Chloe Gong:

Chloe Gong is one of my all time favorite authors (and was my gay awakening, but anyway). Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, she has already built an accomplished career in the few years since her career started. Beginning in November of 2020, in less than 2 years she has released 3 books and been included in 3 anthologies at only 23. She will be making her adult debut in July 2023. By 2025, she will have released 7 books, been included in 5 anthologies, and 2 novellas (linking her two young adult series together). Her first and second books were written while she was attending University of Pennsylvania to get a double major in English and International Relations.   

 Her first book, These Violent Delights, was released November 17, 2020, and was immediately a hit, skyrocketing her to a #1 New York Times bestselling author. Set in 1926 Shanghai, These Violent Delights is a much needed modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. While I have not read the play in full, I will say that Gong’s fantastical retelling of the story makes the original (at least the parts that I’ve read) seem obsolete. The novel follows Juliette Cai, the heir of the Scarlet Gang, and her reluctant partnership with the heir of the White Flowers (the only gang who can compete with the Scarlets), Roma Montagov. The two were the other’s first love, and betrayed one another, the baggage making their partnership difficult. However, the two have no choice but to work together to save their gang members. Gangsters all around Shanghai start dying after having ripped their own throats out from a deadly contagion (inspired by 2020’s very own pandemic). Told in a duology (sequel: Our Violent Ends)

  Her other released book, also set in Shanghai but in 1931, Foul Lady Fortune (which I have not read) is about an assassin, Rosalind Lang, who cannot die or age (or sleep but sleep is overrated anyway). She is tasked with infiltrating the Japanese Imperial Army and Japanese Society to help save her country, especially with a series of murders likely committed by the Japanese. In her infiltration, she must pose as the wife of another spy. Orion Hong infuriates Rosalind, but she will work with him to do her job. As they continue their plight, the two uncover more dark secrets and uncover more layers than they ever could have expected.

Sabaa Tahir:

Sabaa Tahir is a Pakistani-American author who has written 5 books, 2 graphic novels, and been included in 2 anthologies. She started her career in 2015 and has earned several awards for her work, including becoming a #1 New York Times bestselling author. She started her career before that as a newspaper editor and wrote her first book while doing that.

An Ember in the Ashes, her first novel, is a young adult novel. Inspired by ancient Rome, the Martial Empire forces those living under them into submission. Laia and her family live in the backstreets of the Empire, staying out of the way and not challenging the Empire out of fear for their lives. Out of nowhere, her older brother is arrested for treason. In response, Laia turns to the rebellion that her parents had been a part of, and makes a deal. She would spy for the rebellion in return for their help in freeing her brother. She poses as a slave at the Empire’s military academy, where she meets Elias, the top student at the academy. However, despite his high standing, he wants nothing more than to be free from the Empire. Together, the two begin a journey that will change the Empire as a whole. 4 out of 5 of her books are part of this series, and both graphic novels serve as prequels (one about Elias and the other about Laia). Her last novel, All My Rage, is a contemporary YA novel that is clearly inspired by Tahir’s own life. 

I specifically mean authors who are not insanely popular, though I might talk about my opinions on them in another post.

N.K. Jemisin

N.K. Jemisin is the author of 14 novels, a comic book series, and an anthology of short stories called How Long ‘Til Black Future Month. While I have only completed one of her books and am part way through another one of her books, I still highly recommend her books. She utilizes mostly adult fantasy novels as (not subtle) political and social commentary. 

Her book The City We Became is my favorite book. Called a “love letter to New York City,” this book (and its sequel The World We Make) is about the real people of New York City. Throughout history, major cities form avatars, a person who embodies the city as a whole, serving as the soul of the city. Depending on the size of the city, a number of supporting “avatars” embody different parts of the city. New York City is broken into the 6 boroughs, all there to support the main avatar, who has fallen into a magical coma. The point of the book is to paint a true picture about who makes up New York City, not the whitewashed media portrayal so often seen by the public. 

I highly recommend her novels, and I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future.

Roshani Chokshi:

Roshani Chokshi is an incredibly well-rounded author. She is the author of 5 short stories, 5 middle grade novels (the Pandava series), 7 young adult novels (The Gilded Wolves (trilogy), The Star-Touched Queen (duology), and two standalone novels), and will be making her adult debut in February of next year with The Last Tale of the Flower Bride. Roshani Chokshi is an Indian and Filipino author who uses her culture to craft beautiful novels. She is honestly the sweetest person I’ve ever had the pleasure of talking to. She is someone that I aspire to be, and she is someone that I think everyone should support. 

