vvayl's Reviews (420)

I liked it, I see potential in it, especially because I think it could open up interesting conversations around gender and identity. However, I do have some doubts. Crossdressing is mentioned as something frowned upon that the main character does in secret, but it doesn’t go much deeper into whether he simply likes cute things and that's his way of expressing himself, or if there’s something more going on. In fact, he seems uncomfortable being seen in his “male” clothes and behaving in a more traditionally masculine way, which makes me think this might be explored later on or maybe not at all, since I believe this story is a bit old, so I’m not sure what concepts it actually deals with.

I really liked the best friend character,I feel like the dynamic between the three main characters could turn into something really good if developed properly. On the other hand, the love interest didn’t fully convince me. The way she’s written, almost like a stalker, with some weird behavior felt a bit uncomfortable to me. Maybe it’s supposed to be part of the comedy, but if the manga took a more serious tone, I think I’d had love it more, because it does have these emotional moments where both the art and atmosphere shift  and it ended up beautifully.

I’d only recommend it as a quick, light read for entertainment, especially if you’re not looking for something too deep. It has some lovely moments, but I’m still unsure whether it will handle the themes it hints at in a meaningful worthy to read way.

Thanks netgalley for a copy of this manga this was an honest review 

I had already been deeply moved by Amanda Nguyen’s activism before receiving the ALC of Saving Five, but nothing could have prepared me for the emotional depth of her memoir. I do not only praise the production of this audiobook, I deeply admire the narration done by Sura Siu, her job was outstanding. She put so much care and emotion to Amanda’s story. The closing segment, narrated by Amanda Nguyen herself, is especially amazing to listen, I'm so glad they added it.

It’s difficult to "review" a memoir like this based solely on content because it’s someone’s lived experiences, and Amanda's is one that should be read or, at the very least, researched by everyone. What I can speak to is how Amanda tells her story, through nonlinear timelines, insightful analogies, practical guidance and commentary for survivors and companions, and carefully integrated statistics and legal information, she crafts a narrative that is as informative as it is poetic and emotionally resonant
.
She takes us on a journey through the stages of grief, from denial to anger. But her anger isn’t just for the things that happened to her, it’s a rage directed to the system. She lays bare a broken system that destroys rape kits, that gaslights victims, and that makes seeking justice a second trauma. 
And yet she also talks about hope....The hunger for it, the path back to compassion and the long, painful process of healing.

Amanda brings together all her selves, her five year old self, her 15 and 22 year old self, and her present self to show us not only what happened to her even before Harvard, but how she heal, how she felt the shame, the helplessness, the desperation to be seen as more than a "victim." and how she find herself making a decision that changed everything. 

This audiobook is more than a memoir, it's a testimony of pain and resilience. Amanda Nguyen paid an immense personal price to fight for justice—not only for herself but for others. For that, she is to be admired, honored, and above all, thanked.

I’m so sorry the system failed you, Amanda. Thank you for fighting anyway. Thank you for letting yourself dream again. They never should’ve taken your dreams away.

This is an honest review. And to the those who also experienced trauma, let me rephrase some of Amanda's words: I'm sorry the world has fail you, retaking the space that hurt you is hard, but you deserve to show yourself compassion, you deserve to heal and retake your dreams, I hope one day you can.

I have to be honest, the five star is not based on how much i enjoyed the book, because i suffer reading it and have to pause several times, I even considered DNFing it (Will talk about the why at the end). I'm giving this book a 5 star review because Sonora Reyes managed to write a fake dating romance with so may good topics, and not in a floopy way, where its just scraping the surface of a problem and solving it in the most privilage way. NOP. They managed to fit a heavy story in a young adult romcom, in such a good way that I was filled with rage and sadness several times, I had to pause multiple times to talk on instagram about the topics they were presenting and scream about the reality of the world right now. 
I seriously beg everyone to read this book. But on the other hand... I know not a lot will like to go through the rage this book gives if they want to read a romcom, so please, donˋt go reading it expecting a perfect romance. This story is so much more than just two guys kissing. Is a dual pov story of two guys who live together, with very different personalities and problems, and how they start to realize everyone was right, they are the most likely to be happly marry in the future. 
I would like to mention the topics (TW) the book touches, because the author summarized them in 6 tw at the beginning of the book, and I understand why, I know about the discussion of tw being spoilers, but I felt like the book was too hard to read without knowing what i was getting into, it was a problem after another and I just wanted to drop it cause i did'nt know if it will get resolved. So, Im going to mention them right know, if you don't want to know, please skip:

-ICE/Police mentions and appearance/immigration issues important for the plot.

-Panic attacks

-Injury/twisted ankle/lack of medical service

-Queerphobia, a character says very biphobic things. They have very conservative ideas in general.

-Mentions of a character with a drug addiction / Brief mention of intention to sell a child in the past.

-Death of a parent.

-Light Kinky sex on page.

-Character trying to leave a toxic relationship /manipulation/physical abuse/black mailing/cheating

-Unexpected Pregnancy/mentions of abortion off page

-Toxic job /Racism

Okey, you can keep reading now,

The representation in the book: Bi, gay, mexican characters (viva xalapa), autism/TDHA, trans secundary characer, drag.
I loved the representation it was so good, I managed to see myself in many of the characters, everyone was amazing, aaaand there's a side couple, they donˋt shine a lot, but i still love them. The only character I hated with all my heart was freaking Jackie. GOD HOW MUCH I HATED HER. I really wish the problems with her ended sooner so I could enjoy the lovebirds more, but yerba mala nunca muere.
Everyone should know that if someone manages to write a character i wish i could punch, they deserve the 5 star, cause I'm not a violent person, but omg Sonora really knows how to write a manipulative characters, winner of the fake crocodile tears competition. I even started to feel bad because I thought the plot was going to give telenovela, and in the end, they were gonna reveal she was a liar. Also, the idea of making her work in a place where you are supposed to help women who live abuse? AMAZING, believe me, I worked in one, and you all don't want to know the horrors I know.
But enough of her. 

I think my favorite thing about the book was how they wrote about ICE and the fear of getting deported. Gay marriage for safety? Donˋt told me this book is not a five-star.
And of course some things were not perfect, the end was kinda simple for all the problems, but in a way, it was the only possible solution, I just wanted for someone to lose her job or something. Also, i wish the family dynamic with kenny was sprained a little bit more. Something felt off with his family, but the interactions were always short. 

Anyway, to end this long review, this is actually an ALC review, I got the audiobook from netgally longtime ago, but I said it was really hard to read. 
So, what did I think of the audiobook?  Well, it was amazing, It just gave a different experience, and the narrators chose were perfect. They showed so much emotion, I don't know if that helped with the tw, but it definitely helped in making the experience more enjoyable and the shock of every scene more perfect. I suggest giving it a try. It may be one of those audiobooks I recommend to start getting into the format. 

But that's it. Thank you so much for the ALC. This was clearly an honest review, and I can't wait to read more from the author.