Ehh, this book wasn’t for me. I didn’t like one character, not even the main one, Illyas or his narrative. He wasn’t bad, but I didn’t care about him too much. Illyas was a bit of a sad sack, getting bullied by his “friends”, disappointing his dad, and trying to follow his dreams. But he’s soft-hearted and creative. His sister, Shaista, seemed so mean and vapid. I guess from a younger brother’s eyes that might be how he would sum her up. Kelly wasn’t that interesting, but I like how she and Illyas got along. In this type of story, usually both parents are unreasonable, but the mother was fine and understanding. I think what I liked most was the struggling friendship between Illyas and Daevon. Daevon had changed for the worse but his remnants of kindness were always there.

This book shows how insidious toxic masculinity can be, and I think it’s relatable with the decent kid following behind the popular, troublemaker who makes his friend group feel like dirt. <i>Kick the Moon</i> is full of pop-culture references and slang to season the narrative. Overall, this was not a bad read, but it was not personally enjoyable for me. Once I started it, I wanted to see where it ended though.

Imran

didn’t get this gross overnight. He’s compensating for something, trying to fit in, or internalizing the nastiest ills of society for sure. I wanted someone to pop him in the mouth so badly. His head nearly splitting open didn’t humble him.