Eine Woche für die Ewigkeit

by Nina LaCour, David Levithan, Christel Kröning (Translator)

Sie kennen sich nur flüchtig, bis sie sich eines Nachts zufällig in einem Club in San Francisco begegnen: Mark, der sich gerade völlig umsonst zum Affen gemacht hat, um seinen besten Freund zu beeindrucken – und Kate, die vor dem Mädchen ihrer Träume weggelaufen ist. Verloren im Chaos ihrer Gefühle beschließen die beiden, von nun an zusammenzuhalten. Gemeinsam stürzen sie sich ins kunterbunte Getümmel der Pride Week und lernen zwischen wilden Partys und Liebeskummer, was wahre Freundschaft bedeutet.

Genres: Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary, Romance, Queer, Fiction, Lesbian

288 pages, Hardcover

First published June 2, 2016

About the author

Nina LaCour is the Michael L. Printz Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of six young adult novels, including Watch Over Me and We Are Okay; the children's book Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle; and Yerba Buena, a novel for adults. She's on faculty at Hamline University's MFA in writing for Children and Young Adults program, and teaches an online class of her own called The Slow Novel Lab. A former indie bookseller and high school English teacher, she lives with her family in San Francisco.

Reviews

[Maggie Stiefvater]

A fast-paced caper about a budding love between two girls and a dissolving one between two boys, set during the rainbow-splashed high of Pride Week.

[✨ jami ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I'm ready to love myself, but I'm not ready to lose you.
I'm ready to find myself, but I'm not ready for you to know what I find”

This book had the most iconic mlm/wlw solidarity and I am HERE FOR IT. To be honest, this was the exact kind of queer book I needed and I didn't even realise that until I read it. I loved the friendship between Mark and Kate, a lesbian and gay character and just how this whole book played out. I read it pretty much in one sitting and enjoyed all of it so much.

You Know Me Well follows Kate and Mark, who sit next to eachother in class and never talk. They run into eachother in the city one night and realise, over one wild night, that they do have some things on common. Kate is in love with a girl she barely knows, and Mark is in love wish his best best friend Ryan who may or may not know.




The friendship between Mark and Kate was my favourite thing about this. I always say queer people travel in packs and the friendship between the two really resonated with me. I related to them both a lot, but also felt quite Seen because it's really rare to have queer friends in books. I really liked the focus on the formative years of identity, and how being in that stage of your life where you're trying to find yourself is complicated so much by also trying to understand your queer identity.

This is an ownvoices book and you can tell. Nina LaCour and David Levithan perfectly capture what their characters and the idea of Pride. This book is set over the week of Pride in San Francisco and I love how they explored the entire queer community and the idea of spaces being welcoming and safe the first time you enter them. I also really related to Mark and his struggle with having a crush on your friend and not knowing what to do about it. This book was extremely powerful and relatable and I really loved that about it.

Pacing wise, this is also perfect. Its easy to read in one sitting because something is always happening. The authors used the dual perspective so effectively, always leaving each chapter hanging so you were excited to read both narrations. I can easily say I was equally interested in both Kate and Mark's story.

My one criticism is that Kate's love interest was a little panic pixie dream girl. I think it was kind of addressed a bit so it wasn't too bad but I think adding more depth and complexity to her character would have been really beneficial to her character.

“You're becoming. You're in the process of becoming. You just don't know what yet.
That felt right. It felt okay to stop there, for now, as we walked through the future.”

I really liked this book. It's unlike so many other contemporary books on the market right now. This book perfectly encapsulates why ownvoices books are so good. I loved the friendships in this so much and the romances were pretty perfect too. Nina LaCour and David Levithan captured so many of my emotions in this and the events resonated with me so much. I really recommend this if you're looking for a quick read with a gay/lesbian character

[Kai Spellmeier · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'm ready to lose myself,
but I'm not ready to lose you.
I'm ready to find myself,
But I'm not ready for you to know what I find."

This was my first book by Nina LaCour and my fifth by David Levithan (and compared to the other 4 books I've read I liked this one best).
You Know Me Well is one of those books that you can easily read in one sitting. It has a great pace, relatable characters and never once gets boring. It's also incredibly romantic.
I have nothing to criticise. I enjoyed this a lot. It's a wonderful story about friendship and love, that I would recommend to everyone who wants a heartfelt but light read.

