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If It Makes You Happy
High school finally behind her, Winnie is all set to attend college in the fall. But first she's spending her summer days working at her granny’s diner and begins spending her midnights with Dallas—the boy she loves to hate and hates that she likes. Winnie lives in Misty Haven, a small town where secrets are impossible to keep—like when Winnie allegedly snaps on Dr. Skinner, which results in everyone feeling compelled to give her weight loss advice for her own good. Because they care that’s she’s “too fat.”
Winnie dreams of someday inheriting the diner—but it'll go away if they can't make money, and fast. Winnie has a solution—win a televised cooking competition and make bank. But Granny doesn't want her to enter—so Winnie has to find a way around her formidable grandmother. Can she come out on top?
Winnie dreams of someday inheriting the diner—but it'll go away if they can't make money, and fast. Winnie has a solution—win a televised cooking competition and make bank. But Granny doesn't want her to enter—so Winnie has to find a way around her formidable grandmother. Can she come out on top?
340 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
June 18, 2019
Buzzword A Thon
Thank you Swoon Reads & Claire Kann for sending me this ARC!
This book just wasn't for me, which is a shame because I was super excited to read this. From pretty much the first chapter I wasn't feeling it. I didn't like Winnie the main character, she's just insufferable and I couldn't wait to be out of her life. Kara her "ungirlfriend" which WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT! was awful. I didn't understand what Winnie & Kara's relationship was suppose to be, they seemed like best friends but at one point they are described as having a QueerPlatonic relationship but isn't just friendship? I literally have no clue and trying to figure it out pulled me out of the story.
The only people in the book I did like were Dallas the male love interest, who was precious but I didn't want him with Winnie. I also really liked Winnie's grandmother but the book wanted her to be the bad guy. Winnie treated her grandmother like garbage but we were suppose to think Winnie was in the right but I just wanted to punch her for being a disrespectful little spoiled brat.
I'm really disappointed that I hated this book so much because I wanted to read Claire Kann's previous book Let's Talk About Love but now I have no desire to ever read it.
I'm sure I'm going to be in the minority with this book but
YIKES!
Not for me!
Thank you Swoon Reads & Claire Kann for sending me this ARC!
This book just wasn't for me, which is a shame because I was super excited to read this. From pretty much the first chapter I wasn't feeling it. I didn't like Winnie the main character, she's just insufferable and I couldn't wait to be out of her life. Kara her "ungirlfriend" which WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT! was awful. I didn't understand what Winnie & Kara's relationship was suppose to be, they seemed like best friends but at one point they are described as having a QueerPlatonic relationship but isn't just friendship? I literally have no clue and trying to figure it out pulled me out of the story.
The only people in the book I did like were Dallas the male love interest, who was precious but I didn't want him with Winnie. I also really liked Winnie's grandmother but the book wanted her to be the bad guy. Winnie treated her grandmother like garbage but we were suppose to think Winnie was in the right but I just wanted to punch her for being a disrespectful little spoiled brat.
I'm really disappointed that I hated this book so much because I wanted to read Claire Kann's previous book Let's Talk About Love but now I have no desire to ever read it.
I'm sure I'm going to be in the minority with this book but
YIKES!
Not for me!
June 26, 2020
5 stars!
I LOVED THIS. I wish this had existed when I was in high school. The girl I was could have used this happy, hopeful book.
Main character: ★★★★★
Humor: ★★★★★
Romance: ★★★★★
The ending: maybe controversial, but I LOVED the ending in particular
Winnie is ready for another summer spent in her grandma's small-town diner, waiting on tables and hanging out with her ungirlfriend. She's comfortable in her space, in her life, and she's just waiting of for the summer's good times to come before she goes off to college.
But the summer has other plans for Winnie.
First off, their small town's annual Queen selection (where one resident is chosen as "Queen" for the summer and has a volunteer "King" to attend events with) takes a twist. Winnie, who didn't enter and hates public speaking, wins. She's a plus-size black girl in a small town, and she DID NOT ask for the spotlight. But when it's thrust on her, there's no choice.
And then things get even more interesting when Dallas, one of the most attractive boys in town, volunteers to be her King.
Winnie and Kara, two partners who refer to themselves as ungirlfriends—also mentioned as "Queerplatonic" in the novel—now have to navigate the complexities of romance, friendship, bonds, and what it means for Winnie, who's attracted to Dallas, and Kara, who isn't sexually interested in anyone but is bonded to Winnie, to deal with the new layers to their life.
My thoughts:
I have literally nothing negative to say, besides one tiny tiny spoiler: Outside of the spoiler, I loved LITERALLY everything about this story. I loved the positive fat girl representation. I loved Winnie's strong sense of self, her purpose, her drive, and her unwillingness to compromise her moral compass for the weak personalities around her.
I also loved the romantic relationships and navigation of queerplatonic (which I learned for this book!) and, in a way, discussions of polyamory and the extremely different permutations of what that looks like. I also loved the strong happy messages at work in this novel. AND, before I devolve into endless streams of "love this love this love this," I also loved the negotiation of families, and how sometimes... you both can grow out of family and realize that family isn't the be all, end all. Very deftly done.
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I LOVED THIS. I wish this had existed when I was in high school. The girl I was could have used this happy, hopeful book.
Main character: ★★★★★
Humor: ★★★★★
Romance: ★★★★★
The ending: maybe controversial, but I LOVED the ending in particular
Winnie is ready for another summer spent in her grandma's small-town diner, waiting on tables and hanging out with her ungirlfriend. She's comfortable in her space, in her life, and she's just waiting of for the summer's good times to come before she goes off to college.
But the summer has other plans for Winnie.
First off, their small town's annual Queen selection (where one resident is chosen as "Queen" for the summer and has a volunteer "King" to attend events with) takes a twist. Winnie, who didn't enter and hates public speaking, wins. She's a plus-size black girl in a small town, and she DID NOT ask for the spotlight. But when it's thrust on her, there's no choice.
And then things get even more interesting when Dallas, one of the most attractive boys in town, volunteers to be her King.
Winnie and Kara, two partners who refer to themselves as ungirlfriends—also mentioned as "Queerplatonic" in the novel—now have to navigate the complexities of romance, friendship, bonds, and what it means for Winnie, who's attracted to Dallas, and Kara, who isn't sexually interested in anyone but is bonded to Winnie, to deal with the new layers to their life.
My thoughts:
I have literally nothing negative to say, besides one tiny tiny spoiler: Outside of the spoiler, I loved LITERALLY everything about this story. I loved the positive fat girl representation. I loved Winnie's strong sense of self, her purpose, her drive, and her unwillingness to compromise her moral compass for the weak personalities around her.
I also loved the romantic relationships and navigation of queerplatonic (which I learned for this book!) and, in a way, discussions of polyamory and the extremely different permutations of what that looks like. I also loved the strong happy messages at work in this novel. AND, before I devolve into endless streams of "love this love this love this," I also loved the negotiation of families, and how sometimes... you both can grow out of family and realize that family isn't the be all, end all. Very deftly done.
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April 27, 2020
Claire Kann’s second novel was relatable to me in many ways. I appreciated Winnie’s struggle for acceptance from her family and people around her. To be a Black, queer fat woman is to be subjected to endless microagressions and silencing tactics all the time. Especially within Black families, when elders think they’re right because they’re older. The strife between Winnie and her Granny resonated so hard, as I had a similar relationship with my grandparents growing up.
I also enjoyed reading about Winnie’s relationship with her brother Winston. That was my favorite thing about this book. The fierceness of Winnie’s love and support for him was so heartening. I loved all their little moments of support and unwavering protection of one another.
Unfortunately, the bulk of this story centered around a thruple, which was not conveyed in any of the snippets I’d seen of this book. I may have hesitated to read this if I’d known because polyam relationships and conflicts don’t really interest me. I found Winnie’s....ungirlfriend (?) Kara to be obnoxious and manipulative. While this conflict was addressed in the book, I didn’t appreciate that Winnie was so easily forgiving and did a lot of Kara’s emotional work (especially considering Winnie is Black and Kara is white.) I liked Dallas, all around good boy and Misty Haven King, but felt that his and Winnie’s developing relationship was centered around him being forced to accept the jealousies and rigid terms of Kara and Winnie’s vaguely defined queerplatonic friendship.
I tried to be sympathetic towards the growing and learning theme that’s ubiquitous in YA cus that’s the point right, but honestly a lot about how Kara treated Dallas and her immaturity towards communicating with Winnie doesn’t sit right with me. It didn’t seem realistic or fair for Dallas to feel like things were as hunky dory as Kann portrayed them to be at the end.
