This might change, but, I’m giving this an extra .5 because I thought this started off very strong: I liked the different facets of Gabriela being uncomfortable in their body/existence (both from a transracial adoptee, and a gender dysphoria perspective). Sometimes this was shown through poetry or a draft for one of Gabriela’s essay assignments, and I thought that was interesting. Also, I liked the nuance in Gabriela’s relationship with their mother. I think the mental illness discussions were sort of stiff and didn’t really show their actual age(read a lot more mature/informative than a middle schooler’s words), but I thought the plot point about Gabriela reconnecting to their roots (via Abbie’s abuela) and processing some of the cultural disconnect with their adoptive mom was mostly well done, if a bit short.

I have several other issues, though. First of all, the writing style. There was an uncanny, constant switching between super simplistic in order to be understandable to the target demographic, and sounding too adult to ever be believable? (And then there’s the pandering lines, like “who uses pencils anymore? So weird. I love it” when Gabriela first meets Héctor? Ok.) Because of that, I can’t imagine how or if this could actually reach the intended audience…?  For example, when Maya tells Abbie about her relative’s lesbian relationship, Abbie’s first reaction is(I am quoting the text): “I hope they're in love, treat each other equally in their relationship, and resist any form of discrimination in the toxic misogynistic society we live in!” Abbie’s supposed to be thirteen, by the way.

(Abbie as a character drove me up the wall, actually! She’s a very tropey, “most politically active in the group” character who is one of the people to introduce Gabriela to different queer terms. Frequently, I found her dialogue to be awkward and clunky.)

oh my god on the topic of the characters sounding too adult sometimes. how are these kids getting ubers…don’t they need to be eighteen…but anyhow. When Gabriela comes out to Maya as ace, and she doesn’t take it well, that was easily the funniest part of the entire book😭 “Now what? Where does that leave us?” “I don’t know, but my Uber’s going to be here in six minutes” PLAYED COMPLETELY SERIOUS DURING A SERIOUS MOMENT BETWEEN TWO MIDDLE-SCHOOLERS has me in tearssss

Basically every character has at least one terminally online moment in this book. Completely played straight. It’s painful. One of the teachers hears a poem by a kid about how he’s abused at home by his dad and absorbed some of his behaviors, and his first comment is that his “use of the word ‘stupid’ is ableist” idc that afterwards he sort of excuses it in some convoluted way, HOW is that something ANYONE would say. EVER. 

Not much else to say except for the “terminally online” thing definitely applies to Gabriela’s gender arc, too? There aren’t many earnest conversations. Héctor calling that one meetup/conversation thing with Gabriela “Queer 101” doesn’t just feel like a cute name, it basically describes the execution of all the queer topics in this book. Props to the reviewer who said their arc felt “more like window-shopping than personal introspection”, because that describes it pretty well.

No clue if I’d read another book by this author. Maybe yes, if their next novel goes through a couple more editors. But hey, I started this book in a funk, and after passing the beginning, got some enjoyment out of often laughing at some of the lines. So I’m…grateful? Idk.