The Gilded Wolves trilogy was what introduced me to her novels. I just picked it out because I needed an audiobook to listen to while I was cutting the grass. It ended up sucking me in and I could not stop listening. The book is about a group of kids who commit heists. And no, it is not a copy of Six of Crows. The only real similarity is that there are 6 people committing heists, which is not a revolutionary concept. The heists and plots are completely different (and The Gilded Wolves is much more thought out and centers around the heists. There are not the same amount of plot holes, and they make you actually think and try to figure it out). That being said, if you liked Six of Crows, you will like this series, unless you like the heist to be laid out for you and to not have to do any thinking about it.

The Pandava series (published under Rick Riordan) are about Aru Shah, and her experience with real life Hindu mythology. To read a story about a culture that I am not familiar with, but still be enthralled and understand what is happening in the story, was incredibly enjoyable. I got the series for my brother as a Christmas gift (well, technically my parents did, but I am the one who actually got it), but ended up stealing the series and reading them when he was done because he loved them so much.

Renée Ahdieh

Renée Ahdieh is a Korean-American author who writes beautiful novels that will keep you captivated from start to finish. Her novels mostly target the older part of the Young Adult audience. Author of 7 novels and 3 novellas, it is truly hard to pick a favorite among her books, unlike so many other authors who have a standout book. With many authors, it feels as though I am reading the same story with different characters, but with her novels, it is the exact opposite. While I have not read all of her books, the ones that I have read are so different from each other and stunning in their own unique way.

The Wrath & The Dawn was the first book (and series) that I read from her. My best friend (shoutout to Maya who has the best book taste and who I miss more than my family) had just read her newer book (see: The Beautiful) and loved it, so I bought both The Wrath & the Dawn and its sequel The Rose & the Dagger on a whim, but ended up loving so much that I have reread it 6 times because I cannot stop thinking about it. A fantastical story about Scheherazade (Shahrzad in this story) from Arabian Nights, The Wrath & The Dawn is a story about how women are badass, men suck (except like 2), and that things are not always as they appear to be. Every night, a woman is chosen from the kingdom to marry the Caliph, and by sunrise every morning, she is killed. However, this night is different. For the first time ever, a woman has volunteered to be the new bride. Shahrzad has come to the palace, not to tell the Caliph stories, but to kill him.

The Beautiful is a story about vampires in 1872 New Orleans. Celine Rousseau has fled her life in Paris to the Ursuline convent. While falling in love with the city, she becomes entangled with La Cour des Lions (in english, the court of the lions), the underworld of the city. However, it soon becomes apparent that there is a serial killer running around the city, and Celine comes to suspect the group’s leader, Sébastien Saint Germain (the only man I will ever love but that’s a whole other conflict outside of the story (in other words, my sexuality)), may be the one behind it all and she may be next. Battling her growing attraction to the mysterious man (while still hating him because this is an enemies to lovers story that is not toxic), she begins to dig deeper, and learns that not all is as it seems.

Others who I will talk about another time:
Chloe Gong
Sabaa Tahir
Tracy Deonn

Popular authors I think actually deserve the hype (maybe I’ll do a post on this, I don’t really know):
Leigh Bardugo
Holly Black
Cassandra Clare (please don’t judge her off of some of the choices made in The Mortal Instruments, if you know you know)
Alice Oseman
Casey McQuiston

Soulmates (or other destined love tropes)

• This one is such a problem for its use to excuse toxic and even abusive actions, simply because two people are destined to be together. The other problem is that the concept originates in heteronormativity of its own. Because this only happens in fantasy tropes, authors try to explain why the phenomenon occurs, and the only reason I have ever seen is to create perfect children, or some derivative of that. This is also a lazy plot device. Instead of being able to show that two people should be together by showing their emotional compatibility and healthy relationship, authors put the main character with their mate (and it’s always the ‘morally grey’ character, who is really just toxic and abusive). Not only that, but problematic behviour, such as intense jealousy, possessiveness, controlling behviour, and others, are all excused as “instincts” rather than being called out for the problems that they are.

Love Triangle

• I have an intense burning hatred for love triangles, to the point that it’s a real problem. For some reason, writers of all kinds (not just authors) seem to think that it’s a good plot point to include in the story, despite the several problematic aspects of it, namely that it promotes an insensitivity to others emotions. Essentially, the main character is a jerk who is treating their potential love-interests as tools for their own selfish wants without caring about what they’re doing to them. Not only that, but reasons for including it in the story tends to be lazy writing. Instead of writing a couple who has depth and can hold the audience’s attention, the writer relies on the drama of including another person to cause problems in the relationship. The most problematic part of the “love triangle” is its intense roots in heteronormativity. The idea that the main character has to pick one because they cannot have both is extremely anti-polyamorous. The promotion of the idea that one person cannot love more than one person in a real way just ignores that it is very much possible for many people.
• That being said, there are good ways to write love triangles, the same way that every bad thing can have a few good aspects. Cassandra Clare (my personal legend and icon who I got to hear give a talk for my 17th birthday and I am still not over it), writes really good love triangles. Her two love-triangles both promote an idea that they love everyone involved but are fighting against social norms and structures to be able to do so. Another good example is in Jay’s Gay Agenda because it takes a negative view on love-traingles and shows their insensitivity to those involved.