Considering all the themes packed into this book, Kann has done a great job of writing a sweet, snarky, and perfectly summery follow up to Let’s Talk About Love (which I absolutely adore.) I wish I could’ve given it a higher rating, but nonetheless Winnie’s personal journey (without all the relationship drama) makes it worth the read.
October 25, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up
Another book I have mixed feelings on. I love that this book is tackling anti-fat bias, fatphobia, polyamory, and queer platonic partnerships. I don't think I've ever seen a QPP in a YA book before and clearly that is confusing the hell out of some reviewers. I like the project of this, centering Winnie, a queer, fat Black girl coming of age and balancing her "ungirlfriend" with a crush on a boy and lots of family drama. This book isn't afraid to get into the messiness of human relationships, communication, jealousy, and standing up for yourself. The main character is a bit of a people pleaser who needs to learn how to thoughtfully advocate for her wants and needs, and then stand her ground.
That said, I think part of why some reviewers call the QPP she's committed to a co-dependent friendship is because there really are some toxic elements to that dynamic. Winnie pushes for open communication but Kara has done some messed up things and refuses to talk about it. I felt like her actions were a much bigger betrayal of trust than how they were handled on page. I also think they seem very young for the level of commitment they have to each other. I like that there is a YA book showing the validity of this kind of partnership, but the maturity isn't really there. Like I come away from this thinking, these relationships are not going to last long term but offer a good place for learning and growth. I would have preferred to see all of that handled a bit differently, but I do think there is a lot of value here.
The way the author handled anti-fat bias and fatphobia was AMAZING! I wish this had existed when I was growing up because she really nails it and it's wonderful to see someone happy in their skin and dealing maturely with external ideas and opinions. The audiobook narration is pretty good, not a standout but good. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Another book I have mixed feelings on. I love that this book is tackling anti-fat bias, fatphobia, polyamory, and queer platonic partnerships. I don't think I've ever seen a QPP in a YA book before and clearly that is confusing the hell out of some reviewers. I like the project of this, centering Winnie, a queer, fat Black girl coming of age and balancing her "ungirlfriend" with a crush on a boy and lots of family drama. This book isn't afraid to get into the messiness of human relationships, communication, jealousy, and standing up for yourself. The main character is a bit of a people pleaser who needs to learn how to thoughtfully advocate for her wants and needs, and then stand her ground.
That said, I think part of why some reviewers call the QPP she's committed to a co-dependent friendship is because there really are some toxic elements to that dynamic. Winnie pushes for open communication but Kara has done some messed up things and refuses to talk about it. I felt like her actions were a much bigger betrayal of trust than how they were handled on page. I also think they seem very young for the level of commitment they have to each other. I like that there is a YA book showing the validity of this kind of partnership, but the maturity isn't really there. Like I come away from this thinking, these relationships are not going to last long term but offer a good place for learning and growth. I would have preferred to see all of that handled a bit differently, but I do think there is a lot of value here.
The way the author handled anti-fat bias and fatphobia was AMAZING! I wish this had existed when I was growing up because she really nails it and it's wonderful to see someone happy in their skin and dealing maturely with external ideas and opinions. The audiobook narration is pretty good, not a standout but good. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
June 13, 2019
I was super psyched about this book because I absolutely LOVED Let's Talk About Love. I was super psyched over the cover which is all kinds of #BlackGirlMagic feels!!! A fat Black girl with a huge smile, braids and a look that has zero fucks to give in regards to how other people want to define her? Honey, I'm here for it!
To be honest, this book felt disjointed to me. Winnie, the heroine, was all over the place. Despite the title, it seemed that she spent a great deal of the book making other people happy at her own expense. The few moments she stepped out of that role, it seemed someone always pushed her back into it. She seemed to explain herself way too much for things I didn't think she needed to. While she accepted her fatness and, in an epic takedown of a concern trolling doctor, she also allowed herself to end up jogging with her cousin because of guilt in not having "a thing" the two of them do together.
It felt like two Winnies at odds with each other, which could have worked but didn't. I will say that Kann is brilliant at showcasing Black families in a relatable and positive way. Winnie's family is like a lot of Black families the media never chooses to cover - smart, loving, close-knit. I loved how her parents playfully blamed Winnie's penchant for speaking her mind on the other. My parents did the same.
My biggest dislike was her "ungirlfriend" Kara, whom much like Feenie from the previous novel, didn't understand or accept boundaries. Her excuse as to why she behaved the way she did really rankled. I hated how Winnie had to basically be the adult despite the fact the two of them had talked out exactly what their relationship would be like. I hated how Winnie tried to include her in the new dynamic that came along, only for Kara to behave selfishly.
The saddest relationship was that between Winnie and her grandmother. The two of them were more alike than not, but her grandmother was unyielding to the point of selfishness. I'd hoped these two would mend the rift.
There was a lot to like about If It Makes You Happy, especially the queer Black/PoC rep, which is still way sadly lacking in YA and adult fiction. As I said, this felt disjointed to me, but I definitely plan to re-read it.
To be honest, this book felt disjointed to me. Winnie, the heroine, was all over the place. Despite the title, it seemed that she spent a great deal of the book making other people happy at her own expense. The few moments she stepped out of that role, it seemed someone always pushed her back into it. She seemed to explain herself way too much for things I didn't think she needed to. While she accepted her fatness and, in an epic takedown of a concern trolling doctor, she also allowed herself to end up jogging with her cousin because of guilt in not having "a thing" the two of them do together.
It felt like two Winnies at odds with each other, which could have worked but didn't. I will say that Kann is brilliant at showcasing Black families in a relatable and positive way. Winnie's family is like a lot of Black families the media never chooses to cover - smart, loving, close-knit. I loved how her parents playfully blamed Winnie's penchant for speaking her mind on the other. My parents did the same.
My biggest dislike was her "ungirlfriend" Kara, whom much like Feenie from the previous novel, didn't understand or accept boundaries. Her excuse as to why she behaved the way she did really rankled. I hated how Winnie had to basically be the adult despite the fact the two of them had talked out exactly what their relationship would be like. I hated how Winnie tried to include her in the new dynamic that came along, only for Kara to behave selfishly.
The saddest relationship was that between Winnie and her grandmother. The two of them were more alike than not, but her grandmother was unyielding to the point of selfishness. I'd hoped these two would mend the rift.
There was a lot to like about If It Makes You Happy, especially the queer Black/PoC rep, which is still way sadly lacking in YA and adult fiction. As I said, this felt disjointed to me, but I definitely plan to re-read it.
August 8, 2022
Wow. I loved this a lot. I had so many thoughts and have so much to say about this one. RTC!
Rep: Black fat polyamorous bisexual cis female MC, white aroace cis female side character in a QPR with the MC, Black cishet male side character, Black cis male side character with asthma, Black cishet female side character with unnamed disabilities (chronic pain and cane use mentioned), various Black side characters.
CWs: Fatphobia, discussions of forced dieting and exercise, arophobia/aromisia, body shaming, medicalizing fatness, toxic relationship (familial: grandparent/MC), gaslighting, abandonment, ageism. Minor: sexism, misogyny (specifically misogynoir), racism, bullying, general queerphobia/queermisia, classism.
Rep: Black fat polyamorous bisexual cis female MC, white aroace cis female side character in a QPR with the MC, Black cishet male side character, Black cis male side character with asthma, Black cishet female side character with unnamed disabilities (chronic pain and cane use mentioned), various Black side characters.
CWs: Fatphobia, discussions of forced dieting and exercise, arophobia/aromisia, body shaming, medicalizing fatness, toxic relationship (familial: grandparent/MC), gaslighting, abandonment, ageism. Minor: sexism, misogyny (specifically misogynoir), racism, bullying, general queerphobia/queermisia, classism.
June 16, 2019
Tender and relatable on so many levels.
I love the subtleties of this book. Just ace peeps being ace and living their lives without turning this book into an educational primer on the ace spectrum. I appreciated the storyline with the grandmother. Family dynamics are hard, and it's so important to learn to draw your boundaries and be your own person, and that's okay. I'm so glad teens get an opportunity to see that with this book.
I love the subtleties of this book. Just ace peeps being ace and living their lives without turning this book into an educational primer on the ace spectrum. I appreciated the storyline with the grandmother. Family dynamics are hard, and it's so important to learn to draw your boundaries and be your own person, and that's okay. I'm so glad teens get an opportunity to see that with this book.
December 30, 2019
'If It Makes You Happy', made Me happy. I loved this book. I loved the relationships with her family, friends, un-girlfriend. I loved how they were messy, and complicated, and didn't always do the right thing. The plot was a little messy though. This review is going to be so long, and I genuinely don't know how, but watch this review get way too long for human eyes.
