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Hot Boy Summer
Four gay teens in Texas have the summer of their lives while discovering important truths about realness, belonging, and friendship in this joyful young adult contemporary novel for fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli.
Mac has never really felt like he belonged. Definitely not at home—his dad’s politics and toxic masculinity make a real connection impossible. He thought he fit in on the baseball team, but that’s only because he was pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Finding his first gay friend, Cammy, was momentous; finally, he could be his authentic self around someone else. But as it turned out, not really. Cammy could be cruel, and his “advice” often came off way harsh.
And then, Mac meets Flor, who shows him that you can be both fierce and kind, and Mikey, who is superhot and might maybe think the same about him. Over the course of one hot, life-changing summer, Mac will stand face-to-face with desire, betrayal, and letting go of shame, which will lead to some huge discoveries about the realness of truly belonging.
Told in Mac’s infectious, joyful, gay AF voice, Hot Boy Summer serves a tale as important as hope four gay teens doing what they can to connect and have the fiercest summer of their lives. New friendships will be forged, hot boys will be kissed…and girl, the toxic will be detoxed.
Mac has never really felt like he belonged. Definitely not at home—his dad’s politics and toxic masculinity make a real connection impossible. He thought he fit in on the baseball team, but that’s only because he was pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Finding his first gay friend, Cammy, was momentous; finally, he could be his authentic self around someone else. But as it turned out, not really. Cammy could be cruel, and his “advice” often came off way harsh.
And then, Mac meets Flor, who shows him that you can be both fierce and kind, and Mikey, who is superhot and might maybe think the same about him. Over the course of one hot, life-changing summer, Mac will stand face-to-face with desire, betrayal, and letting go of shame, which will lead to some huge discoveries about the realness of truly belonging.
Told in Mac’s infectious, joyful, gay AF voice, Hot Boy Summer serves a tale as important as hope four gay teens doing what they can to connect and have the fiercest summer of their lives. New friendships will be forged, hot boys will be kissed…and girl, the toxic will be detoxed.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2024
14 people are currently reading
3476 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
March 8, 2025
What, exactly, does ‘gag’ mean? Is it a positive or a negative? This and so many hashtags. I also learned who Valentina was and that red dress was something. How did I not know there was a Mexican vogue? Cute coming of age lgbtq book and more about friendship and the fickle nature of young people trying to figure themselves out at the expense of others. Liked it and the narrator nailed it.
May 10, 2024
4.5-4.75/5
May 14, 2024
#litAF Read if you’re a Texan queer, if you’re missing Valentina from Rupaul’s Drag Race, if your BFF is now your frenemy, if you can stomach an over abundance of queer youth lingo.
May 18, 2024
“This is for you. This is what life can be."
I'd like to thank Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
Content Warnings: homophobia, mention of domestic violence
This book definitely felt like summer! With a summery setting and exciting events, we follow Mac’s friend group through fun adventures. I enjoyed the commentary on toxic friendships and how difficult they can be. I appreciated the gradual progression in the discussion and how both sides were considered. This book was very much character-driven. There were some key plot points and actions however, we mostly focused on Mac’s development with his friend group. At times, I wish that the plot were a bit more fast-paced to keep the energy going. Throughout the course of the book, Mac gradually grows into the version of himself that he’s meant to be. It was heartwarming to follow along as he discovered what was important to him and the kind of person he wanted to be. All in all, Hot Boy Summer is centred around friendship, loyalty, and belonging.
I'd like to thank Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
Content Warnings: homophobia, mention of domestic violence
This book definitely felt like summer! With a summery setting and exciting events, we follow Mac’s friend group through fun adventures. I enjoyed the commentary on toxic friendships and how difficult they can be. I appreciated the gradual progression in the discussion and how both sides were considered. This book was very much character-driven. There were some key plot points and actions however, we mostly focused on Mac’s development with his friend group. At times, I wish that the plot were a bit more fast-paced to keep the energy going. Throughout the course of the book, Mac gradually grows into the version of himself that he’s meant to be. It was heartwarming to follow along as he discovered what was important to him and the kind of person he wanted to be. All in all, Hot Boy Summer is centred around friendship, loyalty, and belonging.