Find more of my books on Instagram

[Claudia Lomelí · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I listened to this in audiobook :)

[Cece (ProblemsOfaBookNerd) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5/5

I'm so sad to be writing that I gave this book 2.5 stars. This was my most anticipated release of 2016, by two authors I adore. It is #ownvoices and stuffed to the brim with queer characters and it should have been perfect for me. But it wasn't.

Stuff I loved:
-How Pride was written. Every scene that was more focused on Pride than the characters themselves was well done and fun to read.
-The attention to queer spaces as safe spaces, and the fact that there was an acknowledgement that older queer people are there to look out for younger queer/questioning people. There is a scene at the beginning where Kate describes going into a gay bar and feeling totally safe and I adored that.
-Bits and pieces of just queer culture. The constant inclusion of specific queer girl bands that really resonated with me. I loved those elements that made the whole book and the characters feel specifically queer, not just queer to have a queer main character. It felt like part of their characterization that was essential. If that makes any sense at all.
-Every. single. character. that had a line (besides parents) was queer. Every one of them. And coming from YA, where the main character can be queer but everyone else around them is straight? It felt like a miracle. It also felt like the first realistic depiction of queer kids in high school, in their friendships at least.

Stuff I didn't love:
-The main pixie dream girl love interest. I kept waiting for it to... not be that. But she stayed manic pixie to the end and I didn't understand the relationship at all.
-Honestly, Kate as a character. I can't handle when miscommunication or just lack of any communication at all leads to tension and causes angst moving forward. It isn't compelling to me, and that's just about all Kate had to offer.
-The dramatic monologues. None of the lines in this entire book were realistic. And yes, this is a book and I can't hold it to 100% authentic standards, but these kids were ridiculously poetic every time they spoke. And don't get me started on when Mark would go all poetic for paragraphs. I don't think it ever made sense for his character.

Overall, I think this book could have benefited from a) being longer and b) not trying quite so hard to be meaningful. That sounds harsh when I write it. But honestly, I wanted to read a book about two queer kids finding one another and just having that friendship be valuable. I didn't need it to change my life. I just wanted a story that was gay and happy. And I felt like this book tried to do too many things, so they all individually fell flat. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go cry about how much I wanted to love this book.

[Lala BooksandLala · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good, just not shout-it-from-the-rooftops good.

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The thing about this life is that the good comes with the bad.

Work (bad) in exchange for money (good). Cooking (bad) in exchange for food (good). Reading David Levithan's parts in this book (bad) in exchange for getting to read Nina LaCour's (good).

Basically what I'm saying is that this year I learned I love Nina LaCour (by reading everything she's ever written) and that I do not care for David Levithan (by realizing that I've never liked anything he's ever written) and then I read this book by both of them and found that to be correct.

The end.

Bottom line: The good, the bad, the mediocre!

---------------
pre-review

a lot going on here and i didn't like it all but i liked enough of it.

review to come / 3ish stars

---------------
currently-reading updates

i am reading this book set during pride month...WHILE IT'S PRIDE MONTH. leveling up.

---------------

reading all books with LGBTQ+ rep for pride this month!

book 1: the gravity of us
book 2: the great american whatever
book 3: wild beauty
book 4: the affair of the mysterious letter
book 5: how we fight for our lives
book 6: blue lily, lily blue
book 7: the times i knew i was gay
book 8: conventionally yours
book 9: the hollow inside
book 10: nimona
book 11: dark and deepest red
book 12: the house in the cerulean sea
book 13: the raven king
book 14: violet ghosts
book 15: as far as you'll take me
book 16: bad feminist
book 17: a song for a new day
book 18: one last stop
book 19: to break a covenant
book 20: honey girl
book 21: check, please!
book 22: the subtweet
book 23: if we were villains
book 24: everything leads to you
book 25: you have a match
book 26: ziggy, stardust, and me
book 27: all the invisible things
book 28: heartstopper
book 29: boyfriend material
book 30: extraordinary birds
book 31: every body shines
book 32: you know me well

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/



Is this the beginning of the end? Am I officially getting too old for this shit???? Say it ain’t so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I refuse to believe that could be the case. Instead I’m going to blame the “meh” factor on (1) I’m in a horrible book slump and not really loving much of anything; (2) NetGalley is all-knowing and I should listen to them when they deny me a request instead of immediately putting myself on the library waiting list like a pouty two year old; and (3) I’ve read a better version of this already . . .



Ha! Fooled you. That’s actually from Youth In Revolt, but I love the quote so I put it here. Also, Michael Cera has played the exact same character in every G.D. thing he’s ever been in, so really I could’ve posted that or a George Michael gif or one from Juno or this one that actually applies . . . .



