Cesar is struggling. He feels like everyone expects him to be perfect, get good grades, and be this golden boy. He's just trying to figure out who he is while also trying really hard not to go to hell. When the priest tells him being bisexual is a sin, he knows what he has to do.

This book is absolutely amazing. I devoured it. The character development, emotional impact, and plot completely sucked me in.

Sonora Reyes does a fabulous job of bringing the characters to life and every parent and educator would benefit from reading this book. ❤️ Loved it!

Thank you to netgalley for a copy to review.

First, if you didn’t read The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, stop and read that amazing book first. Cesar’s story picks up right after Yami’s and there was a lot linked between the stories.

Books that shine a light on mental health are so important. But at times, it felt a little too long and winding, but the conclusion was solid without being too perfect. It felt real.

Oof. This was a tough one. With my personal experiences regarding SMI and attempted unaliving, there were times where my triggers nearly got me. With my personal views on organized religion, I kinda wanted to slap some people upside the head.

Cesar’s slide through BPD was hard to read, partially because of those personal experiences and views, and partially because he was really whiny. The negative self-talk, though very realistic in the sense of BPD, was a downer and hard to read—possibly, also, because of personal experience. I’ve seen it, I know it’s real, but it doesn’t make hearing it any easier.

I really like the way Cesar’s support system gathered around him. I loved his friends and his family, and how they stood up for him and protected him to the best of their ability. I really loved his abuela, even though I thought it would be impossible when we first met her.

“We may not be able to control what others expect from us, but we can start by accepting ourselves for who we are, and enjoying whatever fruit we happen to bear (however forbidden it may be ).”

Even though she seemed horrid at first, she really was what Cesar needed, and I’m glad, for his sake, that he had her.

I’m glad Nick got his just desserts. I’m glad Bianca tried. I’m glad Cesar printed out his dad’s email and made his own poem out of it, wrote his own story. And I’m glad Cesar had Jamal and Hunter and Avery, along with his family, to show him that life is worth living.

The first thing I have to say about this book is wow. I first read A Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School when it first came out and adored it, so when I saw there was another book based off Yami’s brother, Cesar, I was excited. This book takes place after Lesbiana’s with Cesar just getting diagnosed as bipolar. While this book did go into heavier topics, they were all handled very well. Every character added to the story in a way that made it a stunning read. This will be another read I’ll have to add to my physical collection.

I honestly cannot put into words how much I loved this book. It’s rare for me to give out five star reviews, but The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar has been one of my favorite books I’ve read this year and one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

"Some people’s brains make mental stability for free, and I just so happen to have to get mine at the pharmacy.”

The Golden Boy's guide to Bipolar is raw, messy, heartfelt and vulnerable. Meet Cesar Flores, a bisexual, Latinx teen who navigating mental health, love and life. Each chapter follows the gradual progression of Cesar's mental health crisis, and it tied to a symptom of bipolar disorder. There's a lot of mental health representation. Cesar is sick of being coddled and worried about by his family and friends. He’s sick of taking his meds. Sonora Reyes did a great job portraying what bipolar disorder can look like, how it can be in the mind of someone that experiences it, and what it's like to be a queer person grappling with guilt and fear due to their religious beliefs.

When this book was announced, a not-really sequel to Lesbiana with Cesar, Yami's brother, as the main character, to say I was excited would be an understatement.

God, did Reyes deliver on this book.

It's been a long while since I read the first book, but I was able to fall back in step so easily when I started reading this one, for all the characters were just as memorable and lively as they were in their debut. If anything, Reyes built on that development and made every character more nuanced and complex, especially when it came to Cesar. This boy- oh, this boy goes through so much throughout the story. I'm not diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but I've gone through similar struggles with my mental health. I cannot attest to the accuracy of its portrayal, but you can really tell Reyes put so much love, care, and their own experiences (They've mentioned their diagnoses and struggles on social media) into crafting this story, which is one of the reasons I tended to enjoy their works more than not.

The chapter titles are also pretty funny. I cannot for the life of me come up with funny chapter titles like Reyes does.

Despite my praises, this is definitely not a book for people not doing well mentally. Please adhere to the warnings in the book and on Reyes' website for further reference. Take care of yourselves, y'all.

All in all, this book is incredible, and I wholeheartedly recommend this and its big sister The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School!

Sonora Reyes never shies away from a difficult topic, and for that I really admire them. This book dives into religion, sexuality, and mental health in a way that reflects the tumultuous time of young adulthood - and does it with humanity and respect. Although I am long past the age of our protagonist Cesar, I found my experience mirrored in many of the struggles he faced as a young person stuggling with their identity amidst pressures internal and external. I think many teens will feel seen reading this book, and I hope that it has a positive impact on teens who feel alone and lost at such a sensitive age.