April 30, 2024
I am literally incapable of doing any more coherent reviewing of this book (coherent review here) but
ashdkfhsg I'm still absolutely losing my shit over this two months after I read it, like literally I'm not sure I've loved a book this much in a long long long time. Go in expecting not your typical narration experience and hang on for the ride, especially if you knew you were queer in high school because damn does this hit hard in parts.
ashdkfhsg I'm still absolutely losing my shit over this two months after I read it, like literally I'm not sure I've loved a book this much in a long long long time. Go in expecting not your typical narration experience and hang on for the ride, especially if you knew you were queer in high school because damn does this hit hard in parts.
June 27, 2024
This book was extra af. So much drama, gay boys living their best lives, drag queens, bffs, music and Pride. Overall I really enjoyed it. A couple things took me out of the book: The Spanish was culturally relevant and made sense but I didn't understand a lot of it; and the thousand "abso 110" and "af" slang. They were overused so much it just got annoying. But I loved Mac finding his new crew, trying to defend and understand Cam and their changing friendship, his relationship with Mikey, dealing with his feelings about his dad and about his sister moving on with her life, all the fun with Pride, drag queens, Valentina, Ariana Grande, and living the "rules" of the bff club. The mainly hopefully and positive voice of the book was wonderful and the message to find your people, live your best life, tell people what you need and who you are, and let go of the toxic people holding you back should resonate with many people. The dialogue and subject matter can be extremely over the top at some points but I'm sure many teens will feel seen and love it. I'm not the intended audience at all (cishet white middle age woman) but I can really appreciate the found family and POC and LGBTQ rep.
Read
May 28, 2024DNF. Just awful. Happy for those that enjoy it, though?
June 26, 2024
If you can get past the excessive use of slang in the writing (more on this at the end), this book is easily a 4! The story takes you back to what it is like to lose friends, want to make new friends, and figure out romantic relationships as a teenager. The MC Mac has a really consistent internal monologue, and as he navigates his way through the summer you see him become more self-assured and confident in who he is and the type of person he wants to become. Watching Mac become friends with Flor and Mikey was really sweet. Everyone can relate to that feeling of wanting people to like you for who you are, and as a reader it is easy to feel joy for Mac as he finds friends who are kind and accepting of who he is as a person. Flor and Mikey give Mac the confidence to be himself and show him that he has the power to live his life however he chooses.
Cam/Cammy actually sucks.
I can't not mention the INSANE use of slang in this book. I almost DNF about 25-30 pages in because it is A LOT. The constant use of af, multiple consecutive hashtags in thoughts and conversations, adding "ass" to the end of words (real-ass, shiny-ass, brilliant-ass, etc.) was so distracting, and it honestly took away from the story for me. I understand teenagers use slang, but this seemed so excessive. Another distracting thing was not being able to swear much (due to YA, which I totally understand), but then still trying to swear by saying things like "that was so f-word annoying..." throughout the book. Just use another word to get the point across, adding in "f-word" periodically was so odd to read and I could not picture a teenager ever saying "f-word" instead of just using the word. Maybe I don't interact with enough teenagers and this is how they actually talk? I had to take a star away because of how distracting all the slang was from the story, but maybe an actual teenager would find it relatable.
Cam/Cammy actually sucks.