Homophobic Bully is Queer

• I feel like this should be self explanatory as to why it is a problem, but it apparently is not because it is still used and promoted. Yes, there are people who struggle with internalized homophobia and it presents itself as bullying kids who are openly queer, I get that. However, it is not common now. While internalized homophobia is still something the people struggle with or have struggled with (guilty as charged), it does not happen the way it is portrayed in the media. There are cases where that happens, sure, but it is not something that happens a lot. Yes there are queer bullies, just like there are straight bullies (trust me, I am very aware of that), but the emphasis here is on the fact that the bully is homophobic. In media like Sex Education (which is not a book, yes, but is the best example of this), we see a person who is incredibly homophobic who then is suddenly making out with a dude.
• You might be wondering why it is such a problem. It’s a worse version of a boy pulling a girl’s pigtails “because he likes her.” It doesn’t make it okay, and people are so inclined to look past the problem because the bully came to terms with their sexuality, regardless of the impact that their actions had on others. It also ignores the fact that most homophobic people are not queer. They are people with deep rooted hatred for queer people and who are not going to be accepting of us because they are actually queer themselves. The people who called my friends and I slurs and threatened us are not doing so because they secretly want to be with us, they’re doing it because they want to have power over us, and focusing on the few outliers ignores the real problem.

Stories 8-10

This is an anthology made with the intention of update in romance tropes and making them gay

(Fairy)like Attracts Like – Clair Kann

• trope: mutual pining

• Nia and Glory met at orientation and Nia felt a pull towards the other girl ever since. She just can’t get her out of her head. While they’re working at a children’s summer camp rin by “fairies” the two grow closer quickly, and form a mutual enjoyment of each other’s company. On top of that, they start a little bet. The loser has to do something for the winner. The twist? Nia has to deal with her “curse,” as she likes to call it. Her inability to lie and her compulsion to answer any question asked of her, which is not making it any easier to hide her little crush on Glory. Especially when said crush seems to know everything about her, especially the secret she has tried so hard to hide from everyone.
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • The plus-sized representation that was introduced naturally and casually was even better. The subtle touches on fatphobia in everyday interactions and how that affects everyone. Despite not being at all a central part of the story, the brief inclusion made me very happy. This story was a cute one. The added fairly like ambience of the setting just added to the story and made it even better. The way the story unfolded was really cute. I am a sucker for a bet between mutual pining love interests.

These Strings – Lilliam Rivera

• trope: Sibling’s hot best friend

• All Lili wants is for her family to see her. Really see her. To understand that she wants to be a part of the family’s puppet business as more than just a ticketmaster, but to be involved in the shows and performances that they put on. Instead, her family is focused on her older brother because he is a boy. And that’s how it has always been. Men run the business and do the performance. And then there’s Oscar. Oscar sees her and understands her interest and her frustration. He supports her, and values her opinion in his own performances. And he’s best friends with her brother. So, naturally, she had to get a crush on him. Lovely.
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
  • The thing with this story is that the two of them don’t actually have much in the way of chemistry. The extent of Lili’s feelings for Oscar comes from the fact that he listens to her. Which is kind of just the bare minimum in terms of relationship. It’s kind of ridiculous. I think that story could have been better if we got more interaction between the two of them. It was an alright romance, but it was really quick and had no actual substance or plot due to how short it was. I think the author just needs more practice in writing short stories and this would improve a lot. 

The Passover Date – Laura Silverman

• trope: Fake Dating

• Every year, every Seder, Rachel does not have a date, and all her cousins do. Well, not today, not this year. This year, Rachel will have a date just like everyone else. Even if it means that she has to fake it and lie to her entire family. She’s just done with the jokes and the condescension that her family has for her continued singleness. Of course, there’s the issue of trying to find a fake date who is willing to do this with her. Enter Matthew Pearlman. The two used to be close, but then puberty hit and Matthew got new friends and grew apart. Still, he’s her best chance for getting a fake date for the next night. So, here goes.
•  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • This was a really cute short story. There’s some strange logic that Rachel follows to decide that Matthew is her best choice, but my guess is that it was included because she actually likes him (despite claiming otherwise). The thing that confuses me is the relationship between Rachel and her sister, Audrey. Despite it being implied that the two are fairly close, they apparently don’t talk about anything. There were also some strange descriptions that Rachel uses to describe herself and it definitely comes across like the “i’m not like other girls” which is rooted in misogyny. It was clear that the author was trying to imply the opposite, that she’s confident in herself, but it is simply how the world works, but there was definitely a touch of that “I’m not like other girls.”

