Smells Like Green Spirit

by Saburo Nagai

Enemies-turned-friends open Pandora’s Box together and search for a place where they can live their truth in this complete-in-one omnibus coming-of-age manga

A must-read for older teens and adult fans of seinen and LGBTQ+ series like Welcome Back Alice, The Flowers of Evil, and Boys Run the Riot

Peeking in Pandora’s box is not for the faint of heart.

Viciously bullied for being gay, junior high schooler Mishima struggles to belong in his hopelessly rural hometown. In fact, the only time he really feels alive is when he dolls himself up with a stolen tube of his single-mother’s lipstick. But that pocket of joy is forever changed when he loses the lipstick, only to find soccer team ace Kirino, one of Mishima’s worst tormenters, trying it on in secret on their school roof. So begins a bittersweet summer of searching for a place where the two can be their true selves, but Pandora’s box is not always so easily opened…

Genres: Manga

Kindle Edition

Expected publication July 21, 2026

About the author

Associated names :
NAGAI Saburo
NAGAI Saburoh
S. Nagai

Name (in native language) : 永井三郎

Hobbies : cooking

"She's actually a woman. She just presents herself as a male in her profile pic and author notes. ;-) I had to confirm with Japan myself. :-D " - Jennifer LeBlanc, SuBLime editor

Reviews

[Lanie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mishima is a student living in the countryside in Japan who has been mercilessly tormented by his classmates for his highly feminine traits including his long hair and girlish looks. One afternoon after a particularly harsh beating that included his tormentors cutting off his long hair, he decides to head to the rooftop just to escape. There he finds Kirino the instigator of all his abuse trying on lipstick of all things! Unfortunately, Kirino hears Mishima and immediately begins his usual tirade of abuse. However, Mishima realizes that maybe Kirino is hurting Mishima because he can't hurt himself.

Trigger Warnings: This book and the review will discuss sexual assault of a minor and bullying that includes physical violence. Please keep this in mind.

Alright so this was actually a tough one to give a star rating to as there are some scenes that when I first read it my knee jerk reaction was to say "Nah, that's just not okay." However, as I am writing this, I realize that not okay or not I've still seen it happen IRL so for me to give this any less than five stars simply because I didn't like it or it made me uncomfortable would be the equivalent of disregarding my friends and family's real life. I'm not going to do that.

The first scene I had an issue with was how quickly Mishima seems to forgive Kirino's bullying. At first this seems like a combination of Mishima being desperate for someone who he can relate too and the author's need to keep resolve the issue quickly. I realize though that both of these were not correct. With the latter I mean I've seen this, hell, I've been that person. I forgave my elementary and into middle school bullies more times than I cared to count. Because if I didn't, I'd have no friends at all. As an adult I can look back on this objectively and know for a fact I would have been better off. As a nine to 12 yr old, not so much. Yes, I can already hear someone say that Mishima was older than that! Yes, but Mishima is a gay kiddo living in rural Jp who finally found someone he can talk to regarding all of these feelings he has from gender identity to sexuality. It would take a kid with a ridiculously high self-esteem to walk away from that. However, it's not just that Mishima actually talks to Kirino and later Yumeno about their bullying. It's not like he just lets it go.

The other portion of the first half that I found I had issues with was the way Mishima attempts to deal with the teacher who sexually assaults him. But also the reason why his teacher became the way he is. The teacher flat out says he's basically a repressed homosexual man who after being caught with a boy in his teens, he now is only attracted to young boys. Like being caught stunted his growth in terms of sexual desires. I once again had to remind myself that I have literally heard this from the man who molested my own brother. It's literally how he got away with it for years. So whether I agreed with it or not unfortunately, again it happens in real life. What I still don't agree with and why this ultimately is receiving four stars from me is I felt like even though Kirino tells Mishima that no matter what happened to their teacher it gave him no right to assault Mishima, the author still includes the teacher's story as like a bonus short. I am not really sure why they did this, it was a choice that I would not have made.

