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Fireblooms
An absorbing speculative Queer YA romance set in a town that uses technology to prevent hate speech and bullying. From the LAMBDA Award-winning author of The Grief Keeper.
When seventeen-year-old Sebastian agrees to come to New Gault to care for his absent and abusive mother after her cancer diagnosis, he is not prepared for the strange new community that awaits him or the distressing state he finds his mother in. He tries to help, but despite being ill, her tongue is as sharp as ever, finding all Sebas’s tender places. But he promised his Abuela he'd try to make this work.
Unfortunately trying also means attending TECH, New Gault’s high school. His first day, he’s assigned to enthusiastic TECH student ambassador, Lu, who introduces him to all TECH can offer—a safe space, free from bullying. But all this safety and technology comes with a catch—not only do you have to watch what you say, but you have to stay within a strict word limit. Sebas declines. To him New Gault feels more like the Stepford Wives than freedom.
For Lu, who suffers from anxiety and has a history of being bullied, TECH is a lifeline somewhere they can be safe. They can’t understand why Sebas would refuse. When Sebas rejects TECH, it feels as if he’s rejecting Lu.
But when Sebas learns if he doesn’t accept the TECH phone and abide by the rules, his mother will be denied cancer treatment, he changes his tune. Slowly, Lu and Sebas form a friendship that morphs into something more, but the closer they get, the more Sebas challenges Lu's beliefs about TECH and what it means to be safe. Meanwhile, Sebas contemplates how to forgive his dying mother for being no mother at all.
This thought-provoking, tender love story examines what we’re willing to give up to feel safe as two broken teens navigate emotional trauma and discover what blooms may come from the ashes.
When seventeen-year-old Sebastian agrees to come to New Gault to care for his absent and abusive mother after her cancer diagnosis, he is not prepared for the strange new community that awaits him or the distressing state he finds his mother in. He tries to help, but despite being ill, her tongue is as sharp as ever, finding all Sebas’s tender places. But he promised his Abuela he'd try to make this work.
Unfortunately trying also means attending TECH, New Gault’s high school. His first day, he’s assigned to enthusiastic TECH student ambassador, Lu, who introduces him to all TECH can offer—a safe space, free from bullying. But all this safety and technology comes with a catch—not only do you have to watch what you say, but you have to stay within a strict word limit. Sebas declines. To him New Gault feels more like the Stepford Wives than freedom.
For Lu, who suffers from anxiety and has a history of being bullied, TECH is a lifeline somewhere they can be safe. They can’t understand why Sebas would refuse. When Sebas rejects TECH, it feels as if he’s rejecting Lu.
But when Sebas learns if he doesn’t accept the TECH phone and abide by the rules, his mother will be denied cancer treatment, he changes his tune. Slowly, Lu and Sebas form a friendship that morphs into something more, but the closer they get, the more Sebas challenges Lu's beliefs about TECH and what it means to be safe. Meanwhile, Sebas contemplates how to forgive his dying mother for being no mother at all.
This thought-provoking, tender love story examines what we’re willing to give up to feel safe as two broken teens navigate emotional trauma and discover what blooms may come from the ashes.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2025
2 people are currently reading
4688 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Villasante
8 books175 followersAlex Villasante has always loved telling stories—though not always with words. She has a BFA in Painting and an MA in Combined Media (that’s art school speak for making work out of *anything*). Born in New Jersey to immigrant parents, Alex has the privilegio of dreaming in both English and Spanish.
When she’s not writing, painting or chasing chickens around the yard, Alex plans conferences and fundraisers for non-profits. You can find Alex on Instagram at @magpiewrites or on her website, alexandravillasante.com
When she’s not writing, painting or chasing chickens around the yard, Alex plans conferences and fundraisers for non-profits. You can find Alex on Instagram at @magpiewrites or on her website, alexandravillasante.com
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 28, 2025
I really, really enjoyed this speculative YA fiction story about a remote town where a TECH company controls what people can say and the students at the local high school all subscribe to a unique cell/bio chem technology system that monitors their stats and limits what and how much they can say.