I liked all three of these stories well enough, but the inclusion of These Strings and The Passover Date did confuse me. Despite the anthology being about putting a twist on classic romance tropes, they were the same as every other story of that trope I have ever seen. I did like them, and I suggest them still, but it was an interesting choice to include them and to put them back to back.

Stories 5-7

Look at me, back with part 2 of Fools in Love.
I personally love the queer twist on classic tropes and suggest reading it for that reason alone, getting a revamp on old and outdated stories.

What Makes Us Heroes – Julian Winters

• trope: Hero vs. Villain

• Shai sits in his favourite coffee shop as he waits for Logan to walk in. Logan. His ex-boyfriend. His mom wants them to try to get back together, because the connection with a “level 1” white hero family will help them get their name out there. He’s still waiting when Kyan walks in and stands above him. Shai is supposed to hate him. They’re rivals after all. But when Kyan helps him out without even being asked, maybe things change.
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
  • This story was really good and I really enjoyed it. The premise of racial inequality affecting relationships and jobs was wonderful and so important. My only complaint is that the “hero vs. villain” trope was not really that present, which was a little disappointing if I am being honest. But I would seriously recommend reading this one.

And – Hannah Moskowitz

• • *pre-reading note*: if this doesn’t end up being a polyamourous relationship, I’m suing for emotional damages.
  • *post-reading note*: YES! THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A GOOD LOVE TRIANGLE

• • trope: Love-Triangle

• • You’ve been dating Billy for 3 years now. And you love him. But you meet Enzo and something draws you together. You know you love Billy, and if you had to choose of course Billy, your boyfriend since the start of high school. But why do you have to choose? What if you don’t want to? What happens then?

• • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• • This was the best use of 10 pages ever. Love triangles are an incredibly hurtful experience for the two love-interest, which is often brushed off and looked over by authors. If you’ve ever heard me talk about love-triangles, you know that I think they are extremely problematic. Mostly because they are rooted in anti-polyamorous and heteronormative ideaology: the idea of cheating and choosing one in the end, instead of healthy communication and choosing to forgo heteronormative notions. If your character loves two other characters, then they love them both and, as long as there’s communication between everyone involved, then there’s nothing wrong with having them not choose. And this story just proves how love-triangles should be handled and how society messes it up. Also, it’s written in 2nd person which is so cool.

My Best Friend’s Girl – Sara Farizan 

• trope: Best Friend’s Girlfriend

• Alia’s best friend Hal is special. And not in a normal human way. In a superhuman way. Because he has decided that he needs to save the city at any sign of trouble, Alia is forced to cover hime, something that involves lying to his girlfriend, Claire, who Alia also happens to be in love with. With his life, everything else in Hal’s life is taking a backseat, including his relationship, pushing Alia and Claire closer together.
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
  • This was a story that did the best it could with the trope it has. This trope is destined for failure in my opinion, and so a 3.5 star review is the best it was gonna get. Morally, this was the only way it could have gotten, but this trope completely ignores the hurt that dating a friend’s ex can cause, even with a similar dynamic to Hal and Alia. It’s a problematic trope that needs to stop being used (especially in queer stories, but that’s a completely different conversation.) But Alia and Claire are adorable so if this trope does not piss you off, I think you will like it a lot more than me.

Stories 1-4

This is an anthology made with the intention of update in romance tropes and making them gay

Silver and Gold – Natasha Ngan 

• trope: snowed in together
• Mila is competing in the biggest dog sled race of the year. Through treacherous hills and jagged rocks for 9 long days. As she is nearing the end, the weather turns bad and she gets caught in it and ends up snowed in with her. Ru. The two are stuck together and forced to confront what happened in last year’s race.
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • While I enjoyed the idea and would love a full story, I feel like this being only 17 pages did it a major disservice. I would have loved more back story on everything, the race and Mila especially because we learned way more about Ru then we did Mila. But overall, its a solid read and I enjoyed it.

Five Stars – Amy Spalding 

• trope: mistaken identity

• Krista Parker is leaving school after staying behind in an attempt to make friends at her new school, when her car gets carjacked. Or at least she thinks so. Turns out someone mistook her for their “rydr” (aka uber) driver. And that someone happens to be none other than Audrey Kim. Her crush. So naturally, she’s too shocked to say anything and pretends to be her driver instead. As the drive goes on, the two bond as Krista frets over how to tell Audrey the truth.
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • I think this is a really cute rom-com. However, mistaken identity/lying is one of my least favourite tropes. It’s incredibly stressful and problematic, and causes me a lot of anxiety to read about. It’s incredibly unrealistic and problematic how they can just do this and have zero consequences. Other than that, cute romance.