➽Working At Goldeen's - Winnie, and her brother + cousin work at Goldeen's over the summer. It's a family run restaurant and it was started by her grandmother. I didn't this was such a bad aspect, considering it was a good route for how discussions of weight her addressed in the book, but it did take up more space than it probably should have.
➽Cooking Competition - This had absolutely no weight in the story apart from in the first and last 50 or so pages. Did I cry? Yes. Yes, I did.
➽Running - She also goes running with her cousin and brother. This is also a good doorway for discussions of weight and fatphobia, as well as a nice way for Winnie to spend time with her cousin.
➽Relationships - As well as all that, there was also somehow time to have complex and wonderful relationships with everyone in the novel; which I'll get to in a moment.
The plot was just a little,,, unrefined? And didn't have enough time for everything.
➽Winston - chef, black, asthma, Winnie's brother. Throughout the novel, he develops this sense of,,, finally finding the freedom to kind of do what he wants. That includes cooking, which is one of his key character developments. Also! His and Winnie's sibling relationship! One of the best! Or possibly best! I've L I T E R A L L Y ever read. Ever.
➽Sam - runner, 'quirky', Winnie and Winston's cousin. Throughout the novel, she's kinda seen as a naughty puppy. You love them, but your frustrated with them, and you barely tolerate them. Plus, Sam wants to have a thing she does with Winnie, and she picks running, so all three of them go for runs in the morning which is like 'their thing'. She's such a sweet character
➽Dallas - Dallas becomes close with Winnie through unforeseen circumstances, and their relationship is great. The click in such a great way, and even Winnie acknowledges that she's only ever clicked like this with Kara.
➽Granny - Sam, Winnie, and Winston's grandmother. She's very manipulative, and basically forces Winnie on a diet. She owns Goldeen's.
The location was stunning. I loved the restaurant, and the descriptions of said restaurant and the small town setting.(because I'm a sap). Winnie and Winston are the greatest. They are Peak Sibling. They would literally do anything for each other, and I pulled some amazing quotes about them during my read.
I really loved how messy and complex Kara and Winnie and Dallas' relationship's are with each other. How Kara and Winnie want to be un-girlfriends, but Winnie might want a romantic relationship with Dallas, but Kara having feelings of jealousy makes working out a relationship being hard. Even at the end, their relationships weren't defined (I mean, this being the person with the quote above about queerness and umbrellas). It was messy and perfect.I keep using the word messy sorry.
Claire Kann is officially a favourite author of mine, especially after this and Let's Talk About Love. This is the perfect summer read, and since it's summer in the Southern Hemisphere, it was the perfect read to finish a week before Christmas!
Trigger and Content Warning: talk of diseases and medical conditions, talk of depression, talk of infertility, talk of cheating, talk of death, racism, alcohol consumption, fatphobia, institutionalised fatphobia, panic attack, toxic masculinity, talk of misogyny, emotional abuse, physically pushing a loved on into something they don't want to do (idk how to explain that better), ageism, diet talk, toxic relationship with a family member, talk of abuse, asthma attack, talk of police shooting, threats to kick out a minor
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I just wrote out my notes and stuff. And it's going to be so long. Like longer than Fangirl probably. Which is crazy, cause normally my long reviews are of books I disliked. So this review will come soon-ish. Maybe Boxing Day?(please don't hold me to that)
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I finally finished this, and let me tell you, it has one of my fav quotes of 2019 and it was related to queerness so RTC!
➽Working At Goldeen's - Winnie, and her brother + cousin work at Goldeen's over the summer. It's a family run restaurant and it was started by her grandmother. I didn't this was such a bad aspect, considering it was a good route for how discussions of weight her addressed in the book, but it did take up more space than it probably should have.
'There'd been two queens before. Two kings as well. There'd even been two kings and a queen... one of the wildest summers I've ever had in Haven Central. A veritable all-you-can-eat, I'm nosy as hell and don't know how to mind my own business buffet. Good old polyamory had won that year➽Pageant - On the blurb it mentions how Winnie wins the pageant, so she has all these duties round town with her king/queen. So that also took up space, and it was a good entrance for one of the main characters.
➽Cooking Competition - This had absolutely no weight in the story apart from in the first and last 50 or so pages. Did I cry? Yes. Yes, I did.
➽Running - She also goes running with her cousin and brother. This is also a good doorway for discussions of weight and fatphobia, as well as a nice way for Winnie to spend time with her cousin.
➽Relationships - As well as all that, there was also somehow time to have complex and wonderful relationships with everyone in the novel; which I'll get to in a moment.
The plot was just a little,,, unrefined? And didn't have enough time for everything.
"I didn't fit in one perfect box. Boys? Check. Girls? Check. Did gender really matter to me? Eh, probably not. Calling myself queer felt like standing under a kind strangers umbrella in an unexpected rainstorm. I might not use it forever, but at the moment, it was exactly what I needed.➽Winnie - queer, poly, what I consider touch repulsion, black, plus-sized, the MC. I absolutely loved her. She was such a complex character, with complicated relationships with everyone below. She was just,,, so good!
➽Winston - chef, black, asthma, Winnie's brother. Throughout the novel, he develops this sense of,,, finally finding the freedom to kind of do what he wants. That includes cooking, which is one of his key character developments. Also! His and Winnie's sibling relationship! One of the best! Or possibly best! I've L I T E R A L L Y ever read. Ever.
➽Sam - runner, 'quirky', Winnie and Winston's cousin. Throughout the novel, she's kinda seen as a naughty puppy. You love them, but your frustrated with them, and you barely tolerate them. Plus, Sam wants to have a thing she does with Winnie, and she picks running, so all three of them go for runs in the morning which is like 'their thing'. She's such a sweet character
"'I'll be damned if I let anyone refer to me as 'zucchini'. So Kara had given it a new name and then gave it to me"➽Kara -baker, I'm not sure if her identity is ever said but probably aro-spec, but definitely queer, Winnie's un-girlfriend, which to sum up is like a Queer Platonic Relationship. Kara, throughout the novel, manages to sort of work through her jealousy of another character, and both her and Winnie acknowledge that she has screwed up, which is like 'peak' for development.
➽Dallas - Dallas becomes close with Winnie through unforeseen circumstances, and their relationship is great. The click in such a great way, and even Winnie acknowledges that she's only ever clicked like this with Kara.
➽Granny - Sam, Winnie, and Winston's grandmother. She's very manipulative, and basically forces Winnie on a diet. She owns Goldeen's.
The location was stunning. I loved the restaurant, and the descriptions of said restaurant and the small town setting.
"First and foremost in life, I was a sister - Winston's big sister. I lost all semblance of civility and loyalty at the slightest hint of my brother in distressI just want to expand on siblings
"It was simply food to me, and I had worked hard to see it that way. Balance mattered. Enjoyment mattered. But most important, choice mattered. And I didn't want anyone choosing what went inside my body except for me.All the institutionalised fatphobia, and talks of fatphobia were really,,, provocative. How healthy somebody is, can't be immediately derived from how big they look, despite how biased someone may be, especially (unfortunately) Doctors. How a person who is super skinny can't walk up a flight of stairs without being winded.
I really loved how messy and complex Kara and Winnie and Dallas' relationship's are with each other. How Kara and Winnie want to be un-girlfriends, but Winnie might want a romantic relationship with Dallas, but Kara having feelings of jealousy makes working out a relationship being hard. Even at the end, their relationships weren't defined (I mean, this being the person with the quote above about queerness and umbrellas). It was messy and perfect.
Claire Kann is officially a favourite author of mine, especially after this and Let's Talk About Love. This is the perfect summer read, and since it's summer in the Southern Hemisphere, it was the perfect read to finish a week before Christmas!
Trigger and Content Warning: talk of diseases and medical conditions, talk of depression, talk of infertility, talk of cheating, talk of death, racism, alcohol consumption, fatphobia, institutionalised fatphobia, panic attack, toxic masculinity, talk of misogyny, emotional abuse, physically pushing a loved on into something they don't want to do (idk how to explain that better), ageism, diet talk, toxic relationship with a family member, talk of abuse, asthma attack, talk of police shooting, threats to kick out a minor
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I just wrote out my notes and stuff. And it's going to be so long. Like longer than Fangirl probably. Which is crazy, cause normally my long reviews are of books I disliked. So this review will come soon-ish. Maybe Boxing Day?
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I finally finished this, and let me tell you, it has one of my fav quotes of 2019 and it was related to queerness so RTC!
May 21, 2020
Actual rating: 2.5
I feel pretty conflicted about this book, and I'm so sad about that. I loved Let's Talk About Love, as it was one of the first books where I saw asexuality represented, so I had really high hopes for this one. And I really loved the first part of the book, which was very promising, but then it all sort of went downhill for me.