For Lu, a poetry loving nonbinary teen, this is a dream that allows them to live without the fear of bullying - something that caused one of their friends to commit suicide over in the past. Lu also struggles with anxiety and takes ADHD meds while also seeing a therapist regularly. The mental health and therapy rep in the book was EXCELLENT.
I also had no trouble rooting for Sebas, the love interest who moves in with his mother who has cancer in order to help her get better health care that comes with subscribing to the town's special tech. Thought-provoking, emotional and incredibly moving. It was also excellent on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Jonny Garza Villa or Laekan Zea Kemp. A great read for Latinx/Hispanic Heritage month!!
CW: anxiety + panic attacks, parental abandonment, parent with cancer, death of a loved one, bullying, homophobia, suicidal ideation + suicide (off page)
For Lu, a poetry loving nonbinary teen, this is a dream that allows them to live without the fear of bullying - something that caused one of their friends to commit suicide over in the past. Lu also struggles with anxiety and takes ADHD meds while also seeing a therapist regularly. The mental health and therapy rep in the book was EXCELLENT.
I also had no trouble rooting for Sebas, the love interest who moves in with his mother who has cancer in order to help her get better health care that comes with subscribing to the town's special tech. Thought-provoking, emotional and incredibly moving. It was also excellent on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Jonny Garza Villa or Laekan Zea Kemp. A great read for Latinx/Hispanic Heritage month!!
CW: anxiety + panic attacks, parental abandonment, parent with cancer, death of a loved one, bullying, homophobia, suicidal ideation + suicide (off page)
November 12, 2025
✨Fireblooms by Alexandra Villasante✨
So, I liked this, but I feel like it tried to tackle a lot of things and didn’t resolve all of them.
Also, the Tech part of this was weird, with this massive corporation running this town and it was there and the one main character tried to avoid it but eventually had to give in to get his mom medical care and it was trying to say something but it just never dove deep enough.
I feel like the only thing we really side into is Lu’s ADHD and anxiety, and the trauma from middle school, but I was sort of hoping for a resolution there, and we didn’t really get that either.
Lu feels a little brainwashed by this Tech stuff, and that there’s a sales rep at the school pressuring them into making sure there’s 100% participation? And that all sort of fizzles away. And the whole thing is the tech tracking their words and stuff but the they just create a different language to get around it so they’re still swearing.
I don’t know I feel like there was a lot here, and I liked the writing, and Lu and Sebas’ relationship is very sweet, I just felt like the author tried to tackle too much in one book. The tech aspect could be an entire different story, in a much darker storyline.
Thank you @netgalley and @penguinteen for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
So, I liked this, but I feel like it tried to tackle a lot of things and didn’t resolve all of them.
Also, the Tech part of this was weird, with this massive corporation running this town and it was there and the one main character tried to avoid it but eventually had to give in to get his mom medical care and it was trying to say something but it just never dove deep enough.
I feel like the only thing we really side into is Lu’s ADHD and anxiety, and the trauma from middle school, but I was sort of hoping for a resolution there, and we didn’t really get that either.
Lu feels a little brainwashed by this Tech stuff, and that there’s a sales rep at the school pressuring them into making sure there’s 100% participation? And that all sort of fizzles away. And the whole thing is the tech tracking their words and stuff but the they just create a different language to get around it so they’re still swearing.
I don’t know I feel like there was a lot here, and I liked the writing, and Lu and Sebas’ relationship is very sweet, I just felt like the author tried to tackle too much in one book. The tech aspect could be an entire different story, in a much darker storyline.
