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Le Théorème des garçons
June Chu est en dernière année de lycée. Déjà qu'il n'est pas simple d'être adolescente, mais quand il faut en plus gérer au quotidien une mère taïwanaise qui vous met la pression pour atteindre l'excellence, il est particulièrement compliqué de trouver votre équilibre. Et dans le fond, à quoi bon faire autant d'efforts si, de toute façon, vos résultats ne font de vous qu'une fille " moyenne " ? Aussi, June préférerait se consacrer à autre chose, à savoir à l'amour. Ou tout du moins, ce qu'elle croit être de l'amour. Aussi, quand son " presque petit-ami " semble vouloir lui faire comprendre qu'il a envie d'avoir des rapports intimes avec elle, la lycéenne commence à envisager sérieusement la question...
345 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2022
59 people are currently reading
7062 people want to read
About the author
Anna Gracia
4 books133 followersAnna Gracia is a former Division I athlete and tennis coach who now excels at snacking while yelling advice at the TV. Her weaknesses include crying at movies, running long distances, and temperatures over 70 degrees. Her debut YA novel, Boys I Know, was both an ABA Indies Introduce and Indie Next pick, and was featured in The New York Times, Paste, Seventeen, and more. See more at anna-gracia.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 413 reviews
January 16, 2023
I would say the book is as what the blurb says. Exactly. No exaggerations there. Nothing less than there. And I am so glad the book delivers as it promises.
Thank you, Peachtree, for the advance reading copy.
Will I keep looking at the cover of this book again and again?
Will I keep thinking about the characters again and again? Hello, June. Hello, Rhys. Hello, June's Mom. Yes, the other characters too. But these characters will live in my mind rent free forever.
And yes, yes to these questions! I love the cover so much!
The book is as it is. The plot is as it is. What I loved the most is how genuine the characters are and how effortlessly they have been developed and given a wholesome place in the plot.
I find the character of June so genuine and realistic that it's impossible not to keep on reading as to know what happens to her and who she chooses ultimately. The characters are not perfect which I truly appreciate reading about. We meet the good, the bad and the ugly guys. June, you deserve the best.
One character stood out for me. It's June's mom. Only Asian kids know how it is with Asian families and Asian parents. It's a lot. A LOT I would say. We are used to it. But no one can make fun of it.
I would say take your time with this book. Try to know and understand June keeping her age and situation in mind. You will enjoy it the most when you accept the characters as they are at the earliest.
Thank you, Peachtree, for the advance reading copy.
Will I keep looking at the cover of this book again and again?
Will I keep thinking about the characters again and again? Hello, June. Hello, Rhys. Hello, June's Mom. Yes, the other characters too. But these characters will live in my mind rent free forever.
And yes, yes to these questions! I love the cover so much!
The book is as it is. The plot is as it is. What I loved the most is how genuine the characters are and how effortlessly they have been developed and given a wholesome place in the plot.
I find the character of June so genuine and realistic that it's impossible not to keep on reading as to know what happens to her and who she chooses ultimately. The characters are not perfect which I truly appreciate reading about. We meet the good, the bad and the ugly guys. June, you deserve the best.
One character stood out for me. It's June's mom. Only Asian kids know how it is with Asian families and Asian parents. It's a lot. A LOT I would say. We are used to it. But no one can make fun of it.
I would say take your time with this book. Try to know and understand June keeping her age and situation in mind. You will enjoy it the most when you accept the characters as they are at the earliest.
March 31, 2022
"And for a brief moment, everything felt exactly how it used to. The rush of the life I was leaving behind flooded back—inside jokes, our mock arguing, the intense feeling of safety he brought. The nostalgia washed over me, magnifying all the things I was giving up." — Boys I know, Anna Gracia.
Ah, I remember when I was making a little selection of the upcoming YA titles for a post for my bookstagram, and how I found out about this book thinking 'this one will be very interesting'! Turns out I was right! WOW, what a slap in the face this book has given me!
Boys I Know is the debut YA novel of Anna Gracia, and it follows the teenage life of June Chu, a Taiwanese American who struggles to find herself in Pine Grove. She feels pressured by her family, who wants her to follow the steps of her sister, Wendy, by going to Northwestern college, and by society in general. Between racist surnames and the fact that she is one of the only Asian Americans in her town, June Chu tries to find a place for herself among her peers, no matter what she must do. But this is not without struggles and wrong beginnings that she experiences the most important steps of her teenage life: boyfriends; friendships; life decisions; every 'yes' is a new risk to take. And perhaps a new facet of herself to discover...
Where to start? By being honest: I started this book on the wrong foot. The first chapters introduced me to June and her strong temperament. At first, I had a hard time relating to her; I think I was too narrow-minded and was simply trying to overlay my own teenage memories/self to her own narrative, which has basically proven itself to be wrong. There's one crucial element that one shouldn't dismiss when reading this story, and before making harsh judgements on June's decisions: June is not any teenage girl, she is Asian American. She carries with her her parent's story as immigrants and all the responsibilities and expectations they have for her in being the perfect child with excellent grades and a prodigious career as a violinist. She is trapped in this image and life built up for her.
To that, I could instantly relate. As soon as Anna Gracia developed a whole reflection around the idea of being 'good enough'—or the contrary, being 'not good enough'—, I was hit by how true and authentic June's narrative was. Simply because I, too, felt like that during my teenage years. I know how challenging it is to be as good as your perfect sister; how annoying it is to be compared to her and her good grades when you're torn between wanting to live your own experiences and working your ass off to match the images she outlined for the family. I just knew it all; this sense of freedom without completely owning it for fear of disappointing my parents and people around me.
June's relationship with her mother was particularly interesting in that sense because it develops one of her greatest problems: the feeling of not being loved and wanted. Yet, it is in her mom's presence that June feels like herself: an Asian American, confronted with two languages, one of which she still has a lot to learn about. (btw, 30% of my reading was dedicated to me trying to work my Chinese tones. *cry* It was hard. Thanks Anna!) June's struggle to understand every Chinese idiom contributed to this identity crisis she is subject to in her story: where does the feeling of belonging stand when you're a child of immigrants? Is June American enough to feel at home in her town, which community was mostly white? Is she Taiwanese enough to hang out with Chinese/Asian native people who study in the college of her dream? These are all the questions Anna Gracia puts in her novel.
Although I, as a reader, frowned a lot upon some of June's decisions, I realised that I had the distance (after many years) to notice some toxic relationships she created or maintained throughout the story. One of which was certainly that with Brad. I could write an entire essay entitled 'How to avoid or not be a Brad in your life' because God knows how uncomfortable and infuriated he made me feel as a young woman.
Boys I Know, on the whole, is very raw and very realistic in terms of how teenagers live their lives: drugs, sex, parties, bad influences...etc. June doesn't avoid that. On the contrary, she experiences them all. Even the worst scenario case, which I won't reveal to avoid spoilers. I thought that, for once, depicting the reality actually gave some originality to the story: Bye-bye cringe romances and bad boys turning good for the sake of their lovey-dovey shy girlfriends, hello indecisive and shitty boyfriends. It felt like discovering that someone had been lying to my face for several years. I'll admit it kind of hurt because it just reveals how difficult relationships are now—many of my friends met a Brad, a Gang or Rhys once (not me, fortunately, but I'm glad I could through June).
Anna Gracia's writing thus spoke straight to my heart and eventually turned out to be an excellent discovery. It surely lived up to my expectations and I completely agree with what Ashley Hearn, Anna Gracia's editor, writes when she says that '[She] wished [she]'d this [kind of story] when [she] was a teen'. This IS a story every teenage girl should read and, for this reason, I'll be recommending this book to those around me.
I can't thank Peachtree teen and Anna Gracia enough for the opportunity of reading an advance copy of Boys I Know. It was a real pleasure and I would love to continue reading more of Anna Gracia's novels in the future.
Ah, I remember when I was making a little selection of the upcoming YA titles for a post for my bookstagram, and how I found out about this book thinking 'this one will be very interesting'! Turns out I was right! WOW, what a slap in the face this book has given me!
Boys I Know is the debut YA novel of Anna Gracia, and it follows the teenage life of June Chu, a Taiwanese American who struggles to find herself in Pine Grove. She feels pressured by her family, who wants her to follow the steps of her sister, Wendy, by going to Northwestern college, and by society in general. Between racist surnames and the fact that she is one of the only Asian Americans in her town, June Chu tries to find a place for herself among her peers, no matter what she must do. But this is not without struggles and wrong beginnings that she experiences the most important steps of her teenage life: boyfriends; friendships; life decisions; every 'yes' is a new risk to take. And perhaps a new facet of herself to discover...
Where to start? By being honest: I started this book on the wrong foot. The first chapters introduced me to June and her strong temperament. At first, I had a hard time relating to her; I think I was too narrow-minded and was simply trying to overlay my own teenage memories/self to her own narrative, which has basically proven itself to be wrong. There's one crucial element that one shouldn't dismiss when reading this story, and before making harsh judgements on June's decisions: June is not any teenage girl, she is Asian American. She carries with her her parent's story as immigrants and all the responsibilities and expectations they have for her in being the perfect child with excellent grades and a prodigious career as a violinist. She is trapped in this image and life built up for her.
To that, I could instantly relate. As soon as Anna Gracia developed a whole reflection around the idea of being 'good enough'—or the contrary, being 'not good enough'—, I was hit by how true and authentic June's narrative was. Simply because I, too, felt like that during my teenage years. I know how challenging it is to be as good as your perfect sister; how annoying it is to be compared to her and her good grades when you're torn between wanting to live your own experiences and working your ass off to match the images she outlined for the family. I just knew it all; this sense of freedom without completely owning it for fear of disappointing my parents and people around me.
June's relationship with her mother was particularly interesting in that sense because it develops one of her greatest problems: the feeling of not being loved and wanted. Yet, it is in her mom's presence that June feels like herself: an Asian American, confronted with two languages, one of which she still has a lot to learn about. (btw, 30% of my reading was dedicated to me trying to work my Chinese tones. *cry* It was hard. Thanks Anna!) June's struggle to understand every Chinese idiom contributed to this identity crisis she is subject to in her story: where does the feeling of belonging stand when you're a child of immigrants? Is June American enough to feel at home in her town, which community was mostly white? Is she Taiwanese enough to hang out with Chinese/Asian native people who study in the college of her dream? These are all the questions Anna Gracia puts in her novel.
Although I, as a reader, frowned a lot upon some of June's decisions, I realised that I had the distance (after many years) to notice some toxic relationships she created or maintained throughout the story. One of which was certainly that with Brad. I could write an entire essay entitled 'How to avoid or not be a Brad in your life' because God knows how uncomfortable and infuriated he made me feel as a young woman.
Boys I Know, on the whole, is very raw and very realistic in terms of how teenagers live their lives: drugs, sex, parties, bad influences...etc. June doesn't avoid that. On the contrary, she experiences them all. Even the worst scenario case, which I won't reveal to avoid spoilers. I thought that, for once, depicting the reality actually gave some originality to the story: Bye-bye cringe romances and bad boys turning good for the sake of their lovey-dovey shy girlfriends, hello indecisive and shitty boyfriends. It felt like discovering that someone had been lying to my face for several years. I'll admit it kind of hurt because it just reveals how difficult relationships are now—many of my friends met a Brad, a Gang or Rhys once (not me, fortunately, but I'm glad I could through June).
Anna Gracia's writing thus spoke straight to my heart and eventually turned out to be an excellent discovery. It surely lived up to my expectations and I completely agree with what Ashley Hearn, Anna Gracia's editor, writes when she says that '[She] wished [she]'d this [kind of story] when [she] was a teen'. This IS a story every teenage girl should read and, for this reason, I'll be recommending this book to those around me.
I can't thank Peachtree teen and Anna Gracia enough for the opportunity of reading an advance copy of Boys I Know. It was a real pleasure and I would love to continue reading more of Anna Gracia's novels in the future.
Want to read
February 12, 202212.02.2022 oh my god. i have an early copy now!
23.06.2021 authors says this has "messy boys + messier relationships" and i think that's enough to make me wait patiently for this ya contemporary with asian-american rep.
23.06.2021 authors says this has "messy boys + messier relationships" and i think that's enough to make me wait patiently for this ya contemporary with asian-american rep.
May 25, 2022
This book had so many things going for it.
Rating: ✨✨2.3
The representation.
The positive yet realistic look into teenage relationships with all their struggles and petty scrabbles over that one stray look the girl gave to a donut or something.
that girl was me
This book had allll those things.
*puts glasses over teary eyes*
Had as in past tense.
Like for example, I HAD the hope that I would love it.
I HAD thought that I would give it four stars halfway through.
I HAD... had. Yes. Eloquence.
And I even went into this without expectations. I saw the cover, read over the synopsis (ahem, skim read it), requested an ARC AND I GOT MAGICALLY ACCEPTED FDRT7UIJHGFTY. So um... Netgalley? I love you for that.
I hate you.
But I love you.
*smirks in possible enemies to lovers*
But back to the matter at hand. This book had me conflicted at such a desperate level that I was THIS close to throwing a mega humongous (albeit fabulous and with sprinkles... yum) tantrum. Because why???? Did those things happen???