That being said I found myself struggle through the middle of this book - I felt that while I appreciated the attempt to show an authentic protrayal of teenage self-destruction, the pace was so slow that I lost interest in seeing him make it to the other side. I had a tought time imagining that his family (and therapist) wouldn't have noticed and addressed his drastic emotional shift. I also was a bit bothered that the destructive nature of organized religion wasn't addressed, as this is the impetus of Cesar's crisis, but I could attribute that to my own opinions about the topic.

I enjoyed revisiting this family, as I do think they are written realistically and with great care. I loved the discussion of generational trauma and healing, and the importance of chosen family.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Thank you to HarperCollins & Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar was SO GOOD and gave me SO MANY feelings! I listened to the audio of The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School back in April and I absolutely loved it, so when I saw that a follow up novel about Cesar was coming and it was available on Netgalley, I immediately requested a copy. Let me tell you, it absolutely lived up to the first book's standards. I will say that TGBGtB felt a lot heavier, though. While the topics that are dealt with in TLGtCS are not exactly light (homophobia, racism), those topics were amplified by being inside of Cesar's head while he struggled with his mental health, and it could get very intense at times.

I felt a lot of things while reading. I think it says a lot about the quality of the writing and the storytelling when I am having to put down the book to take a break because I'm so disappointed in the choices a character is making. While I do not have bipolar disorder, I thought that the representation was extremely well done and handled with great care. While I can't say for certain that it's accurate because I have no experience, it felt very VERY real. And I do think Cesar had to go down that spiral in order to have the character growth he needed in the end.

I really enjoy Sonora Reyes' writing - they always blow me away and this was no exception. If you enjoyed The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School, or you enjoy an emotional teen read that covers heavy topics such as homophobia, catholic guilt, mental health - you really need to read this book. I actually think people who don't typically read those things should read this book; I feel like it would do wonders for empathy levels across the world.


We also got a tiny tease of a new couple at the very end, and I'm trying to not get my hopes up too high that we might be so lucky to receive a 3rd book in this world.... :)

Sonora Reyes, you are incredible. This book perfectly follows The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School. Just like when his sister Yami was the MC, Cesar feels so real. (I was so glad to see Yami again, too.) In this one, sexuality (bisexuality), mental health/illness/wellness (bipolar and therapy), immigration/deportation, family dynamics, and relationships (platonic and romantic) are at the forefront. I am so glad books like this exist for my inner baby bi who was raised Catholic and still sometimes feels the trademarked guilt, my students, and readers everywhere. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A beautifully written novel by Reyes, depicting a realistic and hopeful beginning of recovery from rapid cycling bipolar disorder.

A great serious (but also humorous) look at what mental illness looks like for young people. Definitely one I’ll remember for quite some time - a great companion to the first book in the series!

loved The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School when I read it, and this companion novel was just as powerful. It was great to get to know Cesar more deeply—this story truly puts you inside his head. Even when I didn’t agree with some of his choices, I could understand and empathize with where he was coming from.

One of the things I appreciated most was how the book explored internalized religious guilt. While Yami’s struggle in the first book stemmed largely from her external environment, Cesar’s felt much more personal and internal. As he says, “MY closet isn’t as loving toward me as Jamal’s … My dad and Father John and God Himself have their backs against the door so I’d have to push through all of them to make it out.” That line hit hard—it captures how deeply entrenched his fear and guilt are.

The novel also portrays mental health with honesty and heart. One quote that stayed with me was, “Some people’s brains make mental stability for free, and I just so happen to have to get mine at the pharmacy.” It’s vulnerable and real, like so much of Cesar’s voice throughout the story.

Overall, this was heartfelt, honest, and hard to put down. Definitely feeling like I need to go back and reread The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School since I read it years ago.

This book made me want to come out of my reviewing hidey hole because it's so good. Like, it made me cry. And I'm not a crier, which is a blunt enough statement to lean towards being unbelievable but it's true. And now this book stands as horrible proof against that claim.

Each chapter follows the gradual progression of Cesar's mental health crisis and, god, the foreshadowing of the chapter titles had my stomach in knots. To love a character and read of their suffering, especially when it connects so deeply to some of your own, is bittersweet torture. But I am so thankful for Cesar showing me that I am allowed to find "little glimpses of heaven that I don't have to die for."

I love this book so much.

When I was first introduced to Cesar in The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, I didn’t like him. I’ve since come to realize that it’s because he reminds me so much of myself at times in my life I’d rather put behind me—sometimes when a character holds up a mirror to your traits, good and bad, you’re just met with immediate loathing.