The good:
- The main character, Winnie. She's truly amazing: a well-rounded, flawed and very interesting character. I really loved the rep, especially because of her confidence about any and all of her identities.
- The representation is absolutely fantastic. It's unlike any I've seen before, and I truly loved it. I thought it was especially wonderful that the main character was already in an established QPR at the start of the book.
- The focus on friendship and family, and the message that no type of relationship is superior to others. This book just really centers the message that romantic love is not inherently better than platonic love, and that the only thing that matters is your decision to commit to someone. I especially loved Winnie's relationship with her brother.
- The setting of the book. This book is set in a small town, where Winnie always spends her summers in her grandmother's diner. It gave me real Gilmore Girls vibes, and it just had so much potential for a wonderful summer read.
- The writing. I loved how focused the book was on Winnie herself, and how introspective it was.
The less good:
- The pacing of this book was often choppy. We'd start a new chapter, and it would be completely unclear what the context was. There was no natural flow or logical transition a lot of the time.
- The plot was... confusing. I think this is partly due to the pacing, but it was also just really messy. Of course the plot is very much secondary to the characters here, this being a character driven novel, but still, something needs to actually happen. And actually, quite a lot of things did, but they never really led to much. They weren't described in depth, and ultimately, the book felt like one long introduction to an unfinished story.
- Aside from Winnie, none of the characters were really fleshed out, and I would have really liked to get to know them better, because that would have made Winnie's motivations more clear as well. We know she loves Kara, but we never truly see why. We also know that she likes Dallas, but we never really learn much about him, either. Even Winnie's family has pretty vague characteristics, mostly limited to a few interests, and I thought this was a real shame.
So in the end, there was a lot in this book that really spoke to me. But I'm really sad to say I didn't love it overall, because it was just too messy of a book for me to be able to truly enjoy it. It feels a bit like I've read a draft of a book rather than a finished novel, and I think it could have done with more editing, if I'm very honest.
Rep: Black fat polyamorous queer MC in an open QPR, aroace side character (not confirmed on page), several Black side characters
CWs: racism, fatphobia, emotionally abusive grandparent
I feel pretty conflicted about this book, and I'm so sad about that. I loved Let's Talk About Love, as it was one of the first books where I saw asexuality represented, so I had really high hopes for this one. And I really loved the first part of the book, which was very promising, but then it all sort of went downhill for me.
The good:
- The main character, Winnie. She's truly amazing: a well-rounded, flawed and very interesting character. I really loved the rep, especially because of her confidence about any and all of her identities.
- The representation is absolutely fantastic. It's unlike any I've seen before, and I truly loved it. I thought it was especially wonderful that the main character was already in an established QPR at the start of the book.
- The focus on friendship and family, and the message that no type of relationship is superior to others. This book just really centers the message that romantic love is not inherently better than platonic love, and that the only thing that matters is your decision to commit to someone. I especially loved Winnie's relationship with her brother.
- The setting of the book. This book is set in a small town, where Winnie always spends her summers in her grandmother's diner. It gave me real Gilmore Girls vibes, and it just had so much potential for a wonderful summer read.
- The writing. I loved how focused the book was on Winnie herself, and how introspective it was.
The less good:
- The pacing of this book was often choppy. We'd start a new chapter, and it would be completely unclear what the context was. There was no natural flow or logical transition a lot of the time.
- The plot was... confusing. I think this is partly due to the pacing, but it was also just really messy. Of course the plot is very much secondary to the characters here, this being a character driven novel, but still, something needs to actually happen. And actually, quite a lot of things did, but they never really led to much. They weren't described in depth, and ultimately, the book felt like one long introduction to an unfinished story.
- Aside from Winnie, none of the characters were really fleshed out, and I would have really liked to get to know them better, because that would have made Winnie's motivations more clear as well. We know she loves Kara, but we never truly see why. We also know that she likes Dallas, but we never really learn much about him, either. Even Winnie's family has pretty vague characteristics, mostly limited to a few interests, and I thought this was a real shame.
So in the end, there was a lot in this book that really spoke to me. But I'm really sad to say I didn't love it overall, because it was just too messy of a book for me to be able to truly enjoy it. It feels a bit like I've read a draft of a book rather than a finished novel, and I think it could have done with more editing, if I'm very honest.
Rep: Black fat polyamorous queer MC in an open QPR, aroace side character (not confirmed on page), several Black side characters
CWs: racism, fatphobia, emotionally abusive grandparent
Want to read
July 10, 2019eeeep the author of a favorite book of mine where all kinds of representation is done superbly is writing another book!!
Shelved as 'maybe'
March 26, 2019ARC kindly provided by Pan Macmillan Australia in exchange for an honest review.
y'all this is the first physical arc i've ever been sent ahhhhhhh let's go
January 29, 2021
I'll be honest, I was a little bored. If you asked me what this book is about, I wouldn't be able to tell you (and yes, I did read it). The book starts off as being about our main character being crowned Summer Queen against her will, but that plot quickly gets discarded. We didn't really see anything about that summer festival, except for a few very short scenes here and there. Instead, we mostly follow Winnie as she is going about her summer.
But don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it.
I grew attached to the characters, especially Winnie. I felt for her in a way I hadn't anticipated. Winnie is fierce and I admire her for it.
But my favorite part about this book is the discussions the author goes into. As we are following a plus-sized queer Black girl, there are multiple discussions about race, being fat, and LGTQ+ themes. I loved the way the author was able to incorporate these topics into the story.
But don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it.
I grew attached to the characters, especially Winnie. I felt for her in a way I hadn't anticipated. Winnie is fierce and I admire her for it.
But my favorite part about this book is the discussions the author goes into. As we are following a plus-sized queer Black girl, there are multiple discussions about race, being fat, and LGTQ+ themes. I loved the way the author was able to incorporate these topics into the story.
August 11, 2019
Open, honest conversations about feelings, cutting out people who are bad for you, and a queerplatonic relationship?! Thank you.
June 11, 2019
this was so much fuuuun and so goooood pls read it now.
Thank you to Swoonreads & Edelweiss for this review copy!
Thank you to Swoonreads & Edelweiss for this review copy!
June 21, 2020
Trigger warnings: fatphobia, fat shaming, medical emergency.
I am so bummed I didn't love this. Let's Talk About Love is one of my favourite contemporary stories, so when I first read about this one, I was SUPER excited about it. And then I promptly put off reading it for a year. And now I've read it and I'm just...sad.
My biggest problem with this was that there was just Too. Much. Going. On. There were about four different plots happening here and the whole thing just felt frantic and jumbled as a result. So. Let's talk about the different plot lines:
1. Winnie's relationships. There's a love triangle between her queerplatonic relationship with her best friend and "ungirlfriend" Kara, and Dallas, the boy she has a crush on. According to the terms of her relationship with Kara, she can date whoever she likes. Kara proceeds to get jealous at every turn and .
2. Winnie ends up as the Summer Queen of her town and has to participate in a bunch of events as a result. Kara and Dallas volunteer has her consorts, continuing the love triangle vibe. At one point, Winnie says she has no idea who put her name forward for Summer Queen. This is never resolved.
3. Winnie needs a blood test to prove to her university that she's been vaccinated. The doctor insists on weighing her. She's all "Uh, no? You just want to use my weight as a reason to lecture me about my health even though my regular doctor has said I'm fine. Just give me a blood test?". Her grandmother gets offended at her lack of respect and decides to put her on a diet????? Also she takes up jogging even though she doesn't want to????? I just...?????????????
4. There's some kind of reality show being filmed in the town. Winnie's little brother wants to enter. It will let them buy a new oven for their grandmother's diner, where the oven regularly catches on fire. This is brought up at the beginning and end of the story and is basically forgotten altogether in between.
Basically? This book was all over the place and I didn't particularly like Winnie as a protagonist and I was left with entirely too many questions and zero answers. Sigh.
I am so bummed I didn't love this. Let's Talk About Love is one of my favourite contemporary stories, so when I first read about this one, I was SUPER excited about it. And then I promptly put off reading it for a year. And now I've read it and I'm just...sad.
My biggest problem with this was that there was just Too. Much. Going. On. There were about four different plots happening here and the whole thing just felt frantic and jumbled as a result. So. Let's talk about the different plot lines:
1. Winnie's relationships. There's a love triangle between her queerplatonic relationship with her best friend and "ungirlfriend" Kara, and Dallas, the boy she has a crush on. According to the terms of her relationship with Kara, she can date whoever she likes. Kara proceeds to get jealous at every turn and .