I can't not mention the INSANE use of slang in this book. I almost DNF about 25-30 pages in because it is A LOT. The constant use of af, multiple consecutive hashtags in thoughts and conversations, adding "ass" to the end of words (real-ass, shiny-ass, brilliant-ass, etc.) was so distracting, and it honestly took away from the story for me. I understand teenagers use slang, but this seemed so excessive. Another distracting thing was not being able to swear much (due to YA, which I totally understand), but then still trying to swear by saying things like "that was so f-word annoying..." throughout the book. Just use another word to get the point across, adding in "f-word" periodically was so odd to read and I could not picture a teenager ever saying "f-word" instead of just using the word. Maybe I don't interact with enough teenagers and this is how they actually talk? I had to take a star away because of how distracting all the slang was from the story, but maybe an actual teenager would find it relatable.
July 28, 2025
Hot Boy Summer has been on my TBR list for a while because I wanted to read it during the summer! 😂 It was definitely worth the wait and reminded me so much of when I first came out and was trying to find myself, as well as a sense of community within queer spaces. I remember how much I overused gay slang and referred to everyone as "girl." 😂 This book was such a nostalgic read.
If you came out earlier in life, particularly in high school, I encourage you to read this and tell me you don’t see yourself in its pages. I even connected with how the main character spent time trying to impress the younger gays, who were also on their own journeys of self-discovery. You will definitely encounter the "mean gay" in this storyline, and I was so happy that Joe didn’t give them a redemption arc. They were such a horrible person and didn’t deserve it at all. Overall, this book was a lot of fun!
If you came out earlier in life, particularly in high school, I encourage you to read this and tell me you don’t see yourself in its pages. I even connected with how the main character spent time trying to impress the younger gays, who were also on their own journeys of self-discovery. You will definitely encounter the "mean gay" in this storyline, and I was so happy that Joe didn’t give them a redemption arc. They were such a horrible person and didn’t deserve it at all. Overall, this book was a lot of fun!
July 10, 2024
(3.75) Um, okay.
This book is wild. Chock-full of ballroom slang (like every other word), a beautiful story about friendships, being true to yourself, and at the center of it all: being queer and proud.
A little heavy on the slang for me, but otherwise a really good read. The whole toxic bff drama and the sadness that comes after losing a best friend really hit close to home. The romance was the cutest.
Also, the Arianna reference. There. Were. So. Many. The characters even *SPOILER* get to meet Arianna at one of her concerts *SPOILER* which was honestly really cool.
Lots of references to Drag Race and popular drag media, which I did not totally get (as a baby gay).
I would like to note that I read this book in like six hours (give or take) so I obviously enjoyed it.
Read this book, it is a wonderful peek into the world of queer teens growing up in Texas. And it will teach you more than your fair share of queer slang.
This book is wild. Chock-full of ballroom slang (like every other word), a beautiful story about friendships, being true to yourself, and at the center of it all: being queer and proud.
A little heavy on the slang for me, but otherwise a really good read. The whole toxic bff drama and the sadness that comes after losing a best friend really hit close to home. The romance was the cutest.
Also, the Arianna reference. There. Were. So. Many. The characters even *SPOILER* get to meet Arianna at one of her concerts *SPOILER* which was honestly really cool.
Lots of references to Drag Race and popular drag media, which I did not totally get (as a baby gay).
I would like to note that I read this book in like six hours (give or take) so I obviously enjoyed it.
Read this book, it is a wonderful peek into the world of queer teens growing up in Texas. And it will teach you more than your fair share of queer slang.
August 21, 2024
This is the perfect summer read for young queer who loves Ariana Grande and/or Valentina from RuPaul’s Drag Race and/or has a tight nit friend group with one jealous friend turned enemy… YES! This was like a pool party with a gaggle of gays saying SLAAAAAAAAY while watching RPDR. There were times that I thought “I am not gay enough for this” and yet, here I am. She persisted.
Hot Boy Summer may have 1 MC, but it revolves around a group of 4 boys:
Mac isn’t out to many people, but he has a gay best friend. He quit the baseball team because he didn’t feel like he fits in, which his father guilt trips him about a lot.
