Andy

The book behind one of my favorite films, the book offers a significantly more intricate and dramatic narrative. While I am uncertain whether it surpasses the movie in its entirety, it remains an exceptional read.

This is the first book I read by A. Silvera, and the fourth book I read by B. Albertalli.

The novel is set in contemporary New York City and follows the story of Ben and Arthur, whose paths cross at a post office. Despite their initial encounter, neither introduces themselves by name. The boys are left pondering each other for weeks, captivated by the intense connection they experienced. One day, Arthur impulsively creates a flyer and posts it on a coffee shop bulletin board, the coffee shop that he had seen on Ben’s shirt the day they met. This physical poster and description of the day they met mirrors the concept of a Craigslist Missed Connection post, and leads to a summer of love and companionship.

An engaging and entertaining narrative that depicts a future Space Race. While i am aware this is a fictional story, the portrayal of StarWatch, a gossip reality show that disregards boundaries, closely mirrors the behavior of such shows in reality. StarWatch serves as the most non-fictional element in this fictional story. Overall, this book is highly captivating, particularly for those interested in a light contemporary queer love story with a little NASA sprinkled in. I enjoyed it and I recommend it to anyone seeking a similar read.

I really liked this story. Although there were a few things that I wasn’t too fond of. Starting with something that I got over very quickly at the beginning. I’m not much of a fan of historical anything — this leaning more toward a historical fantasy. However, I quickly got out of that mentality since this story doesn’t lean too heavily on the historical part. The second thing I had issues with was about the way Wilhelm was being kept captive and a prisoner, and all the things that were being done to him made me feel so uneasy. It was uncomfortable having to read/listen to how Teddy speaks to him. Not that it was badly written or anything, but the mental manipulation being done to Wilhelm was uncomfortable and kind of depressing for me. Overall I think this is a solid read and deserving of its 3.5 stars. I did feel like some parts could have been a bit shorter, however that’s a personal preference.

This literary work starts off super engaging, drawing you right in with a wild sense of suspense. Silvera’s storytelling is on point, and the opening hits you right in the feels, making you shed a tear or two. This literary experience is not all common where the protagonist’s situation emotionally hits the reader that they finds themselves empathizing with the character's struggles. The story is filled with sad moments of grief for the living that make the characters do things they would have never done in their lives.

Even though it’s a common trope in movies and books to "live everyday like it's your last day", this story does something different. It shows the characters living their last day doing what they were to scared to do in their life prior to knowing today was going to be their last day.

This literary gem has rightfully earned its place among my all-time favorites, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to others.