Thank you @netgalley and @penguinteen for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
January 1, 2026
this was fine. I was expecting a lot more to be honest. we have a kid who reluctantly goes to help his mother who is going through cancer treatment but it's in this weird small town that is essentially run by these tech Bros and tech company. The high school is owned by the tech company and everyone has to wear a biosensor and their words are tracked so the idea is that people are more aware of the words that they use.
the concept was interesting but I don't think the execution really took off. Sebas goes to this new school and his like student ambassador/helper is named Lu and they are really eager to get Sebas to enroll and commit to the sensor. I don't know it was weird. I was underwhelmed unfortunately.
liked the rep, didn't love the story.
the concept was interesting but I don't think the execution really took off. Sebas goes to this new school and his like student ambassador/helper is named Lu and they are really eager to get Sebas to enroll and commit to the sensor. I don't know it was weird. I was underwhelmed unfortunately.
liked the rep, didn't love the story.
October 16, 2025
I did enjoy this book for what it is, but I felt like the dystopian aspects of having limited words or paying for them was breezed over. Not only are the limits very ableist for conditions such as ADHD or, as mentioned jokingly in the text, Tourette syndrome, it also actively hurt the mental health of one of the characters! When your words are limited, you also limit your ability to reach out and check on how your friends are doing. Though the characters do lament that they should have reached out, they never connect that one of the forces opposing them is the system that they were forced to buy into! I did enjoy the connections these characters made, but I feel like the unique setting was just underutilized and underdeveloped.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2025
As with The Grief Keeper, Alex Villasante has written another fantastic story , dropping one speculative element into an otherwise very realistic scenario, and posing the evergreen question, “what if?” The writing is spot on, the plot smoothly advances at just the right pacing, and the characters? You will have to go read it so you can love them as much as I do! Another fabulous novel by one of my favorite authors.
November 8, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Alexandra Villasante’s “Fireblooms” is a stunning, deeply emotional speculative YA novel that asks a haunting question: What if a town could control what you say, all in the name of kindness? Set in a near-future California rebuilt from the ashes of wildfires, “Fireblooms” imagines a utopian community where a powerful tech corporation, TECH, monitors every word spoken by its residents, especially its high schoolers. The goal? To eliminate bullying by literally limiting speech. But in a world where safety and silence are synonymous, what happens to authenticity, expression, and truth?
At the heart of the story is Lu, a poetry-loving, nonbinary teen who has found peace within the confines of TECH’s system. For Lu, who has faced relentless bullying and still carries the grief of losing a friend to suicide, the speech-monitoring technology feels like protection, not control. Lu’s mental health journey is handled with extraordinary care; Villasante’s portrayal of therapy, medication, and anxiety is one of the most realistic and affirming depictions in recent YA fiction. Lu’s family’s unwavering support offers a much-needed model of love and acceptance for queer teens.
Then there’s Sebas, a Mexican American filmmaker who moves to this seemingly perfect town to care for his mother as she battles cancer. While Lu embraces TECH, Sebas sees it as an intrusion, like an oppressive system that stifles the messy, human beauty of free expression. His close bond with his abuela and his cultural pride ground him in a reality far removed from TECH’s sterile order. When Sebas and Lu’s paths cross, their connection blooms slowly and beautifully, a tender spark in a world designed to suppress emotion.
Villasante excels at bringing together romance, identity, and social commentary without losing the heart of her characters. The dual perspectives with Lu’s introspective, lyrical voice and Sebas’s cinematic, questioning one give the novel an intimate texture. Their romance is less about dramatic declarations and more about shared understanding: two people seeing each other clearly in a place where words themselves are regulated.
Beyond its love story, “Fireblooms” works as a powerful metaphor for our own tech-dominated world, where algorithms shape discourse, and censorship, both social and systemic, can blur the line between safety and silence. The story’s speculative premise reflects real-world anxieties about misinformation, performative activism, and the cost of emotional labor online. Villasante never lectures; she simply lets her characters live those tensions in ways that feel raw, real, and recognizably human.
If there’s one shortcoming, it’s that the story occasionally juggles too many subplots, such as family dynamics, health struggles, social commentary, that could have used more breathing room. This definitely isn’t a book you can read in one sitting as you need some time to process and absorb everything that’s going on in the story. Yet, even with these minor pacing hiccups, the emotional resonance of “Fireblooms” is undeniable.