Cam (Cammy) has been there for Mac through a lot of hard times. He comes off slightly… majorly jealous that Mac and Mikey like each other. I’m not sure who he’s jealous of tho. He’s always complaining and starting drama.
Flor is the life of the party and who you think about when you imagine the stereotypical gay. He LOVES Ariana Grande and Valentina from RPDR and makes them his personality. Everyone loves him, because he’s sweet and wants to make friends.
Mikey is a buff DJ who doesn’t come off as gay until you get him into a group of boys kiki’ing and then he’s there for the fun. He and Mac immediately start getting googly-eyed at each other, which sets off Cam’s warnings about dating him.
What should have been a fun summer, making friends and having adventures turns into DRAMA where Cam is involved. He feels threatened by the intruders to his friendship with Mac, but also he’s never really treated him like a best friend. Just someone to use to get to where he wants to go. Needless to say, Cam was the character I wanted to kick the entire book.
This was a great read, but I would have liked it more without all of the hashtags. Maybe I’m too old or haven’t heard anyone talk in hashtags, but it got a little repetitive and made my eye twitch after a while. Beyond that, I liked it a lot.
Hot Boy Summer may have 1 MC, but it revolves around a group of 4 boys:
Mac isn’t out to many people, but he has a gay best friend. He quit the baseball team because he didn’t feel like he fits in, which his father guilt trips him about a lot.
Cam (Cammy) has been there for Mac through a lot of hard times. He comes off slightly… majorly jealous that Mac and Mikey like each other. I’m not sure who he’s jealous of tho. He’s always complaining and starting drama.
Flor is the life of the party and who you think about when you imagine the stereotypical gay. He LOVES Ariana Grande and Valentina from RPDR and makes them his personality. Everyone loves him, because he’s sweet and wants to make friends.
Mikey is a buff DJ who doesn’t come off as gay until you get him into a group of boys kiki’ing and then he’s there for the fun. He and Mac immediately start getting googly-eyed at each other, which sets off Cam’s warnings about dating him.
What should have been a fun summer, making friends and having adventures turns into DRAMA where Cam is involved. He feels threatened by the intruders to his friendship with Mac, but also he’s never really treated him like a best friend. Just someone to use to get to where he wants to go. Needless to say, Cam was the character I wanted to kick the entire book.
This was a great read, but I would have liked it more without all of the hashtags. Maybe I’m too old or haven’t heard anyone talk in hashtags, but it got a little repetitive and made my eye twitch after a while. Beyond that, I liked it a lot.
March 25, 2024
3.75
I received this ARC from Goodreads. I am not exactly the target market for this story but even so i really enjoyed it and it was a fun and easy read. A cute coming of age story perfect for teens and young adults.
I received this ARC from Goodreads. I am not exactly the target market for this story but even so i really enjoyed it and it was a fun and easy read. A cute coming of age story perfect for teens and young adults.
October 9, 2024
Like OMG, Hashtag, why do writers always display young gay guys as being feminine or girly. And, Hashtag, having them consider each other as girls, or as, Hashtag, all of them loving Ariana Granda or another female singer. Oh, and less I forget, Hashtag, what young person, gay or straight, speak with Hashtags?
I have been gay since childhood, and i have never considered myself as feminine, not even as a child. I'm offended that most writers describe young gay men in such a light. Yes, some are feminine, but most are not. Writers need to stop picturing all young gay men in the same way. Oh, and Hashtag, no one uses hashtags when speaking.
I have been gay since childhood, and i have never considered myself as feminine, not even as a child. I'm offended that most writers describe young gay men in such a light. Yes, some are feminine, but most are not. Writers need to stop picturing all young gay men in the same way. Oh, and Hashtag, no one uses hashtags when speaking.
October 6, 2024
I feel like I was not the target audience for this book. The "af"s and #s every other page were a lot. 22 pages in, I thought I was gonna pass out from the amount of slang. It made me feel like the boomer my sister always says I am. Also the PDA was a little intense for me. I did find the main character quite brave though. Overall, very slice of life. Interesting but not for me.