2. Winnie ends up as the Summer Queen of her town and has to participate in a bunch of events as a result. Kara and Dallas volunteer has her consorts, continuing the love triangle vibe. At one point, Winnie says she has no idea who put her name forward for Summer Queen. This is never resolved.
3. Winnie needs a blood test to prove to her university that she's been vaccinated. The doctor insists on weighing her. She's all "Uh, no? You just want to use my weight as a reason to lecture me about my health even though my regular doctor has said I'm fine. Just give me a blood test?". Her grandmother gets offended at her lack of respect and decides to put her on a diet????? Also she takes up jogging even though she doesn't want to????? I just...?????????????
4. There's some kind of reality show being filmed in the town. Winnie's little brother wants to enter. It will let them buy a new oven for their grandmother's diner, where the oven regularly catches on fire. This is brought up at the beginning and end of the story and is basically forgotten altogether in between.
Basically? This book was all over the place and I didn't particularly like Winnie as a protagonist and I was left with entirely too many questions and zero answers. Sigh.
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645808644i/7494844._UX200_CR0,6,200,200_.jpg)
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 21, 2019DNF at 20%
I'm so sad that this wasn't holding my attention that much. I was struuuuuuggling to get through the chapters and by the time I put this down I didn't feel much towards Winnie or her family at all.
This is another It's Not You It's Me book.
This starts in the middle of a kitchen fire started by Winnie's cousin Sam, and immediately character after character is introduced, along with backstory and relationships that felt weirdly underdeveloped/bland when they shouldn't have? At 20% in there's already a lot going on, with two towns that are joined but not joined, a girlfriend who's not a girlfriend but might be a girlfriend, a boy who Winnie is attracted to but doesn't like but really cares about and they ignore each other for reasons unexplained, a baking competition for a reality TV show, a weird Haven Summer Queen drawing thing (wtf even was that), and a competition to get the Summer Queen's hand or whatever, and a diner that's Very Important for ~Reasons~. So much going on and I didn't care about any of it.
There was just so much telling. So much. And it didn't feel like it mattered to the plot or characterizations because whenever there was a jump of telling I was either struggling to figure out what people were doing or who was talking.
I felt like I was getting 18 years of information crammed into 50 pages, and information that I didn't necessarily need for the story?
The thing I did like was the representation. Winnie is a fat bisexual Black girl, and her insecurities about being in front of people and being weighed at the doctor (and not being listened to), were so well done.
Anywho. I'm disappointed I didn't like this more, since I absolutely adored Let's Talk About Love, and I'm sad to put it down because this was one of my most anticipated releases of June.
I think that it will resonate for other people, but the writing style wasn't doing it for me.
I couldn't focus enough to care.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
I'm so sad that this wasn't holding my attention that much. I was struuuuuuggling to get through the chapters and by the time I put this down I didn't feel much towards Winnie or her family at all.
This is another It's Not You It's Me book.
This starts in the middle of a kitchen fire started by Winnie's cousin Sam, and immediately character after character is introduced, along with backstory and relationships that felt weirdly underdeveloped/bland when they shouldn't have? At 20% in there's already a lot going on, with two towns that are joined but not joined, a girlfriend who's not a girlfriend but might be a girlfriend, a boy who Winnie is attracted to but doesn't like but really cares about and they ignore each other for reasons unexplained, a baking competition for a reality TV show, a weird Haven Summer Queen drawing thing (wtf even was that), and a competition to get the Summer Queen's hand or whatever, and a diner that's Very Important for ~Reasons~. So much going on and I didn't care about any of it.
There was just so much telling. So much. And it didn't feel like it mattered to the plot or characterizations because whenever there was a jump of telling I was either struggling to figure out what people were doing or who was talking.
I felt like I was getting 18 years of information crammed into 50 pages, and information that I didn't necessarily need for the story?
The thing I did like was the representation. Winnie is a fat bisexual Black girl, and her insecurities about being in front of people and being weighed at the doctor (and not being listened to), were so well done.
Anywho. I'm disappointed I didn't like this more, since I absolutely adored Let's Talk About Love, and I'm sad to put it down because this was one of my most anticipated releases of June.
I think that it will resonate for other people, but the writing style wasn't doing it for me.
I couldn't focus enough to care.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
June 14, 2022
This was such a cute book and I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it! I remember reading Claire Kann’s first book, Let’s Talk About Love, and really enjoying that one. I really love how she talks about queerness, how it doesn’t feel obvious or cookie-cutter. She goes for the more unconventional route, and it’s always way more intriguing.
I also loved the way Winnie’s fatness is talked about and how it was portrayed. It felt really realistic and I could see a lot of myself and my experiences in this book.
What really stood out to me, though, was the topic of queer platonic relationships and how those operate. I’ve never seen them represented in a book before, so it was really eye-opening and helped me understand it so much more. I loved seeing her with Kara, and then also how their relationship wasn’t picture perfect. I also loved seeing her with Dallas and how all of that ended up working out. It was interesting and complex, and I’d love to see more queer platonic relationships getting representation.
My main critique for this book would be that I felt like it was trying to do a lot of things at once, when I wished it would’ve focused on one thing. I don’t know if the book needed both the Misty Summer Queen plotline AND the cooking competition plotline AND the running plotline AND the grandma drama AND the job plotline. It felt like a lot, and it didn’t necessarily take away from my enjoyment, but I felt like we didn’t get enough time to flesh out everything.
Overall, I really enjoyed it book and I definitely need to read more from Claire Kann. I think this was a definite improvement from Let’s Talk About Love, so I’m sure her other books are just as good.
I also loved the way Winnie’s fatness is talked about and how it was portrayed. It felt really realistic and I could see a lot of myself and my experiences in this book.
What really stood out to me, though, was the topic of queer platonic relationships and how those operate. I’ve never seen them represented in a book before, so it was really eye-opening and helped me understand it so much more. I loved seeing her with Kara, and then also how their relationship wasn’t picture perfect. I also loved seeing her with Dallas and how all of that ended up working out. It was interesting and complex, and I’d love to see more queer platonic relationships getting representation.
My main critique for this book would be that I felt like it was trying to do a lot of things at once, when I wished it would’ve focused on one thing. I don’t know if the book needed both the Misty Summer Queen plotline AND the cooking competition plotline AND the running plotline AND the grandma drama AND the job plotline. It felt like a lot, and it didn’t necessarily take away from my enjoyment, but I felt like we didn’t get enough time to flesh out everything.
Overall, I really enjoyed it book and I definitely need to read more from Claire Kann. I think this was a definite improvement from Let’s Talk About Love, so I’m sure her other books are just as good.
August 9, 2021
I don't feel like writing a review but I do want to give my thoughts on this book, so I will be writing a list:
-I can relate to Winnie hating running SO. MUCH. I kinda started a running program a few days ago (um I haven't actually done it since) and I was in PAIN.
-I cannot believe this book has a queerplatonic relationship. This is the first book with one of these that I've read and I'm just so excited.
-There were times that I could relate to Kara so much, in some things that she said. She was most certainly my favorite character
-I honestly don't understand why Winnie was so mad about Kara asking Dallas to stay away? I mean yeah, maybe she should have talked to Winnie first, but also Dallas was being low-key creepy? I don't know, it felt really weird to me for Dallas to be doing that.
-The relationship between Winnie and her brother, Winston, was AMAZING. Best sibling relationship I have EVER read.
-I can relate to Winnie hating running SO. MUCH. I kinda started a running program a few days ago (um I haven't actually done it since) and I was in PAIN.
-I cannot believe this book has a queerplatonic relationship. This is the first book with one of these that I've read and I'm just so excited.
-There were times that I could relate to Kara so much, in some things that she said. She was most certainly my favorite character
-I honestly don't understand why Winnie was so mad about Kara asking Dallas to stay away? I mean yeah, maybe she should have talked to Winnie first, but also Dallas was being low-key creepy? I don't know, it felt really weird to me for Dallas to be doing that.
-The relationship between Winnie and her brother, Winston, was AMAZING. Best sibling relationship I have EVER read.
June 11, 2019
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
If you weren't convinced that Kann has a knack for characters, then If It Makes You Happy will certainly convince you. Winnie has a big heart, does things for the right reasons (if they aren't the best course of action), and is one of those characters you instantly like. Whether Winnie's dedication to her family, her own personal growth to stick to what she believes in, or her entanglements with love, If It Makes You Happy will stick with you.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/blog...
If you weren't convinced that Kann has a knack for characters, then If It Makes You Happy will certainly convince you. Winnie has a big heart, does things for the right reasons (if they aren't the best course of action), and is one of those characters you instantly like. Whether Winnie's dedication to her family, her own personal growth to stick to what she believes in, or her entanglements with love, If It Makes You Happy will stick with you.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/blog...