Yeah, so Nick and Norah (man, I kinda ranted like a loon over a pretty decent teeny bopper selection with that one) and also Will Grayson, Will Grayson and probably even Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares (not positive since I own it in the book hoard but have not ever bothered to read it) were better to me than this one. The special Levithan Kool-Aid must have been watered down. *shrug*

You Know Me Well is the story of Mark and Kate. Although the two have gone to school together for eternity, they have never really met. That is, until one night when Kate’s nerves get to her and she runs away from meeting the potential girl of her dreams and sees Mark dancing in his underpants on a bar. One thing leads to another and Kate discovers that although Mark pines for his friendship with Ryan to go to the next level and for them to DTR, unfortunately . . .



Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd that’s where it lost me. I’m all for unrequited love and whathaveyou, but there wasn’t a whole lot of substance to this one. Kate came off as a neurotic a-hole half the time - Mark was a bit of a creeper who refused to see the truth that Ryan might be okay with coming out, he just didn’t want to come out with Mark - they lived in pretty much Utopia, USA where everyone was middle-class and the parents/everyone in high school was super accepting of all things LBGTQ (which would be amazing, but let’s face it, is not the current reality). It did have a handful of fairly awesome quotable quotes . . .

“I don’t want to be a best friend if I can’t also be a boy in his eyes. I don’t want to be a calendar if I’ll never get a date.”

But sadly they weren’t enough to boost my rating. I think Levithan has fallen into the same trap as Rainbow Rowell. They both need to JUST SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW DOWN. There’s no reason to churn out not-so-great books just for the sake of churning them out. Take your time and write something a little deeper. Your real fans will wait for you. Now, here is an adorable kitten gif for all of you youngsters who are getting your pitchforks and torches ready to go . . .



Please don’t troll me. Thanks in advance : )

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m afraid to say but this book has finally made me realize that Mr. David Levithan and I should officially call it quits. Like I said, his writing is always thoughtful and beautiful but there’s just always something in his stories that makes a premise with great potential become quite too unrealistic. I don’t know how much of the story is on Ms. Nina La Cour but I’m still giving her a chance with Hold Still.

I’m not discouraging people to read this though because it could still be a quick, enjoyable read if you look past the unrealistic elements. ;)

[AMEERA · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and the authors for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Why didn’t they have books like this when I needed them decades ago? You Know Me Well is a YA novel exploring the angst of young LGBT love. Back in the day there was nothing, I repeat nothing, nada, zilch out there for us who were realizing we were different and not understanding why we were “not normal.” Thanks to the changing times, there is now plenty of literature available to help young LGBT people come to terms with their sexuality and understand that yes, they ARE normal. Granted, a minority, but normal indeed.

You Know Me Well is told from two POVs, those of Mark and Kate. Mark is a junior in high school and a star baseball player. He and his BFF Ryan, a poet and high school classmate, are dating, sort of, but they do not talk about it, not even to each other. Kate has had her eyes on Violet, cousin to her best friend Lehna, for a few years. Kate thinks she is in love with Violet though she really doesn’t know her. One of my early criticisms of the story was that Kate and Violet seemingly fall in love within two seconds of getting together without the reader knowing what this is based on. No foreplay whatsoever! As I read on, however, it dawned on me that their story is not about what drew them together, but about their reactions to their feelings and to the prospect of a long lasting relationship. I thought this was really well done. My only other quibble with the Kate-Violet arc is that these 18 year olds seemed terribly insightful for their age and level of experience.

Mark and Ryan’s story has at its center the issue of the lines between platonic and romantic love. There are some very touching scenes in this arc. In my opinion, Mark’s resolution of this situation is way too fast to be believable, but I went with it and loved how it all played out.

A lot of themes are touched upon in this novel. The misgivings of coming out are briefly addressed; more detail here would have been nice. Trying to determine the difference between what one is expected to do and how a person really feels about that direction is dealt with in regards to Kate’s higher education and potential art career. A really well done part of both the Kate-Violet arc and the Mark-Ryan arc revolves around being one’s own enemy when fearfulness is allowed to prohibit taking “that next step” in opening one’s self up to new opportunities and challenges. Perhaps the theme I loved best is that of the true gift of a strong platonic relationship where each person will do whatever he or she can to further the best interests of the other.