Also it lowkey should've been called Hot Mess Summer, not Hot Boy Summer.
Also it lowkey should've been called Hot Mess Summer, not Hot Boy Summer.
September 27, 2025
This was one of those books where I tried and tried and tried to push through because I wanted to see it through, but it was a drag. No pun intended.
Mac, Camilo, Mikey, and Flor are heading into their senior year of high school and are all burgeoning baby gays in their own ways. Some are out, some are closeted, some are messy. There's decent character development with our MC, Mac, and enough to kind of think that he will grow, despite it happening mostly within the last 30 pages of the book. He's constantly defending his best friend, Cam, who is like a Latina Regina George- Pretty, popular, condescending, and intentionally sabotaging other friends' friendships/relationships. Mikey, for as important as he is within the growth of our MC, is almost just boiled down to the character traits of DJ and muscles. Flor has more character growth and importance to the overall story, and yet it seems like we know about her the least?
The dynamic between Mac, his father, and his sister could've been explored a bit more. I'm not thinking they're afterthoughts, but given certain events that transpire throughout the book, a little bit more exposition could've been done on their end. I did enjoy the ending with Mac and his father, even with it being a bit simple and short. Sometimes, those scenes without dialogue can speak the most.
The biggest gripe is the dialogue. I have never read a book with dialogue like this. The overuse of 'girl' and 'af' was off-putting- some paragraphs included those words 3 separate times. In the first half of the book, every few paragraphs will end with an assortment of hashtags, and it was just feeling forced. I know this may be a tribute to the various hashtags Ru would put out during earlier RPDR episodes, but doing it literally 2/3 of the book was unnecessary. The characters would say when something was 'f word annoying' or the like. It was used in such excessive manner, and was extremely off-putting. I work with queer college students, and didn't hear any of this speak in such dialogue constantly. Maybe this is a regional thing, and maybe it's just not for me, which it entirely could be.
Also, some of the dialogue to me made it seem like this should have been for a freshman/sophmore college age characters, instead of a group of 17-year-olds. The later portion of the book where they end up at one of the theatres to see the RPDR queens perform and how they're getting a bevy of "slay" and "yaaas mawmaws" from all the other queens and characters... these were the first times that two of the characters decided to do drag, and they're already being heralded as being flawless? I could see it if they were in their early 20s, but as characters who were literally just sixteen, it made me raise an eyebrow.
Overall, if you're a fan of Drag Race, the journey to becoming frenemies, and Ariana Grande, you'll probably enjoy this book.
Mac, Camilo, Mikey, and Flor are heading into their senior year of high school and are all burgeoning baby gays in their own ways. Some are out, some are closeted, some are messy. There's decent character development with our MC, Mac, and enough to kind of think that he will grow, despite it happening mostly within the last 30 pages of the book. He's constantly defending his best friend, Cam, who is like a Latina Regina George- Pretty, popular, condescending, and intentionally sabotaging other friends' friendships/relationships. Mikey, for as important as he is within the growth of our MC, is almost just boiled down to the character traits of DJ and muscles. Flor has more character growth and importance to the overall story, and yet it seems like we know about her the least?
The dynamic between Mac, his father, and his sister could've been explored a bit more. I'm not thinking they're afterthoughts, but given certain events that transpire throughout the book, a little bit more exposition could've been done on their end. I did enjoy the ending with Mac and his father, even with it being a bit simple and short. Sometimes, those scenes without dialogue can speak the most.
The biggest gripe is the dialogue. I have never read a book with dialogue like this. The overuse of 'girl' and 'af' was off-putting- some paragraphs included those words 3 separate times. In the first half of the book, every few paragraphs will end with an assortment of hashtags, and it was just feeling forced. I know this may be a tribute to the various hashtags Ru would put out during earlier RPDR episodes, but doing it literally 2/3 of the book was unnecessary. The characters would say when something was 'f word annoying' or the like. It was used in such excessive manner, and was extremely off-putting. I work with queer college students, and didn't hear any of this speak in such dialogue constantly. Maybe this is a regional thing, and maybe it's just not for me, which it entirely could be.