That all being said, that rest of this was just really wonderful. There are some portions that are difficult to read especially after all three boys are outed to their parent's and yet, I find that by Nagai's handling of how each of their parents reacted was well done. Not because they are just all automatically accepted by their parents but because they are not. This is a depressing fact of life and Nagai balanced this extremely well in terms of being able to celebrate and commiserate with the boys. Until we live in a world where parents accept their children unconditionally this has to be a part of the story. Not always, but enough for us to remember that Queer kids are dealing with stuff that most of us cannot possibly begin to understand no matter what our relationship with our parents looks like.

At the end of the day I do have to highly recommend this one, for teens especially, however, based on the sexual assault as well as several other scenes I have to say that this is one that probably needs a parent to look at first for younger teens at least.

As always thanks to Kodansha and Netgalley for the eArc!

[❄ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I've actually read this before (it's licensed in spanish) and this is my third time doing it. I don't tend to reread stuff, but I chose this ARC because I wanted a refresher, despite knowing the story very well. As a note, I also watched the japanese drama adaptation and while I thought it was decent, the original work is more compelling by miles and a masterpiece for me. One of my favorite manga of all time and genres.

This author is very particular in the way they tell their stories, something I noticed after looking through their catalogue. It reminds me a bit of Harada, mixing humour with disturbing topics, but there's much more to them than what there is on the surface. Their works usually have sinister panels in a way I haven't seen other authors draw, which is a big thing considering this isn't even horror.

Now onto the story. This isn't a manga for people that can't handle heavy themes and I'm serious. There's bullying, homophobia, transphobia, sexual assault and more. It's also a bittersweet manga, something to keep in mind for those that prefer a fairytale type of ending.

I absolutely loved the main cast of boys. It's easy to expect something simple from each but it's incredible how the story develops in a way that makes the reader realize not everything is at it seems. Mishima is an amazing protagonist that goes through a lot of difficult events, but ends up being very resiliant. Kirino was another one I loved, someone who is much more than a simple bully and the 'jock' stereotype. Then there's Yumeno, another one that brings many surprises.

I think Mishima's and Kirino's relationship was the highlight of this manga and my heart broke for them many times. They're just kids, trying to discover themselves in an judgemental enviroment. I liked how the story explores themes of identity and acceptance, not only coming from the boys themselves but some of their parents too.

I also loved the bully x bullied storyline. I'm not sorry, it's one of the tropes in fiction I like and what I enjoyed the most was how compelling they were together and that things between them had a slow development. I felt the way they came to be themselves was realistic, since not every gay kid has the same type of realization about their sexuality.

Now I'll touch onto the heaviest topic of them all: the teacher and everything he represents. It might be controversial, but I don't think his character was unnecessary, nor that the author did anything wrong with his inclusion. I don't think the message was to equate what he is to the boys' sexualities, since Kirino had some lines about that later into the story plus the author was very clear that what he did wasn't good at all. I think it's a shame that some people that took it like that and cannot read pass what is literally in a text, needing to be told in bold letters what it wants to convey.

Lastly, the ending was one of the most memorable ones I've ever read. I saw it for the first time years ago and never forgot. It is that impactful. Without spoilers, I'll just say that I was torn between feeling happy and sad. I think I felt like both. I can't help but think about the what if's and remember this is what many queer people face, which doesn't mean is a good thing but it does make sense to me that the author went down that route. Part of me is glad that it didn't suddenly become the fairytale type, although the other desperately wanted better.

Anyway, my rambling was extra long, I just really love this manga. I could talk about it for hours. I don't think I'd ever forget these characters and everything they went through.

-I received a copy of this book for free through NetGalley and I am leaving an honest review voluntarily.

Tags: manga, single volume, queer themes, highschool, homophobia, transphobia, bullying, pedophilia, sexual assault, sexuality discovery, queer friendship, bully x bullied.

[Lyss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

This was a highly anticipated read for me so I was ecstatic to have the chance to read an advance copy. I thought I knew what I was getting into at the start but I was quite shocked by a few plot points.

The story follows Mishima, a closeted middle school boy who spends his days being relentlessly bullied by his classmates and his nights secretly getting dolled up with a tube of his mother’s lipstick.

In a shocking turn of events, Mishima comes across one of his tormentors putting on lipstick and from there a truce is formed. From enemies to friends, the two confide in one another about their struggles of being queer in a small town.