Despite a few flaws, I found this to be a very poignant and satisfying read. I recommend it to all readers of YA and actually also to non YA fans like myself who are looking for a little break from their favorite genre.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

the following is the slightly edit version of an email i sent to the kind publicist that sent me an e-copy of this book:

DUUUUUUUUUUDDEEEEEE THIS BOOK. THIS FREAKING BOOK. I'M JUST, I CAN'T DEAL. IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL? I LOVE IT SO MUCH? LIKE I HAD A COUPLE LITTLE ISSUES AND THEN BY THE END THEY WERE RESOLVED AND NOW I'M JUST HEAD OVER HEELS AND IN PAIN. I'M IN PAIN BECAUSE THERE IS NO MORE OF THIS BOOK. BECAUSE I HAVE JUST SPENT THE LAST FEW HOURS OF MY LIFE READING THIS WONDERFUL CREATION AND NOW I AM LEFT FEELING EMPTY INSIDE. ALSO HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GO ON LIVING MY LIFE KNOWING THAT I WON'T BE ABLE TO GET MY HANDS ON A PHYSICAL COPY UNTIL JUNE? IT'S SO FAR AWAY.

THESE CHARACTERS! MARK IS SUCH A PRECIOUS CINNAMON ROLL, JUST LET ME LOVE HIM. I LOVE HOW THE WHOLE RELATIONSHIP WITH RYAN PLAYED OUT. IT WAS SO REAL AND PAINFUL AND WONDERFUL AND I JUST LOVED IT SO MUCH.

DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON KATE. I RELATE TO HER CHARACTER SO MUCH THAT I SWEAR SOME TIMES IT WAS LIKE SHE WAS LITERALLY LIVING IN MY HEAD. AND HER RELATIONSHIP WITH MIRANDA. AT FIRST I WAS LIKE "OH NO MANIC PIXIE DREAM GIRL" BUT THEN BY THE END I WAS JUST A MESS BECAUSE YASSSS THESE TWO GIRLSSSSS.

AND THEN OF COURSE THERE IS THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN MARK AND KATE. THEY SAY PEOPLE COME INTO YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU NEED THEM, THAT THEY'RE SENT TO YOU TO HELP SHAPE WHO YOU ARE AND WHO YOU BECOME, AND THAT IS SO BEAUTIFULLY TRUE WITH THESE TWO CRAZY KIDS.

ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE POETRY? (AND BY THAT I MEAN CAN I YELL AT YOU ABOUT IT? I MEAN I'M GOING TO ANYWAY :)) "THE BEAT". WHEN I READ IT, I LITERALLY GOT GOOSEBUMPS. I REREAD IT A WHOLE BUNCH OF TIMES IT WAS SO POWERFUL. AND ALSO THE BOOK ITSELF WAS SO POETIC. SO GOOD I CAN'T.


I JUST, I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS.

....

*clears throat* So yeah, I guess you could say I really really loved the book?

[Josu Diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hice una review bastante intensa y larga hace unos días, pero viendo que Goodreads decidió quedarse pillado en el peor momento (justo cuando le das a 'guardar', pero no lo guarda), os dejo con la reseña en vídeo que hice en mi canal de YouTube donde obviamente explico las cosas de manera más directa y espero que con un poco más de humor que por aquí: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJmd5...

[Larry H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm starting to think that David Levithan is my spirit animal. With every one of his books, he just gets me, you know?

Despite the fact that they sit next to each other in their high school calculus class, Mark and Katie have barely spoken to each other. So their official "meet cute" encounter is unlike any you've heard of—Kate is hiding in a gay bar at the start of San Francisco's Pride Festival, running away before she gets the chance to meet the girl she's been dreaming about for months, when she sees Mark dancing on the bar. In his underwear.

Mark, too, is having his share of issues, despite winning the underwear contest. He's only at the bar because his closeted, more-than-best-friend Ryan, wanted to take a risk and go to the Pride Festival this year, and Mark would do anything to be with Ryan. Even if Mark has never told Ryan how he really feels about him. And when Ryan meets another guy, Mark is unsure of what to do, and where he fits in.

That night is the catalyst for an intense friendship between Mark and Kate, two people who had always known of, but never truly knew, the other. Mark must confront his feelings for Ryan and make a decision about whether to let his friend follow his own path, regardless of where that leaves him, or fight for what he wants more than anything. And Kate, who is a year older, must confront her own friendships, her fears, her feelings of inadequacy, and her inability to let herself go—even if she would go toward what she has always wanted.

