Review by Booklist Review
Lee's debut follows trans teen Noah, who just wants to provide positive representation for his community. Noah runs a blog of fictional meet-cute stories involving trans people. But he presents them as real-life stories, and he gets into trouble when someone online points out the inconsistencies that could prove the blog is fake. Now, Noah's only chance to rescue his blog is to fake-date cute barista Drew--because surely there's no way for that to go wrong. Through adept plotting and dialogue, Lee takes themes like control, self-advocacy, healthy relationships, and tucks them in with a surprise twist on the fake-dating trope. Full of deliciously flawed characters, this debut draws readers through to a satisfying end while leaving open a few realistic questions. Noah's straightforward voice helps broaden mainstream literature by offering a matter-of-fact perspective on gender identity. Fans of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (2015) and lovers of traditional rom-com tropes will eat this fun and engaging novel up.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Noah Ramirez, a trans 16-year-old who is Japanese, Afro-Caribbean, and white, is spending the summer with his older brother, a college student in Denver, before moving from Florida to California. Noah plans to work on his wildly popular Meet Cute Diary blog, "designed to bring love to trans kids in need," where he posts meet-cute stories. It's his main focus in life, but it's also fake: he writes all the posts himself, while letting readers believe they're submitted anonymously. When an online troll catches on to Noah's ruse, he and a handsome reader, cisgender Drew, who is white, fake the perfect relationship to prove the blog's legitimacy. Through an unlikely friendship with sweet, grounded Devin, who is Cuban American, asexual, and experimenting with pronouns, Noah--initially self-centered and standoffish--learns to value communication and empathy, resulting in a satisfying character arc. It's unclear why Noah's having a boyfriend will persuade his audience of the Diary's legitimacy, but plenty of humor and an honest portrayal of the hard work that a successful relationship requires buoy Lee's hope-filled debut. Ages 14--up. Agent: Claire Draper, the Bent Agency. (May)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--Lee's #OwnVoices debut is a butterflies-inducing rom-com. Mere weeks after coming out to his parents, trans teen Noah Ramirez finds himself spending summer with his college-student brother in Denver. Surrounded by beautiful trees, mountains, and boys, Noah writes embellished trans love stories based on real-life encounters for his viral blog "Meet Cute Diary." A failed job interview reacquaints Noah with Drew (aka "Ice Cream Shop Guy"), who calls Noah out for featuring him on the blog twice. When Noah explains the truth about the blog, Drew agrees to pretend to date him--including taking photos--to help keep internet trolls at bay. Their pretending "for the Diary" quickly becomes real, but when Noah gets a job at a camp, he also grows close to his coworker Devin (who is nonbinary and asexual) and tensions arise. With his best friend and confidante Becca long-distance and MIA, what is a boy to do? Structured around Noah's "Twelve Steps to the Perfect Relationship" framework, Lee's writing smartly and reverently serves as a rom-com metanarrative. The characters are sharply drawn and their rich relationships run the gamut between familial, platonic, and romantic love. Though not without a few transphobic gaffes, the vast majority of characters notably accept and respect the fluidity of individuals' pronouns and identities. Noah is white, Japanese, and Afro-Caribbean. Drew is white and Devin is Cuban. VERDICT Adorable, heartfelt, and affirming, this is a must-purchase for all collections serving teens.--Alec Chunn, Eugene P.L., OR
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A transgender boy in love with the idea of falling in love charts a course for the ultimate relationship to save his viral blog from a troll attack. Noah Ramirez, a Japanese, White, and Afro-Caribbean 16-year-old, is stuck in Denver with his college-age brother while his parents relocate from Florida to California. He plans to spend his summer exploring selfie-worthy shops as inspiration for his popular blog, a diary of clandestine, romantic, first trans love encounters. Reality hits him hard when his mom insists he get a job and a troll targets his blog with true accusations that his stories are fake. As Noah's readership plummets, a seemingly perfect solution presents itself in the form of a gorgeous, White, cisgender boy who volunteers to fake date Noah in order to save the blog. Throughout the narrative, Noah demonstrates significant character growth: He begins the story naïve and self-absorbed but learns through his mistakes how to set boundaries, identify his needs in a relationship, and be a more supportive friend. The book's explorations of gender identity and sexuality stand out for important representation of questioning and nonlinear self-discovery; one of the primary characters, an asexual, nonbinary, Cuban teen, tries out multiple labels and pronouns. High emotional tension and mounting stakes maintain a page-turning momentum. While the coming-of-age story awakens Noah to a less fluffy side of romantic relationships, the resolution is loving and hopeful. A heart-swelling debut. (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