However, I shall start with the golden parts first because after months of not being able to review, I've realized that I'm a tad brutal with books I dislike.
And I forever will be- but this time I'll pat it in the back before decapitating it.
The book.
Not a person-
(sad, I know)
The representation was beautiful, y'all. I LOVE reading books about different ethnic groups, especially when I am incredibly interested in their culture! The mannerisms, the food, the ambience and environment... *sigh* so for that, the book gets a star. (please don't add the amount of times I say that) When a book solidly makes me interested in the way of life within the story, it is always a plus for me.
Unlike half of this book in particular.
I'm sorry- I-
I'll walk away.
*runs back* Teenagers are messy and chaotic. (thus, that abrupt change of topic) (and the plot of this book) And this is speaking from experience. We make mistakes, and we get hurt, and we make even more mistakes and along the path, we obtain expectations. From family, friends, even the public eye. Expectations based on our looks, identities, way of speech, peculiarities, and it is stifling at times. I believe the author captured those feelings very well! (back again to using the exclamation marks to hide the pettiness within) It hurts to be in a mold other people set you in, at least mostly. Like an ache, or an itch one cannot seem to scratch properly.
The book could've been so much more, taking into consideration the topics it delved into. Yet, it just felt messy. Not teen messy. Just a plain mess, let me explain.
The storyline follows the main character in her journey of teen love, familial expectations, second child problems and healthy or unhealthy relationships. Sounds promising, right? But along the way, as the pages unfolded, the greater picture got muddy and gray. There was no discerning what the main purpose was anymore because the characters didn't seem to convey the truth of their personalities.
And that was represented in the MC's relationships. I get making a mistake a thousand times. Even the same mistake over and over again. But not learning from it? Blaming others for the inability to take responsibility for the choices you clearly made? I'm sorry, but that's a plain no. I understand what this book was trying to accomplish by making all the characters unlikable, horrible, disgusting and disturbing human beings-
Wait, I don't.
The MC was a nice person for half of the book. She made me feel her pain WITH her, made me experience her thoughts and emotions and how ugly the world was and continues to be for some minorities that are forced to conform themselves to a different way of life. But after the clearly overly victimization that progressed far more than the plot ever did, I just couldn't comprehend what the story wanted me to think of her. Did it want me to root for her? Judge her? Relate to her? It became overbearing how hard it was to think of her as a good human being. She judged others yet made the same mistakes they made, was shallow and self-centered- and oh my gosh, I need to calm down because I am feeling too evil.
Breatheeeee
In
Breatheeee
Out
(This is never against the author and I feel the need to remind myself of this every few minutes because then I would close up and be like... well, the book uh- the book-)
Everything felt so one dimensional, I couldn't even take the MC seriously.
And that is depressing.
Then we have 'the boyfriends' (cue Justin Beiber BOYFRIEND song, oh how the times have gone astray). I apologize in advance, but pfffffffft. Why did they remind me of stereotypical Disney Channel villains that time travelled from 2005 and teleported to this book??? Omg *wheezing halfway to Hades*
The MC clearly had intense feelings for one of them, yet I didn't feel it. At all.
Oh, and not to forget the pregnancy scare.
Dubious consent.
IGNORED pregnancy scare-
IGNORED DUBIOUS CONSENT-
I- darn it, I promised myself I would be nice.
Oh well.
Apart from the 'boyfriends', the background characters were decent in a way that doesn't make me rant against them because I have nothing in particular to say. Some were good, others were fleeting annoyances that left me with a feeling of 'what the heck just happened, and how can I forget it??' multiples times, and you know what? All those characters mushed together were better than the romance in and of itself.
What romance? I truly don't know, either. And I get it, I truly do. The book wasn't supposed to be a fun rom com, I got that by page 35, however, the forced chemistry the characters evidently didn't have just made this story seem worse than it was.
Am I peeved? Why of course! I got the Peeve Supreme 'buy one get twelve free' discount.
I just need some things in the plot to be recognized as they were and given the proper attention, because some of those things were just not good, you know? And it makes me sad to think that if someone in the world went through something similar (to THAT, I couldn't say spoilers-) and has read something like *that* in other books, they might think it's normal. Which is clearly not.
On a closing note, I would've loved to go deep into the rant portion of this review since I wrote a whole essay (not really but for dramatics, my loves) on my reviewing notebook about the many things this book COULD'VE excelled at had it been for proper management of the feelings the MC was meant to give us and the overall congruence of the story and pacing. Again, this was not against the author not their views, just my own personal opinions of what this book made me go through.
This review was kind of messy and chaotic.
But I'm a teen.
It comes with the territory, *wink wink*
(Every Wattpad epilogue, this one's for you-)
~👑Special thanks to Netgalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!👑~
*Behind the scenes*
I could've been nicer-
Why did you do that- well the book was crappy-
You didn't have to SAY IT, THOUGH.
YES.
I
FREAKING.
HAD TO.
And people believe I'm crazy, ha!
Oh.
.............................
Guess what? I feel so ✨ conflicted ✨
Rating: ✨✨2.3
The representation.
The positive yet realistic look into teenage relationships with all their struggles and petty scrabbles over that one stray look the girl gave to a donut or something.
This book had allll those things.
*puts glasses over teary eyes*
Had as in past tense.
Like for example, I HAD the hope that I would love it.
I HAD thought that I would give it four stars halfway through.
I HAD... had. Yes. Eloquence.
And I even went into this without expectations. I saw the cover, read over the synopsis (ahem, skim read it), requested an ARC AND I GOT MAGICALLY ACCEPTED FDRT7UIJHGFTY. So um... Netgalley? I love you for that.
I hate you.
But I love you.
*smirks in possible enemies to lovers*
But back to the matter at hand. This book had me conflicted at such a desperate level that I was THIS close to throwing a mega humongous (albeit fabulous and with sprinkles... yum) tantrum. Because why???? Did those things happen???
However, I shall start with the golden parts first because after months of not being able to review, I've realized that I'm a tad brutal with books I dislike.
And I forever will be- but this time I'll pat it in the back before decapitating it.
The book.
Not a person-
(sad, I know)
The representation was beautiful, y'all. I LOVE reading books about different ethnic groups, especially when I am incredibly interested in their culture! The mannerisms, the food, the ambience and environment... *sigh* so for that, the book gets a star. (please don't add the amount of times I say that) When a book solidly makes me interested in the way of life within the story, it is always a plus for me.
Unlike half of this book in particular.
I'm sorry- I-
I'll walk away.
*runs back* Teenagers are messy and chaotic. (thus, that abrupt change of topic) (and the plot of this book) And this is speaking from experience. We make mistakes, and we get hurt, and we make even more mistakes and along the path, we obtain expectations. From family, friends, even the public eye. Expectations based on our looks, identities, way of speech, peculiarities, and it is stifling at times. I believe the author captured those feelings very well! (back again to using the exclamation marks to hide the pettiness within) It hurts to be in a mold other people set you in, at least mostly. Like an ache, or an itch one cannot seem to scratch properly.
The book could've been so much more, taking into consideration the topics it delved into. Yet, it just felt messy. Not teen messy. Just a plain mess, let me explain.
The storyline follows the main character in her journey of teen love, familial expectations, second child problems and healthy or unhealthy relationships. Sounds promising, right? But along the way, as the pages unfolded, the greater picture got muddy and gray. There was no discerning what the main purpose was anymore because the characters didn't seem to convey the truth of their personalities.
And that was represented in the MC's relationships. I get making a mistake a thousand times. Even the same mistake over and over again. But not learning from it? Blaming others for the inability to take responsibility for the choices you clearly made? I'm sorry, but that's a plain no. I understand what this book was trying to accomplish by making all the characters unlikable, horrible, disgusting and disturbing human beings-
Wait, I don't.
The MC was a nice person for half of the book. She made me feel her pain WITH her, made me experience her thoughts and emotions and how ugly the world was and continues to be for some minorities that are forced to conform themselves to a different way of life. But after the clearly overly victimization that progressed far more than the plot ever did, I just couldn't comprehend what the story wanted me to think of her. Did it want me to root for her? Judge her? Relate to her? It became overbearing how hard it was to think of her as a good human being. She judged others yet made the same mistakes they made, was shallow and self-centered- and oh my gosh, I need to calm down because I am feeling too evil.
Breatheeeee
In
Breatheeee
Out
(This is never against the author and I feel the need to remind myself of this every few minutes because then I would close up and be like... well, the book uh- the book-)
Everything felt so one dimensional, I couldn't even take the MC seriously.
And that is depressing.
Then we have 'the boyfriends' (cue Justin Beiber BOYFRIEND song, oh how the times have gone astray). I apologize in advance, but pfffffffft. Why did they remind me of stereotypical Disney Channel villains that time travelled from 2005 and teleported to this book??? Omg *wheezing halfway to Hades*
The MC clearly had intense feelings for one of them, yet I didn't feel it. At all.
Oh, and not to forget the pregnancy scare.
Dubious consent.
IGNORED pregnancy scare-
IGNORED DUBIOUS CONSENT-
I- darn it, I promised myself I would be nice.
Oh well.
Apart from the 'boyfriends', the background characters were decent in a way that doesn't make me rant against them because I have nothing in particular to say. Some were good, others were fleeting annoyances that left me with a feeling of 'what the heck just happened, and how can I forget it??' multiples times, and you know what? All those characters mushed together were better than the romance in and of itself.
What romance? I truly don't know, either. And I get it, I truly do. The book wasn't supposed to be a fun rom com, I got that by page 35, however, the forced chemistry the characters evidently didn't have just made this story seem worse than it was.
Am I peeved? Why of course! I got the Peeve Supreme 'buy one get twelve free' discount.
I just need some things in the plot to be recognized as they were and given the proper attention, because some of those things were just not good, you know? And it makes me sad to think that if someone in the world went through something similar (to THAT, I couldn't say spoilers-) and has read something like *that* in other books, they might think it's normal. Which is clearly not.
On a closing note, I would've loved to go deep into the rant portion of this review since I wrote a whole essay (not really but for dramatics, my loves) on my reviewing notebook about the many things this book COULD'VE excelled at had it been for proper management of the feelings the MC was meant to give us and the overall congruence of the story and pacing. Again, this was not against the author not their views, just my own personal opinions of what this book made me go through.
This review was kind of messy and chaotic.
But I'm a teen.
It comes with the territory, *wink wink*
(Every Wattpad epilogue, this one's for you-)
~👑Special thanks to Netgalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!👑~
*Behind the scenes*
I could've been nicer-
Why did you do that- well the book was crappy-
You didn't have to SAY IT, THOUGH.
YES.
I
FREAKING.
HAD TO.
And people believe I'm crazy, ha!
Oh.
.............................
Guess what? I feel so ✨ conflicted ✨
December 5, 2023
"Tengo que dejarte. He llegado. Voy a tomar más malas decisiones..."
🌸Pero antes de hablar de las malas o de las buenas decisiones que toma nuestra protagonista, déjame preguntarte por las tuyas... Sí, sí, no hagas ver que no me estás escuchando. ¿Recuerdas las que tomaste durante tu último año del instituto? ¿Tan malas fueron😱??? ¿Peor, dices????😱😱
🌸Bueno, que no cunda el pánico, haré ver que no he escuchado nada🤭
🌸Es más, recapitulemos un poco...
Yuàn dè yì xin rén, bái shou bù xiang lí
Si atrapas el corazón de alguien, nunca estaréis separados
🌸Imagina que tus padres son de Taiwán y que tú has nacido en Estados Unidos, así que no acabas de saber quién eres ni quién quieres ser. O sí, pero ¿cómo puedes explicarlo a tu madre que aún vive como si estuviera en Taiwán? Y no solo eso sino que ¿qué pasa con el sexo? Y ¿con los chicos? Y ¿por qué siempre te están comparando con tu hermana la perfecta e inigualable Wendy?
🌸Es más, estás tan confundida que... ¿puede ser que las malas decisiones sean realmente buenas decisiones?
UNA HISTORA INCREÍBLE SOBRE LOS PROBLEMAS DE CRECER COMO ASIÁTICA-AMERICANA, la adolescencia y sus locuras, que no puedes perderte🤩!
🌸Pero antes de hablar de las malas o de las buenas decisiones que toma nuestra protagonista, déjame preguntarte por las tuyas... Sí, sí, no hagas ver que no me estás escuchando. ¿Recuerdas las que tomaste durante tu último año del instituto? ¿Tan malas fueron😱??? ¿Peor, dices????😱😱
🌸Bueno, que no cunda el pánico, haré ver que no he escuchado nada🤭
🌸Es más, recapitulemos un poco...
Yuàn dè yì xin rén, bái shou bù xiang lí
Si atrapas el corazón de alguien, nunca estaréis separados
🌸Imagina que tus padres son de Taiwán y que tú has nacido en Estados Unidos, así que no acabas de saber quién eres ni quién quieres ser. O sí, pero ¿cómo puedes explicarlo a tu madre que aún vive como si estuviera en Taiwán? Y no solo eso sino que ¿qué pasa con el sexo? Y ¿con los chicos? Y ¿por qué siempre te están comparando con tu hermana la perfecta e inigualable Wendy?