Rich with Latine representation, heartfelt friendships, and an honest look at trauma and recovery, “Fireblooms” stands as both a warning and a balm. It’s a story about reclaiming your voice in a world that tells you to stay quiet; it’s a reminder that love, language, and art can all be acts of rebellion.
Alexandra Villasante’s “Fireblooms” is a stunning, deeply emotional speculative YA novel that asks a haunting question: What if a town could control what you say, all in the name of kindness? Set in a near-future California rebuilt from the ashes of wildfires, “Fireblooms” imagines a utopian community where a powerful tech corporation, TECH, monitors every word spoken by its residents, especially its high schoolers. The goal? To eliminate bullying by literally limiting speech. But in a world where safety and silence are synonymous, what happens to authenticity, expression, and truth?
At the heart of the story is Lu, a poetry-loving, nonbinary teen who has found peace within the confines of TECH’s system. For Lu, who has faced relentless bullying and still carries the grief of losing a friend to suicide, the speech-monitoring technology feels like protection, not control. Lu’s mental health journey is handled with extraordinary care; Villasante’s portrayal of therapy, medication, and anxiety is one of the most realistic and affirming depictions in recent YA fiction. Lu’s family’s unwavering support offers a much-needed model of love and acceptance for queer teens.
Then there’s Sebas, a Mexican American filmmaker who moves to this seemingly perfect town to care for his mother as she battles cancer. While Lu embraces TECH, Sebas sees it as an intrusion, like an oppressive system that stifles the messy, human beauty of free expression. His close bond with his abuela and his cultural pride ground him in a reality far removed from TECH’s sterile order. When Sebas and Lu’s paths cross, their connection blooms slowly and beautifully, a tender spark in a world designed to suppress emotion.
Villasante excels at bringing together romance, identity, and social commentary without losing the heart of her characters. The dual perspectives with Lu’s introspective, lyrical voice and Sebas’s cinematic, questioning one give the novel an intimate texture. Their romance is less about dramatic declarations and more about shared understanding: two people seeing each other clearly in a place where words themselves are regulated.
Beyond its love story, “Fireblooms” works as a powerful metaphor for our own tech-dominated world, where algorithms shape discourse, and censorship, both social and systemic, can blur the line between safety and silence. The story’s speculative premise reflects real-world anxieties about misinformation, performative activism, and the cost of emotional labor online. Villasante never lectures; she simply lets her characters live those tensions in ways that feel raw, real, and recognizably human.
If there’s one shortcoming, it’s that the story occasionally juggles too many subplots, such as family dynamics, health struggles, social commentary, that could have used more breathing room. This definitely isn’t a book you can read in one sitting as you need some time to process and absorb everything that’s going on in the story. Yet, even with these minor pacing hiccups, the emotional resonance of “Fireblooms” is undeniable.
Rich with Latine representation, heartfelt friendships, and an honest look at trauma and recovery, “Fireblooms” stands as both a warning and a balm. It’s a story about reclaiming your voice in a world that tells you to stay quiet; it’s a reminder that love, language, and art can all be acts of rebellion.
October 17, 2025
Powerful and timely speculative queer YA love story. As with Villasante’s first novel, THE GRIEF KEEPER, the premise of FIREBLOOMS captured my attention, but it was the characters and their relationships that truly compelled me. In this hi-tech town in California, run and monitored by a corporation, the words of teens are counted and monitored in an effort to eliminate bullying. Lu, an ambassador for TECH sees this method as lifesaving while Sebas, new to town, views it as an infringement on his rights. Villasante has a talent for conveying authenticity by firmly seating in the teen’s voices in their individual mindsets and experiences. Sebas sees the world, through film and his Mexican American ancestry and Lu views the world through their anxiety and the ways they’ve managed it. I especially appreciated seeing how well-supported non-binary Lu was in their family and I was moved by the richness and affection between Sebas’s and his Abuela. Villasante shares with the reader the blooming attraction between Sebas and Lu as well as the ways that they view and experience the world through the different lenses of their upbringings and personal traumas. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, but queer teens might especially see themselves reflected in Villasante’s characters and Latinx teens will enjoy the breadth of Latinx culture present in the book
December 15, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advance electronic copy of this title.
