasnt me. And thats okay.

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4.5

I was given an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always please check trigger warnings before reading.

This is Why They Hate Us is an wonderfully emotional read. This novel has LBGTQ+ and mental health representation and is very raw and emotional. It does also have explicit spicy scenes between minors which is a little off putting as a non minor however I do also know it is the norm for teenagers to be sexual. I do love that the MC access therapy (which helps to normalize it) and does open up about their struggles.

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Contemporary YA novels and I have kept a respectful distance from each other since I attended high school. That is to say, I see well-received novels in this genre come out each year but because I find them hit or miss, I tend to only pick up those with premises that standout or by authors who I find interesting. These two necessities converged when I heard of This Is Why They Hate Us by debut author Aaron Aceves.

This Is Why They Hate Us is about a teenager using his last summer before it all gets too serious in pursuit of a practically messy love life in order to get over the crush that has always seemed out of reach. The further Quique wades into other romantic waters, the more he learns that he can hide from his emotions. It doesn’t help that with each romantic prospect, he wonders if there’s more to what’s in front of him. Luckily, his best friend Fabiola is on similar journey of standing in their newly lived queerness so Quique has a confidant for most of his conflicting feelings. That is, until Fabiola’s messy pursuits overlap with his own and Quique feels like a man adrift as he struggles to navigate whether it is safe to share his sexuality with his various crushes and family.

As a seeker of mess, this story appealed to me not only because I find it entertaining but because I can’t help but recognize a similar rationale behind how I moved at 17. The novel also reminds me that no matter what age we are, the way we move around an obstacle we find insurmountable in the face of a greater desire will always be measured by how we approach fear. If you’re looking for a book that features all these components in one, This Is Why They Hate Us is definitely worth adding to your TBR.

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Enrique “Quique” Luna’s goal for the summer is to get over his crush on his friend Saleem. His best friend Fabiola, the only one he’s out to, is there to encourage him along the way. Quique just needs to decide which boy to go for: there’s stoner-jock Tyler, who seems interested in both Quique and Fabiola; class president Ziggy Jackson; and the flirtatious Manny Zuniga. As the summer goes along, however, Quique realizes that this may not be the best way to get over Saleem and that he needs to figure out what he really wants.

This is such a cute and funny coming-of-age story! I must admit, though, that Mr. Chastman, Quique’s teacher, was my absolute favorite character, and I was so disappointed that he doesn’t exist in real life! I can’t believe this is Aceves’ debut novel; I look forward to seeing what he writes in the future. Don’t miss this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

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Teenage Enrique is not only trying to make his way through high school, he’s also falling hard for his presumably straight friend, Saleem. This book is so much deeper than your average queer coming of age story, it also dissects the intricacies of bisexuality, the Latinx experience, racism, and mental health. As always, representation matters and this will no doubt be a a top contender for must read literature.

Sincere thanks to Simon & Schuster, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

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