There's plenty to like here, but also enough that I very much disliked.
I loved: the dad. The food. Tagalog throughout. The mom.
I liked: the music paThere's plenty to like here, but also enough that I very much disliked.
I loved: the dad. The food. Tagalog throughout. The mom.
I liked: the music parts* The pining (mostly) except when I was like, my God, just communicate Jee
*Ok except WTAF when Melvin the choir kid is like, my voice range doesn't fit this and then Quito was all "whaaaaaat there's no such thing as higher than a tenor!!" and then Jee is like "gender is vast" and it's all metaphor? MY DUDE COUNTERTENORS ARE REAL there's no way you wouldn't know that!
I did NOT like: (SPOILERS)
ok so the massive main conflict is that Quito believes/has believed since he was 19 that he sexually assaulted Emmett while drunk/high. After this incident, Emmett then freaks and ghosts him right before his big academic music thing, which Q consequently fails and drops out of music school after. They haven't talked since. So when Emmett confirms that 1) he himself was sober and 2) it was in fact consensual and 3) he just freaked out and left because gay stuff, there's this moment when Q finds out that his entire sense of himself as a monster who has done this unforgivable thing is wrong. And it's over in like, two sentences. E is like, nah, it was cool. And never once does he really apologize for letting Q believe that about himself, nor is he horrified (or even kinda upset) by the misunderstanding. Honestly I don't think he apologizes enough for ghosting- it wasn't like he was there for moral support, he was a central, vital part of the exam.
Also. Teacher certification is a thing. You can't just like show up and take over your dad's job! Jee was apparently a middle school music teacher -- I would like to know more about THAT -- so they at least should know about logistics. The awkward "let's sit down with The Youth for a Talk about Pronouns" was also kinda weirdly handled, esp since apparently Celeste also uses they/them pronouns? He writes that his brother is a beloved high school music teacher...I wonder if he didn't check the logistics? Or maybe it's a private school?? That doesn't really track though.
And... maybe I'm remembering this wrong, I have a terrible memory, but... does Quito not have aunties and uncles and cousins and an extended family/community? At one point he mentions cousins etc in the context of nicknames so they must exist, but they never show up in person. His mom and dad are isolated from extended family and Filipino community... in the Bay?? Maybe I misread or just misremember.
The author said in the afterword how he was so excited to write a romcom but nothing about this felt like a romcom to me. Rom-dram, sure. But esp to end on the sudden dad dying... nope. It felt transparently manipulative.
So, yeah. Not my fave. But the food was great. And I adore representations of loving parents and families, esp of LGBTQIA+ youth and esp esp in BIPOC communities. So yay for the dad and mom. I just wish they'd all talked more....more
Oh my gosh, outstanding, especially the second half.
Wasn't there some sort of question about best YA boyfriend last year? Because Martin is the best Oh my gosh, outstanding, especially the second half.
Wasn't there some sort of question about best YA boyfriend last year? Because Martin is the best YA boyfriend of all time. All the others can give up and go home. ...more
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