Dedicated to “anyone who has ever gotten into a pool with their shirt on,” HERE THE WHOLE TIME is a sweet, tone-perfect, coming-of-age story about Felipe, a contemporary Brazilian 17-year-old who is fat — not chubby or heavy or big boned, but fat — and his former friend/crush Caio.

Looking forward to a school break so he can relax at home with his lively, supportive mom and escape the constant fat-shaming bullying of his peers, Felipe is horrified to learn that perfect, beautiful Caio will be staying with them. The whole break. Sharing his tiny room. Sleeping on a mattress right next to his bed. Well, this will give him plenty to discuss in his weekly therapy sessions.

Vitor's writing is deceptively simple and straightforward, beautifully capturing the fumbling teen timeless human attempts to understand the world and themselves. The story is also a deceptively simple and straightforward tale of knowing, being known, and finding happiness rather than just escaping unhappiness, but it's laced with so much candor, humor, and positivity that it glows with warmth and good vibes by the end — and so will the reader.

Topics, tropes and themes: #OwnVoices, LGBTQ rep, coming of age, first kiss, first love, mother-son relationship, contemporary Brazilian culture, self esteem, therapy, single parent, bullying, homophobia, body positivity, forced proximity/sharing a bed trope

Content notes: non-acceptance and homophobia by a parent, peer bullying, fat shaming, underage drinking, kissing, small amount of (empowering) strong language