🌸Es más, estás tan confundida que... ¿puede ser que las malas decisiones sean realmente buenas decisiones?
UNA HISTORA INCREÍBLE SOBRE LOS PROBLEMAS DE CRECER COMO ASIÁTICA-AMERICANA, la adolescencia y sus locuras, que no puedes perderte🤩!
June 25, 2022
Boys I Know is an enjoyable read as we follow June Chu through her journey in realising her self worth, dealing with her parent's expectations, the Asian-American experience and the period of switch from high school to college. I liked reading about all these themes and I liked that the book showed how messy teen relationships and the struggles of staying true to oneself. I'm all in for portrayal for messy teens so June was understandable to an extent.
But overall, the book felt like a bunch of scenes put together. There wasn't any real conclusion to the scenes and neither was the gravity of the situations addressed. The blurb promises to deliver important messages, especially to the teens reading the book, but it majorly fails on that part. I didn't know what to think of June and her experiences later on.
I don't even know my stance on this book so I can't say about recommending it to anyone, but if you like YA consider reading this book and see for yourself!
thank you Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for the ARC!
But overall, the book felt like a bunch of scenes put together. There wasn't any real conclusion to the scenes and neither was the gravity of the situations addressed. The blurb promises to deliver important messages, especially to the teens reading the book, but it majorly fails on that part. I didn't know what to think of June and her experiences later on.
I don't even know my stance on this book so I can't say about recommending it to anyone, but if you like YA consider reading this book and see for yourself!
thank you Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for the ARC!
June 4, 2022
2/5 stars, honestly don’t know how to rate this
Thank you Peach Tree Teen for the arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
While I am grateful for the opportunity to read this book, I can't say I had a pleasant experience. There was a lot going on, and so many more trigger warnings then I was expecting. It is not often that trigger warnings bother me, but some in this book did, and there was no indication they were going to happen until they did. While some parts of that are more of a personal preference, due to the nature of some, they should have been mentioned in the beginning of the book. I think all authors should do that, regardless.
Probably the biggest issue I had with this book besides the non-existent trigger warnings warning, was how the tagline for this book is literally, "A high school senior navigates messy boys and messier relationships in this bitingly funny and much-needed look into the overlap of Asian American identity and teen sexuality." While I do not disagree with the second-half, it touches on pieces of Asian American identity that are important, as well as sexuality, the first part makes me really upset. It's pitched as just messy relationships, but some of the relationships June found herself in were just flat-out abusive. In more ways than one, even if it was subtle. I do not think that those relationships should be marketed to any young woman, or really any young individual, as simply messy. That implies drama yes, but when it's just abuse that is not okay.
As well, I do not feel that the author or the story managed to make me feel joyful or happy about anything in this book. There are constant instances of racism, sexism, sexual harassment and assault, slut shaming, manipulation, and cheating that ultimately, I did not feel were handled delicately enough. I do think that there was an attempt, but at the end I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth, not just because it happened but because I did not feel the author talked enough about the implications or how horrible these things are. They kind of just happened, and were accepted by everyone in the story, or taken as not a big deal. In the real world, these things really do happen, and often they are looked over, but I still feel that there was not enough care placed on the depiction of them and the tone in which they were written.
While there was a lot going on that I did not like, I think the importance the author put into the Asian American ethnicity representation was important, especially what these individuals experience on an everyday basis from both family and society. It made me upset to read, which was very important, and I do think that part of it was well represented. Along those lines, the feelings of being a teenager and having to balance a million things on our shoulders was also represented well. I felt anxiety and stress from the story, and the main character, as I was reading this and that just goes to show how realistic it was. Teenagers are messy, frankly all of the time, and mistakes are made quite often, something else that was represented. I didn't enjoy the excuse for some teenagers to be racist and sexist though, but I know quite a few teenagers who are that way and it is just accepted, so that was also realistic.
June was a main character I struggled to connect to, not because of our different upbringings, but because of how she falls into a pattern of victimization so easily. There is something to be said about how this happens in real life, and that these people need to be helped out of these situations, but at least personality wise it was hard for me to connect with her. I had empathy, but it felt that she was just living her life as a shell, which was probably the point. Nevertheless, it was just strange to read from her perspective. She only showed initiative for her own life, and the things that were being done to her, at the very end. I understand it was implied that she had a large personal journey to get there, but one moment she was feeling bad and the next she was going to take control. It was too fast of a switch, and not depicted as gradually as it should have been. I wish her reflections in the moment had been deeper, and not just something she looked back on later, as it would have felt like better growth with that.
An example of this is, around the 85% mark of this book June suddenly recalls all of the microaggressions she has experienced throughout this book and it just felt like a flip switched. It did not truly feel like she had cared up until this point, and suddenly she realized everything. That happens as well, but I wish there had been more build up to her realization.
There was never any good romance in this book, each relationship was "messy" though I hate to use that word, as most were manipulative and abusive. Almost every interaction she had with a guy was sexual harassment or something of the sort, which was just not fun to read about. Being a woman, I understand this happens on a daily basis, but that does not mean that is the only thing I want to read about. She honestly deserved a really healthy relationship and all she got were abusive ones with men who took advantage of her.
Overall it had some important themes including teen sexuality and Asian American culture, but I cannot at this moment recommend this book. Reading it stressed me out besides those important themes because of the handling of some of the relationships and plotlines.
[TW: racism, sexism, masturbation (mentioned) and sex (somewhat explicit), alcohol use and being drunk, drug use, sexual harassment, slut and clothes shaming, controlling parents, sexual assault, forceful sex, pregnancy scare, manipulation in a relationship, cheating and infidelity, racial slurs]
Thank you Peach Tree Teen for the arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
While I am grateful for the opportunity to read this book, I can't say I had a pleasant experience. There was a lot going on, and so many more trigger warnings then I was expecting. It is not often that trigger warnings bother me, but some in this book did, and there was no indication they were going to happen until they did. While some parts of that are more of a personal preference, due to the nature of some, they should have been mentioned in the beginning of the book. I think all authors should do that, regardless.
Probably the biggest issue I had with this book besides the non-existent trigger warnings warning, was how the tagline for this book is literally, "A high school senior navigates messy boys and messier relationships in this bitingly funny and much-needed look into the overlap of Asian American identity and teen sexuality." While I do not disagree with the second-half, it touches on pieces of Asian American identity that are important, as well as sexuality, the first part makes me really upset. It's pitched as just messy relationships, but some of the relationships June found herself in were just flat-out abusive. In more ways than one, even if it was subtle. I do not think that those relationships should be marketed to any young woman, or really any young individual, as simply messy. That implies drama yes, but when it's just abuse that is not okay.
As well, I do not feel that the author or the story managed to make me feel joyful or happy about anything in this book. There are constant instances of racism, sexism, sexual harassment and assault, slut shaming, manipulation, and cheating that ultimately, I did not feel were handled delicately enough. I do think that there was an attempt, but at the end I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth, not just because it happened but because I did not feel the author talked enough about the implications or how horrible these things are. They kind of just happened, and were accepted by everyone in the story, or taken as not a big deal. In the real world, these things really do happen, and often they are looked over, but I still feel that there was not enough care placed on the depiction of them and the tone in which they were written.
While there was a lot going on that I did not like, I think the importance the author put into the Asian American ethnicity representation was important, especially what these individuals experience on an everyday basis from both family and society. It made me upset to read, which was very important, and I do think that part of it was well represented. Along those lines, the feelings of being a teenager and having to balance a million things on our shoulders was also represented well. I felt anxiety and stress from the story, and the main character, as I was reading this and that just goes to show how realistic it was. Teenagers are messy, frankly all of the time, and mistakes are made quite often, something else that was represented. I didn't enjoy the excuse for some teenagers to be racist and sexist though, but I know quite a few teenagers who are that way and it is just accepted, so that was also realistic.
June was a main character I struggled to connect to, not because of our different upbringings, but because of how she falls into a pattern of victimization so easily. There is something to be said about how this happens in real life, and that these people need to be helped out of these situations, but at least personality wise it was hard for me to connect with her. I had empathy, but it felt that she was just living her life as a shell, which was probably the point. Nevertheless, it was just strange to read from her perspective. She only showed initiative for her own life, and the things that were being done to her, at the very end. I understand it was implied that she had a large personal journey to get there, but one moment she was feeling bad and the next she was going to take control. It was too fast of a switch, and not depicted as gradually as it should have been. I wish her reflections in the moment had been deeper, and not just something she looked back on later, as it would have felt like better growth with that.
An example of this is, around the 85% mark of this book June suddenly recalls all of the microaggressions she has experienced throughout this book and it just felt like a flip switched. It did not truly feel like she had cared up until this point, and suddenly she realized everything. That happens as well, but I wish there had been more build up to her realization.
There was never any good romance in this book, each relationship was "messy" though I hate to use that word, as most were manipulative and abusive. Almost every interaction she had with a guy was sexual harassment or something of the sort, which was just not fun to read about. Being a woman, I understand this happens on a daily basis, but that does not mean that is the only thing I want to read about. She honestly deserved a really healthy relationship and all she got were abusive ones with men who took advantage of her.
Overall it had some important themes including teen sexuality and Asian American culture, but I cannot at this moment recommend this book. Reading it stressed me out besides those important themes because of the handling of some of the relationships and plotlines.
[TW: racism, sexism, masturbation (mentioned) and sex (somewhat explicit), alcohol use and being drunk, drug use, sexual harassment, slut and clothes shaming, controlling parents, sexual assault, forceful sex, pregnancy scare, manipulation in a relationship, cheating and infidelity, racial slurs]
March 21, 2022
thank you to netgalley and peachtree publishing for the arc!
this book is advertised as follows: "a high school senior navigates messy boys and messier relationships in this bitingly funny and much-needed look into the overlap of asian american identity and teen sexuality."
it certainly delivers on most of that! this book is messy, in the best way. and it dives into asian american identity and teen sexuality. the only part i disagree with is the funny part because while i did enjoy this book more than i thought i would, it wasn't really funny at all. to be frank, it was quite serious at times. and that's not a bad thing!
june, our main character, is pretty complex. she has a lot of things influencing her from her parents to her sister to more. she lacks validation from her family and tries to find it within the men she "dates" (who all turn out to be not the best in some way or another). as a (south) asian living in the midwest, i could relate to june about her struggles with living there. she constantly feels like she isn't asian enough because of her upbringing and i relate to that a lot. neither of us were surrounded by people of our own cultures throughout our childhood. anyway, june was flawed and messy and i liked that. sometimes it can be almost tiring to see picture perfect ya characters who get their happily ever after and it was kinda refreshing to see one who didn't and was quite messed up. but june is 18. it's ok for her to be messed up. she shouldn't be expected to have her life together.
i feel like this book is one of those you just have to read to understand. i enjoyed it since i'm in the target audience (an asian american teenager) but it was a read where i can understand why people might not like it. i would say, give it a shot! but remember, it's not a book with a hea.
also, side note: that cover is absolutely gorgeous oh my
btw: there are plenty of trigger warnings so i'll list the ones i can think of under
this book is advertised as follows: "a high school senior navigates messy boys and messier relationships in this bitingly funny and much-needed look into the overlap of asian american identity and teen sexuality."
it certainly delivers on most of that! this book is messy, in the best way. and it dives into asian american identity and teen sexuality. the only part i disagree with is the funny part because while i did enjoy this book more than i thought i would, it wasn't really funny at all. to be frank, it was quite serious at times. and that's not a bad thing!
june, our main character, is pretty complex. she has a lot of things influencing her from her parents to her sister to more. she lacks validation from her family and tries to find it within the men she "dates" (who all turn out to be not the best in some way or another). as a (south) asian living in the midwest, i could relate to june about her struggles with living there. she constantly feels like she isn't asian enough because of her upbringing and i relate to that a lot. neither of us were surrounded by people of our own cultures throughout our childhood. anyway, june was flawed and messy and i liked that. sometimes it can be almost tiring to see picture perfect ya characters who get their happily ever after and it was kinda refreshing to see one who didn't and was quite messed up. but june is 18. it's ok for her to be messed up. she shouldn't be expected to have her life together.
i feel like this book is one of those you just have to read to understand. i enjoyed it since i'm in the target audience (an asian american teenager) but it was a read where i can understand why people might not like it. i would say, give it a shot! but remember, it's not a book with a hea.
also, side note: that cover is absolutely gorgeous oh my
btw: there are plenty of trigger warnings so i'll list the ones i can think of under
February 1, 2023
rating : 1.25 stars.
good evening my beautiful jane nation 😍😍 how r uuuuu ??? finals for me r next week so i am Not doing good and we have this big science congress thing going on — it is a very big and frivolous ordeal that i dont care for at All 🙍♀️🙍♀️ DONT THEY KNOW THAT I AM A R€AD3R….. like its craazzyyyy . anywho ! this book !
