I feel terrible about how much I just did not like this book at all, and very awkward in saying so as it’s being read by loads of people currently to fulfill the Spring Readalong. I want to blame my dislike on not being in the mood for it, but that’s honestly not it.

🟢 SA Cosby can write just fine. I saw a lot of complaints about that, but I’m honestly going to say those people may not be familiar with southern colloquialism. 🟢 I admire what he was trying to do here, really. I like that we’re getting more books of.. acceptance? But I don’t like that it’s always too little, too late, and related to violence and tragedy. Just once I want an LGBT book that isn’t romance or brutal.

🔴 Could not stand all of the clichés. I really couldn’t. There are so many damn lines in here that I’m sure I’ve heard in about fifty action driven TV shows. Everything meant to sound tough or deep caused an eye roll. 🔴 Plot armor.. eugh. 🔴 I have never, ever, done this with any book. But when it came to the second? third? fight scene, I just started skipping pages. Not skimming, straight up skipping, lol. And I didn’t miss a single thing in doing so. We get it, we have Billy Badass and Tommy Toughknuckles over here. 🔴 I think the want for disputing bigotry is disputed when racial stereotypes are still perpetuated throughout the book. Likewise with LGBT youth. This is a sensitive subject, but even the “you’re black, I’m white, he’s gay, she’s trans…? No way, we’re actually all alike in the end!” is just done so poorly. Again it just felt like every “unmatched buddy cop,” TV show or story ever. I really couldn’t stand it or the fight scenes, and I did not become attached to a single character. 🔴 Oh, that character was behind their deaths? You don’t say. I didn’t predict that 100 pages ago or anything.

I admire what it was trying to do. The writing is fine. Everything else..? Sorry.