The underlying theme of this story involves the idea that preventing hate speech and limiting speech in general will prevent bullying. A whole community is dedicated to this premise and provides technology to those who agree to abide by it.
Sebastian is new to town--specifically to the school that is offering him said technology--and he wants to part of it. He has only come to the area to help his estranged, now sick, mother. When he learns that her medical care may depend on his accepting the tech, he is conflicted.
He then meets Lu, who experienced bullying before coming to the New Gault school. They do not understand why Sebastian doesn't want the tech--which is a bit of the problem for them, as they are responsible for introducing Sebastian to the tech.
Is this Utopia or Dystopia? What makes people safe and what trade-offs are worth it?
A story about family and obligations, freedom, friendship, and a queer romance. Definitely a lot to think about here!
The underlying theme of this story involves the idea that preventing hate speech and limiting speech in general will prevent bullying. A whole community is dedicated to this premise and provides technology to those who agree to abide by it.
Sebastian is new to town--specifically to the school that is offering him said technology--and he wants to part of it. He has only come to the area to help his estranged, now sick, mother. When he learns that her medical care may depend on his accepting the tech, he is conflicted.
He then meets Lu, who experienced bullying before coming to the New Gault school. They do not understand why Sebastian doesn't want the tech--which is a bit of the problem for them, as they are responsible for introducing Sebastian to the tech.
Is this Utopia or Dystopia? What makes people safe and what trade-offs are worth it?
A story about family and obligations, freedom, friendship, and a queer romance. Definitely a lot to think about here!
July 31, 2025
I received an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The overall idea behind Fireblooms was very intriguing to me. The world we live in is full of people who should think before they speak. So, the concept of TECH is really interesting. Lu and Sebas are just quintessential teenagers, dealing with absent parents, bullying, identity, friendship, and relationships. The books pace worked well for me and I definitely didn’t have a hard time finishing it.
My one major critique is that I feel as if there were too many sub plots that felt half resolved to me. Also due to the sub plots I felt as if the main point of the book didn’t get as much time as it deserved. I would have loved to actually see more of the TECH system in use and have more face to face interactions between the characters.
The overall idea behind Fireblooms was very intriguing to me. The world we live in is full of people who should think before they speak. So, the concept of TECH is really interesting. Lu and Sebas are just quintessential teenagers, dealing with absent parents, bullying, identity, friendship, and relationships. The books pace worked well for me and I definitely didn’t have a hard time finishing it.
My one major critique is that I feel as if there were too many sub plots that felt half resolved to me. Also due to the sub plots I felt as if the main point of the book didn’t get as much time as it deserved. I would have loved to actually see more of the TECH system in use and have more face to face interactions between the characters.
October 9, 2025
Sebastian is the new kid in New Gault and he does not intend to stay long. He’s there at the request of his estranged mom, who is being treated for cancer, though he’s initially not sure what he can do to help. Lu is the student ambassador who welcomes Sebas to TECH, the all-encompassing system managed by a phone that everyone over twelve receives. TECH takes care of all your needs and is especially designed to protect students from bullying by monitoring their speech. Lu’s and Sebas’s distinctive voices alternately narrate their friends to lovers romance. Highlights include Sebas’s abuela, who teaches him how to use Mexican style tarot cards and provides the love his mom has not. EARC from Edelweiss
November 6, 2025
I really enjoyed this story, especially the romance, but I don't think the speculative fiction aspect of the story was developed as much as it could have been. I wish there was more exploration of the concept of TECH, and that it made more of an impact on the ending of the story.