Trigger warnings: this review will include topics such as pedophilia, homophobia and physical violence. Please keep your best interest in mind.

At first I was uncertain if I would end up enjoying this. The first few chapters were hard to get through and I was concerned it was going to be full of senseless violence and homophobia with no real plot but I was happily mistaken.

My first main concern comes from how quickly Mishima and Kirino became friends after the relentless bullying Mishima endures at the hands of Kirino and his friends. This isn’t light bullying either, at one point there’s a scene where Mishima is being drowned by his classmates and another scene where one classmate suggests sexually assaulting him with a marker.

My second concern is the way in which pedophilia was handled in the story. The teacher who sexually assaults Mishima explains that he’s always been a repressed homosexual and after being caught with a boy while he was a teenager he is now only attracted to young boys. This issue is further pushed when Mishima likens the teacher’s “Pandora’s box” to that of him and Kirino’s. The queer community has gotten a lot of hate and push back because of people painting the narrative that they’re predators and should be carefully watched around children so seeing someone’s queer identity be compared to that of someone’s pedophilia really rubbed me the wrong way. As a member of the queer community it left a bad taste in my mouth and I contemplated DNFing it at this point.

I pushed ahead and I’m glad I did. This is a coming-of-age story about finding your place in the world, navigating your sexuality and gender identity in a place that shames you for who you are and the sacrifices many queer people feel the need to make in order to fit into society.

The last quarter of the story absolutely shattered me and I was left sitting in silence for a long while before I was able to organize my thoughts. The harsh reality that’s shown at the end of the series is gut wrenching and I couldn’t help but think of all the people who choose the same path as one of our main characters for the sake of other people’s happiness.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-Arc!

[Dana | Rainbow Romance Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75★

Smells Like Green Spirit is a coming-of-age story that tackles a host of heavy topics, including queer identity, small town homophobia, and repeating cycles of abuse and prejudice.

The story follows Mishima, a young gay teen who is relentlessly bullied because of his androgynous appearance and long hair. As the manga progresses, we learn that two of the characters who hurt him the most are struggling with their own queer identities. This is probably the main aspect of the story that didn’t work for me, as it was a very abrupt shift from bullies to best friends, and even to a romance. Considering the heinous things we’d seen them do (and almost do), I found it jarring how little accountability there was and how differently these characters were suddenly behaving. The first half of the manga also feels quite messy in general, jumping between different ideas and storylines while trying to tackle a lot all at once, so it could have used better pacing.

However, I really enjoyed the second half of the story. As it progresses, the manga spends more time exploring what kind of lives the characters want to live and whether they’re willing to sacrifice their families, social acceptance, and the lives they’ve always known in order to be themselves. I really liked these character arcs, and the mixture of hope and tragedy I felt reading them. Considering the original manga was published in 2012, I think it does a good job of reflecting some of the struggles queer teenagers face in rural and deeply homophobic environments.

Having said that, I didn’t like the comparison between being closeted as a gay person and being closeted as a paedophile. I understand the point the mangaka may have been trying to make about social stigma and secrecy, but the comparison felt misguided, especially given the long history queer people have of being falsely accused of being sexual predators.

I did really like the artwork throughout the manga. The style is expressive and very dynamic, with some panels almost feeling like they’re pulled from a horror manga, and they do a great job of conveying fear, shame, and distress when needed. My kid caught a glimpse of the teacher over my shoulder and that was enough to make him run away, which I think says a lot!

Overall, I enjoyed this story and I was invested in the outcome of the characters’ journeys. It’s definitely messy in places, and there were some themes and relationships that I don’t think were handled very well, but it still had me hooked.

*Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with an ARC*

[Meagan McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for giving me the opportunity to read this manga for an honest review!

Viciously bullied for being gay, junior high schooler Mishima struggles to belong in his hopelessly rural hometown. The only time he really feels alive is when he dolls himself up with a stolen tube of his single mother’s lipstick.

And can I say one thing, I loved his long hair in the beginning. And I literally lost it, literally set my phone down and stared off into space when the bullies chopped it all off.

That pocket of joy is forever changed when he loses the lipstick, only to find soccer team ace Kirino, one of Mishima’s worst tormenters, trying it on in secret on their school roof.
Which I didn't expect at all!!!

