E-Audio, 08:24:07
Narrated by: Logan Rozos
Release Date: May 5, 2020
Published by: Balzer + Bray
Read from: June 30-July 2, 2020
Stand-alone
Source: Library (Overdrive)
TW: Transphobia, Being Outed, Cyber-bullying, Drug Usage
For fans of: Romance, LGBTQIAP+, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, YA, POC, POC MC, POC on CoverFrom Stonewall and Lambda Award-winning author Kacen Callender comes a revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time.
Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after.
When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle….
But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.
Felix Ever After is an honest and layered story about identity, falling in love, and recognizing the love you deserve.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I needed this book in my hand as soon as I saw the cover. I still say this is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. A BIPOC Queer Demi boy with scars from top surgery. I sat and stared at it before I even pressed play on my computer. If you’re worried that the inside isn’t as beautiful as the outside, trust me, you have nothing to worry about.
Felix has never been in love. He fears his intersectionality is part of the reason why. Especially when a student starts bullying him by posting old pictures of him and using his dead name in public. Felix goes for revenge and finds himself in a strange love triangle that he never saw coming. Through all of this, he’s still trying to find out what he wants and who he is.
This was the most real story I’ve read in a long time. I found myself sucked into and I couldn’t put it down. The author does a fantastic job of giving you a glimpse into Felix’s head. I can’t even explain how I connected with him. I had angry tears at the outing part but I also got so happy at other parts of the book. I don’t remember the last time I was that into a story.
Although I did like the writing style, I did have to skip over some of it. I don’t care for teens using drugs (my young cousin OD’ed a few years back) and although I know it’s something that happens, I don’t like reading it. Normally I would have DNF’ed it, but I was so into it I decided to just skip over it. That’s how I knew I loved it.
As for the romance, it really felt authentic. The bumps and bruises along the way like any romance, made me sad and frustrated that they didn’t get there right away. I knew who it was going to be from the moment that person was introduced. I was so happy to see them get their HEA that I actually cheered at the end lol
This is one of the times that I was happy that I judged a book by it’s cover. The inside was just as beautiful as the outside! From the romance, to the characters, to the writing style, it all felt so authentic and amazing. This will end up on my favorite YA romance lists of the year for sure.
Overall, I give this
Have you read this? Do you want to? What do you think of the cover? Let me know in the comments!