Unfortunately, Blobs Do Not Eat Snacks – Rebecca Kim Wells

• trope: Kissing Under the Influence

• Everything seems to be going wrong. Tess knew there had to be a train to Leeside because she had checked. A lot. And yet, here she was, no train to Leeside and trapped working on an exam, her last exam, with Diana Winters, the last person she wants to be with right now. This exam is her last step before she graduates from her magic school, yet here she is, trapped with the more insufferable and irrational girl in school.
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
  • My biggest (and only real) complaint is that the trope is “kissing under the influence” when it really should be “confessing under the influence.” Not only does this just annoy me because it is labeled wrong, but also the trope of kissing under the influence has a large potential to be problematic and is morally grey (depending entirely on the situation), whereas there is nothing wrong with confessing under the influence. I honestly loved the world building in this, even with what was achieved in a few short pages. If we could get a full novel, or even a series, building up to this moment and then continuing the story, I would be very happy.

Edges – Ashley Herring Blake

• trope: the grumpy one and the soft one

• Mac eats lunch by herself, everyday since her sister left to attend a performing arts highschool in California. She believes that all her friends that she had were simply Imogen’s and they were only tolerating her to hangout with her sister, so she put them out of their misery and left them alone because that’s what they want (according to her). Her only real interactions are with popular girl Clover Hillock, who she teaches art to after school. Maybe there’s something else happening behind those closed doors. While to most, this angsty recluse and upbeat popular a worlds apart, maybe opposites really do attract.
• ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
  • I absolutely loved this story. The two girls were so incredibly cute together, and I loved the angst that was sprinkled in. However, I would not personally count this as “the grumpy one and the soft one.” Yes, these two are definitely opposites, but I would not consider Mac grumpy or Clover as soft. They’re more like a pessimist-optimist relationship, or an energetic – tired dynamic. That is not really a negative that should be taken from the story, but if you’re like me and expecting a far more drastic difference between the grumpy and soft characters, then this is not going to fit that specific vibe. It’s more of a personal preference because I, apparently, have a “flair for the dramatic.”

Jason June

(3 stars)

Normally, the way I would write a review would be more like my previous posts. However, in the spirits of the book, this one will be a little different. If you want to understand why, you’ll have to read the book.

Why you should read this book

• Star 1: The side characters.
  • These characters are definitely the reason that I kept reading the book. They’re each so different and show the diversity of what the queer community looks like.
• Star 2: The terrible jokes.
  • Seriously, they are so bad, but I laughed more than I should have. But it definitely added something to the humor of the book
• Star 3: The (mostly) stress-free romance.
  • Despite what it might seem like later in the review, I do like the romance between Jay and Albert (and the one between Max and Reese even more because they’re incredible). If you like the pace of Heartstopper, you will definitely like this. Nothing ever goes wrong for very long. It gets resolved within 2 chapters.
• Star .5: The cover and title.
  • Listen, I know you don’t judge a book by its cover, but who doesn’t want to be seen reading a book called Jay’s Gay Agenda. It’s a really good vibe, trust me.

The problems with the book

• Is this a good book? Yes. Did I get quite annoyed with some of the things that Jay did and excused? Also Yes.
• Everyone forgives Jay really quickly.
  • The climax occurs really quickly before the resolution. It feels like the author didn’t want to dwell on the negative aspects of a relationship.
  • Normally, this would not bother me, except it feels like it steps on the message of the book – if you want a message about how actions can hurt others, then you should show them as hurt for longer than a chapter or two, when it is not a misunderstanding.
• Albert deserved better.
  • The way that Jay just does things without any real considerations for Albert’s feelings and not even telling him the truth about what was going on. 
  • It should take more than just a simple apology for him to be forgiven. He deserved a very dramatic apology in public, followed by a very genuine apology in private. Jay treated Albert terribly, but gave a very superficial apology in public and almost no private apology.

Important messages and lessons from the book

• Life is not a rom-com and will not always end in your favor.
  • We see Jay do all the dumb things that a lot of rom-com characters do and it backfires on him.
  • Love triangles are really terrible thing to do to the people involved (even the one that “wins”)
• Just because you can justify your actions and you don’t do anything wrong, doesn’t mean that it won’t hurt others or that they have to be okay with it. 
  • We see Albert and Jay both agree what happened might not be “wrong,” but Albert was still hurt by what happened.
• Doing things because you feel like you are supposed to will only end up hurting you and others.
  • Jay feels like he is supposed to lose his virginity, and to check of the items on his “Gay Agenda” leading him to come across as though he is using people. It also lead to him becoming desperate to do something with a man and getting hurt because of it

Scenes that we deserved to see

• An angstier apology scene that matches the vibe of everything that was done.
  • Seriously, the apology scene was somewhat lame.
• Or, if we’re set on a brighter apology, then make it something like Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You
• More Max and Reese scenes
  • or even a whole book because those two are way better than Jay and Albert – maybe I’m just a bigger fan of second chance than love at first sight.
• A little more focused on Jay and Albert after the fight
  • definitely an angst fan

Why Reese is actually the best character

• He’s not gonna take anyone’s shit
• He’s unapologetically himself and doesn’t care what anyone thinks about him.
• Realist: he doesn’t view love as this universal bandage that can fix anything and everything, and that a relationship requires more than just love to work out.

