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betweentheshelves 's review for:

Boys I Know by Anna Gracia
3.5
emotional reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have mixed feelings about this book. I am here for the conversations about race, about June's exploration of sex, and about just messy relationships in general. That's what happens when you're a teen, and Gracia hit the nail on the head with that. June jumps into a series of messy relationships in this book, all for different reasons. It felt so high school and I loved that about this book.

For me, the plot itself felt kind of meandering. It's very much a character driven story, which I normally don't mind. It also fits the time of life June is in, trying to figure out what to do after high school, both meeting her own desires and her parents' expectations. June really struggles with this throughout the story, and it felt really genuine.

Overall, I enjoyed the conversations and the context in this book, it just overall wasn't necessarily a standout for me.

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