And so begins a bittersweet summer of searching for a place where Kirino and Mishima can be their true selves, but Pandora’s box is not always so easily opened.

The teacher gave me creepy vibes from the very beginning and the way my jaw DROPPED when that scene happened (iykyk)
I am so happy for what happened afterwords, that Yumeno and Kirino helped him out and was there for Mishima.

I was torn between feeling happy and sad at the end. I can't help but think about the what if's and remember this is what many queer people face on a daily basis. Part of me is glad that it didn't suddenly become the fairytale type, although the other part of me desperately wanted that fairytale ending of happily ever after. And to some maybe it is.

One of the things I wasn't a fan of was how fast Mishima forgave the bullies so easily, especially after everything he was put through especially by Yumeno and Kirino. They did a lot of messed up things.

But Overall, this was such a good read. Just read with caution, trigger warnings: topics such as pedophilia, homophobia and physical violence. But also there is coming of age, and discovery.

[Ashe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for an e-arc!!
This was a tough one to read - not fully sure what wasn't doing it for me, if it was the art-style or how some of these themes weren't handle with the softest of touches. But honestly, in real life these themes aren't soft. It's tough and hard to stomach and the manga did a great job portraying that.
The ending really saved this manga, it was a pretty happy ending and it was good to see one of the characters grow out of his internalized homophobia to embrace who he was and have a pretty happy future. Although, for one of the other main characters, it probably wasn't the best ending for their happiness, but they chose what would make the people are him the happiest.

Two of things that truly gave me the ick and made me uncomfortable - the fact that this translation says they are in "middle school" when it seems like they are definitely older teens and more high school aged. Would love to see the kanji/kana used in original serialization of this manga to see if this was possibly a mistranslation. & my other ick - the teacher.

In the end, this just wasn't a story fully for me. I do think these kind of stories have their place in the world and I don't mind giving them a shot to read them.. but I just might not fully enjoy the experience. Not every story can be a happy ending but at this moment in time, I prefer those happy endings and sweeter stories. This story overall was just raw, gritty, and painfully real at times.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Kondansha comics for providing me with ARC this manga.

Before we begin the review, there are some sensitive topics discussed here: Homophobia, Bullying, Internalized homophobia, pedophilia, rape.

This had such a good plot. The story revolves around Mishima, a middle school closeted gay boy, who gets bullied for his girl-like appearance. Trigger warning here that although the bullying only last for a few pages and they tried to douse it with funny art style, it is still quite intense and may be uncomfortable for some.

One unexpected day in the school, when Mishima is just chilling on the rooftop, he sees his bully does something unbelievable. From there starts their reluctant friendship and slowly they start to open up about what they really want as individuals, beyond what society expects them to want. But fate has different plans for them.

This story beautifully explores the themes of internalize homophobia and the taboo that comes with homosexuality, especially in such a small town as the one Mishima lives in. It showcases the struggles of many queers who still struggle with their sexuality and gender identity.

I love how art style can be funny one second and next second make our stomach drop in fear, then give us hope and take it away from us. This story is everything: Funny, serious, emotional, lighthearted, hopeful and hopeless. It showcases reality too well and it hurts.

[Off Service Book Recs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long hair and a beautiful face are unfortunate targets when you're a boy in a rural town, and Mishima is ruthlessly bullied for looking and being "gay"...no matter that the bullies are right. He lives in the in-between moments when he can preen in the mirror and wear his mother's stolen lipstick, only opening Pandora's box a crack when it's safe. So when he accidentally loses the tube of lipstick, he feels lie his life is over - until he sees soccer team ace Kirino, one of his worst tormenters, trying it on in secret on their school roof. Thus kicks off a bittersweet summer of self-discovery, belonging, and learning that there's a cost to opening Pandora's box to the greater world that may be more than one can afford.

Bittersweet was exactly the perfect word to describe this two-in-one - there was a lot of high school angst mixed with the harsh realities of an adult world that is not so accepting of what is different. I would HIGHLY caution that this book deals with adult themes and is not for younger readers, but I think the lessons and the start realities of finding a non-binary place in a very binary world were incredibly realistic and reflective. I like books that try to capture life in all its facets in one go, and this book did a great job of doing that within the confines of a manga, so I definitely recommend for those looking for a more mature story and LGBTQIA+ reads!