Favorite quotes

• “Turned out, I didn’t need a Gay Agenda, I just needed a Jay Agenda. Being gay was a part of me, and I deserved to experience and enjoy all those firsts. But being gay wasn’t the only part of me that mattered.” (348)
• “That day, kissing in the rain, was I ready to cross first love off my agenda? Not quite. But I didn’t think it would take too long.” (350)
• “That’s why we’re so good together,’ Max said. ‘We’re both drama queens.” (317)
• I had to leave him. I knew if we stayed together, I wouldn’t focus . My whole world was him, so much that I missed three auditions and my agent threatened to drop me. I couldn’t find the balance. I had to leave but I didn’t…” (293)
• “You make an ass of Jay and me,’ Max said, then frowned. ‘Wait. That’s not right, is it?’  ‘No actually it is,’ Reeses said. ‘You and Jay are total asses.” (316)

Six of Crows is a high fantasy novel set in the fictional city of Ketterdam. Focused on the not so bright parts of the city, this novel follows six teenagers, each with their own dark past. Together, they have to do the impossible: break into the unbreakable prison in a country that wants most of them dead. 

~~~~

Kaz Brekker, dirty hands, the Bastard of the Barrel, is a thief and the honorary leader of The Dregs, a gang in Ketterdam. With black gloves covering his hands and a past he won’t speak a word of, Kaz remains a mystery, even to those closest to him.

Inej Ghafa, the Wraith. One of the most skilled acrobats in the world, there is nothing that she cannot climb, all without making a sound. Inej is paying of her indenture that Kaz has for her after removing her from the Menagerie, a hellish place meant to utilize children stolen from other lands and forced to work for their almost unachievable release. Her trauma from this runs deep and she struggles with her religion being at odds with the actions she must take to survive.

Jesper Fahey is a sharpshooter with a dangerous addiction. There is not a shot that he cannot make, trick shot or otherwise. Jesper came to Ketterman to attend university, being a brilliant student, but his own impulsivity and inability to walk away from a bet lead to him becoming part of the Dregs.

Nina Zenik, the Grisha. Grisha are people born with special abilities, some with the ability to control the elements, some with the ability to control materials, and some with the ability to control parts of the body. She is a heartrender, a Grisha with the ability to manipulate the heart and blood flow. Running from her own past that brought her to Ketterdam, this heist forces her to face that past head on.

Matthias Helvar, the Prisoner. Drüskelle are witch hunters from the country of Fjerda. They hunt down Grisha, believing them to be abnormalities that do not deserve to live (not at all ethically wrong, clearly). Matthias has spent the last year in a Ketterdam prison after being forced there by a betrayal he never saw coming. Now, he is being broken out in return for betraying his country that he believes to be perfect.

Wylan, who has a last name that I am not disclosing because I don’t want to. His past remains a secret from all those around him (except not as much as he thinks because Kaz is not someone who respects others privacy when it could put his “not his family” gang at risk). Eventually, his past comes back to bite him and he is forced to face it to save his newly formed family.

~~~~

Built off the back of Bardugo’s previous trilogy, the Shadow and Bone trilogy, Six of Crows immerses the reader in a world of high stakes heists, life-threatening exchanges, and general bad-assery, all from the safety of their pile of blankets they’re cocooned in on their bed.

I have a serious obsession with this book. I own four copies of the first book, and three of the second one. (I honestly wish I could say that this was the most copies I have of a single book, but it isn’t). I also pulled an all-nighter to watch the Netflix show when it first came out (3 am is a great time to have a show come out, Netflix) and screamed/cried so hard I fell of the sofa and hit my head on the table. So, if you too want to become obsessed with 6 fictional teenagers, you should read this book.

The Darkness Between Us

by Eliot Schrefer

YA Romance/Sci-Fi

The Darkness Between Us follows two boys who are trapped in space. Alone. 

In the year 2472, Ambrose and Kodiak, each a representative of the last two remaining countries on Earth, are sent on a joint rescue mission to Titan.

When Ambrose wakes up in the Coordinated Endeavor with no memory of launch, something is already off about the mission. As the mission continues, more suspicious things start happening. 