This was such a real depiction of bipolar disorder and internalized homophobia/biphobia that I felt scraped raw in my reading of it, like my mind was being put to paper. Cesar’s self-sabotaging was so difficult to read but also deeply relatable and made me care for him so much more. I love Cesar and Jamal and Yami and Bo and could read a thousand books of them. (As a side note: Give me the Hunter and Avery spinoff!!!) But Cesar in particular has my heart—my lovely boy, I can’t kill the monsters in Undertale either. Pacifist route always. :)

This was a much more intense read than The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School, diving into some really heavy topics, but I think it was handled with so much care and sensitivity. It was tough to read, especially at the beginning, but I think Cesar's story is so important, and I'm eager to see what Sonora Reyes writes next.

e-ARC: 5⭐️ this book was DEVASTATINGLY real and sad and beautiful. It’s pretty rare a book makes me cry, but I lost count of how many times I was brought to genuine tears while I read this.

I will be honest, I went into this expecting a more uplifting/happy story and at times it was a bit difficult to make myself keep reading. For the VAST majority of this story, Cesar is in a very-not-healthy mind space— as much as I truly and absolutely loved this book, it is not a “feel-good” story of recovery/growth/self-acceptance; it is a story of a teen experiencing severe mental illness, internalized homophobia, and suicidality. Cesar’s voice is almost too well-written for its own good, and I don’t think I’d recommend someone who may be triggered by his perspective to pick up this book.

That being said, the overall messaging was positive/optimistic and ultimately the story arc was very well-done imo. I really do think this story handles the topic and representation of mental illness remarkably well (which is something I don’t say lightly).

Thanks so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this e-ARC!

I absolutely loved The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School and so I was very excited to read the companion book focusing on Cesar. And honestly, just WOW. This was probably one of the best depictions of mental illness I’ve ever read. I loved that every chapter, along with a fabulous name, had a symptom of bipolar disorder to correlate with it. You really see and feel Cesar go through the mania, depression and everything in between. It’s a tough book to read at times because he’s struggling so much, but this is such a necessary book to not only people with mental illness, but maybe their loved ones who are trying to understand how to help. I loved Yami and their mother again and also JAMAL. Jamal was a treasure. And I loved seeing Cesar connect with his grandmother. This will most likely end up being one of my favorite books this year. I laughed, I cried and oh my goodness, it was everything.
CW: mental illness, suicidal thoughts, violence, homophobia, bullying

Thank you Epic Reads for the advanced digital reader’s copy!

The Golden Boys Guide to Bipolar is Reyes’s follow-up to her groundbreaking YA sapphic debut, A Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School. This time we’re following Cesar, Yami’s 17-year-old brother, as he tries to balance his faith and sexuality while navigating a new bipolar diagnosis and everything that comes with it.

“I’ve been mentally ill for as long as I can remember, but it took a long time for me to figure out what that meant. I didn’t have a lot of examples of hopeful stories about people with stigmatized mental illnesses like mine.” - Author’s note

You can’t talk about this book without talking about how deeply personal and powerful it is. You feel that this story comes from lived experience. It’s raw. It’s honest. It doesn’t shy away from the messy parts and will leave you tattered emotionally, while still offering glimpses of hope between the pages.

One of the most unique things about this book is how each chapter is tied to a specific symptom of bipolar disorder. That structure doesn’t just frame the story—it immerses you in Cesar’s experience in a way that feels real and visceral. It’s the kind of representation I wish we saw more of, especially in YA.

“When you live only to avoid the grief of people you love, you end up shouldering all that grief on your own, mourning yourself while you’re still here.”

While the main focus of the story is Cesar’s bipolar, there’s so much mental health representation here that anyone who’s struggled in this area—or has loved someone who has—can find something that resonates. It’s a book that sees you. That lets you know you’re not alone and there can be a happy ending.

It’s not an easy read, and if I’m being honest, I had to take breaks just to breathe—but it’s important. Especially for anyone who has ever felt like their diagnosis has them constantly cast as the villain or the tragedy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Pub date: September 16, 2025

A huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is excellent and a great take on what living with bipolar disorder is like. The manic episodes, the anger, the self loathing, and intrusive thoughts are just right on the money. This takes a harrowing look into Cesar’s life with Bipolar disorder, his sexuality, and religious beliefs. I love how this is written and want to thank Señora for another great book!!

This was a heavy book. But a great book. A heartfelt book. An educational book. An uplifting book.

If you haven't read Reyes's Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School, I would highly recommend it. It's not necessary, but it will add another layer of understanding to this book.

We pick up where Lesbiana sort of left off. Yami's brother Cesar is recovering from an attempted suicide and receives a diagnosis of bipolar. The book delves into Cesar's mind as he grapples with his new diagnosis, medication for his mental illness, his bisexuality, and his relationship with his family, friends, and ex-boyfriend.

Reyes does a superb job taking the reader as close to understanding what it can be like to deal with being bipolar as possible. (She points out this is only one experience and mental illness doesn't follow the same path for everyone).

I highly enjoyed getting to know Cesar and getting a glimpse of what life might be like for those struggling with bipolar.

Check the content warnings for this book before proceeding if you need to.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of this book.