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Lakelore
In this young adult novel by award-winning author Anna-Marie McLemore, two non-binary teens are pulled into a magical world under a lake - but can they keep their worlds above water intact?
Everyone who lives near the lake knows the stories about the world underneath it, an ethereal landscape rumored to be half-air, half-water. But Bastián Silvano and Lore Garcia are the only ones who’ve been there. Bastián grew up both above the lake and in the otherworldly space beneath it. Lore’s only seen the world under the lake once, but that one encounter changed their life and their fate.
Then the lines between air and water begin to blur. The world under the lake drifts above the surface. If Bastián and Lore don’t want it bringing their secrets to the surface with it, they have to stop it, and to do that, they have to work together. There’s just one Bastián and Lore haven’t spoken in seven years, and working together means trusting each other with the very things they’re trying to hide.
Everyone who lives near the lake knows the stories about the world underneath it, an ethereal landscape rumored to be half-air, half-water. But Bastián Silvano and Lore Garcia are the only ones who’ve been there. Bastián grew up both above the lake and in the otherworldly space beneath it. Lore’s only seen the world under the lake once, but that one encounter changed their life and their fate.
Then the lines between air and water begin to blur. The world under the lake drifts above the surface. If Bastián and Lore don’t want it bringing their secrets to the surface with it, they have to stop it, and to do that, they have to work together. There’s just one Bastián and Lore haven’t spoken in seven years, and working together means trusting each other with the very things they’re trying to hide.
6 pages, Audible Audio
First published March 8, 2022
146 people are currently reading
14705 people want to read
About the author
Anna-Marie McLemore
31 books3,496 followersAnna-Marie McLemore (they/them) is the author of William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist The Weight of Feathers; Wild Beauty; Blanca & Roja, one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Novels of All Time; Indie Next List title Dark and Deepest Red; Lakelore, an NECBA Windows & Mirrors title; and National Book Award longlist selections When the Moon Was Ours, which was also a Stonewall Honor Book; The Mirror Season; and Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix. Their latest release is Venom & Vow, co-authored with Elliott McLemore, and Flawless Girls will be released by from Feiwel & Friends in May 2028. Their adult debut, The Influencers, is forthcoming from Dial Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,000 reviews
October 5, 2023
✯✯✯✯✯
"Everyone wants to think they see the best in everyone else, but when the bad comes out, they want to pretend that’s all they ever saw."
Consolidating their wild imagination, lyrical writing and flowery prose all together, the author casts a enchanting spell that will lure you into the pages of this book and transport you to a otherworldly place under the waters of Lakelore. Lakelore is where magic happens, this is where your emotions adopts mythical forms....
"Once you get past the fear of being seen, you can get to the part where you know you’re not alone."
"Lakelore" follows two non-binary, trans, neurodivergent, Mexican teens as they discovers a magical world under a lake. Everyone who lives near the lake knows the stories about the world underneath it, an ethereal landscape rumored to be half-air, half-water. Then again, they also believe it all to be just a myth. But Bastián Silvano and Lore Garcia has seen that world, they are the only ones who have been there.
Bastían and Lore were only nine when they met. But they never got to know the other one's name. It was only a chance encounter, only for a few minutes. Yet it somehow changes the course of their lives. Then seven years after, they meet again....The world under the lake drifts above the surface. If Bastián and Lore don’t want it bringing their secrets to the surface with it, they have to stop it, and to do that, they have to work together. Now, can they trust each other with the very things they are trying to hide?
"Whoever said the only things you regret in life are the things you never do probably didn’t have ADHD."
Anna Marie's books are immersive and emotional in a way that they will fill you up with all those feelings that you never knew you could feel. They are vulnerable and astonishingly beautiful works of art. "Lakelore" is no exception to the pattern. It's so achingly exquisite and written with such tenderness that I just want to passage through these pages and take residence under the waters of the said Lake.
Anna-Marie McLemore truly knows how to captivate the hearts of the readers with their lyrical prose with so much symbolism and metaphors combined. When I say metaphor, some of you may feel a bit discouraged to read this book. But trust me their metaphors are never hard to understand. You don't even need to understand them properly, only have to feel and these symbolic words will sweep in your heart within a blink of an eye. I was utterly fascinated and immersed in the way they wrote every sentence like a magical spell to keep to engaged and never bored.
The author creates a magical world with various kinds of mythical-magical beings. But all of these metaphorically represents the emotions and feelings of our two main character.
Through alternating first-person points of view, this magnificent YA novel urges acceptance and love, reminding readers that different isn't always a bad thing. We all are different from each other. And we are beautiful in our own way. This book explores gender transitioning and genderfluidity with brilliant precision. Anna tells us a story of two teenagers whose lives should have been simple but the journey they overtake was anything but easy. Just because somethings seems easy to your eyes doesn't mean it'll be the same for everyone. The author does their best to create aware about so many important matters. And I thought it was a successful attempt.