December 28, 2021
This audiobook was really slow paced. I don't know what I was expecting but this one was hard to get into.
Winnie didn't really engage me but I was rooting for her to find love and acceptance. I would have loved to know who nominated her but I applauded her for participating in the pagaent. I can't imagine what it is like for a queer young black girl to navigate her sexuality while staying with her black grandmother. They tend to be so set in their ways especially due to religion but Winnie had a healthy sense of self.
I am still learning the terminology but her relationship with Winnie was never fully defined and I was waiting for that. I thought this book wasn't as good as Let's Talk About Love.
Winnie didn't really engage me but I was rooting for her to find love and acceptance. I would have loved to know who nominated her but I applauded her for participating in the pagaent. I can't imagine what it is like for a queer young black girl to navigate her sexuality while staying with her black grandmother. They tend to be so set in their ways especially due to religion but Winnie had a healthy sense of self.
I am still learning the terminology but her relationship with Winnie was never fully defined and I was waiting for that. I thought this book wasn't as good as Let's Talk About Love.
October 14, 2019
Alright, so I fell off my posting plan a little last week. There was no special Friday post, I for really busy with things and I just did not have the creative energy to come up with something I wanted to post that was fun (and part of those Friday posts is that they are supposed to be fun for me to post, not that reviews, are not fun because they are but they are supposed to be something outside of the norm)! So I decided it was okay to skip last Friday and finish reading some titles and start fresh today with my post about finishing reading If It Makes You Happy, a book which I really enjoyed.
SPOILERS AHEAD
High school is finally over for Winnie and she is going to spend the summer like she always does, working at her Grandmother's dinner, living with her Grandmother, brother, and cousin in her Grandmother's town called Misty Haven. This is one of Winnie's favorite things about life however, this summer is a little different. It's Winnie's last summer before college and this summer she will be the assistant manager at the dinner as well, taking on way more tasks and responsibility than ever before. When Winnie and her brother and cousin arrive for the summer things start off smoothly but quickly take a turn when Winnie is elected the summer queen and a guy volunteers to be her King. Now this would be okay, except for a few things, one Winnie is terribly stage fright and having to be in the spotlight of the whole town for the whole summer was not exactly on her to-do list and secondly Winnie has an ungirlfriend who is perfectly happy to volunteer to be the King to Winnie's Queen. But now that someone else has also volunteered they are going to have to compete for Winnie in front of the whole town and on top of that Winnie thinks she may even like the guy who volunteered! This is only the start to Winnie's crazy last summer before college but she definitely makes it a memorable one.
I really enjoyed this book, at first I was like oh this is going to be a cute contemporary and at the time of starting to read this book I was also reading Scythe so it gave a nice balance but then I found myself wanting to read this book more and more to find out what was going to happen with Winnie next. On top of all the romantic drama mentioned above Winnie goes through lots of family drama during this last summer before college as well and I really just wanted to see how it was all going to go down. I loved all the characters in this book but I especially loved Winnie, Winston (her brother), and Sam (her cousin) I felt like they all had such different personalities but they were so well accounted for by each other in the book and this amazing unique relationship where they stick by one another and help one another out (even if it sometimes means going against their Grandmother or parents). The last thing I wanted to talk about before I wrap up this review is how Winnie handles things such as her romantic relationship status. I thought the author went about this in such a great way, Winnie has an ungirlfriend in Misty Haven but she also has an interest in this boy who enters to be King. We get to see a lot of how she works this out between the two parties and how things have gone in the past with her family with her romantic situation and I really felt like the author did an excellent job with this. I highly recommend this book, I think it was really awesome, had lots of representation in it, and deserves to be read! I am giving this book five stars on Goodreads.
**I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
SPOILERS AHEAD
High school is finally over for Winnie and she is going to spend the summer like she always does, working at her Grandmother's dinner, living with her Grandmother, brother, and cousin in her Grandmother's town called Misty Haven. This is one of Winnie's favorite things about life however, this summer is a little different. It's Winnie's last summer before college and this summer she will be the assistant manager at the dinner as well, taking on way more tasks and responsibility than ever before. When Winnie and her brother and cousin arrive for the summer things start off smoothly but quickly take a turn when Winnie is elected the summer queen and a guy volunteers to be her King. Now this would be okay, except for a few things, one Winnie is terribly stage fright and having to be in the spotlight of the whole town for the whole summer was not exactly on her to-do list and secondly Winnie has an ungirlfriend who is perfectly happy to volunteer to be the King to Winnie's Queen. But now that someone else has also volunteered they are going to have to compete for Winnie in front of the whole town and on top of that Winnie thinks she may even like the guy who volunteered! This is only the start to Winnie's crazy last summer before college but she definitely makes it a memorable one.
I really enjoyed this book, at first I was like oh this is going to be a cute contemporary and at the time of starting to read this book I was also reading Scythe so it gave a nice balance but then I found myself wanting to read this book more and more to find out what was going to happen with Winnie next. On top of all the romantic drama mentioned above Winnie goes through lots of family drama during this last summer before college as well and I really just wanted to see how it was all going to go down. I loved all the characters in this book but I especially loved Winnie, Winston (her brother), and Sam (her cousin) I felt like they all had such different personalities but they were so well accounted for by each other in the book and this amazing unique relationship where they stick by one another and help one another out (even if it sometimes means going against their Grandmother or parents). The last thing I wanted to talk about before I wrap up this review is how Winnie handles things such as her romantic relationship status. I thought the author went about this in such a great way, Winnie has an ungirlfriend in Misty Haven but she also has an interest in this boy who enters to be King. We get to see a lot of how she works this out between the two parties and how things have gone in the past with her family with her romantic situation and I really felt like the author did an excellent job with this. I highly recommend this book, I think it was really awesome, had lots of representation in it, and deserves to be read! I am giving this book five stars on Goodreads.
**I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 3, 2019
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC and the opportunity to read and review this book before its release date. This, however, does not reflect the opinions in my review.
If It Makes You Happy is my first introduction to Claire Kann and, overall, it was everything one could want in an enjoyable, summery contemporary read. Misty Haven and Goldeen’s practically jumped off the page and Kann did a great job of really capturing that small-town feel. It felt like a place I could find if I drove a couple hours off the beaten path.
By far the best thing about this novel is Winnie, the main character. A self-proclaimed fat, black queer girl with a personality bigger than life and a lot of love to give. She’s a doll and there wasn’t a single part in this story where I wasn’t rooting for her. She’s returned to Misty Haven once again to help her Granny run Goldeen’s before leaving for her first year of college in the fall, where she hopes to major in hospitality and take over the family business. She just didn’t anticipate that she would be chosen as the Misty Haven Queen, nor that her “ungirlfriend” Kara or a pretty boy named Dallas would compete for her hand to become the “King.” In between this drama, as well as trying to run the restaurant and help her little brother win a cooking contest, the summer is full of twists and turns.
A lot of this novel stems from the circumstances Winnie finds herself in as she grows throughout the summer. She begins to understand that the once tight, unfailing relationship she had with her Granny is under strain because, as she grows, she’s becoming more and more her own person rather than the person her grandmother wants her to be. There are several points in the story where Winnie finds herself in trouble because she follows her heart of does what she believes to be the right thing in direct disregard of her parents’ or grandmother’s orders. What I loved most, though, was that it was always done with the best of intentions and with love at the center of her decision making. She makes choices that’s best for her, but always with those she loves in mind. She’s genuinely one of the sweetest and most empathetic teen characters I’ve met in YA.
I love the fat rep in this novel – especially because Winnie feels at home in her own skin, even if others think she needs to lose weight. It’s refreshing to see a teen girl feel so confident about herself and know that she has so much more to offer the world rather than just her pants size. Too, I loved the fact that Winnie was doing her best to understand her sexuality. She knew that she loved Kara but didn’t want to put a definition on what they had, but at the same time she knew that she wished to further explore what was blossoming between her and Dallas. I wouldn’t go so far as to say this novel brings into forefront polyamorous relationships, but it feels like it was going in that direction. And given that this was the very first time I’d read a novel involving it, I found in very interesting.
Unfortunately, given that Winnie was such a lively and lovable character, the rest of the cast seemed to pale in comparison to her. Kara is interesting enough, but she didn’t so much beyond the “best friend” trope and Dallas was so perfect that I had a hard time believing that he was real, three-dimensional person. In fact, I didn’t even remember his name and had to look back through the book before writing this review. Winnie’s little brother, Winston, was a lot of fun, though, and it was sweet reading about how close the siblings were and how far Winnie was willing to go to make her brother happy.
