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321 reviews by:
proseandpucks
Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the ARC!
I thought I knew what I was signing up for with this book, but in no way was I prepared. This was DARK.
Jonah is a poor NYC transplant with dreams of being a playwright. He works at a restaurant with just a terrible human for a manager, and his finances are basically nonexistent. Then he meets Richard.
Richard, a very successful playwright some thirty years his senior, and Jonah begin a relationship that is pretty dark from the get-go. Richard convinces Jonah to come with him for a weekend to the Hamptons, and shit gets real bad, real quick.
This book was not an easy read, but I could not stop reading it. I couldn't believe what was happening and had to know what was going to go down next. Jonah is not exactly a likable character, yet I could not stop rooting for him. I wanted him to succeed and do better and STOP PUTTING HIMSELF IN TERRIBLE SITUATIONS.
As other reviewers have noted, the back half of the book hits hard on religion. I, however, thought it fit with where Jonah's headspace was and didn't necessarily mind the story going there. Also, this is a debut novel? So, like, damn. I can't wait to see what else JPR does!
This was a hard one to rate because it deals with such heavy themes. So, saying I enjoyed all this feels like the wrong words, but I did read it in less than 12 hours, so. It was a very intense reading experience, and if you can handle dark and gloomy and all the mentioned triggers above, give it a go!
TWs: rape, victim-blaming, gaslighting, abuse, super toxic relationships, conversion therapy, homophobia, drug abuse, a whole lot of religious stuff, mentions of child sexual abuse and incest, suicide, basically sexual slavery
I thought I knew what I was signing up for with this book, but in no way was I prepared. This was DARK.
Jonah is a poor NYC transplant with dreams of being a playwright. He works at a restaurant with just a terrible human for a manager, and his finances are basically nonexistent. Then he meets Richard.
Richard, a very successful playwright some thirty years his senior, and Jonah begin a relationship that is pretty dark from the get-go. Richard convinces Jonah to come with him for a weekend to the Hamptons, and shit gets real bad, real quick.
This book was not an easy read, but I could not stop reading it. I couldn't believe what was happening and had to know what was going to go down next. Jonah is not exactly a likable character, yet I could not stop rooting for him. I wanted him to succeed and do better and STOP PUTTING HIMSELF IN TERRIBLE SITUATIONS.
As other reviewers have noted, the back half of the book hits hard on religion. I, however, thought it fit with where Jonah's headspace was and didn't necessarily mind the story going there. Also, this is a debut novel? So, like, damn. I can't wait to see what else JPR does!
This was a hard one to rate because it deals with such heavy themes. So, saying I enjoyed all this feels like the wrong words, but I did read it in less than 12 hours, so. It was a very intense reading experience, and if you can handle dark and gloomy and all the mentioned triggers above, give it a go!
TWs: rape, victim-blaming, gaslighting, abuse, super toxic relationships, conversion therapy, homophobia, drug abuse, a whole lot of religious stuff, mentions of child sexual abuse and incest, suicide, basically sexual slavery
holy shit, what a ride!
i fell in love with ox from the get-go, my poor boy. i love a hold found family story and nobody does it like tj.
i fell in love with ox from the get-go, my poor boy. i love a hold found family story and nobody does it like tj.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the arc of this book!
I'm kind of obsessed with this one, honestly,
Noah is 16 and runs a blog about, what else, meet-cutes. Only, the stories are just that- stories. He makes them up, and his readers eat them up. Until someone doesn't and throws a wrench in his gig. So, naturally, Noah and Drew decide to fake a relationship and show those online trolls that the blog is REAL, thank you very much.
This was just a really cute, fun read. Noah is definitely 16, and it shows, but I don't think that's a bad thing. At time's he's insufferable and selfish and messy- like another other 16-year-old kid, but I don't think the backlash I saw in some of the other reviews is warranted. What 16 year old isn't selfish as hell?
Also, I can't review this book without mentioning Devin and my love for em. If you get nothing else from this book, please love em as much as I do. It's what e deserves.
There is also so much rep in this book and it makes me so very happy.
I really enjoyed this.
PS; I nearly gave an extra star just for the subtle dig at the tv show Supernatural. Bless you, Emery. Bless you.
I'm kind of obsessed with this one, honestly,
Noah is 16 and runs a blog about, what else, meet-cutes. Only, the stories are just that- stories. He makes them up, and his readers eat them up. Until someone doesn't and throws a wrench in his gig. So, naturally, Noah and Drew decide to fake a relationship and show those online trolls that the blog is REAL, thank you very much.
This was just a really cute, fun read. Noah is definitely 16, and it shows, but I don't think that's a bad thing. At time's he's insufferable and selfish and messy- like another other 16-year-old kid, but I don't think the backlash I saw in some of the other reviews is warranted. What 16 year old isn't selfish as hell?
Also, I can't review this book without mentioning Devin and my love for em. If you get nothing else from this book, please love em as much as I do. It's what e deserves.
There is also so much rep in this book and it makes me so very happy.
I really enjoyed this.
PS; I nearly gave an extra star just for the subtle dig at the tv show Supernatural. Bless you, Emery. Bless you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children's Books for an early copy of this book
I will admit, this was a lot more political than I anticipated, but I truly enjoyed this story. I rooted for Mark from the beginning, and I absolutely love their little queer French club band of friends. I love the way the queer kids always find each other and flock together and this group showed that beautifully.
And Ralph. My sweet, sweet, anxious Ralph. I love this character and his bowties with my whole heart. Bless him.
There was just so much great representation and diversity in this story. It was a fun read, even if a lot of the political references went over my head. It was also super interesting to me that the Democratic candidate was the one seen as.... less than supportive. I thought that was important as hell, because let's be real, there are shitty people on over side.
I will say, though, as a warning- there was a LOT of dead-naming in this one. Keep that in mind that if that's something that might upset you.
I will admit, this was a lot more political than I anticipated, but I truly enjoyed this story. I rooted for Mark from the beginning, and I absolutely love their little queer French club band of friends. I love the way the queer kids always find each other and flock together and this group showed that beautifully.
And Ralph. My sweet, sweet, anxious Ralph. I love this character and his bowties with my whole heart. Bless him.
There was just so much great representation and diversity in this story. It was a fun read, even if a lot of the political references went over my head. It was also super interesting to me that the Democratic candidate was the one seen as.... less than supportive. I thought that was important as hell, because let's be real, there are shitty people on over side.
I will say, though, as a warning- there was a LOT of dead-naming in this one. Keep that in mind that if that's something that might upset you.
these books just get progressively more fucking heartbreaking as the saga continues, jesus christ