"LakeLore" is an enthralling and thought provoking book that will lure you into a wondrous magical world and will keep your focus captured until you're done reading the whole book. It's an invitation to believe in the power of friendship and love. Your acceptance and care could change another's life. So, why don't you try to stretch your hands out and catch someone who's falling? At least once in a lifetime?
This is very short book to read. But the author packs so much within it. There are so many amazing representation to speak about. And all of those are well handled and unequivocal. Both Bastián and Lore are dealing with their own struggles in their daily lives. Lore is new in town and struggling with their dyslexia while Bastien is trying their hardest to manage their ADHD syndromes, especially as they are trying to take T shots on their own. While I can’t speak to the representation of the former, the representation of ADHD is really well done. The author themself have both ADHD and dyslexia. So, this book is as "own-voices" as they come. I myself have ADHD. So Bastían's struggles and failure to act as they are expected to be - I found extremely relatable. My heart broke for them. I have first experience of what it takes to come in term with your ADHD; how upsetting it to struggle to do even the simplest of works. Everything new tend to overwhelm Bastìan. And I feel the same. I can't explain how happy it made to find such a accurate representation of ADHD. The book just made me feel seen and understood. This is such a heady feeling to deal with but obviously in a good way.
"Lakelore" is a thought provoking, tears-jerking, soul-crushing, poignant and emotionally impactful book. It will break your heart in thousand pieces and then stitch them together again. Yet scars would remain and with those scars this book will stay with you in years to come. But thinking about this book wouldn't only remind you of those scars but also fill your heart with an astounding sense of hope and love.
.....................》 《......................
I'm soo ready for This Book. And the fact that it features two non-binary teens as main characters aka protagonists!! Fabulous.
No one believed it when I said I’d seen the world under the Lake.
There was no one else here who’d seen the world under the lake, or who even pretended they had.
Then I met Lore.
Not that I knew their name yet.
Not that they did either.
"Everyone wants to think they see the best in everyone else, but when the bad comes out, they want to pretend that’s all they ever saw."
Consolidating their wild imagination, lyrical writing and flowery prose all together, the author casts a enchanting spell that will lure you into the pages of this book and transport you to a otherworldly place under the waters of Lakelore. Lakelore is where magic happens, this is where your emotions adopts mythical forms....
"Once you get past the fear of being seen, you can get to the part where you know you’re not alone."
"Lakelore" follows two non-binary, trans, neurodivergent, Mexican teens as they discovers a magical world under a lake. Everyone who lives near the lake knows the stories about the world underneath it, an ethereal landscape rumored to be half-air, half-water. Then again, they also believe it all to be just a myth. But Bastián Silvano and Lore Garcia has seen that world, they are the only ones who have been there.
Bastían and Lore were only nine when they met. But they never got to know the other one's name. It was only a chance encounter, only for a few minutes. Yet it somehow changes the course of their lives. Then seven years after, they meet again....The world under the lake drifts above the surface. If Bastián and Lore don’t want it bringing their secrets to the surface with it, they have to stop it, and to do that, they have to work together. Now, can they trust each other with the very things they are trying to hide?
"Whoever said the only things you regret in life are the things you never do probably didn’t have ADHD."
Anna Marie's books are immersive and emotional in a way that they will fill you up with all those feelings that you never knew you could feel. They are vulnerable and astonishingly beautiful works of art. "Lakelore" is no exception to the pattern. It's so achingly exquisite and written with such tenderness that I just want to passage through these pages and take residence under the waters of the said Lake.
Anna-Marie McLemore truly knows how to captivate the hearts of the readers with their lyrical prose with so much symbolism and metaphors combined. When I say metaphor, some of you may feel a bit discouraged to read this book. But trust me their metaphors are never hard to understand. You don't even need to understand them properly, only have to feel and these symbolic words will sweep in your heart within a blink of an eye. I was utterly fascinated and immersed in the way they wrote every sentence like a magical spell to keep to engaged and never bored.
The author creates a magical world with various kinds of mythical-magical beings. But all of these metaphorically represents the emotions and feelings of our two main character.
Through alternating first-person points of view, this magnificent YA novel urges acceptance and love, reminding readers that different isn't always a bad thing. We all are different from each other. And we are beautiful in our own way. This book explores gender transitioning and genderfluidity with brilliant precision. Anna tells us a story of two teenagers whose lives should have been simple but the journey they overtake was anything but easy. Just because somethings seems easy to your eyes doesn't mean it'll be the same for everyone. The author does their best to create aware about so many important matters. And I thought it was a successful attempt.
"LakeLore" is an enthralling and thought provoking book that will lure you into a wondrous magical world and will keep your focus captured until you're done reading the whole book. It's an invitation to believe in the power of friendship and love. Your acceptance and care could change another's life. So, why don't you try to stretch your hands out and catch someone who's falling? At least once in a lifetime?