Overall, If It Makes You Happy is a fun summery romance, but don’t expect the rest of the cast to shine a light to Winnie.
If It Makes You Happy is my first introduction to Claire Kann and, overall, it was everything one could want in an enjoyable, summery contemporary read. Misty Haven and Goldeen’s practically jumped off the page and Kann did a great job of really capturing that small-town feel. It felt like a place I could find if I drove a couple hours off the beaten path.
By far the best thing about this novel is Winnie, the main character. A self-proclaimed fat, black queer girl with a personality bigger than life and a lot of love to give. She’s a doll and there wasn’t a single part in this story where I wasn’t rooting for her. She’s returned to Misty Haven once again to help her Granny run Goldeen’s before leaving for her first year of college in the fall, where she hopes to major in hospitality and take over the family business. She just didn’t anticipate that she would be chosen as the Misty Haven Queen, nor that her “ungirlfriend” Kara or a pretty boy named Dallas would compete for her hand to become the “King.” In between this drama, as well as trying to run the restaurant and help her little brother win a cooking contest, the summer is full of twists and turns.
A lot of this novel stems from the circumstances Winnie finds herself in as she grows throughout the summer. She begins to understand that the once tight, unfailing relationship she had with her Granny is under strain because, as she grows, she’s becoming more and more her own person rather than the person her grandmother wants her to be. There are several points in the story where Winnie finds herself in trouble because she follows her heart of does what she believes to be the right thing in direct disregard of her parents’ or grandmother’s orders. What I loved most, though, was that it was always done with the best of intentions and with love at the center of her decision making. She makes choices that’s best for her, but always with those she loves in mind. She’s genuinely one of the sweetest and most empathetic teen characters I’ve met in YA.
I love the fat rep in this novel – especially because Winnie feels at home in her own skin, even if others think she needs to lose weight. It’s refreshing to see a teen girl feel so confident about herself and know that she has so much more to offer the world rather than just her pants size. Too, I loved the fact that Winnie was doing her best to understand her sexuality. She knew that she loved Kara but didn’t want to put a definition on what they had, but at the same time she knew that she wished to further explore what was blossoming between her and Dallas. I wouldn’t go so far as to say this novel brings into forefront polyamorous relationships, but it feels like it was going in that direction. And given that this was the very first time I’d read a novel involving it, I found in very interesting.
Unfortunately, given that Winnie was such a lively and lovable character, the rest of the cast seemed to pale in comparison to her. Kara is interesting enough, but she didn’t so much beyond the “best friend” trope and Dallas was so perfect that I had a hard time believing that he was real, three-dimensional person. In fact, I didn’t even remember his name and had to look back through the book before writing this review. Winnie’s little brother, Winston, was a lot of fun, though, and it was sweet reading about how close the siblings were and how far Winnie was willing to go to make her brother happy.
Overall, If It Makes You Happy is a fun summery romance, but don’t expect the rest of the cast to shine a light to Winnie.
February 29, 2024
I think this book is the first one I ever read that includes a depiction of a queer-platonic relationship and I loved it. Having this kind of representation and having in general a depicition of an understanding of relationships that doesn't value some more than others (e. g. romantic relationships more than friendships) was incredibly wholesome for me as an aromantic person. Especially since this book deals with different kinds of relations a lot, focusing on arising conflicts and challenges, new developments, showing how you can care a lot for different people in different ways without having to favor one single person.
Winnie is a great protagonist, having flaws but also so many strengths and lovable characteristics, caring so much about others but also trying to stand up for herself. Her inner conflicts, her growth, and her unapologetic acceptance for who she is and what she wants as well as her insecurities, wants, and struggles take up most of the space of this book in a good way. I really liked how important communication and consent are to her, how she knows who she is, and how she cares.
I just sometimes wished that she would be more angry or hurt because sometimes, she had every right to be. People are not perfect and unhealthy and hurtful behavior is one of the main topics and while it made me want to scream at certain characters, this story also discusses a lot how people should treat those they love, what can be apologized and where boundaries should be drawn.
I have to admit that I was a bit sad to realize that Kara, the girl Winnie has a queer-platonic relationship with, is one of the characters I sometimes want to scream at (and who is definetly not my favorite character of the story) but then again I also found her reasons to be important struggles in this constellation and I actually liked that this story discusses them. It doesn't make her behavior easily forgivable but I nevertheless found it to be based upon realistic fears and flaws and I only wished that these would have been addressed a bit more in the end, also in terms of how to overcome them.
The romance was quite cute. Apart from that, I loved the relationship between Winnie and her brother (maybe my favorite character of this book) and it was great that this one received quite some attention. I was a bit annoyed by her cousin Sam and I couldn't really grasp her until the end which was a bit sad. In general, I felt like most of the characters apart from Winnie could have been developed a bit more - you don't even really learn a lot about Kara.
Winnie is a queer, Black, fat girl and it was great to have this representation that I have honestly barely seen so far (which maybe also says something about the books I chose). Migroaggressions around being Black, fat and in a non-normative relationship are addressed in several ways, adding to the depth of this story. Kara is also implied to be aromantic-asexual so yay, aspec representation.
Overall, it was a fun and easy read with many wholesome moments, some where I wanted to scream at characters, and actually interesting conflicts. Just be aware that there are unfortunately some Harry Potter references.
Winnie is a great protagonist, having flaws but also so many strengths and lovable characteristics, caring so much about others but also trying to stand up for herself. Her inner conflicts, her growth, and her unapologetic acceptance for who she is and what she wants as well as her insecurities, wants, and struggles take up most of the space of this book in a good way. I really liked how important communication and consent are to her, how she knows who she is, and how she cares.
I just sometimes wished that she would be more angry or hurt because sometimes, she had every right to be. People are not perfect and unhealthy and hurtful behavior is one of the main topics and while it made me want to scream at certain characters, this story also discusses a lot how people should treat those they love, what can be apologized and where boundaries should be drawn.
I have to admit that I was a bit sad to realize that Kara, the girl Winnie has a queer-platonic relationship with, is one of the characters I sometimes want to scream at (and who is definetly not my favorite character of the story) but then again I also found her reasons to be important struggles in this constellation and I actually liked that this story discusses them. It doesn't make her behavior easily forgivable but I nevertheless found it to be based upon realistic fears and flaws and I only wished that these would have been addressed a bit more in the end, also in terms of how to overcome them.
The romance was quite cute. Apart from that, I loved the relationship between Winnie and her brother (maybe my favorite character of this book) and it was great that this one received quite some attention. I was a bit annoyed by her cousin Sam and I couldn't really grasp her until the end which was a bit sad. In general, I felt like most of the characters apart from Winnie could have been developed a bit more - you don't even really learn a lot about Kara.
Winnie is a queer, Black, fat girl and it was great to have this representation that I have honestly barely seen so far (which maybe also says something about the books I chose). Migroaggressions around being Black, fat and in a non-normative relationship are addressed in several ways, adding to the depth of this story. Kara is also implied to be aromantic-asexual so yay, aspec representation.
Overall, it was a fun and easy read with many wholesome moments, some where I wanted to scream at characters, and actually interesting conflicts. Just be aware that there are unfortunately some Harry Potter references.
March 10, 2023
CW: fatphobia (forced dieting and exercise), racism (incl. discussions of police brutality), abusive familial relationships, a few HP references
If It Makes You Happy is a cute YA contemporary about queer teen experience and recognizing the unhealthy relationships in your life, and learning to both make amends and let go. It follows Winnie and focuses on her familial, romantic and platonic (queerplatonic) relationships, as she is working in her grandma's diner over the summer.
What I liked was the relationship between Winnie and her grandmother. It showed that you can love someone and they can love you back, but that doesn't mean the relationship is good for you. And I loved .
Another interesting thing about the story is Winnie's personal relationships. She is in an poly QPP with another girl, and it looks like she wants to start a romantic relationship with a boy. I think Kann did a great job of showing how scary it is for Kara to see Winnie pursue a romantic relationship in a society that prioritizes romantic bonds over platonic ones. I also loved how confident Winnie was in articulating her boundaries. I also find the way Winnie acted when those boundaries were crossed was written very well and responsibly for the age group.
What I didn't like about the book was the plotting - it was just somehow messy and the pacing was really hectic as a result. If you don't care about pacing as much as I do you'll probably have a better time with the story. I also was really excited to see some things on the page, which were set up and they happened off-page, which was a bit disappointing.
If It Makes You Happy is a cute YA contemporary about queer teen experience and recognizing the unhealthy relationships in your life, and learning to both make amends and let go. It follows Winnie and focuses on her familial, romantic and platonic (queerplatonic) relationships, as she is working in her grandma's diner over the summer.
