This book quickly became one of my favorites for a wide variety of reasons. Alex really spoke to me as a character in a way that not a lot of characters have, and Henry also spoke to me for very different reasons. I loved the literary references and the focus on the connections between queer history and the queer present. I loved that the characters were the same age as me and truly felt like they were that age. And it presents an alternate version of the 2020 election that's better than what we got but that also feels strangely realistic. I don't know if I want a sequel or if I want this wonderful book to just exist on its own.

That’s the review I wrote shortly after finishing this book. Now, a year and a half later, I still like it a lot. It was still a very impactful read for me personally. But I think that part of why I loved it so much had less to do with the book’s actual merits and more to do with the fact that it was the first book I read for fun in 2020.

Basically, my feelings about this book are slightly complicated, but if you’re able to do what I did and turn off your critical thinking while reading it, it’s very enjoyable.