This is very short book to read. But the author packs so much within it. There are so many amazing representation to speak about. And all of those are well handled and unequivocal. Both Bastián and Lore are dealing with their own struggles in their daily lives. Lore is new in town and struggling with their dyslexia while Bastien is trying their hardest to manage their ADHD syndromes, especially as they are trying to take T shots on their own. While I can’t speak to the representation of the former, the representation of ADHD is really well done. The author themself have both ADHD and dyslexia. So, this book is as "own-voices" as they come. I myself have ADHD. So Bastían's struggles and failure to act as they are expected to be - I found extremely relatable. My heart broke for them. I have first experience of what it takes to come in term with your ADHD; how upsetting it to struggle to do even the simplest of works. Everything new tend to overwhelm Bastìan. And I feel the same. I can't explain how happy it made to find such a accurate representation of ADHD. The book just made me feel seen and understood. This is such a heady feeling to deal with but obviously in a good way.
"Lakelore" is a thought provoking, tears-jerking, soul-crushing, poignant and emotionally impactful book. It will break your heart in thousand pieces and then stitch them together again. Yet scars would remain and with those scars this book will stay with you in years to come. But thinking about this book wouldn't only remind you of those scars but also fill your heart with an astounding sense of hope and love.
My ADHD is made out of paradoxes and contradictions. It’s having weirdly high energy and then getting tapped out fast. It’s making impulsive decisions and then being unable to make them at all. It’s inattention and hyperfocus. It’s being so sensitive I can feel everything around me and being so oblivious I miss things that seem obvious. It’s acting too fast, and being too slow. It’s thinking everything is possible and then wondering if anything is possible for me.
My brain is a shifting landscape. It will always have light and shadow and color, but the shapes and shades will change.
.....................》 《......................
I'm soo ready for This Book. And the fact that it features two non-binary teens as main characters aka protagonists!! Fabulous.
No one believed it when I said I’d seen the world under the Lake.
There was no one else here who’d seen the world under the lake, or who even pretended they had.
Then I met Lore.
Not that I knew their name yet.
Not that they did either.
October 13, 2023
Osoby trans i niebinarne, jesteście piękne.
To bogata i wartościowa powieść — słodko-gorzka, ze świetnym zaprezentowaniem jak wygląda życie z ADHD i dysleksją. Lubię czytać książki z reprezentacją. Dostrzegać i słyszeć głosy, które wciąż są uciszane, dlatego za każdym razem, kiedy zderzam się z osobami bohaterskimi takimi jak tutaj, czuję się urzeczony. I jestem, żeby słuchać. Żeby czytać.
Wartościowa książka warta poznania.
To bogata i wartościowa powieść — słodko-gorzka, ze świetnym zaprezentowaniem jak wygląda życie z ADHD i dysleksją. Lubię czytać książki z reprezentacją. Dostrzegać i słyszeć głosy, które wciąż są uciszane, dlatego za każdym razem, kiedy zderzam się z osobami bohaterskimi takimi jak tutaj, czuję się urzeczony. I jestem, żeby słuchać. Żeby czytać.
Wartościowa książka warta poznania.
October 22, 2023
Jakie to było mądre i cudowne.
October 29, 2023
To. Było. Świetne.
Tłumaczenie, sposób napisania, cytaty, przekaz, NOTA OD OSOBY AUTORSKIEJ - wszystko to zasługuje na 5/5. Jeśli jesteś osobą neuroróżnorodną, to znajdziesz tutaj zrozumienie, inspiracje lub po prostu poczujesz się zauważonx. Podobnie, jeśli jesteście osobą queer, trans.
A jeśli te wszystkie słowa do Ciebie nie pasują, to i tak sięgnij po książkę. To jedna z najlepszych i najlepiej edukujących młodzieżówek o dysleksji i ADHD, jakie czytałam.
Tłumaczenie, sposób napisania, cytaty, przekaz, NOTA OD OSOBY AUTORSKIEJ - wszystko to zasługuje na 5/5. Jeśli jesteś osobą neuroróżnorodną, to znajdziesz tutaj zrozumienie, inspiracje lub po prostu poczujesz się zauważonx. Podobnie, jeśli jesteście osobą queer, trans.
A jeśli te wszystkie słowa do Ciebie nie pasują, to i tak sięgnij po książkę. To jedna z najlepszych i najlepiej edukujących młodzieżówek o dysleksji i ADHD, jakie czytałam.
December 27, 2021
3.5 *
I adored the representation and characters in this book! Its clear the author loves these characters and wanted to send a message to all nonbinary and neurodivergent teens. As a neurodivergent, trans masc reader it made me feel very seen. Especially the scenes with Bastian as his T shots. I too have ADHD and struggled ALOT with learning how to do my own shots. I had a hard time remembering the steps, and then would get anxiety about messing up and hurting myself. I wish I had someone like Lore to help, and the scene with the orange was so cute. I also loved the writing style and imagery in this one
But I had a hard time with the plot, I had a hard time understanding how the world “under” the lake worked and what exactly was happening with said lake. After finishing I’m still confused about what the lake was and what it was doing
TW: racism, homophobia, abelism
Rep: Latinx non-binary mcs, ADHD, dyslexia, nb/nb, wlw side characters
I adored the representation and characters in this book! Its clear the author loves these characters and wanted to send a message to all nonbinary and neurodivergent teens. As a neurodivergent, trans masc reader it made me feel very seen. Especially the scenes with Bastian as his T shots. I too have ADHD and struggled ALOT with learning how to do my own shots. I had a hard time remembering the steps, and then would get anxiety about messing up and hurting myself. I wish I had someone like Lore to help, and the scene with the orange was so cute. I also loved the writing style and imagery in this one
But I had a hard time with the plot, I had a hard time understanding how the world “under” the lake worked and what exactly was happening with said lake. After finishing I’m still confused about what the lake was and what it was doing
TW: racism, homophobia, abelism
Rep: Latinx non-binary mcs, ADHD, dyslexia, nb/nb, wlw side characters
March 24, 2022
amm never disappoints!!