What I liked was the relationship between Winnie and her grandmother. It showed that you can love someone and they can love you back, but that doesn't mean the relationship is good for you. And I loved .
Another interesting thing about the story is Winnie's personal relationships. She is in an poly QPP with another girl, and it looks like she wants to start a romantic relationship with a boy. I think Kann did a great job of showing how scary it is for Kara to see Winnie pursue a romantic relationship in a society that prioritizes romantic bonds over platonic ones. I also loved how confident Winnie was in articulating her boundaries. I also find the way Winnie acted when those boundaries were crossed was written very well and responsibly for the age group.
What I didn't like about the book was the plotting - it was just somehow messy and the pacing was really hectic as a result. If you don't care about pacing as much as I do you'll probably have a better time with the story. I also was really excited to see some things on the page, which were set up and they happened off-page, which was a bit disappointing.
June 24, 2024
This was cute!
I think it has a lot of important reps and themes, and that it'll be important to a lot of different teens that don't usually see themselves in stories (fat Black girls, polyam teens, aro teens etc.) but I am outgrowing contemporary YA a little bit I think. I still really enjoy reading them and can recognize the value of these books and want to have them in my classroom but they're often not as impactful to me specifically as they used to be. (Also beware the HP references, this was published a while back so they're still there)
I think it has a lot of important reps and themes, and that it'll be important to a lot of different teens that don't usually see themselves in stories (fat Black girls, polyam teens, aro teens etc.) but I am outgrowing contemporary YA a little bit I think. I still really enjoy reading them and can recognize the value of these books and want to have them in my classroom but they're often not as impactful to me specifically as they used to be. (Also beware the HP references, this was published a while back so they're still there)
June 20, 2020
Loved this. Review to come on my blog. :)
April 27, 2023
why is no one else yelling about this book!!!!
June 4, 2021
Short review to come soon!
June 7, 2019
Full Review on The Candid Cover
Any book about diners and cooking competitions is an instant win for me, so I was very excited when I learned about If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann. The book is not just about the diner, however, as it touches on serious topics as the main character is crowned the summer queen. I enjoyed the influential message the novel has to offer along with the main character who is unapologetically herself. This is a quietly powerful read that I would definitely recommend.
❀ UPLIFTING BOOK
This book tells the story of a girl who dreams about inheriting her family’s diner, only the diner is running out of money to stay open. To fix this, Winnie decides to enter a cooking competition, the very one that her grandmother forbids. At the same time, Winnie is chosen as the summer queen in her town and has two people fighting for her hand. I enjoyed the blend of cute and serious in the book, and the amount of communication is perfect. I especially enjoyed the way the characters apologize without excuses, so they are genuine. There are a variety of topics discussed including figuring out one’s sexuality, and I liked how the author doesn’t really use labels to define it. Ultimately, this is an uplifting book perfect for fans of Sandhya Menon.
❀ COMPLEX MAIN CHARACTER
Winnie is a complex character in this character-driven book. She is passionate and willing to do anything to protect what she loves. As well, she is confident enough to be her true self and voice her concerns. I loved how Winnie doesn’t let anyone make her feel ashamed about her weight or who she is, including medial professionals. She is such an empowering main character, and her communication skills allow her to be a positive influence on her friends, her community, and the reader.
If It Makes You Happy is a book that blends sweetness and significance. It has a moving plot as the main character attempts to save her family’s diner, and Winnie is such an inspiring character. I would definitely recommend this one for the summer, especially to those who enjoyed books like Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’.
Any book about diners and cooking competitions is an instant win for me, so I was very excited when I learned about If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann. The book is not just about the diner, however, as it touches on serious topics as the main character is crowned the summer queen. I enjoyed the influential message the novel has to offer along with the main character who is unapologetically herself. This is a quietly powerful read that I would definitely recommend.
❀ UPLIFTING BOOK
This book tells the story of a girl who dreams about inheriting her family’s diner, only the diner is running out of money to stay open. To fix this, Winnie decides to enter a cooking competition, the very one that her grandmother forbids. At the same time, Winnie is chosen as the summer queen in her town and has two people fighting for her hand. I enjoyed the blend of cute and serious in the book, and the amount of communication is perfect. I especially enjoyed the way the characters apologize without excuses, so they are genuine. There are a variety of topics discussed including figuring out one’s sexuality, and I liked how the author doesn’t really use labels to define it. Ultimately, this is an uplifting book perfect for fans of Sandhya Menon.
❀ COMPLEX MAIN CHARACTER
Winnie is a complex character in this character-driven book. She is passionate and willing to do anything to protect what she loves. As well, she is confident enough to be her true self and voice her concerns. I loved how Winnie doesn’t let anyone make her feel ashamed about her weight or who she is, including medial professionals. She is such an empowering main character, and her communication skills allow her to be a positive influence on her friends, her community, and the reader.
If It Makes You Happy is a book that blends sweetness and significance. It has a moving plot as the main character attempts to save her family’s diner, and Winnie is such an inspiring character. I would definitely recommend this one for the summer, especially to those who enjoyed books like Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’.
September 1, 2019
4 stars
TW: nstitutionalized fatphobia, casual fatphobia, discussions of fatphobia, casual arophobic comments, discussions of homophobia, gaslighting, character being kicked out of the home repeatedly
Rep: Black fat queer girl MC, asthmatic Black boy SC, mostly POC cast
The Writing
The writing wasn't anything to write home about (take a shot every time a reviewer uses this pun). But, to be honest, I really remember -2 things about the writing in this book, which seems to be a common theme with Claire Kann's books, because I enjoy the other elements of the book a lot more than the writing. So, let's move on now.
The Plot/Pacing
I'm also gonna need y'all to take a shot every time I say "but listen, this was a character-driven book, so there wasn't any plot" because I'm Predictable. In all honesty, though, this was a book that depended heavily on the relationships between the different characters to carry it, and I'm honestly not mad about it because the characters were all amazing. So, let's move on to talking about them now.
The Characters
First order of business, let me just say that I absolutely adored Winnie. There is so much more to Winnie than meets the eye and I loved seeing her slowly come into her own and realize what she wanted out of life and I just,,, wow I love her so much. I also really loved the side characters in this book, though I do think there was a bit of room to develop them better, but you can only get so much from one 300-page book.
That said, I did really love the way familial relationships were explored in this book - and how it was established that just because you're related to each other, that doesn't make you obligated to take shit from your family, which is such a powerful message. However, it also explores healthy familial relationships and I particularly love the sibling relationship we got in this book. The friendships were also definitely a breath of fresh air. The one negative thing that I will say about the characters in this book is that the romance felt a bit unnecessary to me.
Overall
This started out as a really adorable and sweet summer contemporary and I definitely was not expecting to pack as much of a punch, but it definitely did, with discussions on things like casual fatphobia, homophobia, and racism making frequent appearances and plenty of complex character dynamics to go along with them.
TW: nstitutionalized fatphobia, casual fatphobia, discussions of fatphobia, casual arophobic comments, discussions of homophobia, gaslighting, character being kicked out of the home repeatedly
Rep: Black fat queer girl MC, asthmatic Black boy SC, mostly POC cast
The Writing
The writing wasn't anything to write home about (take a shot every time a reviewer uses this pun). But, to be honest, I really remember -2 things about the writing in this book, which seems to be a common theme with Claire Kann's books, because I enjoy the other elements of the book a lot more than the writing. So, let's move on now.
The Plot/Pacing
I'm also gonna need y'all to take a shot every time I say "but listen, this was a character-driven book, so there wasn't any plot" because I'm Predictable. In all honesty, though, this was a book that depended heavily on the relationships between the different characters to carry it, and I'm honestly not mad about it because the characters were all amazing. So, let's move on to talking about them now.
The Characters
First order of business, let me just say that I absolutely adored Winnie. There is so much more to Winnie than meets the eye and I loved seeing her slowly come into her own and realize what she wanted out of life and I just,,, wow I love her so much. I also really loved the side characters in this book, though I do think there was a bit of room to develop them better, but you can only get so much from one 300-page book.
That said, I did really love the way familial relationships were explored in this book - and how it was established that just because you're related to each other, that doesn't make you obligated to take shit from your family, which is such a powerful message. However, it also explores healthy familial relationships and I particularly love the sibling relationship we got in this book. The friendships were also definitely a breath of fresh air. The one negative thing that I will say about the characters in this book is that the romance felt a bit unnecessary to me.
Overall
This started out as a really adorable and sweet summer contemporary and I definitely was not expecting to pack as much of a punch, but it definitely did, with discussions on things like casual fatphobia, homophobia, and racism making frequent appearances and plenty of complex character dynamics to go along with them.
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