This book was the sweetest and was at the same most heartbreaking. The author in his note had mentioned how he wanted this book to be a cute happy love story and also a coming out story and he did both of them perfectly. The story has a good pace, the supporting characters are super cool and funny and the villains are downright nasty. The story is easy to read in like 3-4 sittings. I loved Kai and Bryson and also Yaz, Priya, Donny, Crystal, Hannah and Kai’s parents. It was the teenage love story and it felt like that which was outright cute. 

But this book was very real too in terms of homophobia, forceful coming out, growing up in a very religious household and being the centre of homophobic jokes that cis-people think are funny. But it was also real in terms of super supportive friendship and sisters, parent that accepts you straightway without batting an eyelash, parents who take time but apologise for letting their worst self take over and super supportive boyfriend who makes the whole process a bit easier. 

At the end of the day we need to fight our own battles and deal with these issues ourselves but it helps when you know that you have someone you can fall back to. 

I honestly love books like this these that keep it real in terms of happy endings and also the harsh and absurd way of life, that even in the June of 2023 it hasn’t yet become easier for lgbtqa+ people to exist and simply be. So the fight goes on.