May 8, 2022
March 12th 2021:
Okay it’s happening, everybody stay calm. EVERYBODY STAY FREAKING CALM!!
A.M. just announced their next 2022 release and it sounds AMAZING.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update/Review April 2022:
"The world under the lake isn't just holding the parts of myself and my history that I don't want to think about. It's holding the ways I've adapted and lived. Sometimes you can't separate the hard things from the good things."
Lakelore is Anna-Marie McLemore’s seventh novel and offers everything I’ve come to love from the author: prose that is rich, lush and light as whipped cream, magical realism elements inspired by Latin-American mythology, LGBTQ (specifically trans- and non-binary) representation from the heart and characters you won’t forget long after you close the book.
In this story we follow two non-binary, neurodivergent teens navigating family, acceptance, love and the feeling of displacement that comes with their identities. Bastian and Lore first meet by the edge of the lake. It’s a fleeting encounter that changes the course of both of their lives in ways neither could have predicted. The lake, filled with its mystical lore of a sunken world of half-air and half-water beneath the surface, becomes a safe-place for both of them individually. A place where they let go of the worst parts of their days into the water.
Years later, the two meet again on the lakeshores. Only now, the lakes surface is rippling, and all of the world hidden below the surface threatens to spill over into ours.
As much as I loved Lakelore, I think it may be my least favourite of AM’s works so far. Don't get me wrong: it's still a 4-star, which is an even furhter testimony to my love for the author. It has some of my favourite magical-realism elements (Bastián’s “drowning of the albreijes” as a metaphor is possibly tied for 1st place with some of the imagery The Mirror Season), but as a whole it was the story that I connected least with. In all fairness: I don’t identify as trans, non-binary, dyslexic nor do I have ADHD. However, not sharing an identity with them has never stopped me from connecting and identifying with AM’s characters before. It was more so the way that Bastián and Lore were written that felt different for me this time round. AM’s representation has always felt so authentic and natural, but this was the first time where I felt it teeter on the edge preachy and “explaining”. Perhaps it was AM finding their footing writing explicitly about neuro-diversity for the first time, but I feel like it may have been editorial/publishing-influence as well. It’s so painfully common in larger (YA) markets, and I’ve always championed authors like AM who don’t fall in this trap and seem to write from the heart. So editors/publishers, if you’re reading this, here’s an important message from me to you;
PLEASE TRUST (authors like) Anna-Marie and let them do what they do best; let them write their experiences and stories without agenda’s. Our identities/disabilities/differences are not a teaching-tool or moral standpoint, and don’t have to be presented as such. We are here, and we are enough for existing on page, as well as off page.
Okay it’s happening, everybody stay calm. EVERYBODY STAY FREAKING CALM!!
A.M. just announced their next 2022 release and it sounds AMAZING.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update/Review April 2022:
"The world under the lake isn't just holding the parts of myself and my history that I don't want to think about. It's holding the ways I've adapted and lived. Sometimes you can't separate the hard things from the good things."
Lakelore is Anna-Marie McLemore’s seventh novel and offers everything I’ve come to love from the author: prose that is rich, lush and light as whipped cream, magical realism elements inspired by Latin-American mythology, LGBTQ (specifically trans- and non-binary) representation from the heart and characters you won’t forget long after you close the book.
In this story we follow two non-binary, neurodivergent teens navigating family, acceptance, love and the feeling of displacement that comes with their identities. Bastian and Lore first meet by the edge of the lake. It’s a fleeting encounter that changes the course of both of their lives in ways neither could have predicted. The lake, filled with its mystical lore of a sunken world of half-air and half-water beneath the surface, becomes a safe-place for both of them individually. A place where they let go of the worst parts of their days into the water.
Years later, the two meet again on the lakeshores. Only now, the lakes surface is rippling, and all of the world hidden below the surface threatens to spill over into ours.