Also, some of the dialogue to me made it seem like this should have been for a freshman/sophmore college age characters, instead of a group of 17-year-olds. The later portion of the book where they end up at one of the theatres to see the RPDR queens perform and how they're getting a bevy of "slay" and "yaaas mawmaws" from all the other queens and characters... these were the first times that two of the characters decided to do drag, and they're already being heralded as being flawless? I could see it if they were in their early 20s, but as characters who were literally just sixteen, it made me raise an eyebrow.
Overall, if you're a fan of Drag Race, the journey to becoming frenemies, and Ariana Grande, you'll probably enjoy this book.
dnf-or-chipping-away
June 10, 2024I'm 50% in on this book and had to return it to the library on its due date. I'm not the target audience, and that's completely fine, so keep in mind that this is the mid-read review of a 40-something year old person.
I chose this book for the following reasons:
- Avi Roque did a brilliant job as the reader for Jonny Garza Villa's "Ander and Santi Were Here" and I've learned to follow the choices of performers who have done five star jobs
- The cover is great - wanted to show appreciation
- Fun summer read, potentially
Here are the things that ring hollow for me so far:
- Characters seem one-dimensional or less than fully mapped out human beings. I realize that when we are coming into and fully enjoying our sexual and gender identity, that that can take up all the space of our being, but even so, I want to know these characters better
- the GUUUURRRRLLLLL and AF and hashtags made me wonder for the first few hours if the audiobook I am listening to was written in chat form in the book. Yes, teenagers sometimes talk this way, but not every sentence of every thought uttered
If you felt similarly while reading, try other books in the same general category: queer, high school, excellently written and told with appeal beyond the 13-19 year old target audience. My favorite reads in this genre and sub-genre aren't all hyper intersectional, but having varied interests and life experiences does make for more robust storytelling.
- Jonny Garza Villa's "Canto Conmigo"
- Sonora Reyes' "The Luis Ortega Survival Club"
- Julian Winters' "The Summer of Everything"
- Stacey Anthony's "Breakup, Makeup" (either high school or young adult characters)
- Adib Khorram's, well, everything
- Medina's "The One Who Loves You Most"
- Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera's "Here's To Us" (first and second book - college, not high school)
- R.L. Graziadei's "Icebreaker" (college, not high school)
This book was returned yesterday and I will have to wait, probably, a month or more to get it off holds again. I thought I might leave it at that, but find myself thinking about and missing the characters, so may return to it in the summer.
Companion Read:
- If you like this, try Jason June's "Jay's Gay Agenda"
I chose this book for the following reasons:
- Avi Roque did a brilliant job as the reader for Jonny Garza Villa's "Ander and Santi Were Here" and I've learned to follow the choices of performers who have done five star jobs
- The cover is great - wanted to show appreciation
- Fun summer read, potentially
Here are the things that ring hollow for me so far:
- Characters seem one-dimensional or less than fully mapped out human beings. I realize that when we are coming into and fully enjoying our sexual and gender identity, that that can take up all the space of our being, but even so, I want to know these characters better
- the GUUUURRRRLLLLL and AF and hashtags made me wonder for the first few hours if the audiobook I am listening to was written in chat form in the book. Yes, teenagers sometimes talk this way, but not every sentence of every thought uttered
If you felt similarly while reading, try other books in the same general category: queer, high school, excellently written and told with appeal beyond the 13-19 year old target audience. My favorite reads in this genre and sub-genre aren't all hyper intersectional, but having varied interests and life experiences does make for more robust storytelling.