[hannah rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc!

First things first: I would be remiss to not mention potential trigger warnings: attempted assault on page, harsh and derogatory terms towards queer people, and mentions of suicidal thoughts. Please remember your own health and well-being while reading!

Mishima is a middle-school aged boy who is relentlessly bullied for having very long hair and more of a feminine personality. One of these bullying incidents is cutting Mishima's hair to a shorter length, which kickstarts the meat of the story. After being saved by one of his bullies, Kirino, Mishima slowly begins to realize that he and Kirino have more in common than meets the eye. As they unravel their own feelings and societal pressures, we as readers get direct insight into how these young teenage boys [as assigned at birth] try to tackle gender and sexuality expression in a rural town with strict opinions on taboo topics, such as homosexuality.

While I did enjoy this story, it was a heavy read. I think what was beautiful about this story was how raw and real the portrayals of confusion in young teenagers were; they have ideas about their identities, but have little to no room to explore without ridicule from the outside world. I would give this a solid 3.75, 4 rounded up on Goodreads, because I do wish Mishima forced his bullies to experience more guilt and character development before forgiving them so freely. But, it was an enjoyable time overall!

[Eduarda Santos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of advanced copy received from NetGalley.

Content Warnings: Homophobia, Bullying, Pedophilia, Rape

Mishima is a student living in a small town in Japan, who gets bullied by his classmates for having a feminine appearance. One day, Mishima discovers that Kirino, one of his bullies, may be just like him.

I am very conflicted on this, first of all - the art style. It's clear that the author wants to have some funny moments or lighten some using exaggerated facial expressions, and I wasn't sure how to feel about it.
Second of all - although by the end I was rooting for Mishima and Kirino to find their happy places, I thought their friendship happened too fast and sudden.

I also don't like how the whole situation with the teacher was handled, it seemed like they tried to sugarcoat it somehow and that made me uncomfortable.
I love reading serious and emotional stories, and this had that. I thought the ending was realistic but also think some people may find it unsatisfying.

Overall, if you're looking for something deep and emotional, but also funny and hopeful, and with a realistic ending, I would say give this a try.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[james · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha for the e-ARC

This is one of my favourite queer manga. While I think that it can come off as overdramatised, and specifically fumbles the topic of the predatory teacher, it’s a story that engages with deep themes and emotions. 



One of the things I love about this story is how it engages with queerness and how different people deal with their own queerness based on societal and familial factors. It shows how environmental factors can affect the life paths of queer people. 



I think it’s also important to note when reading this that it was originally published in Japan in the early 2010s, and it does reflect that. But it still connected with me (a queer person) over a decade later, so I believe that themes are sadly still relevant.


It really captures how suffocating being queer in an unaccepting environment can be, but also the joy that you can find with other queer people. 



While I would recommend this to people interested in a story about queer teens in a rural town, I would urge them to check the trigger warnings.

[Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smells Like Green Spirit is a coming-of-age story about identity and overcoming hardships. The story follows Mishima, a rural junior high school student that is being bullied for being gay. He spots one of his bullies, Kirino, trying on lipstick on the school roof. They share a mutual secret that allows them to become friends.

Wow, what a story of resilience. Even though it was originally published back in 2012-2013, the story unfortunately is still relevant today. I did enjoy the friendship that developed between Mishima and Kirino (even the relationship between Mishima and Yumeno). I do think Mishima forgave them too easily for all the bullying he endured but I can look past it. What I couldn’t look past was the teacher and his reasoning for abusing Mishima. I think it gives off the wrong message. That docked off 1 start for me. Other than that, what a heartwrenching read that shows the reality that some members of the LGBTQ+ community face on a daily basis. Check for triggers!

Thank you, NetGalley and Kodansha Comics | Vertical Comics, for the ARC.