As much as I loved Lakelore, I think it may be my least favourite of AM’s works so far. Don't get me wrong: it's still a 4-star, which is an even furhter testimony to my love for the author. It has some of my favourite magical-realism elements (Bastián’s “drowning of the albreijes” as a metaphor is possibly tied for 1st place with some of the imagery The Mirror Season), but as a whole it was the story that I connected least with. In all fairness: I don’t identify as trans, non-binary, dyslexic nor do I have ADHD. However, not sharing an identity with them has never stopped me from connecting and identifying with AM’s characters before. It was more so the way that Bastián and Lore were written that felt different for me this time round. AM’s representation has always felt so authentic and natural, but this was the first time where I felt it teeter on the edge preachy and “explaining”. Perhaps it was AM finding their footing writing explicitly about neuro-diversity for the first time, but I feel like it may have been editorial/publishing-influence as well. It’s so painfully common in larger (YA) markets, and I’ve always championed authors like AM who don’t fall in this trap and seem to write from the heart. So editors/publishers, if you’re reading this, here’s an important message from me to you;
PLEASE TRUST (authors like) Anna-Marie and let them do what they do best; let them write their experiences and stories without agenda’s. Our identities/disabilities/differences are not a teaching-tool or moral standpoint, and don’t have to be presented as such. We are here, and we are enough for existing on page, as well as off page.
June 6, 2023
There is a Lake that is rumoured to be magical with a world underneath. Bastián Silvano and Lore Garcia have both seen what's in this lake. They also both experience what happens when the world of the lake enters their worlds. Both are Latine and each of them have some type of learning disability, dyslexia and ADHD.
Bastián is a transmasculine nonbinary teen who deals with their ADHD by making alebrijes where some come alive that they have thrown into the lake. Lore is genderfluid and nonbinary, with dyslexia, and has just moved to town due to an incident in their former school. Bastián and Lore grow close and must deal with their feelings for each other and the societal issues that arise due to being in such a marginalized group. Anyone, regardless of orientation, can relate to the confusion of coming to terms with who you really are. Although categorized as young adult, a lot of people could read this and relate as many of us really never leave these insecurities and feelings behind. They only morph into other sentiments as we get older. How nice it would be to have this magical lake to help overcome our mental demons.
Bastián is a transmasculine nonbinary teen who deals with their ADHD by making alebrijes where some come alive that they have thrown into the lake. Lore is genderfluid and nonbinary, with dyslexia, and has just moved to town due to an incident in their former school. Bastián and Lore grow close and must deal with their feelings for each other and the societal issues that arise due to being in such a marginalized group. Anyone, regardless of orientation, can relate to the confusion of coming to terms with who you really are. Although categorized as young adult, a lot of people could read this and relate as many of us really never leave these insecurities and feelings behind. They only morph into other sentiments as we get older. How nice it would be to have this magical lake to help overcome our mental demons.
March 21, 2023
It's been a while since I read a novel all in one day! I picked this up for the Trans Rights Readathon (running on all bookish social media near you from March 20-27 2023) and I absolutely loved it. The two main characters, Bastian and Lore, are both nonbinary, both Mexican-American, and both neurodivergent. Bastian lives by the shore of a lake, the source of many myths, but only Bastian seems to be able to access the liminal, magical space beneath its surface. Until they meet Lore, who can also see the way the waves lift off the shore to become a path. But Bastian and Lore both end up pouring things into the lake they're unwilling to face- bad memories, traumas, and the hateful whispers of cruel classmates. The lake can only hold so much, and soon these painful things start flooding the shores, into the streets and homes of the teens. The only way to quiet the waters is to face what they've tried to drown. This a fast, engaging read and one of the best books about living with ADHD and dyslexia I've ever encountered. It makes me want to seek out more stories with this kind of representation, and this kind of emotional, visual language!
August 22, 2022
I love when a book I was super excited to listen/read and was sure to be a five stars, ends up being just so. Great narration, easy to gen invested in and so glad I gave it a listen
February 24, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up
Anna-Marie McLemore can do achingly beautiful magical realism so well and Lakelore is the perfect example of that. This follows two trans and non-binary, neurodivergent teenagers and a magical lake. The lake becomes a metaphor for the pain and challenges they face being trans, brown, and having brains that work differently. It's a book about friendship, family, self-acceptance, love, art, and healing. I really loved it.
In the author's note, McLemore talks about writing their own experiences of being Latinx, non-binary, and having both dyslexia and ADHD. (In the book Lore has dyslexia and Bastien has ADHD) They use this wonderfully atmospheric, ethereal storytelling to unpack the often undiscussed experiences of living and coming of age at the intersection of different marginalized identities. It's emotionally impactful and beautifully written. If you've enjoyed their writing in the past this is well worth your time. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
Content warnings include bullying, misgendering, homophobia, racism, ableism
Anna-Marie McLemore can do achingly beautiful magical realism so well and Lakelore is the perfect example of that. This follows two trans and non-binary, neurodivergent teenagers and a magical lake. The lake becomes a metaphor for the pain and challenges they face being trans, brown, and having brains that work differently. It's a book about friendship, family, self-acceptance, love, art, and healing. I really loved it.