I did enjoy the romance though, as it explores the ways in which the two main characters change each other and their perspectives with their love for each other. At times, it was very reflective and emotional which I enjoyed, and the third act breakup was resolved well.
Overall, I would recommend this story more for the romance aspect than the speculative fiction aspect. A huge thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and Netgalley for this ARC!
I did enjoy the romance though, as it explores the ways in which the two main characters change each other and their perspectives with their love for each other. At times, it was very reflective and emotional which I enjoyed, and the third act breakup was resolved well.
Overall, I would recommend this story more for the romance aspect than the speculative fiction aspect. A huge thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and Netgalley for this ARC!
October 16, 2025
This review is based on an ARC. Thank you for the opportunity to read this story.
Let me first start with, I was hooked on the premise and was all in. I enjoyed the idea of a town safe from bullying and watching its words. I think a few moments of the story felt rushed and unresolved in a way that did not feel thematic. I wanted a bit more accountability for a few moments, but overall, it was well developed. The characters felt real and nuanced, and the slow burn was chef's kiss. I did get triggered a bit with the mom, and it brought up memories of my own problematic parent, but it didn’t ruin the story for me. It allowed me to explore how someone else handles such a parent and have conversations around my own experiences.
Let me first start with, I was hooked on the premise and was all in. I enjoyed the idea of a town safe from bullying and watching its words. I think a few moments of the story felt rushed and unresolved in a way that did not feel thematic. I wanted a bit more accountability for a few moments, but overall, it was well developed. The characters felt real and nuanced, and the slow burn was chef's kiss. I did get triggered a bit with the mom, and it brought up memories of my own problematic parent, but it didn’t ruin the story for me. It allowed me to explore how someone else handles such a parent and have conversations around my own experiences.
May 30, 2025
2.5 ✨✨
Man I really wanted to love this one because the blurb sounded so interesting.
The things I enjoyed:
The way technology is used to prevent bullying.
Conversations around policing language.
Our queer characters.
Anxiety rep
ADHD rep
Things I didn’t like:
I never felt the connected between Lu and Sebastian.
Everything felt very surface level to me.
Things were wrapped up too quickly at the end.
I wish I would have loved this more!
Thank you NetGalley && Penguin for the ARC!
Man I really wanted to love this one because the blurb sounded so interesting.
The things I enjoyed:
The way technology is used to prevent bullying.
Conversations around policing language.
Our queer characters.
Anxiety rep
ADHD rep
Things I didn’t like:
I never felt the connected between Lu and Sebastian.
Everything felt very surface level to me.
Things were wrapped up too quickly at the end.
I wish I would have loved this more!
Thank you NetGalley && Penguin for the ARC!
Read
December 15, 2025And THIS is why I don't share any top 10 lists until the very end of December 🔥. Welcome to Andrea's 2025 YA Faves, FIREBLOOMS 🫶🏼.
Get this one for the teen in your life who:
📱 is anti-AI and suspicious of tech
📱 likes slow-burn romance
📱 knows family is complicated
📱 wants more enby rep
📱 has been impacted by bullying
📱 enjoys quiet stories about teens simply figuring out how to do life 🥹
P.S. For all my teacher/librarian friends looking for YA that works for the younger end of the range too, this is a good one!
Get this one for the teen in your life who:
📱 is anti-AI and suspicious of tech
📱 likes slow-burn romance
📱 knows family is complicated
📱 wants more enby rep
📱 has been impacted by bullying
📱 enjoys quiet stories about teens simply figuring out how to do life 🥹
P.S. For all my teacher/librarian friends looking for YA that works for the younger end of the range too, this is a good one!
October 9, 2025
Dang. That was an excellent read. Based in a utopia built on the wildfire ashes on the former city, high schoolers grapple with love and loss. People give up their privacy in an attempt to stop bullying. Will their smartphones make it a safer place? A wonderful representation of various Latine cultures demonstrating that they are not a monolith. We all have different life experiences that shape who we are.
