For a science fiction novel, “The Stars Too Fondly” is pretty terrible: every explanation of sci-fi phenomena within this book doesn’t even loosely read like science—more like fantasy plot elements with scientific terms tacked on—and a multitude of plot holes are left in its wake; the attempted meta-ness of the writing date this book, even with a setting decades into the future; and the cast talks and acts like they’re perpetually between 18 and 19 years old. I’m not one of those people to read a book “for the vibes”, and while I get that a “cozy rom-com in space” like this one will garner an audience, I’m definitely not in it. Nonetheless, I had a ton of fun reading.

Sometimes to its benefit, often to its detriment, this read like fanfiction. There were some pretty quick shifts from arguments to emotionally vulnerable moments between Cleo and Billie, I already referenced the dated references and how the characters are too immature for people in their late twenties, and some parts of Billie’s internal monologue sounded like they were written by an angsty teen. Case in point:

And then, of course, there were some lines that seemed more ridiculous than angsty: 

(I am not going to directly quote the entire sentence where Cleo also jokes about “wanting to climb Billie like a grumpy tree”😐)

While the narrative was knowingly tropey, I did not think it acknowledged those tropes in a tongue-in-cheek way. I can’t like the grumpy x sunshine romance, for example, if it’s painfully obvious from the writing who is the sunshine and who is the grump. This, subsequently, also made the found family feel a little too on-the-nose.

However, I did enjoy Cleo’s friend group. (Which is a relief, considering them and Billie are the only people on the actual Providence I ship.) They might’ve had their cringey lines, but I know too well the kind of powerful bond a friend group can develop in order to cope with dysfunctional home backgrounds. They sometimes interacted with each other like siblings(minus Abe and Kaleisha, with them being a couple lmfao), which I enjoyed, and I liked how they helped each other cope with the situation of being stuck in a spaceship for 7+ months. But of the side cast, Ros was easily my favorite. Powerful super-powered characters spiraling about hurting the ones they love is definitely its own trope, but I liked how that tied into their mental health decline, which I could understand with the long period of isolation. (Their abilities were also awesome. I haven’t read about many ice magic-users since TWB, lol. And coincidentally, both characters were nonbinary!) Ros’s self-experimentation and occasional log to go with it were also very interesting.

And for how much I shit talk the plot, the inter-dimensional travel..warp fuckery..was undeniably cool. Even if the visual descriptors got repetitive. And the explanation for how the Other Place worked(uncreative name, I know) made no sense.

I’ve talked about my gripes with the writing, now I can actually talk about what I liked about the style. There were some genuinely(and intentionally) funny parts of dialogue. And I loved the melodrama in Cleo and Billie’s sapphic romance that literally breaks space and time, their dynamic was fun and, at times, tooth-achingly sweet. (But also, if I think if I had read a book with all of these issues, and it was about a straight romance, I would’ve wanted to strangle someone.)

I can’t even joke about points being taken off because of the lack of hologram sex, since I’d already settled on a 2.5 rating before I knew that there wouldn’t be any, but I will say that was a bummer. Come on guys, let’s get creative!

Perhaps someone will read this review and think this book sounds right up their alley, perhaps someone else will yank it off their TBR (or keep it a couple feet further away from said TBR), but I can at least say I was invested for most of this. “The Stars Too Fondly” has many issues imo, but dryness is not one of them. I’m even stealing “then what, pray tell, the fuck?”. (And maybe even “Got too many thoughts bonking around in here”, because it kind of sounds like Adventure Time dialogue. I catch the irony.) (I miss Fionna And Cake.) 

3.75! Admittedly, this could be stressful, but I liked Nat’s character development and the perspective given on synchronized swimming! (Although, I could do with a couple more descriptions.) Middle grades centering around a kid’s snowballing lies are kind of a trope in their own way, but I will say that Nat’s anxiety and anger issues were something I hadn’t really heard of being handled in many other books? I liked the maturity of how she was able to resolve things with her mom, too. (There was an interesting discussion about the difference between a bad parent-kid relationship, and one that just had some conflict/misunderstanding. Arguably, that message could also apply to Nat and Joanne’s friendship.)

I also liked the friendships Nat was able to form on her team! They were very sweet, and some of the locker room conversations/jokes gave me flashbacks to middle school gym class.

My main issues that kept this at a 3.75 and not a 4 stars, though, was that sometimes I disliked the writing style, Nat’s lies were unbelievable enough that I’m surprised her parents didn’t have a conversation earlier(although they definitely had their suspicions), and Nat’s mom was a mildly annoying character. (I get that’s part of her arc, but some of her criticisms were comical.)