In the author's note, McLemore talks about writing their own experiences of being Latinx, non-binary, and having both dyslexia and ADHD. (In the book Lore has dyslexia and Bastien has ADHD) They use this wonderfully atmospheric, ethereal storytelling to unpack the often undiscussed experiences of living and coming of age at the intersection of different marginalized identities. It's emotionally impactful and beautifully written. If you've enjoyed their writing in the past this is well worth your time. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
Content warnings include bullying, misgendering, homophobia, racism, ableism
Want to read
September 5, 2022OH MY GOD THE COVER YALL. THE COVER. IMAJDNSKSKE
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BOTH CHARACTERS ARE NEURODIVERGENT?? AND USE THEY/THEM PRONOUNS?? SIGN ME THE HELL UP
—————————
BOTH CHARACTERS ARE NEURODIVERGENT?? AND USE THEY/THEM PRONOUNS?? SIGN ME THE HELL UP
November 10, 2023
Reprezentacja osób bohaterskich z adhd>>
We love that, we need that!
We love that, we need that!
May 15, 2023
Reread via audio!! Loved this again.
____________________________________________________________
Thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I have been wrecked body and soul by this book. *Sobs forever*
Lakelore is an exploration of neurodivergence and how it can affect every day life. The two main characters are both neurodivergent and trans (they/them pronouns). We also see how ableism causes trauma and how these characters heal from it. AM writes as phenomenally as ever. I was immediately pulled into the story of a world under the local lake. I loved Bastian and Lore as protagonists. I wanted to pull each of them into a hug and tell them everything would be okay. They deserve the world and I am EMOTIONAL because of it. I can't believe I have to wait like 5 months to hold this book in my hands!
Rep: Mexican-American trans nonbinary MC with ADHD and anxiety, Mexican-American trans nonbinary MC with dyslexia, Mexican-American lesbian moms, queer Latine female side character, queer white male side characters, queer white female side character, Mexican-American male side character, white lesbian female side character.
CWs: Ableism, bullying, dysphoria, transphobia, racism (moderate, more about how systemic racism affects the two MCs).
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Thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I have been wrecked body and soul by this book. *Sobs forever*
Lakelore is an exploration of neurodivergence and how it can affect every day life. The two main characters are both neurodivergent and trans (they/them pronouns). We also see how ableism causes trauma and how these characters heal from it. AM writes as phenomenally as ever. I was immediately pulled into the story of a world under the local lake. I loved Bastian and Lore as protagonists. I wanted to pull each of them into a hug and tell them everything would be okay. They deserve the world and I am EMOTIONAL because of it. I can't believe I have to wait like 5 months to hold this book in my hands!
Rep: Mexican-American trans nonbinary MC with ADHD and anxiety, Mexican-American trans nonbinary MC with dyslexia, Mexican-American lesbian moms, queer Latine female side character, queer white male side characters, queer white female side character, Mexican-American male side character, white lesbian female side character.
CWs: Ableism, bullying, dysphoria, transphobia, racism (moderate, more about how systemic racism affects the two MCs).
January 3, 2025
Firstly, I want to say that I do think this is a good book for others check out, especially since representation is so important. (I won’t speak on the POC rep, since it isn’t my place to.) As for the queer, neurodivergent rep, it was great - I just couldn’t get into the story.
For a book called Lake Lore, we learn very little about The Lake itself. There’s lots of intriguing symbolism surrounding it, so I wish it was explored more. We get a very shallow (pun-intended) glimpse into The Lake. It overlaps on land and into the character’s lives in an interesting way, but the MCs spend maybe 5 pages in the underwater world itself.
The side characters weren’t fleshed out very much either, and they kind of blurred together as a result. I just couldn’t connect with any of them, even the main characters, and as a queer, non-cis, neurodivergent person myself, this let me down a little. But that doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it, or see themselves in the characters! The author writes with a lot of heart and I do appreciate that.
For a book called Lake Lore, we learn very little about The Lake itself. There’s lots of intriguing symbolism surrounding it, so I wish it was explored more. We get a very shallow (pun-intended) glimpse into The Lake. It overlaps on land and into the character’s lives in an interesting way, but the MCs spend maybe 5 pages in the underwater world itself.
The side characters weren’t fleshed out very much either, and they kind of blurred together as a result. I just couldn’t connect with any of them, even the main characters, and as a queer, non-cis, neurodivergent person myself, this let me down a little. But that doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it, or see themselves in the characters! The author writes with a lot of heart and I do appreciate that.
April 20, 2022
I really love anna-marie mclemore but this wasn't my fave of theirs? it was well written as always and very pretty, I just wasn't that connected to the world under the lake or felt it was fully brought into fruition? I still liked this tho! just not as much as I hoped
August 2, 2022
DNF @ 40 percent.
Me, my brother, my mother, and two of my nephews have ADHD so I feel pretty entitled to say this: this is an awful depiction of a character with ADHD. Bastián reads like an overexaggerated caricature and I couldn't take the book seriously at all. On top of that, the worldbuilding was extremely lacking and the characters were boring as hell. Hard pass.