would like to preface my review by saying : all junes r my Children and my Mothers . HOWEVER COMMA do nawt mention ms june chu to me ! ever ! ms wendys shadow ! a disgrace to all junes everywhere ! get behind me ms bellemore , ms riva , others 🐈🐈 like guys… u dont know how disappointed i am w this book . JUNE IS A SACRED NAME TO ME WHY DOESNT MS AUTHOR CATER TO MY SPECIFIC NICHES FR…. 💔💔💔 its very shameful . mind u i requested an arc for this book… all to be given this ( also i didnt get the arc AHAHJABAS kills self ) . thisll be a long one… Sighs . they always r 🙍♀️🤷♀️ i fear theres a dif between a rant review and reviews for my the Most Evil shelf and i just… yeah . this is just one of those books 💔 without anymore comments drum roll… da da da da da,,,, lettuce start ! 🥬🥬
writing.
writing and writing style - da writing style was Just okay 🤷♀️🤷♀️ i fear it was not anything memorable , but for what it was , it worked ! if the goal was to hate miss june with my whole life it definitely worked ! now for da writing,,, 🤨🤨🤨 hmm i think that the authors note at the start of the story was a really lazy way for the author to express her asian moral righteousness without actually seamlessly incorporating it into da story . ofc ur characters should not be a mouthpiece however comma there are things that are very niche and Only you think about , and what is a universal experience with certain communities . i do not understand why she composed an entire authors note being like ASIANS R ALL DA SAME YAS BUT IF U CONFUSE US KILL URSELF 😍😍 when its like okay what r u saying also i get u ish now why r u saying it in ur own voice instead of your characters 😭😭😭 for example , “We were all Asian Americans, and therefore unified in our struggle for visibility and acceptance.” as if east asians havent tyrannized southeast , south , west , central asians for decades but okay . this was in reference to a bunch of movies that the author listed that featured asian characters and she was like , it didnt matter one was chinese and the other vietnamese , were all asian 😍😍 DO YK WHAT CHINA HAS DONE TO VIETNAM………. EYE……. nvm . mind u , the author stated this like ea vs the rest of asia feud in the book with “in which East Asians believed they were superior to South and Southeast Asians, then ranked each country within the East Asian community itself” SO ITS LIKE /₱/₱/₱/)₱: shes aware that easians suck but she compared all of us earlier in the book LIKE ⁉️⁉️ SO IS IT ONE THING OR DA OTHER CUZ… furthermore , this book likes to like… force asian hardships in the most inorganic circumstances and handle it in the most weird way to show that asians too r oppressed when it is Nawt that deep . chillax ! its just… will i get shot for saying this ? idk i dont think its that big or revelatary of a statement . i think a lot of mixed w white poc have this innate yearn to sort of prove that they , too , are oppresed . and its like andy , we didnt hate u cuz u were half white . we hated u cuz ud make fun off our accents then cry and call unfairness when u failed ur filipino final ! its something i notice in a lot of movies , books n tv shows showcasing mixed mcs , or at least have writers that r mixed , bc u can just tell that they crave that approval / validation of being violently acted upon . and im so sorry if that sounds mean thats actually not my intention , but like even from the authors note… u can tell its giving mixed propaganda 😭😭 its kinda funny when u think abt it actually 🌬🤷♀️
dialogue and scenes - the dialogue SUCKS bc june SUCKS and is such a fucking know it all i cant deal . “I didn’t expand on how the rubber traction on the sole of my boots compared to Uggs, or the fact that my boots wouldn’t fall apart in two years.” LIKE ??? the worst part is people actually talk like this but the author fashions it in a way that june is this badass who just internaly BURNEDDD someone and kept it to herself cuz shes so humble when its like shut UP this is why ur two friends dont like u and the one person u cant trust will never talk to u truly 😭😭 the thing is , theres absolitely nothing wrong w annoying / cunty mcs . BUTTTT ‼️‼️ the story is framing june as if the only thing wrong w her are the people around her 😭😭 how they make her act , their effect on her — which is true in a sense ofc but it just makes her so evasive . she doesnt take accountability and i am sure the writer is not smart enough to make that quality purposeful . her revelations at the end r perfunctory and poorly - executed at best 🌬🐈 “Maybe we were all the asshole in someone else’s story.” oh — for sure . u suck . but also ⁉️⁉️⁉️ some descendants ass shit , NO ???? “Was it really possible to just get used to having a void where something should be?” the author was fighting tooth and nail to be scene as mildly poetic like !!
random filler/idk where to put this shit - “The only logical explanation had to be some girl version of beer goggles for cute guys who love-bombed them.” thats not what love-bombing is but okay 😐😐 the author didnt bother doingh research ?? girl u have three kids . lets use the internet huh ! instead of using serious terms we know nothing about ???? plz ! also the way this story keeps bringing up sea and sa 😭😭 so the author can be like oh im privileged too aha look at me taking accountability 🧸 we r all the same 🧸 as if there is no more to asia than the south and southeast 😭😭 even when u r trying to ‘ take accountability ‘ u still dont know shit 😭😭 like woah thats cray…
plot.
overall plot, premise, and random shit - june chu kisses boys , hates her mother , is jealous of her sister but secretly bc even if her sister had to do everything for her and has to upkeep her parents restrictive expectations for the oldest child — june is somehow ignorant to that therefore treats her sister like a robot for being better than she ever will be ; makes mistakes , has 8 mental breakdowns , and i think thats it ! the way ive been reading sm younger sister media this month 🙍♀️🙍♀️ #JUSTICEFORWENDY ‼️🫂
characters.
➷ june - Oh… were at the june section… hmm . “Wendy used to laugh and claim she assumed they stared because she was beautiful. Yes, really.” WHY R U SUCH A BITCH BE CHILL ITS A JOKE LAUGH ITS FUNNY LAUGH . people w complexes r so hard to talk to i swear they blow up n make everything into everything 😭😭 june is a whiny , inconsiderate , selfish bitch and i know thats the point but hmm,,, thr minimal effort she makes at the end to be better just does Nawt cut it for me . sorry i like well developed characters ! june is so goddamn insecure and makes it everyones fucking problem . “The rest of us. Even in her apology Amy still managed to imply that I wasn’t Asian enough.” girl screw u . she said u mostly know white people cuz u were born in a predominantly white area and u dont know a lot of chinese things bc of that and u were like fuck u i dont need to prove myself to u w some kind of complex bc she stated… the exact situation u were born into 😭😭 she isnt saying its a bad thing to be scarce in ur chinese knowledge , shes just saying u grew up in a predominanatly white area . ur just too insecure to see literal plain fact 😭😭 MIND U,,, JUNE COULDNT NAME 3 POC FRIENDS OF HER LIKE ?? IT ISNT A QUOTE TO BE REACHES BUT LIKE be Calm . “These girls, I’m sure, were who Amy considered to be Chinese Chinese,” like Kill Yourself ! ! ! mind u , even if amy meant chinese chinese as in june isnt chinese enough to gang , she isnt saying that she isnt fucking chinese like actually , shes just relaying gangs fucked up ideology when it comes to dating 😭😭 how did gangs misogyny and xenophobia become amys probelm like look INWARDS june 😭😭 and no matter how much she says she is as smart as wendy , june lacks critical thinking skills and basic comprehension of the events around her. “My choices for people I knew at school were currently limited to either Amy or Wendy. So much for the idea of reinventing myself at college.” u only know one person per school . that is literally good / what u should WANT bitch 😭 plus junes flaws are the most basic and one note flaws ever . they have been reused so many times and while it isnt the authors fault they didnt publish earlier , they are adding no flourish to make the character of June chu their own . ive seen junes everywhere . she isnt even relatable in her repetitiveness bc u cannot latch onto something that is oppressed but still east asian and rich aka all asian books standard . like… pls chill . she is so outwardly introspective like , too like its terrible for me 💔💔 lemme leave junes section w something brad said : “You always complain about how your family talks to you, but you do the same thing. You treat everyone around you like they’re stupid and it’s kind of an asshole thing to do.” hes out of line and a little bitch but hes right 🤷♀️🤷♀️
➷ wendy - “What, beans and rice story? How you want me to react? Ha ha, so funny. You like to see your sister unhappy. How you want your egg?” the one time mama chu slayed 🌬🤷♀️👩🫣 wendy is my precious baby angel had to carry the whole story on her back 🙍♀️🫂 the way june never understood wendy — not really , but she got her happy ending and wendy had to apologize and was made the bad guy still by the end 😐😐😐😐 wendy i will avenge u 😵💫😵💫 that whole thing w her giving june a good talking to and saying i have to take care of u AGAIN bc u are a CHILD and i always have to be the fucking adult even if im only two years ur senior because otherwise i will be lectured and reprimanded and june being like omg i have trauma from that guy i fucked once calling me a child go fuck urself wendy like KILLL URSELLLFFF ‼️
➷ rhys - why is rhys becoming such a popular name 🤨🤨 this is terrible for me . anyways , rhys , u were hot and i just know june will be listening to tis the damn season everytime she comes back to iowa thinking of u but yk what , u served ur purpose . u did nothing and yk what… w all the mess that is this book , i rlly appreciate u 🐈😵💫👩 look at rhys ! hes likes sm obscure things ! like Metallica ! ofc june wouldnt know what that is , ofc !
➷ candace - guys help why is candace dating a 23 year old while in highschool… let alone her Manager… mind u she has a known obsession w older men… someone Check on her . the way june spent her time judging candace for planning to throw her life away for him she is a VICTIM june 😐😐😐 but i like candace i Think ! anyone but liz cuz liz is #FAKE . realness .
romance.
➷ junerhys - that pregnancy scene beating my ass… its that otismaeve obsession . i fear i was rooting for them fr cuz like they were like magnets uhm… but they both do Nawt deserve each other so it is Sad yes for them and me a little bitch but greater joy cuz i would hate to see june happy and thriving fr 🤷♀️🤷♀️ the way that sounds so wrong… MY JUNIPER I DO NOT MEAN U 🙍♀️🙍♀️
➷ junebrad - the way i already forget abt them . yawn . boring ! next !
➷ junegang - now gang was HAWT . like yes did he have a gf but i think… if shes okay w it… 🤭🤭 the way he SPEAKS and hes like a mucisian and he takes its slow and hes so calculated and good like WOAH WOAH WOAH… he is for me actually june get away from him ‼️‼️
final thoughts.
i only kept this on my tbr for so long cuz of the june name and the cover… i have regrets . anyways this sucked ! i feel bad cuz i miss ms june bellemore now 🥺🥺 okie i go now bye bye jane nation 😘😘😘
good evening my beautiful jane nation 😍😍 how r uuuuu ??? finals for me r next week so i am Not doing good and we have this big science congress thing going on — it is a very big and frivolous ordeal that i dont care for at All 🙍♀️🙍♀️ DONT THEY KNOW THAT I AM A R€AD3R….. like its craazzyyyy . anywho ! this book !
would like to preface my review by saying : all junes r my Children and my Mothers . HOWEVER COMMA do nawt mention ms june chu to me ! ever ! ms wendys shadow ! a disgrace to all junes everywhere ! get behind me ms bellemore , ms riva , others 🐈🐈 like guys… u dont know how disappointed i am w this book . JUNE IS A SACRED NAME TO ME WHY DOESNT MS AUTHOR CATER TO MY SPECIFIC NICHES FR…. 💔💔💔 its very shameful . mind u i requested an arc for this book… all to be given this ( also i didnt get the arc AHAHJABAS kills self ) . thisll be a long one… Sighs . they always r 🙍♀️🤷♀️ i fear theres a dif between a rant review and reviews for my the Most Evil shelf and i just… yeah . this is just one of those books 💔 without anymore comments drum roll… da da da da da,,,, lettuce start ! 🥬🥬
writing.