- Jonny Garza Villa's "Canto Conmigo"
- Sonora Reyes' "The Luis Ortega Survival Club"
- Julian Winters' "The Summer of Everything"
- Stacey Anthony's "Breakup, Makeup" (either high school or young adult characters)
- Adib Khorram's, well, everything
- Medina's "The One Who Loves You Most"
- Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera's "Here's To Us" (first and second book - college, not high school)
- R.L. Graziadei's "Icebreaker" (college, not high school)
This book was returned yesterday and I will have to wait, probably, a month or more to get it off holds again. I thought I might leave it at that, but find myself thinking about and missing the characters, so may return to it in the summer.
Companion Read:
- If you like this, try Jason June's "Jay's Gay Agenda"
May 28, 2024
Hot Boy Summer (the ref is intentional) is the story of four gay boys in San Antonio in the summer between their junior and senior years, of new friendships and the old friendships that may not suit us any longer, of Drag Race and Miss Colombia herself, of living your French Vanilla Fantasy and swinging your Ariana high ponytail and just living your best life, girl.
I think that for a lot of people especially that are not ... teens... or people familiar with Drag Race or people who are not familiar with gay culture and switching pronouns in meaningless ways may find this book a lot but those are all the reasons it was charming and fun TO ME! I had a blast honestly and laughed out loud several times. and am also very glad I'm so familiar with Drag Race that I think I caught most of the references? I honestly could not speak to how it would be for someone else but reviews are for vibes and the vibes were exquisite for me, especially as the book I read after something heavier.
I really appreciated the introspection by Mac (the MC) as the things changed around him - going from a closeted Mexican-American boy to being just hugged into this friend group and finding the courage to come out to people in his life who have not shown previously that they might be the safest, also, to be a teen boy and make the apologies and realize and say out loud he hated how he acted in certain situations. It's a really great self-awareness and just the importance of being the kind of person you want to be on a deeper level that I think is really great to see. Love it.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing /MTV Books for the eARC in exchange for review!
I think that for a lot of people especially that are not ... teens... or people familiar with Drag Race or people who are not familiar with gay culture and switching pronouns in meaningless ways may find this book a lot but those are all the reasons it was charming and fun TO ME! I had a blast honestly and laughed out loud several times. and am also very glad I'm so familiar with Drag Race that I think I caught most of the references? I honestly could not speak to how it would be for someone else but reviews are for vibes and the vibes were exquisite for me, especially as the book I read after something heavier.
I really appreciated the introspection by Mac (the MC) as the things changed around him - going from a closeted Mexican-American boy to being just hugged into this friend group and finding the courage to come out to people in his life who have not shown previously that they might be the safest, also, to be a teen boy and make the apologies and realize and say out loud he hated how he acted in certain situations. It's a really great self-awareness and just the importance of being the kind of person you want to be on a deeper level that I think is really great to see. Love it.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing /MTV Books for the eARC in exchange for review!
April 2, 2024
Thanks Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Mac is still finding his way when it comes to knowing what being gay means to him. His only queer friend is Cam, but he’s not exactly the nicest of people. But when Flor gives an incredible speech in class, Mac is drawn to him as well as his friend Mikey, who just happens to be hot. Is it possible Mikey could be in to him? Will Cam be able to get along with Flor and Mikey? The four embark on their summer hoping it will be unforgettable. But will it last? And can Mac tell his father about his sexuality? A fun, quick read, that is perfectly queer! A sweet story about figuring out where you belong and finding the right found family! Highly recommend!
December 19, 2025
So Vibrant
This was a fun coming-of-age story. The four main characters all had big personalities. The way they found community in each other was very sweet. They were also shady and backstabbing at different times. It was a roller coaster of a read. At times, it was hard for me to relate to the boys. Their lingo and pop culture obsessions were really over the top. It felt like I was trapped at a slumber party with my teen daughter and her friends. What I loved about the parts that I couldn’t connect with is knowing that it would be the representation that so many teenage boys need. The author gave them a voice and validation in a beautiful way. That was elevated by an absolutely amazing narration by Avi Roque.