Me, my brother, my mother, and two of my nephews have ADHD so I feel pretty entitled to say this: this is an awful depiction of a character with ADHD. Bastián reads like an overexaggerated caricature and I couldn't take the book seriously at all. On top of that, the worldbuilding was extremely lacking and the characters were boring as hell. Hard pass.
March 5, 2022
I’m a little bit in love with this book. It’s about the otherworldly space underneath a magical lake, but it’s also about the terror and thrill of showing all of yourself to another person. Its depiction of ADHD rang so true to my neurodivergent brain that I almost teared up.
At some points the book felt a little on the nose with its themes, but I’m willing to forgive that because it’s YA, and also because McLemore writes so beautifully.
A couple favorite quotes [very mild spoilers, maybe]:
“The inside of me feels like a knot most of the time. So
when it loosens, like it does now, that's the strange thing,
like I'm coming apart. And in that unknotting, something
else comes together” (p. 194).
“The camellia bushes cast patterns on our arms, and
the way Lore touches me is so soft and careful that when
I shut my eyes, I can't tell the different between the
changes in sun and shadow, and their hands” (p. 275).
At some points the book felt a little on the nose with its themes, but I’m willing to forgive that because it’s YA, and also because McLemore writes so beautifully.
A couple favorite quotes [very mild spoilers, maybe]:
“The inside of me feels like a knot most of the time. So
when it loosens, like it does now, that's the strange thing,
like I'm coming apart. And in that unknotting, something
else comes together” (p. 194).
“The camellia bushes cast patterns on our arms, and
the way Lore touches me is so soft and careful that when
I shut my eyes, I can't tell the different between the
changes in sun and shadow, and their hands” (p. 275).
January 11, 2024
i… did not enjoy this book. this felt like a book that was trying to do representation, and only representation. everything else (plot, world building, setting, pacing, character development, character differentiation) was little to nonexistent. it seems like a book for people who want a fictionalized example of the dsm 5 traits of adhd/dyslexia and basic gender/sexuality/race phenomena. everything was laid out so point blank, often times preaching, that there was no space for nuance or personal interpretation. most of this book has no sense of setting, made worse by the dual POVs, so you are constantly confused about where the characters are, what’s above/below the lake, and what’s simply happening around them. for a book that takes places 90% inside of the characters’ minds… there is extremely little development in either of them and the development you do get is like instant lightbulb, single-line therapy-speak moment … which just doesnt feel true to life. and while i liked the first 10 descriptions of the world under the lake and the alebrijes … it was so repetitive that i started skipping over those descriptions.
July 5, 2022
every single individual element of this book sounded right up my alley, but i couldn't really get immersed in the story. it felt more like this book was talking at me, not to me tbh. bastian and lore rights though.
Want to read
March 26, 2021
Merged review:
AHHH ANOTHER ONE IS COMING I CANNOT WAIT
September 20, 2022
This book was beautifully written, and I just love Anna-Marie’s writing style so much. There were a few moments in this book that really resonated with me, but I felt like despite it being short it started to drag around the halfway point. I felt like we were constantly rehashing the same handful of moments and issues, which would’ve been fine if this book had been even shorter. I think it would’ve made a really lovely and even more impactful novella.
September 29, 2023
Nie możecie się tego w polsce doczekać kochani...Czytajcie Lakelore, bo was we śnie nawiedzę. The ones of important book in my life!
soon
soon
December 19, 2021
rtc because I’m crying rn
—
Thank you so much to Fierce Reads for the ARC!
TW: racism, homophobia
Rep: Latinx non-binary mcs, mc with ADHD, mc with dyslexia, wlw side characters
Ever since I was in third grade, I’ve been watching and rewatching a sitcom called The Middle. In the show, one of the main characters is a big reader, and he describes his books as his best friends in the whole world. That’s what this book feels like to me. It feels like a friend I can always feel comfortable being near. I relate to so many themes and characters in this book that it’s impossible not to fall in love with it.
You can tell the author cares deeply about sharing their experiences living with ADHD and dyslexia. The characters shine as individuals while also being so compatible with each other. Not only is the romantic relationship between the two protagonists so genuine, but so are the friendships between the side characters. No interaction between the characters feels forced.
When I read a book, I look for two kinds of quotes— ones I think are beautifully written, and ones I can relate to. With books like these, not only do I find both, but the ones I relate to mean so much to me.
And of course, I’m crying again. Because this book makes me—a Latinx, queer, genderfluid teen—feel so very loved.
—
Thank you so much to Fierce Reads for the ARC!
TW: racism, homophobia
Rep: Latinx non-binary mcs, mc with ADHD, mc with dyslexia, wlw side characters
“All that was just part of the
shared understanding of the lake here, the lakelore. Like fisherman telling how far out storms were by the tint to the sky, or how las viejas measured the seiches so carefully they could predict them like tides.”
Ever since I was in third grade, I’ve been watching and rewatching a sitcom called The Middle. In the show, one of the main characters is a big reader, and he describes his books as his best friends in the whole world. That’s what this book feels like to me. It feels like a friend I can always feel comfortable being near. I relate to so many themes and characters in this book that it’s impossible not to fall in love with it.
