By Yuli Atta
Only Mostly Devasted by Sophie Gonzales
So, I actually don't have too much to say about this.
I really enjoyed it. The story was good and it deals with a lot of serious stuff and I liked the way it was done.
It deals with grief, the possibility of losing somebody you love, feeling ready to come out, PCOS I think it was called, etc.
The story itself is cute, I don't think it's original but I enjoyed it a lot and if you're a fan of drama, read it. Actually, I feel like in this book the drama wasn't as petty as it could've been and hence, I liked it a lot more because it actually made sense.
It's well-written and I liked the friendships and the characters. I would've liked to see more of Ollie's old friends, his new bandmates and maybe an entire Will POV because it would've been very helpful to know more about him in general.
But I loved it.
Been Here All Along by Sandy Hall
I'm giving this 3.5 stars because of all of the teen drama that I definitely saw coming and because of Ruby. And because I don't like it when the girlfriend has to be the villain.
I also didn't realise this book ad multiple 1st person POVs which is one of my biggest pet peeves out there. However, it didn't hinder the storytelling in this case.
I actually enjoyed it a lot. It's a quick and easy read and I loved that. I don't have all too much to say but I love the trope where best friends realise they have feelings for each other and get into a relationship.
I love how big of nerds they are and I feel like if I had actually read or watched LOTR I would've been able to relate a bit more but there were certainly many other relatable things. Especially the way Gideon realised his feelings. That hit home hard.
I also liked the dyslexic rep, at first I didn't like the way the teacher approached him but when I think about it more, it actually makes sense.
It also reminded me of the Thai BL drama Together With Me the series which is kind of the mature version of this on, plus a lot more drama.
The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
Didn't expect to like this as much as I did because of all the astronaut stuff but honestly, it's not as overwhelming as I thought it would be. What's more, the drama around it has more to do with the media than anything else and I actually liked it very much because it makes sense and I can see it happening for real.
Anyway, this was a very good book. At first, I thought I wasn't its target audience and while I don't fit it perfectly, I definitely was that audience. It's gay, it has good mental health rep (at least in my opinion) and it was CUTE.
Also, K-pop was mentioned, so of course, I'd like it.
Cal is a typical teenager which meant that he could be annoying at times but I liked his portrayal. He has a big social media following and is also a citizen journalist who's building his portfolio through his channel in order to pursue a career in journalism. As a journalism student, I wish this was more relatable to me but I realised that I'm simply not suited for it. Anyway, he did his job right and I liked that aspect because I feel like at this point I know enough about journalism to see if it's written right.
Cal has his own problems and struggles with his mental health. His parents are constantly fighting and he deals with it like every other teenager, by ignoring them and being snappish. I loved the way it was written because I felt like it was relatable to an extent and it includes mentions of different kinds of therapy.
Leon likes K-pop and this is all I needed to start to like him. However, since the book is written in the first person, I wish I could've seen more of his personality than I actually did. He isn't necessarily a flat character but he isn't at all that developed and I would've loved it if he was more solid in my mind. However, his struggles with mental health were done well and I feel like it would be relatable but take that with the grain of salt.
Leon and Cal also learn to have a healthy relationship and Cal tries to be more considerate of others. I found some of his views relatable, especially when he said that he was a planner and likes it when people know what they want to do with their lives even if it's not set in stone.
I found his mother's depiction of anxiety, and my own headcanon of her social anxiety, to be relatable to me personally and that's why I liked it. I think a big part of why I enjoyed this book, besides Cal and Leon, was the mental health in it. Now, I don't read contemporaries often so don't fully trust me on that.
I enjoyed it overall and I would recommend it if you like books with LGBT, space talks, media drama and mental health rep.
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