Thank you to Quill Tree Books (via NetGalley) for the ARC!

I had very high hopes for this book, and I was a bit disappointed. I'm going to start off by talking about the things I didn't like as much, and then the things I loved so I can end on a good note!

The not-so-good:
1. Noah, the protagonist, is just on the edge of unlikable. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt because he's sixteen years old and teenagers are, for the most part, very self-absorbed and mostly concerned with their own problems. It's not unusual to be more aware of your own problems than anything else going on in the world. But there were too many moments for me where Noah lashed out to his friends and family in sometimes cruel ways, and it didn't sit right with me. Or he reacted to something in a manner that was far too harsh for what the situation warranted. And sometimes he was called out for it. But I still found it to be too much. It just made him a little unsympathetic in my eyes. I was still rooting for him throughout the book, but I also wanted him to treat his family and friends a little nicer!
2. The coincidences. Some elements of the plot were a little too convenient. Things happened that were huge coincidences and it got to the point where it took me out of the story a little bit.

And now, the awesome stuff!
1. The rep: We get trans and non binary rep as well as characters who are bisexual, asexual, lesbian, and an androphile (which is a word I just learned! It's a way to describe your attraction exclusively to men without bringing your own gender into it).
2. Neo pronouns: One of the characters uses neo pronouns, which a lot of people are unfamiliar with, and it's the first time I've seen this done in a YA book. (mild spoiler ahead?) Devin, who is non binary, settles on the pronouns e/em/eir, which are completely gender neutral, after e decides that none of the "standard pronouns" (he/him, she/her, they/them) feel comfortable. It's done really well in the book, and Noah, the main character, never questions Devin's choice of pronouns even while e emself isn't quite sure which ones feel most comfortable.
3. Transphobia is NOT a main part of the plot! So many times, trans writers are expected write about their pain and how hard it is to come out and the reactions of cis people to the fact that someone they love is trans. That doesn't happen in this book. When we start the story, Noah is already out to his family. They have accepted him for who he is, and while there are minor moments where Noah questions whether they are 100% accepting of his identity, there is no outright hostility from anyone. There are a few minor moments of transphobia, but for the most part this is a story of a trans teenager finding love and joy. And I love that it exists.

I want to emphasize that I am really really glad that this book exists! Trans kids deserve love stories just as much as cis kids, and probably need them even more. We need more books like this where a trans teenager can find love and have a happy ending without going through a bunch of suffering first. I am so happy that this will be around for a long time to come and I hope that it finds the kids who need it the most.

Also, I look forward to whatever Emery Lee writes next, because while I did have some minor issues with this book, I think it was a promising debut and a good indicator of what's to come.