You can tell the author cares deeply about sharing their experiences living with ADHD and dyslexia. The characters shine as individuals while also being so compatible with each other. Not only is the romantic relationship between the two protagonists so genuine, but so are the friendships between the side characters. No interaction between the characters feels forced.
“Gender identity never reduces down that easily anyway. Recognizing someone like you is never as simple as picking things apart to see what they add up to.”
When I read a book, I look for two kinds of quotes— ones I think are beautifully written, and ones I can relate to. With books like these, not only do I find both, but the ones I relate to mean so much to me.
And of course, I’m crying again. Because this book makes me—a Latinx, queer, genderfluid teen—feel so very loved.
May 31, 2022
bastián grew up above and beneath the lake, but lore’s only seen the world under the lake once. however, that one encounter was enough to change their life. when the lines between the world above and the world below begin to blur, bastián and lore must work together to keep the worlds separated.
the prose was so lyrical and perfectly suited the book’s magical realism genre. there were two points of view, which was great because i got to connect with both MCs and know their thoughts.
both MCs are nonbinary, trans, mexican, and neurodivergent, and seeing how they connected over their similarities while still having distinct differences was cool.
i highly recommend this book!!
the prose was so lyrical and perfectly suited the book’s magical realism genre. there were two points of view, which was great because i got to connect with both MCs and know their thoughts.
both MCs are nonbinary, trans, mexican, and neurodivergent, and seeing how they connected over their similarities while still having distinct differences was cool.
i highly recommend this book!!
November 19, 2023
3.5/5 🌟
jest to bardzo mądra książka, poruszająca tematy m.in. dyslekcji czy ADHD. jednakże przez całą książkę nie czułam niczego - ani mi się podobało, ani nie podobało. książkę czytało mi się szybko i przyjemnie, lecz bohaterowie czy wydarzenia pozostały dla mnie obojętne. mimo to daję 3.5 🌟, ponieważ jest to inteligenta i piękna książka, warta uwagi i czuję, że to po prostu nie był najlepszy czas dla mnie na przeczytanie jej.
jest to bardzo mądra książka, poruszająca tematy m.in. dyslekcji czy ADHD. jednakże przez całą książkę nie czułam niczego - ani mi się podobało, ani nie podobało. książkę czytało mi się szybko i przyjemnie, lecz bohaterowie czy wydarzenia pozostały dla mnie obojętne. mimo to daję 3.5 🌟, ponieważ jest to inteligenta i piękna książka, warta uwagi i czuję, że to po prostu nie był najlepszy czas dla mnie na przeczytanie jej.
July 16, 2022
I reallyyyy loved this one and everything it explored within its pages! A beautifully crafted story of 2 non binary teens who find each other despite feeling like they don’t belong anywhere. So so good!
July 16, 2025
loved the mental health rep all throughout the book!
August 25, 2022
4.5*
A contemporary magical realism story that beautifully connected the mental state of the protagonists with the environment around them.
It's something that reminded me of the manga Our Dreams At Dusk, which while not actually magical realism, heavily uses astrological and other images as metaphors for the emotions of the characters. A big recommendation if you haven't read it.
Anyways, Lakelore also paints emotions such as anxiety, anger and inner tumult in general in vibrant pictures that stayed in my mind long after I finished the book.
Both these characters were likeable and relatable in a way I think we need nowadays. Both Bastián and Lore I can easily see as real teenagers, facing realistic struggles and trying their best to figure out how to deal with the world and with what their own minds and bodies demand of them.
To some, this story might not seem that exciting, but that doesn't make this story less moving or interesting. It's a quiet and tender story that knows what it is and stays true to itself.
For about two years, I've read little to none YA books, but 2022, I've slowly found my way back to this age range. Lakelore is a good example for why that effort wasn't for naught and is instead worth continuing.
This surely won't be my last A.M. McLemore book and is one I happily purchased a physical copy of as I might reread it in the future.
A contemporary magical realism story that beautifully connected the mental state of the protagonists with the environment around them.
It's something that reminded me of the manga Our Dreams At Dusk, which while not actually magical realism, heavily uses astrological and other images as metaphors for the emotions of the characters. A big recommendation if you haven't read it.
Anyways, Lakelore also paints emotions such as anxiety, anger and inner tumult in general in vibrant pictures that stayed in my mind long after I finished the book.
Both these characters were likeable and relatable in a way I think we need nowadays. Both Bastián and Lore I can easily see as real teenagers, facing realistic struggles and trying their best to figure out how to deal with the world and with what their own minds and bodies demand of them.
To some, this story might not seem that exciting, but that doesn't make this story less moving or interesting. It's a quiet and tender story that knows what it is and stays true to itself.
For about two years, I've read little to none YA books, but 2022, I've slowly found my way back to this age range. Lakelore is a good example for why that effort wasn't for naught and is instead worth continuing.
This surely won't be my last A.M. McLemore book and is one I happily purchased a physical copy of as I might reread it in the future.
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