The two boys start getting closer to each other and to the truth.

~

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I could not put it down and read it within one day. Schrefer created such a unique story with twists and turns I could not see coming, all while weaving a beautiful romance between the two men. If you are ever looking for a roller coaster read, this is the book for you. Creating a book with only 2 characters is not easy to do, but Schrefer does it wonderfully. This book touches on far more than just romance, but also human impact, industrialization, and scientific ethics.

“Intimacy is the only shield against insanity. Intimacy, not knowledge. Intimacy, not power.”

~~~~~

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

by Malinda Lo

YA Historical Romance

Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a historical romance set in 1954 Chinatown. Lily Hu begins questioning her sexuality, struggling against the time’s view on lesbians. Then she meets Kathleen Miller and is introduced to The Telegraph Club, a lesbian bar nearby. 

As time goes on, the two girls grow closer, forming a beautiful relationship that they are forced to keep hidden from everyone around. They begin frequenting the bar and meeting other queer people from the area.

~

This book is such an important read, shining a light on the dark parts of America’s past, while giving an important message of hope. Setting a queer romance in a historical period serves as a reminder that we were always here and always will be. 

“The word felt dangerous, and also powerful, as if uttering it would summon someone or something”

~~~~

Milo and Marcos at the End of the World

By Kevin Christopher Snipes 

YA Romance (slight magical realism)

I just did a post about this book so I will do my best to keep it brief. If you want to know what it’s about, check out my first post.

This read does a wonderful job illustrating what it is like, living with internalized homophobia and having trouble accepting yourself for who you are. I wish that was enough to get people to read the book, but it probably won’t be. But this book lets you take a walk in someone else’s shoes, and that is incredibly important. 

There’s also meteors, hurricanes, other natural disasters, and also a car chase. Got to love a car chase.

“Maybe a God that roots for love is the only God worth believing in.”

~~~~

Red, White & Royal Blue 

By Casey McQuiston

New Adult Romance

Red, White & Royal Blue is one of the most popular queer romances out there. I am not one to just take people’s word about a popular book and go into reading the book with negative expectations. However, Red, White & Royal Blue did live up to the hype. 

Alex Claremont-Diaz is the first son of America. Naturally, he despises Prince Henry, youngest grandson of the Queen of England. However, when the two are photographed in a rather…unfortunate situation, the two must go on damage control, especially with Alex’s mother up for re-election in the fall. The two have to pretend to be friends for the press, showing up and hanging out together. This leads to a development in their relationship as the two become friends and then more.

~

When I read this, I absolutely despised the romance genre, so much that it was honestly a miracle that I bothered reading the book in the first place. However, this book changed my mind a slight bit. I started giving a few other books a try, and now here we are with me giving a list of a whole 5 romance books that I like, which is a fairly big deal for me.

“History, huh? I bet we could make some.”

(Also, there’s a movie coming out soon-ish)

~~~~

Heartstopper 

By Alice Oseman 

Graphic Novel/Romance

Heartstopper is a romance graphic novel following Nick and Charlie, two high school students who get sat next to each other in their form group.

The whole school knows Charlie Spring is gay after he was outed during the previous term. Being out as gay in an all-boys school is not an easy situation, coming with being bullied a lot.

Nick Nelson is a year older than Charlie, but is placed next to him during form. He is the tall heartthrob, captain of the rugby team, he’s practically the definition of a straight boy…or is he?

The two grow closer, developing a friendship. Heartstopper currently has 4 print volumes out (and a hit Netflix TV show), each covering the development of the relationship between Nick and Charlie, and their close group of friends. 

~

It’s a fun and cute read, that emphasizes the bright parts of life, but doesn’t ignore the dark. Covering prejudice, homophobia, and mental health, this series reminds the world to have hope, even in the dark.

Heartsopper is definitely not a book that I ever thought I would read, which is weird because it is pretty much a longer, queer comic book, so maybe I should give graphic novels more chances.

“I was just FREAKING OUT, like honestly I am having a full-on proper GAY CRISIS”

*For reference, I specifically only chose books that are by  QUEER authors, as they are the representation that should be pushed and highlighted.  (So if you thought I was gonna include The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo now you know why I didn’t)

Author: Kevin Christopher Snipes

5 stars

I will be completely honest when I say that I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into when buying this book. I bought it when I was out at Barnes and Noble with my aunt and cousin during the long weekend, partially because the title was too good to ignore, and mostly because the cover was really pretty. However, what I ended up getting was far more than I ever imagined from a random book on the bottom shelf of the Young Adult Fiction section of Barnes and Noble on the Saturday before labour day. 

If there is one thing I want to say about this book, it’s that I think it’s a book that everyone should read. Often, books about queer people discovering their sexuality deal with being scared of whether others will accept you. This book took another route that is less common, showing a young boy struggling to accept himself. 

