As You Walk On By

“You can have both, Theo. No one's gonna question your loyalty. Friendships shouldn't have limitations. The only rule is don't be a dick to people you care about.” - Darren, Ch. 20, pg 269

It was a cute kinda quick read.

I'm surprised at the social commentary that this book had from being black queer boy to pressure and expectations from adults pushing their dreams on you.

I really like the group he meets and the inclusion of a non binary character.

Problems I can say I had with the book was the exposition. There was a lot of it. A person would mention someone if or something and there would be paragraph of the whole history with that thing. I think it slows down over the course of the book and in the beginning it's very noticeable. The other one was phones. I don't know if this is the impression of teenagers these days but every time something happens someone right there recording it with their phone. Like no lie, every single time. It's bothers me a bit even with some truth to it.

So this book's not my favorite or anything but I didn't hate it. It had lots of queer & diverse characters and good social commentary, even it doesn't really go deep, deep into these things. It was a cute read that kept me entertained and managed to finish reading in a few days.

i'm ngl i had to push thru it it's good by the end i suppose but i think the writing could've been better.

Sweet, fresh and definitely one of the books I wish I had when I was growing up. Being black and queer ain't easy, but seeing someone out there writing for the next generation of black kids makes me think their path will be more gentle than mine, and that fills my heart with joy.

This book gave me everything I wanted from it, good round and we'll developed characters, beautiful friendships, growth and a sweet love story. 100% recommend.

CW: Discussion about one of the character's friends who died by suicide before the events of the book take place

Cute YA novel with a Breakfast Club feel. Five teens escaping from a wild party find themselves in the same room. Bonds are formed, secrets are shared, and long overdue conversations finally happen. The magic dissipates quite a bit in the final 25% of the book after the party is over, but the story rallies for a perfect rom-com ending that feels appropriate for teens finishing their junior year of high school. Good discussions about intersectionality issues and parental pressures.