writing and writing style - da writing style was Just okay 🤷♀️🤷♀️ i fear it was not anything memorable , but for what it was , it worked ! if the goal was to hate miss june with my whole life it definitely worked ! now for da writing,,, 🤨🤨🤨 hmm i think that the authors note at the start of the story was a really lazy way for the author to express her asian moral righteousness without actually seamlessly incorporating it into da story . ofc ur characters should not be a mouthpiece however comma there are things that are very niche and Only you think about , and what is a universal experience with certain communities . i do not understand why she composed an entire authors note being like ASIANS R ALL DA SAME YAS BUT IF U CONFUSE US KILL URSELF 😍😍 when its like okay what r u saying also i get u ish now why r u saying it in ur own voice instead of your characters 😭😭😭 for example , “We were all Asian Americans, and therefore unified in our struggle for visibility and acceptance.” as if east asians havent tyrannized southeast , south , west , central asians for decades but okay . this was in reference to a bunch of movies that the author listed that featured asian characters and she was like , it didnt matter one was chinese and the other vietnamese , were all asian 😍😍 DO YK WHAT CHINA HAS DONE TO VIETNAM………. EYE……. nvm . mind u , the author stated this like ea vs the rest of asia feud in the book with “in which East Asians believed they were superior to South and Southeast Asians, then ranked each country within the East Asian community itself” SO ITS LIKE /₱/₱/₱/)₱: shes aware that easians suck but she compared all of us earlier in the book LIKE ⁉️⁉️ SO IS IT ONE THING OR DA OTHER CUZ… furthermore , this book likes to like… force asian hardships in the most inorganic circumstances and handle it in the most weird way to show that asians too r oppressed when it is Nawt that deep . chillax ! its just… will i get shot for saying this ? idk i dont think its that big or revelatary of a statement . i think a lot of mixed w white poc have this innate yearn to sort of prove that they , too , are oppresed . and its like andy , we didnt hate u cuz u were half white . we hated u cuz ud make fun off our accents then cry and call unfairness when u failed ur filipino final ! its something i notice in a lot of movies , books n tv shows showcasing mixed mcs , or at least have writers that r mixed , bc u can just tell that they crave that approval / validation of being violently acted upon . and im so sorry if that sounds mean thats actually not my intention , but like even from the authors note… u can tell its giving mixed propaganda 😭😭 its kinda funny when u think abt it actually 🌬🤷♀️
dialogue and scenes - the dialogue SUCKS bc june SUCKS and is such a fucking know it all i cant deal . “I didn’t expand on how the rubber traction on the sole of my boots compared to Uggs, or the fact that my boots wouldn’t fall apart in two years.” LIKE ??? the worst part is people actually talk like this but the author fashions it in a way that june is this badass who just internaly BURNEDDD someone and kept it to herself cuz shes so humble when its like shut UP this is why ur two friends dont like u and the one person u cant trust will never talk to u truly 😭😭 the thing is , theres absolitely nothing wrong w annoying / cunty mcs . BUTTTT ‼️‼️ the story is framing june as if the only thing wrong w her are the people around her 😭😭 how they make her act , their effect on her — which is true in a sense ofc but it just makes her so evasive . she doesnt take accountability and i am sure the writer is not smart enough to make that quality purposeful . her revelations at the end r perfunctory and poorly - executed at best 🌬🐈 “Maybe we were all the asshole in someone else’s story.” oh — for sure . u suck . but also ⁉️⁉️⁉️ some descendants ass shit , NO ???? “Was it really possible to just get used to having a void where something should be?” the author was fighting tooth and nail to be scene as mildly poetic like !!
random filler/idk where to put this shit - “The only logical explanation had to be some girl version of beer goggles for cute guys who love-bombed them.” thats not what love-bombing is but okay 😐😐 the author didnt bother doingh research ?? girl u have three kids . lets use the internet huh ! instead of using serious terms we know nothing about ???? plz ! also the way this story keeps bringing up sea and sa 😭😭 so the author can be like oh im privileged too aha look at me taking accountability 🧸 we r all the same 🧸 as if there is no more to asia than the south and southeast 😭😭 even when u r trying to ‘ take accountability ‘ u still dont know shit 😭😭 like woah thats cray…
plot.
overall plot, premise, and random shit - june chu kisses boys , hates her mother , is jealous of her sister but secretly bc even if her sister had to do everything for her and has to upkeep her parents restrictive expectations for the oldest child — june is somehow ignorant to that therefore treats her sister like a robot for being better than she ever will be ; makes mistakes , has 8 mental breakdowns , and i think thats it ! the way ive been reading sm younger sister media this month 🙍♀️🙍♀️ #JUSTICEFORWENDY ‼️🫂
characters.
➷ june - Oh… were at the june section… hmm . “Wendy used to laugh and claim she assumed they stared because she was beautiful. Yes, really.” WHY R U SUCH A BITCH BE CHILL ITS A JOKE LAUGH ITS FUNNY LAUGH . people w complexes r so hard to talk to i swear they blow up n make everything into everything 😭😭 june is a whiny , inconsiderate , selfish bitch and i know thats the point but hmm,,, thr minimal effort she makes at the end to be better just does Nawt cut it for me . sorry i like well developed characters ! june is so goddamn insecure and makes it everyones fucking problem . “The rest of us. Even in her apology Amy still managed to imply that I wasn’t Asian enough.” girl screw u . she said u mostly know white people cuz u were born in a predominantly white area and u dont know a lot of chinese things bc of that and u were like fuck u i dont need to prove myself to u w some kind of complex bc she stated… the exact situation u were born into 😭😭 she isnt saying its a bad thing to be scarce in ur chinese knowledge , shes just saying u grew up in a predominanatly white area . ur just too insecure to see literal plain fact 😭😭 MIND U,,, JUNE COULDNT NAME 3 POC FRIENDS OF HER LIKE ?? IT ISNT A QUOTE TO BE REACHES BUT LIKE be Calm . “These girls, I’m sure, were who Amy considered to be Chinese Chinese,” like Kill Yourself ! ! ! mind u , even if amy meant chinese chinese as in june isnt chinese enough to gang , she isnt saying that she isnt fucking chinese like actually , shes just relaying gangs fucked up ideology when it comes to dating 😭😭 how did gangs misogyny and xenophobia become amys probelm like look INWARDS june 😭😭 and no matter how much she says she is as smart as wendy , june lacks critical thinking skills and basic comprehension of the events around her. “My choices for people I knew at school were currently limited to either Amy or Wendy. So much for the idea of reinventing myself at college.” u only know one person per school . that is literally good / what u should WANT bitch 😭 plus junes flaws are the most basic and one note flaws ever . they have been reused so many times and while it isnt the authors fault they didnt publish earlier , they are adding no flourish to make the character of June chu their own . ive seen junes everywhere . she isnt even relatable in her repetitiveness bc u cannot latch onto something that is oppressed but still east asian and rich aka all asian books standard . like… pls chill . she is so outwardly introspective like , too like its terrible for me 💔💔 lemme leave junes section w something brad said : “You always complain about how your family talks to you, but you do the same thing. You treat everyone around you like they’re stupid and it’s kind of an asshole thing to do.” hes out of line and a little bitch but hes right 🤷♀️🤷♀️
➷ wendy - “What, beans and rice story? How you want me to react? Ha ha, so funny. You like to see your sister unhappy. How you want your egg?” the one time mama chu slayed 🌬🤷♀️👩🫣 wendy is my precious baby angel had to carry the whole story on her back 🙍♀️🫂 the way june never understood wendy — not really , but she got her happy ending and wendy had to apologize and was made the bad guy still by the end 😐😐😐😐 wendy i will avenge u 😵💫😵💫 that whole thing w her giving june a good talking to and saying i have to take care of u AGAIN bc u are a CHILD and i always have to be the fucking adult even if im only two years ur senior because otherwise i will be lectured and reprimanded and june being like omg i have trauma from that guy i fucked once calling me a child go fuck urself wendy like KILLL URSELLLFFF ‼️
➷ rhys - why is rhys becoming such a popular name 🤨🤨 this is terrible for me . anyways , rhys , u were hot and i just know june will be listening to tis the damn season everytime she comes back to iowa thinking of u but yk what , u served ur purpose . u did nothing and yk what… w all the mess that is this book , i rlly appreciate u 🐈😵💫👩 look at rhys ! hes likes sm obscure things ! like Metallica ! ofc june wouldnt know what that is , ofc !
➷ candace - guys help why is candace dating a 23 year old while in highschool… let alone her Manager… mind u she has a known obsession w older men… someone Check on her . the way june spent her time judging candace for planning to throw her life away for him she is a VICTIM june 😐😐😐 but i like candace i Think ! anyone but liz cuz liz is #FAKE . realness .
romance.
➷ junerhys - that pregnancy scene beating my ass… its that otismaeve obsession . i fear i was rooting for them fr cuz like they were like magnets uhm… but they both do Nawt deserve each other so it is Sad yes for them and me a little bitch but greater joy cuz i would hate to see june happy and thriving fr 🤷♀️🤷♀️ the way that sounds so wrong… MY JUNIPER I DO NOT MEAN U 🙍♀️🙍♀️
➷ junebrad - the way i already forget abt them . yawn . boring ! next !
➷ junegang - now gang was HAWT . like yes did he have a gf but i think… if shes okay w it… 🤭🤭 the way he SPEAKS and hes like a mucisian and he takes its slow and hes so calculated and good like WOAH WOAH WOAH… he is for me actually june get away from him ‼️‼️
final thoughts.
i only kept this on my tbr for so long cuz of the june name and the cover… i have regrets . anyways this sucked ! i feel bad cuz i miss ms june bellemore now 🥺🥺 okie i go now bye bye jane nation 😘😘😘
May 25, 2022
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Boys I Know was so easy to devour in one sitting. I absolutely loved getting to know June and watch her go boy crazy. Then how she interacted with her mother and sister, Wendy, just made me smile. I seriously loved her mother because she was unapologetically herself. I'm pretty sure she was my spirit animal/person throughout this book.
As for June, well she really wants to step it up in the romance department. Whether it's with the guy she may or may not be dating or with someone new. On top of that, she has to practice the violin and get all her homework done. I ended up liking her pretty quickly and rolled my eyes whenever she was compared to her older sister. Definitely reminded me of how my parents were when I was about to graduate high school.
Other than that, the romance drama was so freaking realistic and easily relatable. Mostly because people are kind of shitty and indecisive as hell. The things June goes through were so important because any person reading it could relate to that specific scenario. For example, I can relate to some of the things June did and it made me who I am now. I'd like to think I'm a better person for experiencing it but who knows.
In the end, I'm really happy that I got the chance to jump into this. I'm so in love with June and can't wait for everyone else to meet her. I also can't wait for the next book Anna writes because I seriously need more!
Boys I Know was so easy to devour in one sitting. I absolutely loved getting to know June and watch her go boy crazy. Then how she interacted with her mother and sister, Wendy, just made me smile. I seriously loved her mother because she was unapologetically herself. I'm pretty sure she was my spirit animal/person throughout this book.
As for June, well she really wants to step it up in the romance department. Whether it's with the guy she may or may not be dating or with someone new. On top of that, she has to practice the violin and get all her homework done. I ended up liking her pretty quickly and rolled my eyes whenever she was compared to her older sister. Definitely reminded me of how my parents were when I was about to graduate high school.
Other than that, the romance drama was so freaking realistic and easily relatable. Mostly because people are kind of shitty and indecisive as hell. The things June goes through were so important because any person reading it could relate to that specific scenario. For example, I can relate to some of the things June did and it made me who I am now. I'd like to think I'm a better person for experiencing it but who knows.
In the end, I'm really happy that I got the chance to jump into this. I'm so in love with June and can't wait for everyone else to meet her. I also can't wait for the next book Anna writes because I seriously need more!
Read
April 2, 2022An Asian American teen. Sex positivity. So much messiness. Boys I Love had so much to offer, and still … I decided to DNF.
This review is a bit different than usual because of the reason I decided to DNF.
A while ago, Aaron Aceves (This is Why They Hate Us) posted his order of preferred writing styles on Twitter:
* First-person, present tense
* Third-person, past tense
* First-person, past tense
* Third-person, present tense
I fully agree with Aaron. And it’s not that I don’t like third person, present tense; beautiful books like Beartown have been written in this style. But in my opinion, the style needs to fit the story. Fredrik Backman writes from a helicopter view, contemplative, more distant. In these cases, third person, present tense works really well.
Boys I Like is vibrant and immediate and is written in first person, past tense. The past tense is my problem. Because a lively, urgent story in the present should (still my opinion, yours could be different) be written in present tense. After reading a few chapters, I even started to replace tenses in sentences. Then a friend told me to drop the book. I didn’t want to because I still loved the premise and could see myself liking the story. But after a couple more pages I decided to quit after all. Because I got too frustrated with this past tense and don’t want to ruin my weekend (and my family’s) out of frustration for a book.
I received an ARC from Peachtree Teen and NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
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This review is a bit different than usual because of the reason I decided to DNF.
A while ago, Aaron Aceves (This is Why They Hate Us) posted his order of preferred writing styles on Twitter:
* First-person, present tense
* Third-person, past tense
* First-person, past tense
* Third-person, present tense
I fully agree with Aaron. And it’s not that I don’t like third person, present tense; beautiful books like Beartown have been written in this style. But in my opinion, the style needs to fit the story. Fredrik Backman writes from a helicopter view, contemplative, more distant. In these cases, third person, present tense works really well.
Boys I Like is vibrant and immediate and is written in first person, past tense. The past tense is my problem. Because a lively, urgent story in the present should (still my opinion, yours could be different) be written in present tense. After reading a few chapters, I even started to replace tenses in sentences. Then a friend told me to drop the book. I didn’t want to because I still loved the premise and could see myself liking the story. But after a couple more pages I decided to quit after all. Because I got too frustrated with this past tense and don’t want to ruin my weekend (and my family’s) out of frustration for a book.
I received an ARC from Peachtree Teen and NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
Follow me on Instagram
March 22, 2022
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own
This book was good, but not groundbreaking. June falls in a pattern of victimization quite easily, which made it hard for me - personality wise - to appreciate her.
I love the diversity - it brings a new perspective to me. I could understand the familial issues that she was facing, the things at play were explained well enough. Even if it's not my culture, I could follow through with what she was saying.
Her journey to discovering herself is interesting, and I could definitely relate to some events. However - it was nothing new. I wished she would push her reflections deeper on the moment - even if she sometimes eventually did think back to her experiences.
