I really, really loved this. Its charm is probably in its sheer lack of pretension; the book is exactly what it says it is — snippets run through a public typewriter (plus some anecdotes about typewriters, the bookshelf where the titular typewriter resides, and a few observations about life and love and lettering).

Truly, this is one of those collections that is more than the sum of its parts.

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CONVERSION: 13.67 / 15 = 5 stars

Prose: 9 / 10
Intellectual Engagement: 8 / 10
Credibility: 10 / 10
Organization / Structure: 9 / 10

Emotional Impact / Interest: 5 / 5
Rereadability: 5 / 5
Memorability: 4 / 5

THIS IS THE PUREST SWEETEST THING.

That is all.

Opinion: Audiobooks are pretty much always best when narrated by the author, as is the case here.

Fact: Michelle and Barack Obama are beyond inspirational and uplifting; they make the world a much better place.

I can absolutely see why I've heard only glowing reviews of this memoir — it is, in fact, that good. But I honestly don't feel like I could write a review that would do it justice, so after several minutes of trying and deleting my failed efforts, I have given up on the endeavor.

(I think most people I know have added it to their TBR, so all I'll say is that if you haven't yet, you should read it ASAP. Seriously.)

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CONVERSION: 13.67 / 15 = 5 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Intellectual Engagement: 9 / 10
Credibility: 10 / 10
Organization / Structure: 9 / 10

Emotional Impact / Interest: 5 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: 5 / 5

Unsurprisingly, having Jamie and Charlotte together and on speaking terms made for a much more enjoyable read. But all the separations in the interim did serve a purpose: they've both grown so much since that first case, both as individuals and as a partnership (in multiple senses of the word). Which is good, considering this installment is a little more "grown up," bordering on New Adult rather than Young Adult, as they prepare to head off to uni and ... learn to cook stir-fry?

All I’ll say about the ending is that I love it — this is exactly why epilogues exist.

Spoiler

And I adore that we get to come full circle in a sense, closing out the series with Jamie POV and homages to the original Holmes!

Full review to come.

content warnings:

Spoiler

rep:

Spoiler

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CONVERSION: 13.75 / 15 = 5 stars

Prose: 9 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 10 / 10
Emotional Impact: 9 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: 5 / 5
Rereadability: 5 / 5
Memorability: 4 / 5

"Some nights I prayed to God or the devil — I wasn't picky about which one answered — to make me not gay."

This almost reads like a novel, and I mean that as a compliment — memoirs/biographies are my favorite nonfiction books because I love reading about people. I really appreciated how blunt some of these passages were, including excerpts from his diary and a play he wrote, and the fact that Hutchinson challenges but doesn't gloss over the harmful beliefs he held as a teen. (My one unaddressed issue is that there are a few parts that could be seen as

Spoiler

bi erasure, such as when a crush shows interest in a girl so he's presumed to be straight, and the fact that the only LGBTQIAP+ identities that appear in this book are "gay" and "lesbian"

, though I recognize that these scenes are drawn entirely from personal experience so they don't have an obligation to be wholly representative.)

Reading this book is like having a heart-to-heart with an older sibling or peer mentor. The writing flows; though the chapters are short, they're illustrative. Hutchinson tempers vulnerability with both humor and seriousness: self-deprecating jokes, snide remarks about societal stigmas, thoughtful content warnings, and down-to-earth reassurances that while life isn't a fairy tale with an easy happy ending, it does get better.

content warnings:

Spoiler

suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, self-harm, sexual assault, homophobic language, internalized homophobia, mentions of drug use

rep: author - gay, demisexual/grayace, depression, ADHD
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CONVERSION: 13.75 / 15 = 5 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Intellectual Engagement: 8 / 10
Credibility: 10 / 10
Organization / Structure: 9 / 10

Emotional Impact / Interest: 5 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 5 / 5