I don't even know if this book earned the two stars I gave it or if it got an extra star only for the person I read it with. This review might be a bit more of a rant than I'd like as I started writing it as I was reading.

Firstly to get it out of the way, this book is very confusing to read. The language is overly flowery so sometimes it's hard to tell what's going on in each chapter, not to mention there's a good chunk of the middle where nothing actually happens and it just drags on. It's possible some of my confusion comes from the length of time it took me to read this, but at the same time even actively reading I had to read sections repeatedly just to get an idea or for it to sink in. It does not help that there are too many named characters, and it feels impossible to keep track of them all. By the time it was over I was no longer sure who was who.

La Sala claims he researched bees but I'm not entirely sure he did, as beeswax candles typically don't have a strong smell, plus there is very little bee science beyond science fiction in this book. Even if he did research them, he certainly researched nothing else as that is not what upstate New York is like, summer camp would never be allowed to be like this (even outside of the cult practices), I doubt SUNY funds would go into that camp, among many other inaccuracies.

The author also utilizes the trauma of sexual assault as a plot device. There is no reason for this to be in this book as there are other things that could be investigated instead. While this is a character, it feels incredibly wrong to use that kind of pain in this way when it is basically a side-note in the story.

As for my main issue with this book, Ryan La Sala needs to take a serious look at his idea of gender. The vast majority of boys in this book are written as dude bros who joke around in the locker room, and the vast majority of girls are sorority girls who are into makeup but actually (shocker) are really strong. The boys all hate Mars for being genderfluid and gay, and the girls all take her in and accept her. Maybe it's different for genderfluid people than other trans people, but as a trans person myself I have absolutely never seen this kind of dynamic.

Not to mention, La Sala handles Mars being genderfluid horribly, to the point she basically becomes the token trans character in her own story. While being genderfluid basically is Mars's personality, gender struggles are only ever addressed for cis people (ex, the Honeys and sexism). While there are instances of transphobia, they're brushed under the rug, to the point even attempted murder is just "harassment."

Mars also says themself they use all pronouns (pg 71 and 301 in my copy). There is a singular instance, maybe 2, where anything but he/him is used, including by the author in the summary. Any trans or nonbinary person who uses multiple pronouns would tell you not to do this, especially as Mars never suggests she has a preference for he/him. They're only used because he happens to be amab. Plus their gender is never treated like an actual gender, it's just lipgloss and makeup and gladiator sandals and once a skirt. If anything, the author wrote himself or a feminine gay man and at the last minute decided a genderfluid character would seem more interesting. There is absolutely nothing to suggest genuine genderfluid representation in this book, as gender is more than the clothing you wear or the pronouns you use.

This book is a disgrace to the concept of trans books. I think I'd have been more lenient if the author actually tried to write a trans character instead of whatever he thinks gender is as a (presumably) cis man. If he wrote about a cis gay boy instead (as I think he did before suddenly remembering otherwise) it would have been better too. But we got this mess instead. Don't waste your time.