I chose 3 stars because by 70% I was kind of done with the book. I speed read the rest. I think young adult might be more of a stretch - I would personally aim for 14-16 yo.
Thank you for this opportunity to read the book! It was enlightening when it comes to different backgrounds and expectations.
This book was good, but not groundbreaking. June falls in a pattern of victimization quite easily, which made it hard for me - personality wise - to appreciate her.
I love the diversity - it brings a new perspective to me. I could understand the familial issues that she was facing, the things at play were explained well enough. Even if it's not my culture, I could follow through with what she was saying.
Her journey to discovering herself is interesting, and I could definitely relate to some events. However - it was nothing new. I wished she would push her reflections deeper on the moment - even if she sometimes eventually did think back to her experiences.
I chose 3 stars because by 70% I was kind of done with the book. I speed read the rest. I think young adult might be more of a stretch - I would personally aim for 14-16 yo.
Thank you for this opportunity to read the book! It was enlightening when it comes to different backgrounds and expectations.
February 25, 2022
I have so much to say about this book.
The main character is June Chu, a secondborn Asian American teenager in a family that literally has the epitome of Asian parents. June is potrayed like most teenagers nowadays who are intoxicated with love, self-righterous, and don't want to be controlled. Of course I don't like her but I guess that's the author's point.
BUT, the cause of June's attitude is quite complex. Her parents (especially her mom because her dad's rarely showed up) are:
- always throwing Chinese proverbs at any occasion
- want the full control of their child's life
- always comparing their child with other child they know
- passive agressive
- hard to please, never compliment their child's achievements
- don't care about their child's efforts, the only thing that matters is the result
- assume all of their child have the same capacity, so if the firstborn is brilliant and multitalented then the secondborn should be like that too
June's older sister, Wendy, set the bar too high for June. So their parents' expectations toward June were excessive. Because of that, June became problematic and ended up seeking validation from ✨jerks✨
I don't really have the knowledge capacity to discuss this further but as far as I know, there's this thing called "attachment style", and the point is that if you are problematic, you will tend to "attract" problematic people too. That's exactly what happened to June.
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I was annoyed by June at first like "please don't be too dumb I'm so sick of your shit" but the story was interesting and I got the points the author wants to convey. June's social life's surrounded by people who are not so good and often a bad influence.
From her mistakes and after a lot of drama, finally June realized the wrongness of her situation. She finally grows wiser and acknowledges her worth, she knows what she wants, she knows how to say what she wants even to her strict Asian parents.
This book is a YA but it's quite explicit so beware of these trigger warnings:
- non consensual physical touch
- emotional abuse
- pornography, explicit sex scenes
- racism
- bodily waste (vomit)
- toxic relationship
- alcohol
This book is suitable for teenagers who are in the phase of intoxicated by love to the point of sacrificing everything for their significant others.
And also for June Chu and whoever felt related with June please seek professional help ASAP before it's too late.
This digital ARC was provided by NetGalley and Peachtree Teen in exchange of an honest review. Thank you!
The main character is June Chu, a secondborn Asian American teenager in a family that literally has the epitome of Asian parents. June is potrayed like most teenagers nowadays who are intoxicated with love, self-righterous, and don't want to be controlled. Of course I don't like her but I guess that's the author's point.
BUT, the cause of June's attitude is quite complex. Her parents (especially her mom because her dad's rarely showed up) are:
- always throwing Chinese proverbs at any occasion
- want the full control of their child's life
- always comparing their child with other child they know
- passive agressive
- hard to please, never compliment their child's achievements
- don't care about their child's efforts, the only thing that matters is the result
- assume all of their child have the same capacity, so if the firstborn is brilliant and multitalented then the secondborn should be like that too
June's older sister, Wendy, set the bar too high for June. So their parents' expectations toward June were excessive. Because of that, June became problematic and ended up seeking validation from ✨jerks✨
I don't really have the knowledge capacity to discuss this further but as far as I know, there's this thing called "attachment style", and the point is that if you are problematic, you will tend to "attract" problematic people too. That's exactly what happened to June.
I was annoyed by June at first like "please don't be too dumb I'm so sick of your shit" but the story was interesting and I got the points the author wants to convey. June's social life's surrounded by people who are not so good and often a bad influence.
From her mistakes and after a lot of drama, finally June realized the wrongness of her situation. She finally grows wiser and acknowledges her worth, she knows what she wants, she knows how to say what she wants even to her strict Asian parents.
This book is a YA but it's quite explicit so beware of these trigger warnings:
- non consensual physical touch
- emotional abuse
- pornography, explicit sex scenes
- racism
- bodily waste (vomit)
- toxic relationship
- alcohol
This book is suitable for teenagers who are in the phase of intoxicated by love to the point of sacrificing everything for their significant others.
And also for June Chu and whoever felt related with June please seek professional help ASAP before it's too late.
This digital ARC was provided by NetGalley and Peachtree Teen in exchange of an honest review. Thank you!
April 25, 2022
I LOVE this book so much. I laughed, I cried, I was so proud of June by the end of it. I read one review that says people who relate to June should seek psychological help. Hello, my name is Erik J. Brown and I'm in search of psychological help, because my GOD did I relate to June.
I'm a gay, cisgender, white male from Philadelphia and I still related to straight, Taiwanese June from the Midwest. June figuring out how to communicate with boys and deal with all the dumb stuff they do brought me right back to discovering my own sexuality and trying to figure out the difference between sex and love and a crush. Trying to straddle that thin line between cool/aloofness and that heart-bursting excitement of a new crush or relationship. You don't want to be too available, but also not cold, but also not too excited, but also not too sexual, but also SO. MANY. OTHER. THINGS! It was terrible for me, but thankfully June is much smarter and headstrong than I was at her age.
This is such a wonderful, funny, heartfelt book and Anna Gracia is such an exciting new voice. I cannot wait to see what she writes next!
I'm a gay, cisgender, white male from Philadelphia and I still related to straight, Taiwanese June from the Midwest. June figuring out how to communicate with boys and deal with all the dumb stuff they do brought me right back to discovering my own sexuality and trying to figure out the difference between sex and love and a crush. Trying to straddle that thin line between cool/aloofness and that heart-bursting excitement of a new crush or relationship. You don't want to be too available, but also not cold, but also not too excited, but also not too sexual, but also SO. MANY. OTHER. THINGS! It was terrible for me, but thankfully June is much smarter and headstrong than I was at her age.
This is such a wonderful, funny, heartfelt book and Anna Gracia is such an exciting new voice. I cannot wait to see what she writes next!
March 29, 2022
* Thank you at netgalley for the review copy *
I really wanted so hard to like this book, but it just really irked me.
Let's start off by talking about the characters. I found it hard to relate to any of the characters, and more times than not I was irritated by the characters. The main character is smart and successful, yet she let the fact that she was single bring her down?? I didn't like any of her boyfriends either. They were all very stupid.
It also felt like nothing much seemed to happen until the 60% mark, which was very frustrating, and I found myself cringing at every other line in this book.
This book just felt like a giant eh, which is sad because the description made it sound so good.
3/10 would recommend, but it wasn't for me
I really wanted so hard to like this book, but it just really irked me.
Let's start off by talking about the characters. I found it hard to relate to any of the characters, and more times than not I was irritated by the characters. The main character is smart and successful, yet she let the fact that she was single bring her down?? I didn't like any of her boyfriends either. They were all very stupid.
It also felt like nothing much seemed to happen until the 60% mark, which was very frustrating, and I found myself cringing at every other line in this book.
This book just felt like a giant eh, which is sad because the description made it sound so good.
3/10 would recommend, but it wasn't for me
June 9, 2022
i've been sitting on this rating for a while since this book contains so many important themes and lessons that aren't often seen in young adult books, like sex-positivity, messy teenagers and honest relationships. i really do appreciate it a lot for that, but unfortunately the overall execution was disappointing. the author does have so much potential imo so i can't wait for a next book!
April 12, 2022
thank you NetGalley for the arc !!
*3.5 stars rounded up*
so this was honestly a chaotic read—confusing af but still fun. The book started out kind of rocky (with the lack of communication, casual racism that was unaddressed until later, etc) but the way the author wrote in a sex-positive book that handled 2nd-child w expectations + immigrant living in a predominantly white area experience was perfect.
I loved how the romance was handled and how it was an overall messy book with overcoming expectations and finding what the mc wanted for herself.
(review to be edited later)
———
before reading: a messy teen that doesn’t have their life together in school with expectations from family? messy relationships that aren’t the usual perfect ya couple? a bipoc lead?
*adds yet another book onto shelf*
ALSO THAT COVER—
*3.5 stars rounded up*
so this was honestly a chaotic read—confusing af but still fun. The book started out kind of rocky (with the lack of communication, casual racism that was unaddressed until later, etc) but the way the author wrote in a sex-positive book that handled 2nd-child w expectations + immigrant living in a predominantly white area experience was perfect.
I loved how the romance was handled and how it was an overall messy book with overcoming expectations and finding what the mc wanted for herself.
(review to be edited later)
———
before reading: a messy teen that doesn’t have their life together in school with expectations from family? messy relationships that aren’t the usual perfect ya couple? a bipoc lead?
*adds yet another book onto shelf*
ALSO THAT COVER—
May 18, 2022
thank you to netgalley,the publisher and the author for this arc in exchange of a honest review <33
this review is purely based on my own understanding and interpretations of the book.
so…3.75 stars.
this book was pretty chaotic and messy as other reviewers have mentioned, the way June(the main character)deals with all the people around her is honestly a little messed up?until now,I have absolutely no idea how did she suddenly changed her way of interacting with those around her and I’ve no idea if she actually grew up and matured from all of that.
I definitely liked the Chinese representation in the book and how the author managed to capture so many things about how it’s like to be in a Chinese family because I could definitely relate to a certain extent as a Chinese myself.
what I didn’t like was her romance cuz it really was pretty confusing for me.the book started off with Rhys(I think cuz honestly I started quite some time ago so I don’t really remember the starting)as June’s partner and then June was attracted to him and all that.so basically at that point of time,he probably wasn’t the only male that appeared so I didn’t know if he was the main male character in the book and all that and that really confused me.and then ya so they made out here and there I guess but suddenly when they’re apparently officially in a relationship…he’s so cold towards her?and that left June pretty upset apparently towards the end of the relationship.
then boom two other guys appeared and she dated them,then just ran away from her relationships,and escapes from her problem.this definitely wasn’t my favourite part of the book.so when I read till here,I had problems trying to figure out who the main lead was again because she didn’t seem to be interested in going back to Rhys??
and then kaboom anyway so she kinda went back to him and they kinda sorta have a relationship again and June complains about Rhys lack of communication and apparently tommy(Rhys friend)told Rhys something about June that I think wasn’t something good,but that was only mentioned once during their graduation party kinda thing afterwards and the author never addressed it again which left me in question marks…l
I started the book because of the romance plot so im not gonna dive in about her struggling to choose a college but her problems are those I’ve heard about and are thus pretty realistic in my opinion.problems with their own identity and casual racism and all that.
so eh about the friendship and June’s relationship with her family….it’s kinda messed up too but she suddenly matured so good for her i guess?
by the way,I definitely enjoyed the Chinese idioms…(sounds weird) but I liked seeing the Chinese idioms being mentioned and I can proudly say I’ve got no problems understanding them so here’s the additional 0.75stars
i initially wanted to give 4 stars but the ending left me in question marks so….
overall,this was an ok read that i would recommend to my friends,especially if they are from a different race but yep this book’s target audience can’t probably be pass 16years old so this was just about the right time for me to read this book 📖
ok bye
this review is purely based on my own understanding and interpretations of the book.
so…3.75 stars.
this book was pretty chaotic and messy as other reviewers have mentioned, the way June(the main character)deals with all the people around her is honestly a little messed up?until now,I have absolutely no idea how did she suddenly changed her way of interacting with those around her and I’ve no idea if she actually grew up and matured from all of that.