Can a person you've never really known get to know you so well in just a short period of time? What does embracing that relationship to its fullest mean for those with whom you have intense, lengthy history? Told in alternating chapters between Kate and Mark's perspectives, You Know Me Well is a book about knowing when to listen to your heart and when to trust your head, knowing whom you can count on and when, and the possibilities of, well, becoming who you truly are.

I absolutely loved this book. Obviously I can identify with Mark's character more than Kate's (in more ways than I'd care to divulge), but I found his struggles, his emotions, even his wrong moves more appealing. At first, Kate's inability to tell people how she felt and what she was thinking, which led to chaos with nearly everyone in her life, was a bit frustrating, until she explains why.

I have been a fan of Levithan's for years now, and truly devour each of his books (those he writes himself and those he writes with others) in one or two sittings. Nina LaCour's style meshes so well with David's; although I'd assume David wrote Mark's chapters and Nina wrote Kate's, I don't know that to be true, and either way it just worked beautifully. This is a book that made me smile, made me cry (of course), made me grateful for those in my life, and made me a little bitter (I'll admit) that my high school experience couldn't have been this way, but then again, those scars made me the person I am now.

NetGalley and St. Martin's Press provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....

[emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't really know how to rate this because right now it's 2:30AM and I'm feeling a lot of things, so I'm just going to keep it at 4 stars for now.

*EDIT* it's the next morning, at some point in the night when I was mostly asleep I switched to 5 stars, now I'm going back to 4 be officially saying 4.3..I think. A little more than 4 but not 5. Maybe 4.5? I hate star ratings. Anyway...

I don't think I can write a completely sufficient review of this book at this time, due to things I can't really talk about or express, but I'll try.

You Know Me Well was a really refreshing gay YA book. Mark and Kate came out long before this book started, and are totally secure and comfortable in their sexualities. This is not something that I, personally, have come across in the LGBT+ YA that I've read. When it comes to gay teens, their stories have always been coming out stories, about how hard that is and what being in the closet has done to them and their process of telling people or just hiding the gay away. Those can be important stories, but it's not all their stories can be. You Know Me Well provides this wonderful take on gay teens where they have, you know, normal teenage problems because they are normal teenagers. They have fights with friends, doubts about college and their futures, problems with their romantic interests (who just happen to be of the same gender). I just think the fact that this story exists, showing how there is an After once you come out and it can be good no matter what may have happened during the process of, is amazing and wonderful.

I think everything I mentioned in the previous paragraph heightens my opinion of this book. If this was about all straight kids, I don't know if I would have liked it as much. The relationship between Mark and Kate was really nice, and I could really, really see myself in Kate a lot of the time (especially in terms of how she reacted to certain situations and the way her thoughts spiraled downward a lot). But some of this book was a little unrealistic. I think it's perfectly believable that Mark and Kate could become friends so quickly, but some of the things they did together and experience in one night and they way that certain events come from that night is pretty unrealistic. The thing is, I don't know if that bothers me or not. I don't know if every single contemporary YA has to be 100% believable and practical all of the time. I think the events that occur in this story just add to this magical feeling I had while reading it, and I think that that's okay. But, again, if it were about straight kids I think it would bother me. There was also a bit of instalove which I'm usually not a fan of, but I'm cool with this brand of gay instalove.

There's something just kind of really special and glowing about this book to me, I think that might be something really personal and that everyone might not feel, but You Know Me Well is still definitely a very refreshing and positive take on the gay teen experience that I feel is lacking in the YA world. Also, David Levithan and Nina LaCour are just as fabulous and wonderful as usual.

[Carlos Peguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hay veces en las que lees un libro y sabes que no es ninguna maravilla. Lees un libro y sabes que si lo leyeras en cualquier otro momento te parecería otra cosa, te daría bastante igual y le sacarías miles de fallos. Este ha sido uno de esos libros.

Llevo mucho (pero mucho) tiempo atascado con la lectura. Incluso aunque me gustara lo que estaba leyendo, me costaba muchísimo pasar de página, y mucho más acabar un libro. Este libro ha sido como un soplo de aire fresco después de todo eso, y no sabéis lo bien que sienta.

Solo tú me conoces ha sido uno de los libros más dulces, ligeros y divertidos que he leído en muchísimo tiempo. Lo empecé por empezar, sin saber muy bien de qué iba y sin tener las expectativas muy altas. Y cuando me di cuenta, llevaba 100 páginas. Luego 200. Y luego lo había acabado a las pocas horas de empezarlo (que a ver, el libro no tiene ni 300 páginas, no es que sea un gran logro).