Anyhow, I adore books about swimming(gonna make a Goodreads tag, actually). My experience in the sport is very limited, but something about reading protagonists lose themselves in the water is always very soothing to me! (And something about the body positivity message clicked with me?? Don’t ask me which element it was, I still don’t know, I have basically nothing in common with the protagonist. Maybe I just needed to read this in my current state.)

I loved this a lot more than I thought I would!! Maybe it’s just that Cynthia So seems to be a fairly young author, but they remember being a teen very well. The spoiler-y tagline for the USA edition made me worry that the romance would be convoluted, and the story’s reliance on characters rather than a strong plot made me wonder if this would meander. Some of my enjoyment may be influenced by me being a sucker for road trip stories, but Elsie was a compelling protagonist, and so were all of her relationships throughout the book (familial, platonic, or romantic). I, surprisingly, didn’t find the shift in love interests clunky, and thought both of them being based on meaningful friendships not only made them believable, but also highlighted the different kinds of friendship dynamics they represented.

(There was also a bit of gender exploration! I don’t know if Elsie is just gender nonconforming or if she might not be cis, but it was cool to show her branching out a bit with the indirect help of Joan. The discussions around the cultural expectations her family had and how they influenced her queerness/self-expression were handled really well, imo. It felt like the author was expecting the readerbase to pick up on that instead of simplifying their words too much.)

I also loved the importance of queer fandom spaces, along with the critique of the kinds of LGBTQ characters/subtext that gets prioritized within them, as Elsie is a nonwhite queer person and latches onto the sapphic characters of color more (like her friend Ada does). And Cynthia So really nailed the excitement of being in a fandom, too!! From the Zaria and Mayumi shrine in Elsie’s room, to the texts in all caps exchanged between her and Ada.

Elsie’s quest to find Theresa was initially convoluted, but I ended up appreciating how it began to tie into the title and

some of the themes of Elsie’s relationship with Joan.

I also enjoyed Ritika and Joan’s varying opinions of this journey, and how it brought the three of them closer together(or, in the case of the beginning, brought up some warranted questions about Elsie’s friendships). There was also a lot of elder queer rep, mostly part of the road trip plot but a bit outside of that as well, and I loved to see that. Not only were those characters interesting, but they also helped Elsie feel a little less like an outsider in her communities.

Man, I don’t know what else to say without rambling. I think it depends on the kind of reader you are whether you’ll enjoy this or not, but this is definitely one of my favorites now. Peak intersectional sapphic lit, if you will.

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pre-review:
I cannot think of a more authentic, heart-wrenching and wonderful depiction of queer fandom spaces, the complicated overlap between friendship and romance(…well, specifically through an alloromantic lens), and, for those who feel like outcasts in their own communities, the importance of having role models to help you think of a future. I don’t care how many romantic subplots there were, the pining for both was written expertly and I loved the different kinds of friendships they highlighted. 

maybe I’ll write a full-length review later but GWAUGH!! This was an exceptional debut novel! Super, super down-to-earth(so: realistic) though, so for those who don’t like “slice of life” contemporaries driven more by characters than plot, it won’t be up your alley.

Changing my rating to 4.5. I must confess, I usually read middle grade in the hopes of something lighter or cute (although there have been exceptions). I did not expect to dive headfirst into a book that’s emotional and beautiful enough to still be on my mind not too long after finishing it. I will try not to spoil anything in my review, though!

I would like to say upfront that I think Brian’s background in filmmaking and screenwriting is obvious in the writing style. Not only does he have a good grasp of the story’s structure and characters(which is crucial for a debut), but he’s very visual in his descriptions of places and actions. That was a treat to read.

I also felt the subject matter of mental illness and addiction was handled carefully. I liked the nuanced way the family dynamics of Jet, Nathan and Nali were depicted, even if Nathan couldn’t grasp everything because he’s just a kid. There’s also a particular story device(that I won’t spoil) that ends up working as a way to place Nathan directly into the kind of mindset Jet has, which was difficult to read about but places a focus on sympathy and finding help that isn’t granted very often in the stories of addicts. (And on the topic of Jet getting help, I appreciated that although Nali had a push to heal him through ceremony, there was just as much emphasis on him getting actual therapy in addition to that.)