I definitely liked the Chinese representation in the book and how the author managed to capture so many things about how it’s like to be in a Chinese family because I could definitely relate to a certain extent as a Chinese myself.
what I didn’t like was her romance cuz it really was pretty confusing for me.the book started off with Rhys(I think cuz honestly I started quite some time ago so I don’t really remember the starting)as June’s partner and then June was attracted to him and all that.so basically at that point of time,he probably wasn’t the only male that appeared so I didn’t know if he was the main male character in the book and all that and that really confused me.and then ya so they made out here and there I guess but suddenly when they’re apparently officially in a relationship…he’s so cold towards her?and that left June pretty upset apparently towards the end of the relationship.
then boom two other guys appeared and she dated them,then just ran away from her relationships,and escapes from her problem.this definitely wasn’t my favourite part of the book.so when I read till here,I had problems trying to figure out who the main lead was again because she didn’t seem to be interested in going back to Rhys??
and then kaboom anyway so she kinda went back to him and they kinda sorta have a relationship again and June complains about Rhys lack of communication and apparently tommy(Rhys friend)told Rhys something about June that I think wasn’t something good,but that was only mentioned once during their graduation party kinda thing afterwards and the author never addressed it again which left me in question marks…l
I started the book because of the romance plot so im not gonna dive in about her struggling to choose a college but her problems are those I’ve heard about and are thus pretty realistic in my opinion.problems with their own identity and casual racism and all that.
so eh about the friendship and June’s relationship with her family….it’s kinda messed up too but she suddenly matured so good for her i guess?
by the way,I definitely enjoyed the Chinese idioms…(sounds weird) but I liked seeing the Chinese idioms being mentioned and I can proudly say I’ve got no problems understanding them so here’s the additional 0.75stars
i initially wanted to give 4 stars but the ending left me in question marks so….
overall,this was an ok read that i would recommend to my friends,especially if they are from a different race but yep this book’s target audience can’t probably be pass 16years old so this was just about the right time for me to read this book 📖
ok bye
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2022
I really enjoyed this book ! June was splendid character who went through a lot but I thought that she was a realistic teenager so that was really nice! Overall Boys I Know was poignant, interesting, entertaining and thoughtful.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 1, 2022
thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree providing for this arc
What I love this book:
- realistic characters
-gorgeous cover
In the blurb, this book was about a teenager who navigates messy relationships and how she deals with her asian american identity.
this book wasn't funny at all tbh
June, our realistic protagonist, is struggling with the academic pressure from her mother (like comparing her with her sister, etc). She lacks validation from her family and tries to find it by dating the men who wasn't living up to her expectations. She wasn't surrounded by people of her culture and didn't feel like she was Asian enough. I could relate to her struggles at the beginning but I didn't enjoy this book.
Trigger warnings:
- dubious consent kinda? she said yes to her first sexual experience and was in pain but he didn't stop
- the "almost" pregnancy
- racism
-cultural appropiration
-sexual scenes
- toxic relationships
What I love this book:
- realistic characters
-gorgeous cover
In the blurb, this book was about a teenager who navigates messy relationships and how she deals with her asian american identity.
this book wasn't funny at all tbh
June, our realistic protagonist, is struggling with the academic pressure from her mother (like comparing her with her sister, etc). She lacks validation from her family and tries to find it by dating the men who wasn't living up to her expectations. She wasn't surrounded by people of her culture and didn't feel like she was Asian enough. I could relate to her struggles at the beginning but I didn't enjoy this book.
Trigger warnings:
- dubious consent kinda? she said yes to her first sexual experience and was in pain but he didn't stop
- the "almost" pregnancy
- racism
-cultural appropiration
-sexual scenes
- toxic relationships
June 1, 2023
Boys I Know is a story following June, an Asian-American girl trying to make her way through high school, her family's expectations, and her romantic troubles. June is dealing with a lot, with her mother constantly comparing her to her sister, Wendy, who was always perfect, always better than June. On the other hand, Rhys, her kind-of-sort-of-boyfriend, is not so keen on making their relationship official, and June needs to make some choices, regarding her future, her relationship, and overall her life.
Boys I know deals with a lot of different themes, such as growing up as a child of immigrants, dealing with racism, family expectations, finding the line between love and sex, making choices for your future, etc. For the most part, this was a pretty good book with a great premise, and it did absolutely manage to explore quite a few of these topics. The execution, however, felt a bit shaky at times - the pacing was a bit uneven, there were times where it felt like nothing was happening, and also in the end I felt like there were a few things that were just glossed over.
The book is focused on June, and her journey to figure out what she wants in life. What this also means, is that some of the other characters are a bit less developed, and they definitely feel less rounded than June and her mom, for example. I did really like the portrayal of family in this book, I feel like it was done really well. I liked how by the end everyone was trying their best to understand the other side, but things didn't magically resolve. June's mom accepts her decision, but she doesn't change her entire worldview overnight. June's sister is also an important character here. I like how it was made clear that while neither of them is actually at fault for how their relationship is, both of them carry some resentment and issues. I like how it focused on family not being perfect but still caring about each other.
Besides June's family, the focus is on June's relationships with boys. As I mentioned, June is trying to date Rhys, and when that's not giving any results she turns to another boy, Brad. I liked how this book focused on centering your self-worth in relationships, and how unsatisfying and ultimately pointless it ends up being. There was definitely good character growth from June, I feel like she comes a long way in this book. She definitely comes off temperamental in the beginning, but I think it's important to remember she is a teenager, and I think that's very realistic. I feel like it's to be expected, given that she feels like she needs to fulfill someone else's role, and like nothing she does is ever as good as it should've been.
There is also a lot of talk about racism, and especially casual racism that people of color face every day living in predominantly white areas (this is set in the US specifically). I am white and not from the US, so I will not speak of how accurate it is, but the story did touch on the fact that white people often look at their friends who aren't white to be advocates for anti-racism, and how stupid, unfair and exhausting it is - and I think that is an important point to remember.
While I said I liked how realistic it was that no one changed their entire worldview overnight, I feel like some topics should've been touched a bit more in-depth. Such as the topic of pregnancy scares as a teen, and overall feeling pressured into sex and the matter of consent in such situations.
All in all, I would recommend this book. It was a quick read, and I enjoyed the writing style even if I found the pacing awkward at times. I will definitely be checking out more of the author's work in the future!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Boys I know deals with a lot of different themes, such as growing up as a child of immigrants, dealing with racism, family expectations, finding the line between love and sex, making choices for your future, etc. For the most part, this was a pretty good book with a great premise, and it did absolutely manage to explore quite a few of these topics. The execution, however, felt a bit shaky at times - the pacing was a bit uneven, there were times where it felt like nothing was happening, and also in the end I felt like there were a few things that were just glossed over.
The book is focused on June, and her journey to figure out what she wants in life. What this also means, is that some of the other characters are a bit less developed, and they definitely feel less rounded than June and her mom, for example. I did really like the portrayal of family in this book, I feel like it was done really well. I liked how by the end everyone was trying their best to understand the other side, but things didn't magically resolve. June's mom accepts her decision, but she doesn't change her entire worldview overnight. June's sister is also an important character here. I like how it was made clear that while neither of them is actually at fault for how their relationship is, both of them carry some resentment and issues. I like how it focused on family not being perfect but still caring about each other.
Besides June's family, the focus is on June's relationships with boys. As I mentioned, June is trying to date Rhys, and when that's not giving any results she turns to another boy, Brad. I liked how this book focused on centering your self-worth in relationships, and how unsatisfying and ultimately pointless it ends up being. There was definitely good character growth from June, I feel like she comes a long way in this book. She definitely comes off temperamental in the beginning, but I think it's important to remember she is a teenager, and I think that's very realistic. I feel like it's to be expected, given that she feels like she needs to fulfill someone else's role, and like nothing she does is ever as good as it should've been.
There is also a lot of talk about racism, and especially casual racism that people of color face every day living in predominantly white areas (this is set in the US specifically). I am white and not from the US, so I will not speak of how accurate it is, but the story did touch on the fact that white people often look at their friends who aren't white to be advocates for anti-racism, and how stupid, unfair and exhausting it is - and I think that is an important point to remember.
While I said I liked how realistic it was that no one changed their entire worldview overnight, I feel like some topics should've been touched a bit more in-depth. Such as the topic of pregnancy scares as a teen, and overall feeling pressured into sex and the matter of consent in such situations.
All in all, I would recommend this book. It was a quick read, and I enjoyed the writing style even if I found the pacing awkward at times. I will definitely be checking out more of the author's work in the future!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
April 29, 2022
" boys i know " was an enjoyable read with a solid premise, but the execution lacked that special something to pull it all together. while the book has an important message, it felt disjointed at times, as it followed june on her self-discovery journey, dealing with boys, and her parents' expectations of what her future should look like against what she seeks for herself. the early section of the story, in particular, felt like a collection of events thrown together with nothing linking them, so we'd jump from scene to scene. this improves dramatically in the second half of the novel, which i much preferred, but it does not compensate for the lack of coherence in the beginning.
because the book was so centered on june, all the side characters felt one-dimensional, lacking a distinct personality, that at some point they all blurred together. june herself wasn’t a particularly likeable character as she tends to victimize herself so much that it becomes unbearable after a while. she’s constantly complaining about her mom’s judgement, but is very quick to judge her friends or her sister when the occasion arises. the boys in this book were walking clichees and it was so funny to me how every single guy she encountered was instantly smitten with her. the way they behaved was almost caricature-like, as most of them had one personality trait and that’s it.
i have to say that rhys was the best of the bunch and i kinda wished the book explored their relationship a bit more as it felt very superficial while it claimed to be the most “serious” relationship june was in – based on how deep her feelings were. also the miscommunication trope was poorly utilized, since it left so many questions unanswered that i didn’t quite see the point of their relationship. i get that the book is supposed to be about june realizing how badly she had been treated, but it got to the point she just let the boys walk all over herself, while constantly fighting her mother and her sister. i also didn’t really get why tommy kept calling her covey or why he thought she was a mistake for rhys.
as this book is very character focused there isn’t much plot up to around 60-70% of the book, which i didn’t particularly care for. i wish there was a balance between plot and character development. the ending was rushed, in my opinion. june’s revelation came out of nowhere and at the final moment. as if she suddenly woke up wiser, so it ended very abruptly. i wished it took a bit more time to properly let us watch june come onto herself and figure out who she truly wants to be.
spoiler here!
all in all, i’ll definitely be checking this author’s future works, as i did read this book rather quickly, since it’s got a fast pace and the writing wasn’t overly-complicated.
because the book was so centered on june, all the side characters felt one-dimensional, lacking a distinct personality, that at some point they all blurred together. june herself wasn’t a particularly likeable character as she tends to victimize herself so much that it becomes unbearable after a while. she’s constantly complaining about her mom’s judgement, but is very quick to judge her friends or her sister when the occasion arises. the boys in this book were walking clichees and it was so funny to me how every single guy she encountered was instantly smitten with her. the way they behaved was almost caricature-like, as most of them had one personality trait and that’s it.
i have to say that rhys was the best of the bunch and i kinda wished the book explored their relationship a bit more as it felt very superficial while it claimed to be the most “serious” relationship june was in – based on how deep her feelings were. also the miscommunication trope was poorly utilized, since it left so many questions unanswered that i didn’t quite see the point of their relationship. i get that the book is supposed to be about june realizing how badly she had been treated, but it got to the point she just let the boys walk all over herself, while constantly fighting her mother and her sister. i also didn’t really get why tommy kept calling her covey or why he thought she was a mistake for rhys.
as this book is very character focused there isn’t much plot up to around 60-70% of the book, which i didn’t particularly care for. i wish there was a balance between plot and character development. the ending was rushed, in my opinion. june’s revelation came out of nowhere and at the final moment. as if she suddenly woke up wiser, so it ended very abruptly. i wished it took a bit more time to properly let us watch june come onto herself and figure out who she truly wants to be.
spoiler here!
all in all, i’ll definitely be checking this author’s future works, as i did read this book rather quickly, since it’s got a fast pace and the writing wasn’t overly-complicated.
March 6, 2022
This was an entertaining read and I did enjoy it. It was a bit different than I expected but not in a bad way. I didn’t love it, but it was a good YA book.
I did like June, she was realistic and would be relatable to most teens. She’s messy, a bit rude and awkward. The boys she met throughout the book was interesting, and I think there’s very much to relate to and learn from that as well. June deserved better guys, in my opinion.
I started off almost liking Brad, and after a few pages I ended up hating him… Oops
I did like June, she was realistic and would be relatable to most teens. She’s messy, a bit rude and awkward. The boys she met throughout the book was interesting, and I think there’s very much to relate to and learn from that as well. June deserved better guys, in my opinion.
I started off almost liking Brad, and after a few pages I ended up hating him… Oops
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2022
This will be a great read for people who love messy teen stories, and particularly for fans of Mary H.K. Choi, whose work I found this book reminiscent of. I thought this was an impressive debut, moving, insightful and with lots of character growth, as is fitting for a coming of age story.
May 13, 2022
Boys I Know by Anna Gracia is a whirlwind of a coming-of-age story. June is a relatable protagonist and her journey of self-discovery was interesting to read about
Yet, the plot itself was a bit predictable and parts of the story felt a bit anticlimactic and rushed. Let's just say I had higher expectations going into the novel. Nevertheless, I would still recommend picking it up when you need a pallet cleanser as the novel is able to provide a good dose of humor, food for thought, and a gorgeous cover!
Note: do check the content and trigger warnings for this novel if you consider picking up the book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtreeteen for providing me with an arc. All opinions are my own!
Yet, the plot itself was a bit predictable and parts of the story felt a bit anticlimactic and rushed. Let's just say I had higher expectations going into the novel. Nevertheless, I would still recommend picking it up when you need a pallet cleanser as the novel is able to provide a good dose of humor, food for thought, and a gorgeous cover!
Note: do check the content and trigger warnings for this novel if you consider picking up the book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtreeteen for providing me with an arc. All opinions are my own!
August 25, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley & Peachtree Teen for an eARC of this book. The following review is my honest reflection on the text provided.
I wanted to like Boys I Know more.
"Good enough test scores to get the A but not the A-plus. Good enough skill to get a trophy, but not first place. Good enough to be someone's girlfriend, but not their first choice of company. Just Good Enough™."