This is a journey about how being yourself is not wrong, and even when it seems like the world is against you, you are still worthy of love.

Summary

The book follows Milo Connely, a boy starting his senior year in Port Orange, Florida. On his first day of senior year at Spruce Crick High School, Milo sees none other than Marcos Price for the first time in over three years.

Three Years Ago:

Milo and Marcos met during the summer before their freshman year of high school at a Bible Camp. Milo was attending the camp with his best friend, Van Silvera. Milo is a religious white boy, who gets paired up with Marcos, an atheist hispanic boy, as roommates for the 3 weeks of camp. As the camp continues, the two boys grow closer and Milo begins to realize that the way he feels about Marcos is far more than just friends. Milo struggles to come to terms with this new revelation, believing he just needed to get it out of his system. However, two weeks into camp, Marcos disappears without saying goodbye.

Back to the Future (present, whatever)

Marcos moved from Orlando, Florida to the small town of Port Orange because his father got a new job. As the two boys are reunited, Milo begins to deal with all of the emotions he buried inside for the past three years. The minute the two boys touch for the first time, the ground begins to shake, and soon after, a sinkhole forms. 

As time goes on, and the two boys get closer, more and more natural disasters start to occur. Milo begins to freak out that these strange occurrences are happening because of his relationship with Marcos. He feels that the universe or God is punishing them for being gay, trying to keep them apart. 

“If I let myself start to feel all things I’m trying to bury inside of me, I’ll never be able to say goodbye. And this has to be goodbye. 

We have no choice” (309)

Marcos and Milo struggle with hiding their relationship from the entire world, especially their extremely religious and conservative families. Milo struggles with his sexuality, believing it’s something to be ashamed of and something wrong with him. This causes a rift in their relationship due to the stress of having to hide who they are and their love for each other. As time goes on, the two boys must decide whether their love is worth sacrificing everything for.

Review

Unlike many romance books about two people getting a second chance in their relationship, Kevin Christopher Snipes did not bother to hide what had happened in their past. A lot of romance novels use the mystery of the couple’s past to add suspense and to move the plot along. This is somewhat lazy writing, as the past is something that is necessary to the story, and keeping it a secret is most of the time not actually adding anything to the story but frustration. Instead, Snipes lays out their past of meeting and forming a relationship before Marcos left with no explanation or goodbye. This allows the reader to understand why Milo is upset instead of just knowing they have a past history with each other.

Snipes takes the end of the world and uses it as a metaphor for internalized homophobia, and the struggles of dealing with homophobia of any kind. 

“So if tomorrow, some scientist said they’d invented a pill that could make you straight, you wouldn’t take it?’… I think about my parents and how much easier my life would be,” (240)

Milo is raised in a religious household, and he himself is religious. This makes it hard for him to love himself for the way he is. He realizes that he likes boys the summer before his freshman year, but believes it’s a phase that he can pray away. Now, in his senior year, he is confronted once again by those feelings. The relationship between the two boys grows, and as it does, Milo gets both more and less comfortable with his feelings. He understands that he has feelings for Marcos and even calls him his boyfriend. At the same time, he becomes convinced that they’re doing something wrong and God is punishing them.

 “I think you still think there’s something wrong with you. And I think that ‘something’ is your feelings toward guys. Toward me” (240)

I think the best part about this book is the end of the world. Throughout the novel, as more and more strange and random natural disasters start happening, Milo becomes convinced that they cannot be just coincidences and are actually trying to keep the two apart. As the world comes to an end, Milo realizes that it doesn’t matter if the world wants to keep them apart. That there’s nothing wrong with them loving each other. 

“And I am done feeling guilty for that. So if this really is our last chance, if I really do have to make a choice between you and my parents, or you and God, or you and the whole stupid planet, then I choose you. From now until the end of time. I choose you,” (350).

After it all ends and it’s just them, Marcos and Milo realize that it has been them the whole time. Being scared about how the world would view them and what it meant. They realize they deserve to love whoever and if the world cannot accept them, that’s their fault. Milo learns to accept and love himself for who he is and not let anyone get in the way of that. 

“I don’t think it was God or the universe that was trying to keep us apart.’

‘You don’t?’

‘No. I actually think the universe wanted us to be together. And all the bad things that kept happening to keep us apart, I think they were just manifestations of our own fear and anxiety getting in the way.” (page 357)

They were scared to love each other because the world made it hard for them to do so.

“And as frightening as it might be, I know Marcos and I deserve a world as real as our love.” (361)

Being gay is never something to be ashamed of, and this is a story of a boy who learns that and the boy who helped him do so.

Have pride in who you are and never let anyone take it from you.