CW/TW: transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming (brief, blacked-out), child abuse (off-page), gender dysphoria

I read the synopsis of this book thinking, "Oh, damn. This is going to be really predictable." What the synopsis revealed was predictable. I guessed that off-rip but everything else that this story gave me was far from what I'd ever guessed and far more than what I anticipated in the best way possible.

This is a coming-of-age story. A love story. A tragedy. An exploration of gender identity. A beacon of hope for those who struggle with their own gender identity. This story is about found family. Not all blood is thicker than water. So the predictability is only 15% of the story. The rest? The rest explores themes much deeper than the budding teenage love story. The rest explores what it feels like when you're drowning. You're flailing about. You're so concerned with the fact that you're drowning that you don't notice the people trying to save you. They can't help you until you let them. They love you. I hope that anyone who has ever struggled with their identity and has read this book knows that there are people in this world--whether they are as close to you as a bated breath or as distant as the deepest pits of the ocean--that love you for who you are and wish nothing but the love and happiness and comfort you deserve for just being you because that love will always feel like summer.

"Like here? Or in eternity?"