[fridge_brilliance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good actually! Unflichning and hopeful in turns, it takes a good look at a group of classmates within a small countryside community in Japan, quite a few dealing with boxed-up queer feelings under lock and key: the good, the bad and the ugly. I found it really unputdownable - the way the characters connected in interplay of violence and touching vulnerability, the way they made each other change, their FAMILIES oh my god the mothers. We had a close up at the three of them in volume one, and I would lay waste to kingdoms to protect Mishima's and Taro's moms (so excellent in such different ways), and even Kiriko's mother's story was understandable, though much less uplifting. The volume could honestly read as finished, but I am delighted to know there is one more yet to come. I wouldn't have necessarily known what to expect looking at the cover, but I'm very glad I read this, and whole-heartedly recommend.

Thanks to Negalley and Kodansha for the ARC. Can't wait for v2 to conclude this story.

[Tippy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I feel about this manga. To start, whoever translated this made the characters middle schoolers which feels very, very wrong even though it is technically correct. It has both a bullies to friends and bullies to lovers storyline, the later of which is not my favorite. I also don't particularly appreciate the way it stereotypes it's characters. I found the ending somewhat disappointing, Kirino's in particular (though he seems happy enough). The teacher should have had some sort of consequences instead of getting a backstory to try and explain his actions. I do love Mishima and Toro's parent's though, even if Toro's dad is a hot mess. The second half of the story, this was originally published in 2 volumes, is better than the first since the bulling storyline is gone. The artwork is kinda hit a miss for me. In some ways it expresses the characters well but it other ways it feel very basic.

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smells Like Green Spirit is a manga about queer teenagers in rural Japan and what happens when they make friends after a chance encounter. The coming of age story explores being closeted, having the chance to express your sexuality and gender non-conformity, finding friends who might be similar to you, and dealing with darker stuff like assault and bullying.

I thought this was a powerful book, but I found the story a bit disjointed, sometimes jumping to another character's narrative unexpectedly, and that meant that I occasionally lost track of what was going on. It builds to a bittersweet ending that shows how even finding someone like you can end up with you both taking very different paths. Overall, it's a good read, but I left wanting to know more about the characters as I wanted more depth.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This is a queer coming of age story set in rural Japan, addressing themes of gender, internalised and general homophobia, bullying and self acceptance. I enjoyed the story, although the narrative was a bit disjointed at times. There was a lot of homophobia in this which was hard to read, among other dark scenes which are not for everyone. However it speaks to the reality of attitudes towards queer people in many places so is not to be understated. I liked the ending as it showcased the two different realities of queer people living in places where they are not accepted - one character learns to accept who he is, moves away and starts a new life. The other chooses what will make other people around him happy and sacrifices his own true self. Heartbreaking, but I was happy for the character who did get a good ending.

[Suki J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Kodansha Comics/ Vertical Comics and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars.

I have admittedly not read a lot of manga, but this has been my favourite so far.

A coming of age story of queer teenagers living in a rural Japanese community, this was both heart-warming and shocking. There was some very difficult content in here including SA and homophobic violence, and I would recommend checking trigger warnings.
Having said that, I absolutely loved watching Mishima, a bullied and isolated boy, and Kirino, his former tormentor turned confidant, find themselves together. The story is definitely bittersweet, but the queer joy is palpable, and the artwork stunning.

[Simone G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga covered so many different queer walks of life. It was well paced and illustrated. I was already familiar with the story as I watched the BL so it was nice being able to finally read the source material.

This was hard to get through in some parts, not because it was badly written but just because of the subject matter. You really felt for these characters and I can’t say it was a fun time, but definitely worth the read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kasey Connors-Beron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of Smells Like Green Spirit thanks to the publisher through NetGalley and leave this review voluntarily.

Trigger warning! On page attempted rape and homophobia and bullying. Please be mindful when picking this one up. It was a good read but those parts were really jarring and uncomfortable to read. I am also torn about the ending. I don't want to say much because I don't want to spoil anything but if you can stomach the triggers definitely worth picking up.

[K.C. Norton]

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, but did not finish due to the repeated rape "jokes," the way the sexual assault is handled, and the way queerness and abuse is conflated. I think there's a way to handle these topics well, but this ain't it.

[Sarah Szeszol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how to feel about this. I can't tell if the book is taking things seriously or if its making fun.