Sé que la forma que tiene de empezar la historia es un poco inverosímil, pero qué queréis que os diga: a mí me ha encantado. El concepto de “amistad a primera vista”, como reza su portada, me ha parecido algo súper cuqui y original, y bastante más creíble que el “amor a primera vista”.

Me he enamorado de los dos personajes principales. Me han parecido muy realistas, muy bien escritos. La relación entre ellos es tan pura, tan bonita. Me he sentido como una abuela orgullosa que ve cómo sus nietos se hacen mayores. Quizás es porque me identifico con ellos más de lo que me gustaría, pero qué le vamos a hacer.

Los temas que se tratan son simplemente maravillosos. El miedo al futuro, el miedo a salir de tu zona de confort, el miedo a vivir en general… Es que no sé, me ha encantado todo. Y para que yo diga estas cosas, tela, eh. Tela.

Y en fin, que no encuentro las palabras para hablar de un libro que me ha hecho sentir tan bien. Como ya he dicho antes, si me pongo le puedo sacar bastantes cosas malas. Pero mira, paso. Es un libro maravilloso y me da igual todo. Lo siento, no lo siento.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received from: St. Martin's Griffin
Received Via: NetGalley.com

THE REVIEW

Why this book?
This seemed like a book for me

What I thought



I loved this book!! Mark and Katie had a beautiful friendship in just a matter of days. They found eachother just when they needed one another. I felt so many emotions reading this book. I was happy, sad and even frustrated. Katie is the type of girl who runs away from anything good that happens to her, because she doesn’t think she deserves it. Mark is broken hearted because the boy he’s in love with likes someone else. This book only covers a matter of days, but believe it or not there is character growth. This book tugs at your heart and doesn’t let go until the last moment. It’s beautiful and complicated and I just devoured it! Overall an enjoyable read!

[James Francisco Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I'm ready to lose myself,
but I'm not ready to lose you.
I'm ready to find myself,
But I'm not ready for you to know what I find.”

[Acqua · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's nothing like happy queer books during Pride month. Especially when said books are set during Pride month themselves.

I loved how queer this was. Every single character but the parents is queer, and there's almost no homophobia. This isn't to say that there's no conflict - I love low-conflict queer romances too, but this isn't exactly one of them - it's just that the conflict is never driven by homophobia.
⇝ Kate has always idealized her best friend's cousin, Violet, but is afraid to get to know her. She also tends to "run away" when she's nervous, and she's trying to overcome this.
⇝ Mark has been in love with his best friend for years. This book avoids the tired "gay boy is in love with his straight friend" trope; Mark's best friend is a gay boy who just happens to not like him back romantically.

You Know Me Well is a story about queer romance as much as it is one about friendship and solidarity between queer people. It's the story of how Kate and Violet finally met, but it's also the story of Kate and Mark's friendship, of how it's normal to outgrow your friends and crushes, and it's also about overcoming your fears.

The main criticism I've seen is that this book is unrealistic, for two reasons. One of them seems to be that some people think this is too happy, and I don't agree (...why do people love queer tragedy so much. why.) I'm fine with all the supposedly unrealistic happy coincidences if you're writing about Pride month. Also, real life is unpredictable too, so why not?
The other reason is that the friendships and romances develop too quickly. This is true, because You Know Me Well is a very short book, but sometimes it's refreshing to read about relationships not cleanly progressing with established story beats. In a way, it feels more real, because it doesn't feel like it's following a scheme (...I often feel this way about romance plotlines). Also, relationships can develop quickly!

One thing I didn't fully believe in were the friendships that already existed at the beginning of the book. I felt like I was dropped in the middle of a story - I see the friendship falling apart, but I never saw them when they weren't, so I didn't feel as strongly about them as I wanted to.

I also didn't always love the writing. The scenes that were about parades and Pride were beautiful, and I understood the characters, but Kate's and Mark's PoV were very similar, which was confusing. I also wish that more identities apart from gay and lesbian had been represented - yes, the cast was mostly queer, but almost everyone was allocis and gay/lesbian.

[alittlelifeofmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just want to thank St. Martin's Press for sending me a finished copy of this book to read and review! I absolutely LOVED this book so I am SO happy to have a copy I can display!
It also gave me an excuse to pick this up right away when I might not have for a while.