There’s slightly less fantasy than I expected—while the creatures appear throughout, Nathan’s plot lines with the Holy Beings and his Nali don’t overlap until the end, so the magical elements feel a bit more like a backdrop. But I still really liked how Brian Young found a balance between integrating the original mythos of the beings he depicted, and creating his own kind of story around them. (He talked about that in his author’s note, and I found that interesting.) The characters themselves were also memorable. (For example, I didn’t expect to like a spider, but here we are.) Of course, though, Pond was my favorite of the creatures, mostly for the fact that he was adorable. eughuhhhh…

Pond and the other Water Monsters were a creative way to incorporate environmental issues into a kids book, and although that took a backseat to all the other story elements in this one, I’m looking forward to seeing how that’s handled as a central part of the sequel. (I assume it’s going to be, anyhow, because of the author’s note.)

My only other qualms are that the pacing was a bit slow in the first half, and that the number of plot points felt sometimes overwhelming. But I was so excited to find that there was a sequel! I loved a lot about this. I’d say “enjoyed” if this wasn’t such a sad story at times(and, I also worried for Nathan’s well-being).

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pre-review:
ouch :(

I can’t deny that a lot of this memoir felt disjointed: the summary promised a road trip memoir, the book itself was not that. It’s more like a collection of essays where, instead of the chapters being linked by one period of Randa Jarrar’s life, oftentimes it’s by a specific theme. Some of these chapters felt like they were different pieces of writing stitched together, others felt as if they were telling a complete story.

Jarrar’s writing is also very crass and unapologetic, which I can respect, even if some parts made me uncomfortable. (Someone described this as a “weirdly Freudian memoir” and…yeah.😭) 

I liked the latter half of the book more, when I thought she provided some food for thought that wasn’t present in the other chapters that mostly followed her sexual escapades. (I think some of my favorite chapters were with her father, and Jarrar figuring out how to live in a time when her father different from the person who traumatized her in childhood.)There’s also more of an explanation for why she placed those chapters in-between some pretty serious ones with recollections of abuse that were difficult to read about.

Torn as to whether to recommend this or not because it truly depends on the kind of reader you are, I see a people not minding the structure and others finding this self-indulgent. I didn’t love this memoir to be honest, I actually liked it(mostly for the second half), save for a couple elements I had mixed feelings on. I’ll definitely look more into Tahiya Carioca/Taheyya Kariokka(how did I not know about her before???), and probably check out Jarrar’s debut novel, too.

I liked this, it was nice to have a trans lesbian lead in a romance novel, especially one with a ton of tropes. Olivia’s dissections of her own internalized misogyny were on-the-nose but still worked? But all the cast felt archetypal, especially Carl, whose purpose was just to be an irredeemable cishet (ex) boyfriend lol. Can’t decide if the fluffiness and amateur writing make this feel more like a fanfiction found 3 pages into Ao3 searches, or a Hallmark movie with only 1/4 of the holiday thing?

I predicted I would return to Maya MacGregor’s work again! They are an author of several YA-specific specialties—namely, indecisively paranormal stories, and writing troubled but fleshed-out nonbinary teens. Will’s story isn’t really meant to be enjoyed, at least not most of it, but I liked this book more than it’s predecessor (“The Many Half-Lived Lives Of Sam Sylvester”). Maybe I could technically say I enjoyed some parts, such as Will finally being able to live outside of hyper-vigilance enough for them to get to focus on some less pressing matters…like their blossoming crush on a friend that I am conveniently excluding the name of, and being able to experience some of the fun things they never got to have growing up(like hosting a sleepover, and going back to school shopping). I am glad they got to have a happy ending. I was worried sick for them a lot of the time.

I can’t say whether it would’ve been better to have a physical copy on hand—I used a librofm credit, and that slowed my pace a bit, which gave some of the harder scenes some teeth to sink into my memory. But I will say that the narration brought a bit of life to all the characters. Will’s self-loathing was sometimes tedious(it could be repetitive. And I live with people who think like that), but I was able to clearly hear their anger and grief. There were a lot of moments in the book dissecting Will’s lack of closure due to Francis’s death, and that was interesting but difficult to listen to.