June is refreshingly honest about her inner monologue; there's no stone left unturned here. But as much as I love YA, this was a little too YA: it read like a teenager's diary with no editor. Multiple paragraphs explain a feeling that could be expressed in a few sentences. I know the author has a very personal connection to the 'moral' of the story, but it's like she doubled down hard to get her point across and instead, it got lost in the words.
The main takeaway here is the imperfect relationships.
Yes, Boys I Know is heartfelt and addresses the feelings of being overlooked or misunderstood. Of just wanting to belong somewhere or to be wanted. Unfortunately, the message gets a little lost, leaving it feeling unfinished. June's awareness of her cultural identity (or lack thereof) is questioned when she goes to Washington but seems to be quickly forgotten for another storyline. Her quickly aborted first crush/relationship is touched on a few times but is left feeling incomplete - the exact opposite of how I think it was meant to feel in the end. There's a weird tangent with plan b being addressed as a form of abortion that felt judgmental and strange that I still don't quite understand. Overall, it's all a little too messy for a cohesive story, so while I enjoyed it and found it easy to read, I don't think it made the impression it could have with further editing. And yes, I acknowledge the irony of calling for more editing within a long, rambling review.
Review originally posted here on Britt's Book Blurbs.
I wanted to like Boys I Know more.
"Good enough test scores to get the A but not the A-plus. Good enough skill to get a trophy, but not first place. Good enough to be someone's girlfriend, but not their first choice of company. Just Good Enough™."
June is refreshingly honest about her inner monologue; there's no stone left unturned here. But as much as I love YA, this was a little too YA: it read like a teenager's diary with no editor. Multiple paragraphs explain a feeling that could be expressed in a few sentences. I know the author has a very personal connection to the 'moral' of the story, but it's like she doubled down hard to get her point across and instead, it got lost in the words.
The main takeaway here is the imperfect relationships.
‣ June's friends Liz and Candace are good friends. Not great and not terrible, at times they feel very superficial - not really checking in or sharing a lot - and then other times they're just straight up mean to each other - blunt and rude to their face or laughing them into uncomfortable situations in front of other people. Why does June have to explain to others why things are racist? Why is no one telling a teenager she shouldn't be dating her 23-year-old boss? Why is no one there to support June -in a girlfriend feminist independent way - and help her find herself outside of a relationship?This is all without going into the 'boys June knows' - but you knew going into it that these relationships would be imperfect. All these bonus ones show the actual reality of being a teenager.
‣Obviously, mother-daughter relationships are complicated. They get even more complex when you add in cultural expectations and immigrant families. Still, her mum is legit on her case 24/7 about school, the violin, and what she's wearing, but has a serious blind spot about how much time she spends away from home 'with friends'. Also, where the eff is her dad?! Yeah, he works a lot, but I don't think he said a word the entire book - a few looks here and there, maybe a shrug? Totally absent.
‣And then there's Wendy: the perfect big sister who knows exactly how to bully June into feeling less than and self-conscious. And you know it would have been so tough to be perfect all the time and to take the heat as the eldest sibling in that household, but you'd hope that moving away for uni would've softened or mellowed her a little.
Yes, Boys I Know is heartfelt and addresses the feelings of being overlooked or misunderstood. Of just wanting to belong somewhere or to be wanted. Unfortunately, the message gets a little lost, leaving it feeling unfinished. June's awareness of her cultural identity (or lack thereof) is questioned when she goes to Washington but seems to be quickly forgotten for another storyline. Her quickly aborted first crush/relationship is touched on a few times but is left feeling incomplete - the exact opposite of how I think it was meant to feel in the end. There's a weird tangent with plan b being addressed as a form of abortion that felt judgmental and strange that I still don't quite understand. Overall, it's all a little too messy for a cohesive story, so while I enjoyed it and found it easy to read, I don't think it made the impression it could have with further editing. And yes, I acknowledge the irony of calling for more editing within a long, rambling review.
Review originally posted here on Britt's Book Blurbs.
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February 15, 2022*Spoiler free*
I've wanted to read this book because it's the coming of age story of the "just good enough girl", the girl who is always coming in third and seems to lag a step behind everybody else. Plus, it sounded extremely sex positive, messy, and complicated, which is definitely my kind of book.
1. So authentically teenage - This book is set in that awkward time between being a kid and being an adult. The time where nothing seems to make sense, but decisions that affect the rest of your life need to be made. It's uncomfortable and weird and this book does everything about this so, so well.
2. Sex positivity - Though I think I'm way too demi to really get how June feels about sex, this book explores sex in a way that is not clouded or obscured. It's there, and it's not always the mind blowing experience it's made out to be. But, it's an experience that June goes through, and tries to figure out. It shows the realities, even if they aren't always sunny and wonderful, and explores how to really take ownership of the act.
3. Answers aren't always easy - It's a book that looks at life, at what comes after, at what you want to be, and what you really want. There aren't usually answers to these questions, and this book doesn't force there to be any. There is what is best for the very moment, and that is all that can be decided because the future is uncertain. I loved that everything wasn't tied up in a nice pretty bow. It's laid out, and it's there, and it is, and that is life.
4. Messy familial relationships - The complicated feelings between love and obligation and going in a different direction than what your parents want. It's hard and it's painful, but it's done so well.
5. Boys, but their messy too - I did not expect to love the relationships, and I don't love them in the traditional sense, because boy are they messy. I love their messiness, and I love what June takes from them. I love how she grows, and I love how she finds pieces of herself, not through the relationships, but from what she wants out of them and what she wants from herself.
6. June - Oh, I love her. She's messy and trying to find her way and that is so complicated when it feels like life is hit after hit. She's trying, and I love her.
Overall, this was a book that felt like life. There wasn't any pretty wrapping to any of the questions, there was a lot of uncomfortability, but that is where the beauty of this book comes from. It's such a wonderful, authentic coming of age story, and I really, really enjoyed it.
I've wanted to read this book because it's the coming of age story of the "just good enough girl", the girl who is always coming in third and seems to lag a step behind everybody else. Plus, it sounded extremely sex positive, messy, and complicated, which is definitely my kind of book.
1. So authentically teenage - This book is set in that awkward time between being a kid and being an adult. The time where nothing seems to make sense, but decisions that affect the rest of your life need to be made. It's uncomfortable and weird and this book does everything about this so, so well.
2. Sex positivity - Though I think I'm way too demi to really get how June feels about sex, this book explores sex in a way that is not clouded or obscured. It's there, and it's not always the mind blowing experience it's made out to be. But, it's an experience that June goes through, and tries to figure out. It shows the realities, even if they aren't always sunny and wonderful, and explores how to really take ownership of the act.
3. Answers aren't always easy - It's a book that looks at life, at what comes after, at what you want to be, and what you really want. There aren't usually answers to these questions, and this book doesn't force there to be any. There is what is best for the very moment, and that is all that can be decided because the future is uncertain. I loved that everything wasn't tied up in a nice pretty bow. It's laid out, and it's there, and it is, and that is life.
4. Messy familial relationships - The complicated feelings between love and obligation and going in a different direction than what your parents want. It's hard and it's painful, but it's done so well.
5. Boys, but their messy too - I did not expect to love the relationships, and I don't love them in the traditional sense, because boy are they messy. I love their messiness, and I love what June takes from them. I love how she grows, and I love how she finds pieces of herself, not through the relationships, but from what she wants out of them and what she wants from herself.
6. June - Oh, I love her. She's messy and trying to find her way and that is so complicated when it feels like life is hit after hit. She's trying, and I love her.
Overall, this was a book that felt like life. There wasn't any pretty wrapping to any of the questions, there was a lot of uncomfortability, but that is where the beauty of this book comes from. It's such a wonderful, authentic coming of age story, and I really, really enjoyed it.
July 24, 2022
okay first of all that cover is stunning im obsessed. guys read the blurb of this book and you will get exactly the same from what the blurb say. no exaggerations. nothing less than there. i’m so glad this book did delivered as it promised and say from the blurb.
this book is a debut YA novel and it follows about the teenage life of June Chu, a Taiwanese-American who is struggles to find herself during her teenage life. i’m a big fan of a story about Asian characters. June feels a lot of pressured by her family who is always told her to follow her sister’s steps. being the only Asian-Americans in her town make her try to find a place for her no matter what. but the most important in here struggles in her teenage life are boyfriends, friendships and every life decisions that she had to make to face a new life.
okay i’m going to be honest in here, at the first few chapters it’s really hard for me to relate to her. but after that i’m slowly trying to understand her and i know why she felt that way it makes me wanna hug her and to help her. she is just a teenager who is trapped in her own life and image that made by her parents. you might find June’s attitude is quite complex and difficult but you will relate to her in every way. i love how when she realised all her mistakes that she made at the end, love that she grows up to know what she wants and she knows what to say.
the romance in this book wow is very difficult to say, you guys need to read this book to know what happened. toxic relationship, a guy who is mistreated her wow a LOT happened in her love life. other than boys problem, there’s also a racism happens in here and it’s kinda sad that she needs to deal and even accepted it. she’s really been through a lot. every characters in this book are so realistically written and very relatable. i just love how this book talks a lot about in most people’s life that has been openly talking in current times.
in conclusion, i really enjoyed and love this book. even though it’s very chaotic and messy but it has its own honesty to talks about. there’s a lot of moments that gives me laugh, cry, angry, sad and even heartwarming. June is such well written characters and how much i relate to her is just insane. read this book if you love asian-characters, talks about teenage, and more.
pls check the tw before reading this book!
TW! racism, sexism, sexual harassment, slut-shaming, sexual assault, racial slurs.
this book is a debut YA novel and it follows about the teenage life of June Chu, a Taiwanese-American who is struggles to find herself during her teenage life. i’m a big fan of a story about Asian characters. June feels a lot of pressured by her family who is always told her to follow her sister’s steps. being the only Asian-Americans in her town make her try to find a place for her no matter what. but the most important in here struggles in her teenage life are boyfriends, friendships and every life decisions that she had to make to face a new life.
okay i’m going to be honest in here, at the first few chapters it’s really hard for me to relate to her. but after that i’m slowly trying to understand her and i know why she felt that way it makes me wanna hug her and to help her. she is just a teenager who is trapped in her own life and image that made by her parents. you might find June’s attitude is quite complex and difficult but you will relate to her in every way. i love how when she realised all her mistakes that she made at the end, love that she grows up to know what she wants and she knows what to say.
the romance in this book wow is very difficult to say, you guys need to read this book to know what happened. toxic relationship, a guy who is mistreated her wow a LOT happened in her love life. other than boys problem, there’s also a racism happens in here and it’s kinda sad that she needs to deal and even accepted it. she’s really been through a lot. every characters in this book are so realistically written and very relatable. i just love how this book talks a lot about in most people’s life that has been openly talking in current times.
in conclusion, i really enjoyed and love this book. even though it’s very chaotic and messy but it has its own honesty to talks about. there’s a lot of moments that gives me laugh, cry, angry, sad and even heartwarming. June is such well written characters and how much i relate to her is just insane. read this book if you love asian-characters, talks about teenage, and more.
pls check the tw before reading this book!
TW! racism, sexism, sexual harassment, slut-shaming, sexual assault, racial slurs.
October 22, 2022
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.
I enjoyed this quick and sweet read, but it didn't particularly stand out for me.
March 16, 2022
thank you netgalley and peachtree teen for the arc!
before we get started, the cover is completely gorgeous
i just don't know how to feel about this
it's always so hard for me to rate books
because even something about the book doesn't sit well with me or if there was a part I didn't particularly like, I still loved reading the book.
like even if it's not good I still really liked the book?
so yeah, some of the things that happened in the book weren't the best
but it was still super enjoyable
I'm not sure what I'm trying to get at here, cause I'm just going in circles, but i think this was a 5 star read.
june was kinda annoying but i feel like this book was kinda just realistic. like not every character is gonna be a perfect person and make all the right decisions.
although i couldn't really relate to this book, i know that many people could feel really connected and found through this?
also, the ending was kinda abrupt, I WISH THERE WAS MORE!!
love all the Chinese proverbs 🤪
*my review seems kinda like i didn't like it, but i completely binged this, read it in basically like one sitting*
like it was actually really good!!
before we get started, the cover is completely gorgeous
i just don't know how to feel about this
it's always so hard for me to rate books
because even something about the book doesn't sit well with me or if there was a part I didn't particularly like, I still loved reading the book.
like even if it's not good I still really liked the book?
so yeah, some of the things that happened in the book weren't the best
but it was still super enjoyable
I'm not sure what I'm trying to get at here, cause I'm just going in circles, but i think this was a 5 star read.
june was kinda annoying but i feel like this book was kinda just realistic. like not every character is gonna be a perfect person and make all the right decisions.
although i couldn't really relate to this book, i know that many people could feel really connected and found through this?
also, the ending was kinda abrupt, I WISH THERE WAS MORE!!
love all the Chinese proverbs 🤪
*my review seems kinda like i didn't like it, but i completely binged this, read it in basically like one sitting*
like it was actually really good!!
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