It is not every day that a contemporary YA gets put into my favourites shelf. It is actually my least read genre and now all I can wonder is why? Why don't I read more YA contemporary? Why don't I read more LGBTQ+ fiction? Why have I yet to read more David Levithan before now since I loved Every Day so much? And lastly, why have I not picked up anything by Nina Lacour? I don't know the answer to any of these questions, but I am going to be remedying this very quickly!

This book follows Mark and Kate and the way their life changes during Pride Week. They meet one night and find they both have things in common and they help each other deal with the things they need to deal with.
I thought this book was going to be a love story/romance story. It started out to be that way. But this is not a love story. This is about coming to terms with the person you are, with the things you cannot change, with the feelings you have, or don't have, and it's about learning to be the person that you are. This is also not a story about being gay. It's not a story about coming out, or accepting your sexuality, or being uncomfortable in your skin. This is just a story about 2 LGBTQ+ characters who are dealing with the real world. And it's amazing. The messages in this story were amazing. I have never related to a book so much in my life. Both Kate and Mark are dealing with things that I am dealing with in my life right now and it was like I was getting a speech from my friend helping me through things.

I just loved this story. The characters were so well written. The writing was so poetic. I just loved this and I can't wait to come back to this story one day in the future because my heart is full of happiness (and a little bit of sadness at one thing but I'll move on).

Just a little end note: I read this book 3 days ago and I have finished 2 novels since then and I am still thinking about this book because I loved it so much. I absolutely recommend reading this as soon as possible. ESPECIALLY since it's pride month and a perfect time and excuse to get to this sooner rather than later.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fantastic read and utterly adorable!
I think what I loved most was the fact that we were almost dropped into the middle of a story already in the process of unfolding. The majority of the characters, having already come out, were happy and secure in their sexualities and relationships were already established, all of which were different but with an equally honest, real feel to them. I loved that although this had a focus around romance, as a reader we got to watch a strong friendship grow as well, which I've not come across a lot in YA. The pride elements were so much fun to read, I especially loved the description of the parades and San Fransisco. I loved that both Kate and Mark were going through different things but were exactly what each other needed to help them get through. They had their separate lives and drama going on but they where always there for each other quietly yet unwaveringly.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the writing style. It was incredibly comfortable to read and flowed between the different perspectives brilliantly. I found myself happily flying through it!
With friendships, romance, big life decision and a diverse cast of characters, including multiple f/f and m/m romances, gay and lesbian pov's and a genderqueer minor character, this was a refreshing and lovely read.

[Lotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars maybe? I didn't really enjoy this book, but the ending definitely pushed my rating up by half a star. I don't know. I'll think about it for a little bit longer...

[˗ˏˋ lia ˎˊ˗ · Rating 2 out of 5]

“you’re becoming. you’re in the process of becoming. you just don’t know what yet.”

sad to say that i really expected more from this, considering i love both authors, but that left me all the more disappointed in the end. i never really connected to a single character in this book, never felt compelled to read more about them or find out, you know, anything. the only thing that kept me reading was the length, since this is a quite short book. and that is where it went wrong first and foremost. character and plot development alike could have benefited SO! MUCH! if this book was maybe 50 pages longer. this way, it all felt too crammed.

i loved every single aspect about pride and how it played such an essential role in the book, though. also, a large portion of the characters were queer which is just mwah, chef’s kiss. the depiction of queer culture was amazing, but those points were sadly the only things i actually enjoyed. it felt too unrealistic, too unauthentic at times as if it was trying too hard to be something it just wasn’t.

→ 2.5 stars

[Charlotte May · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The heart is a treacherous beast, but it means well.”

This was cute.

2 teens who have sat next to each other in class but never spoken bump into each other during pride week in San Francisco.

They become fast friends and over the course of the week help each other through all sorts of crisis. From first heartbreak, to friends growing apart, crushes and university applications.

A quick read covering some tough topics but with an overall sweet message.

[Nicay · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 68%

You know me well is the title of the book and…

It didn’t end well for me.

I am really sorry. I really tried to finish and liked this one, but I must end this because I know I will be disappointed. It’s the reason of it’s not you, it’s me.

The story was focused on the LGBT concept and I am a supporter of this cause, but the story was really tedious. I can’t connect to the characters, which I murmur to myself, was it my fault?

It’s only based on my opinion; if you want this one, just give it a try. This review was not a hindrance to avoid reading the book. If it didn’t end well for me, maybe you will like it.