This was a fun coming-of-age story. The four main characters all had big personalities. The way they found community in each other was very sweet. They were also shady and backstabbing at different times. It was a roller coaster of a read. At times, it was hard for me to relate to the boys. Their lingo and pop culture obsessions were really over the top. It felt like I was trapped at a slumber party with my teen daughter and her friends. What I loved about the parts that I couldn’t connect with is knowing that it would be the representation that so many teenage boys need. The author gave them a voice and validation in a beautiful way. That was elevated by an absolutely amazing narration by Avi Roque.
May 19, 2024
So. Much. Drama! I can think of a few students who will really enjoy this book, but it was all a bit much for me. I loved the representation and that the plot wasn't at all about the challenges facing LGBTQ+ youth. The issue for me came from the writing itself--so many uses of hashtag whatever, girl, af. It all seemed overdone. I also couldn't figure out what the story was with Cammy. Cammy is described as Mac's first gay friend, but it seemed like halfway through the story the author changed the pronouns used in reference to Cammy (although it seemed inconsistent?). That might be a detail that seemed clunky in the audio but might be smoother in reading the text.
never-finished
May 26, 2024I didn't finish this because there were SO many characters and it was a continual struggle to keep them straight (no pun or insult intended!), especially since their pronouns were all fluid. I understand the usage, and certainly support people using the pronouns they choose, but it made it harder to remember the characters. Also, while I think the narrator hit the voice of the main character perfectly, I found it a really annoying voice--a matter of personal taste, and certainly no reflection on the impressive ability of the narrator. Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audiobook.
July 10, 2024
I’m not the target demographic for this young adult book, so this is just a different perspective. I enjoyed the book, particularly the UNAPOLOGETIC Latino culture and queer culture dialogue. I love how the author blended the two to convey a specific language. My drawback was at the slow burn story telling. For me, the book didn’t pick up speed until way past the half way mark. The conflict and drama is escalated and resolved in the last act. This story of 4 gay latino boys discovering friendship reminded me of a Latin “Mean Girls”
October 2, 2024
A reminder of the self-sabotage, insecurities and pettiness that can cripple the teenage years.
In this case a group of gay boys, during the summer between junior and senior year, strive to connect with their fellows and overcome jealousy and fear to trust each other.
Enjoyed the use of language.
In this case a group of gay boys, during the summer between junior and senior year, strive to connect with their fellows and overcome jealousy and fear to trust each other.
Enjoyed the use of language.
Read
June 23, 2025DNF at 10%. Thank you to the Libro.FM Educator ALC program for a copy of this audiobook. I hope that this title reaches the target audience (YA, especially queer or questioning BIPOC/Latine youth) but it is just not for me. Some YA contemporary titles I can still get into, but this one is very voice-y and uses a lot of slang that just took me out of it. Again, it's me, not the book!
June 1, 2024
I read a lot of ya as an adult and enjoy it but this one definitely felt like the type that only younger people would really love. Nothing wrong with that, just know that if you're an adult who reads a lot of ya- this might not be for you.
August 12, 2024
A delight on audiobook, with all the characters sounding exactly as I imagine the author wants them to sound.
Yes the "AF" and hastag heavy dialogue is repetitive, but that is authentic to these teens.
Yes the "AF" and hastag heavy dialogue is repetitive, but that is authentic to these teens.
Want to read
May 8, 2024as a queer kid born and raised in san antonio, i am SO excited to start reading this
May 10, 2024
there are going to be people who love this but I'm definitely not one of those people
May 24, 2024
There were parts of this book that I loved, and other parts that I didn’t. The excessive use of slang got a bit repetitive, but overall I enjoyed the story.
June 10, 2024
This was my running companion for awhile. Lots of gay boy drama. Happy pride!
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