(This is a really specific footnote, but I also think awkward joy, and wistfulness were narrated well. I dunno. I don’t have much else to say, this is what happens when I lose my self control for a month or two and listen to yet another audiobook narrated by an obvious fave. Am I even qualified to leave feedback?? Someone shut me up) (and completely unrelated, last narration-focused comment. send help. i am never going to read “yaas” text messages the same way ever again.🧍)

I loved how much nuance there was. None of the characters are perfect people, there’s sometimes clash because of the different kinds of backgrounds everyone comes from, and a couple characters definitely have some biases to unlearn(Hannah being a big one, since she comes from an upper middle class background with a loving family and can’t fully understand Will’s situation). Conflict is something that occurs pretty frequently, because…of course it does, we need physical and emotional stakes, but it’s resolved with a lot of respect and maturity when it’s within the main friend group, even if that resolution takes a few chapters. And still, they feel like teenagers! This is one of the first YA books I’ve read where there’s both a clear and realistic difference between the behaviors of the teenage and adult characters.

And the romance was sweet. It’s paced well(kinda has to be, Will is aspec), doesn’t take away from the focus of the story, and I’m always a sucker for t4t. I just wasn’t as moved by it as other reviewers were, for some reason?? Maybe it had to do with some of the writing flaws(see: next paragraph)?

Stream of consciousness and second-person POV isn’t a combination that’s going to mesh with everyone, especially because some parts are purposefully not grammatically correct(they feel more like dialogue or an unpolished journal entry), but I thought it directly placed the reader into Will’s mind. I liked the sometimes poetic style of writing, too, but I have to admit a couple different ideas got repetitive…

A couple points also docked off for some of the slang/dialogue feeling Strange, the weird paranormal undertones that never got answered, and a particularly strange character introduction(can we have more normal ways to introduce nonbinary characters please??). But this was a surprisingly beautiful story of moving on from abuse and growing past it. I can see myself recommending this to two people max. Haha.

Not a complete 5 stars, because the writing style was a little clunky and sometimes it was easy to forget it was meant to be in-verse. But this was beautiful!! I think it really captured the feeling of connecting with the otherworldly in a queer way. Mothman was both a way for Noah to connect with his dead friend, and also try to understand his own gender better, and I thought both of those things were written well. 

At one point in the story, you got to see the notes of Noah’s friends as he was searching for Mothman, and I thought that was really cool and was placed in the right point in the story, albeit a bit unexpected. 

The integration of multimedia was unexpected but really added to the story! The “photographs” added to the atmosphere, and the illustrations were a nice balance between innocent and creepy. 

I think this deserves the hype.

I was originally going to give an even 3 stars but decided otherwise when more of the story started to bother me. I originally didn’t mind the idea of Zenobia being perfect at hacking but it started to grate on me when some of the issues in this book (like transphobia and religious bigotry) are trying to be handled in a realistic way. Arli was kind of hypocritical and vo got on my nerves with how vo would sometimes speak over Zen or ask invasive questions, and very rarely that got addressed. (Genuinely, vo is one of the most frustrating genderqueer characters I’ve read about in a while.) The mystery advertised in the blurb didn’t appear much with all the other subplots being dealt with, none of Zen’s friend group felt fleshed out except for Arli(which was troubling because it risks tokenizing a couple characters—cough, Dyna), the resolution frustrated me, and because the first third was more focused on middle school than the hacker it meant that the graphic transphobia came almost out of nowhere.

(And about Arli: was the weird Nezel stuff in reference to Lisa Bunker’s newest fantasy novel?!? I just realized the culture the main characters are in that book is the same name as the fictional thing mentioned here. So was that based around a fictional country?? Because I was so confused. Why would we have a fictional country referenced in a contemporary novel?!?!?!?)

But. I loved how Zenobia’s gender was handled through both her highs and lows, her dysphoria was uncomfortably relatable(what is it with middle grades invoking repressed emotions I had in 5th grade), I mostly liked how her complicated feelings about her deceased religious parents were written. I won’t lie, I was optimistic about having a book with a religious trans MC when I started it. Some of that nuance was ruined, though, because of the overly young language used. (Your main character curses. It’s okay to use more complicated words than “She missed the old times, even though they sucked so bad.” But that was unintentionally funny so at least there’s that.)

The interludes shouldn’t have been in this book. They made this book a structural mess, and contributed nothing except for making Zenobia seem almost morally perfect. (With the exception of the Grandma’s, because I thought her struggling to understand her trans grandkid but still loving Zen was handled well.) That last one with Aunt Lucy got on my nerves.

I did, however, love Uncle Sprink. But I’m pretty sure everyone else did, too. I wish he got more page time because I liked how he bonded with Zenobia, and also he was genuinely a lot of fun.

(Last footnote: I appreciated how Zen broke off her relationship with Melissa. That was another bit of subject matter that I thought was handled well.)

It turns out that “Joy, To The World” is also by this author, so I’ll inevitably end up running into her work again, but this was…not promising.