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[Romie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I ended up in tears.
This book was - is - a piece of art.
It’s absolutely beautiful, sometimes heartbreaking - I cried when I wasn’t expecting to do so. And that’s the magic of this book: it touches you on some deeper level. It’s about our beautiful queer generation, and it shows that life can be pretty awesome if you give it a chance.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And we step off the curb, all of us together, as if to say, Here we come- through hard days and good ones, through despair and through exhilaration, in love and out of love, for just now or for forever. Here we come. It's out parade."

As made clear by the four star rating, I love this. It's exactly what I expected, maybe even better. Usually Levithan novels deal with deep and even dark topics without lowering the general mood of the novel. this one did that very well. I'm definitely going to look into Nina LaCour's books as well, because while her style and his weaved together seamlessly, plot-wise you could see both of their influences.

A lot of people were put off by the "insta-friends" situation. In the beginning, I as on board with the critics. Finding someone you know at Pride and then becoming instant besties sounds a bit unrealistic. But thinking through the ways I've met some of my closest friends, I realize that is how some of us form bonds. Especially in a situation like Pride week. Finding someone you can confide in, party with at night, has no chance of ruining the friendship by falling in love with you, and lives close by? I would latch on too. But I do see how some people were bothered by it. I just personally found it a believable miracle.

Even though this novel had a bunch of romances, they shared the same amount of spotlight time as the friendships, which I thought was huge. I loved the way Lehna and Kate's friendship was portrayed; because people grow apart, and while they can grow back together, sometimes they don't. Ryan and Mark's issues were so realistic it hurt. I've watched so many people fall in love with a best friend who will never feel the same way, and while yes, we've seen it a million times, I liked how it wasn't the typical "straight friend will never be gay for me problem."

I loved Kate and Violet as a couple. It was both hilarious, and just adorable to watch these two try to transition from pen pals to girlfriends. But I will not deny it, Mark and Kate's friendship was a really big part of this book, and so due to that, I loved it with just as much, if not maybe a bit more, than the romances. As was said in this book, but I can't find the exact quote so bare with me, friendship is harder than romance. There's no sex or kissing, just two people who love each other in a way not fueled by hormones.

Usually poetry in novels annoys me. Half of the time it's just poorly written since the author themselves isn't a poet, and the other half of the time it just doesn't impress me. This book gained a star from it's poetry slam. The depth it provided to Ryan's character was surreal, because until then, he had really just been "that guy Mark is in love with." The poetry reading provided him with characterization that wasn't manipulated through someone else's memory.

The other aspect of the poetry reading that jolted me was Quinn's poem and the characterization it provided an otherwise cliche, and stereotypical side character. I actually struggled to not cry during that scene, because like the characters, I had jumped to conclusions and judged without knowing anything about him. I really hope that like with Tiny Cooper from Will Grayson, Will Grayson, he gets a solo novel. I don't know; I just really hope I get to learn more about his character.

If you love feel good novels with depth, and lots of adorable characters, this is absolutely for you. Especially if you've read and enjoyed something by the authors before. This book was just good. :)

[Stacee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Nina's words and will greedily look for all of her books. I requested this book on her name alone, I didn't even read the synopsis first.

I loved Katie and Mark. I loved how they struggled with their similar-but-different situations. I love how they relied on each other to help. And I more than loved the dual POV.

Nina's words {and David's too} are filled with such longing. I felt everything that these characters did. From the rush of a first kiss to the excitement of a pride parade to the uncertainty of the future -- I was right there with them and I loved every single page of it.

This will be something I read again and collect all of the copies. If you're not reading Nina's words, you're missing out.

**Huge thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may be biased because... well, David Levithan. But it was such a heartwarming read. I identified with Marc on such a weird level. I'm not a guy and I'm not gay, but love and friendship doesn't know no boundary. And as always, David Levithan knows what to say to make you feel better about a heartbreak. And as always, David Levithan knows how to make you feel better about yourself. And Nina Lacour was a good surprise as well, though I had a few problems with Katie. But towards the end, I really connected with her and loved her for making the right decisions for herself. And I like that Nina Lacour dealt with issues such as not knowing what to do right after high school and how long friendships can come to an end.

This book has powerful messages about teen love, about friendship, about life that goes on and life that has to be figured out.

[el · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Each minute is bringing me closer to a future I’m not ready for.” (Have I ever read anything more relatable, you ask? Possibly.) 🌈

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