November 25, 2025
This could have been so much better if the author could have decided if it was a mildly disturbing tale about TECH phones monitoring you at all times so you don’t bully people or curse or anything seen as bad, or if it was a romance.
It was nice to see Lu feeling a bit more comfortable with leaving town, when they were the biggest TECH advocate. Loved a non-binary main character. But this was a bit too all over the place to let me really love it.
It was nice to see Lu feeling a bit more comfortable with leaving town, when they were the biggest TECH advocate. Loved a non-binary main character. But this was a bit too all over the place to let me really love it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2025
Absolutely perfect in every way! In my mind it is a modern day 1984 by George Orwell. The city of New Gualt doesn’t have Thought Police as in 1984. They control everything with TECH which is also the phone issued to all high school students. Sebastian is a very independent young man who had to figure out life on his own. He is reluctant to take TECH but eventually does. This is a very well plotted book and I hope everyone who reads it enjoys it as much as I did.
July 14, 2025
*2.5 stars
I, unfortunately, think this book got a little confused on what it wanted to be and what, exactly, it was trying to say, especially near the end and some dangling plots get a bit left behind in favor of what's happening in the moment. There's some big ideas here that just weren't able to be fully fleshed out and tackled in the limited space and with such focus on the romance. I won't steer anyone away from this, necessarily, but if I wasn't reading it for a reason, I definitely would've DNF'd it.
I, unfortunately, think this book got a little confused on what it wanted to be and what, exactly, it was trying to say, especially near the end and some dangling plots get a bit left behind in favor of what's happening in the moment. There's some big ideas here that just weren't able to be fully fleshed out and tackled in the limited space and with such focus on the romance. I won't steer anyone away from this, necessarily, but if I wasn't reading it for a reason, I definitely would've DNF'd it.
November 13, 2025
I've been waiting for another book from this author since Griefkeeper and this did NOT disappoint. A wonderfully weird and thought-provoking premise unfolds into a beautiful slow-burn romance and reflection on how we use words. I loved the characters, I loved the queerness, I loved the writing. It made me cry at work. Will definitely be recommending wherever possible.
November 23, 2025
Sabastian is moving to help his mom as she battles cancer. That means a new school. On his first day he is assigned a TECH student ambassador. The school is against so much of normal teen behavior. No cussing, bullying, etc. But it requires joining a way of life connected to the school. It comes with medical help for his mom. He says no and Lu, the ambassador gets pushy. The concept of the school and town is actually amazing. The relationship of the 2 boys grows into more than a friendship. So many storylines join together to make this story interesting.
September 21, 2025
In a Stepford-esque city, one struggles to accept the restrictions on free speech, while another embraces it to avoid bullying. Explores gender identity, bullying, gender expression, family, friendship, belonging, and healing from trauma. Really, really good read. I think I could read it a second or third time and still find things I missed the first time.
January 5, 2026
The characters were decent but...
A total waste of a good premise with no follow up of the interesting conflicts, it flinches away from the harder conflicts it seeded for extremely pat ones and a weak resolution.
A total waste of a good premise with no follow up of the interesting conflicts, it flinches away from the harder conflicts it seeded for extremely pat ones and a weak resolution.
Read
August 26, 2025RTC
September 19, 2025
speculative and interesting romance. the romance is incredibly strong and I love the characters. however, a lot of the setting aspects never seem fully resolved. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.
October 29, 2025
Great ideas, but nothing was fleshed out enough to really drive the plot.
January 4, 2026
Lu being transgender caused me to give this book four stars instead of the five it deserves otherwise, but I can't find anything else bad to say about this book. I loved Lu and Sebas's realistic, slow-going romance, the love Sebas still feels for his ailing mother despite her being a jerk, and the themes of bullying and trauma on school grounds, which my younger self can definitely sympathize with. I just wish Lu understood that the gender you are born with is the one you are stuck with, that "they" is for a group of people and not just Lu, and that realizing this would've made a relationship with Sebas much easier because they would be able to understand each other better without that confusion. But other than that, this story was really good.
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