I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. When two boys meet at a fundamentalist Christian camp and have an attraction to one another, questions arise. The boys become immediate friends and even more though it's difficult.

At first, I thought this was a good, kinda cheesy story about two teens, besties, whatever. I feel like it was too focused on looks and it never felt like it got deep at all so I struggled with this one but I made it through.

I absolutely loved this novel.
Such a great story with defined characters and a great plot.
What drew me in the most was how fleshed out the characters were
The writing style was fluid and relateable.
The cover was fascinating as well.
A reviting read overall
Definitely recommend adding this to your TBR!

A Massive Thank You to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book prior to its release date.

DNF. I think I'll return to this title, but at the moment, it was not the choice for me (I'm a mood reader through and through!). That is not to say I had any problem with it at all. Once I do return to this book (I'm leaving it on my TBR shelf), I'll write a review.

The best I’ve ever read. This was amazing. Every scene had me reading more and more. Absolutely recommend.

Thank you to Atmosphere Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for a review. This novel released on July 12, 2022.

Conflicting opinions.

Whereas a lot of me liked this book. On one hand, it's a wonderful coming-of-age story, on the other, this could've used a better editor.

Set in the late 80s, The You I See follows two boys as they age from childhood to adulthood, and their relationship. With historical settings, you're going to deal with the topics of homophobia, religion, and abuse. I appreciate Danny Freeman giving two perspectives on coming out, one with an accepting family and one without, and how that changes one's own struggles.

However, it's repetitive. The book could've used some editing. The characters aren't always consistent. I don't have an issue with sexual content in books, but some of it was offputting. Particularly, the conversation with the parents.

Very mixed bag. I wouldn't recommend this to a YA audience.

Special thanks to Atmosphere Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay. I was not the biggest fan of the writing style and the way the boys were portrayed to me didn't really show any maturity. They seemed too old when they mature when they were supposed to be about 13. In addition, I understand the importance of sex in books aimed at a younger audience, but this seemed to be a bit too much for me. I might have been more comfortable reading it if I were younger but as an adult, it seemed to be a bit... too much

DNF, this book was a huge struggle. There needed to be some editing done here - some serious editing. The way this author wrote this story just wasn’t it. First of all, I struggled with it from the very beginning. I also felt that it was way too long and dull. I also really didn’t like the way our MC’s body was discussed in that negative way, it made me feel so uncomfortable.

I see the appeal, and I think this is a worthwhile story, but the voices of the characters were just not realistic to me. I hang out with actual middle and high school kids all day, and I've never met one who talked like any kid in this book. That said, I read it quickly, and I was invested in the characters...I just struggled with believing this story. Maybe not the most helpful review! I'd like to see what Danny Freeman publishes next.

I really enjoyed this read. I'm a huge fan of friends to lovers and this didnt disappoint.
We follow Brandon and Alex as they discover their feelings and sleves while navigating being gay in the early 90's. I loved Alex's family. I wish every young queer person has someone in their corner.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this one, in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a story of self-discovery, growing up, friendship, ultimately it’s a love story between two boys, Alex and Brandon, who are, on the face of it, as different as chalk and cheese.
I personally didn’t always get on with the author’s writing style so there were times when it felt like a bit of a slog to keep going. In my opinion, this is due, at least in part, to the huge amount of dialogue in the story, which I think could have been significantly cut down with negatively impacting on the story.
However, I must stress that I still enjoyed the book, I just think it had the potential to have been a book that I loved rather than liked.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I didn't like it, then I really liked it, and then it dwindled again. Overall, it was an okay read.

The writing style took some getting used to. This book spans a lot of time. It begins when Alex and Brandon are 13/14 and ends when they have graduated highschool, as such I expected the dialogue and interactions to change and grow- they didn't. By the end of the book Alex and Brandon felt like they were the same age (at least in terms of maturity) as they were at the beginning. There is a LOT of dialogue in this, and I'm usually a fan, but it felt like there was just too much and a lot of it just felt like filler.

Historically and contextually this book offers an interesting insight into an insular little part of queer history in texas in the 1980s, I found a lot of the 'larger outside things' happening in the book fascinating.

Also, I'm all for healthy dynamics between parents and kids and an open dialogue is so important and needed but, saying that, I do feel like there are limits, surely? And some of the conversations between Alex and his parents felt like they crossed that. Some of them were incredibly difficult to read and very uncomfortable. They felt inappropriate because they were a little extreme in terms of them prying into what their teenage son was up to sexually. So I don't know if that's a me prejudice I need to work on or what but either way, not a fan of that aspect to be honest.

This is pretty interesting and a cool setting. I just didn't love it, or the characters themselves.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley for an eARC of this book.

This book took me by surprise! I had a little idea of what to expect from the summary, but I was not ready for how this story unfolded. Two (polar opposite) boys become unlikely friends and we get to watch them navigate their often weird and awkward friendship/ relationship grow over the course of a few years.

I loved how open, careful, and loving Alex's parents were. At times it felt unrealistic, but in this case it worked because it paints a picture of what it could be like to have parents like that. Alex is their world and they would do anything for him.

This book does touch on a few hot topics like possible domestic violence, verbal abuse, assault, anti-gay religion, hate crimes, but it also covers consent, love, friendship, repairing family ties/ bonds, commitment and more.

I enjoyed the characters and the world building. As well as how we move through time with these characters and watch their relations grow both amongst the MCs and the supporting characters.

This book had me tearing up a few times. Happy tears!

I really enjoyed this book. It took me 2 attempts to really get into it because I don't think I was really prepared for Brandon's voice and found it slightly jarring to read. I couldn't really see why they would make the connection in the first place, I think. However once I got over that, I adored the book.
Alex and Brandon are two teenagers living in Houston, Texas in the 1990s, whose friendship evolves over the six years the book covers during their mid to late teens..
Over the course of the book, what starts as a startling and somewhat unlikely friendship pairing evolves where each boy can offer something the other needs.
Over the 6 years covered by the book, we see a lot of uncomfortable topics like religious homophobia by a parent, actually a lot of homophobia and hate crimes which is indicative of the time and place setting for the book. The scene were Alex talks about the killing of a local gay man at a bar/club not far from where he lives was not only chilling but speaks to the huge effect it has on the boys. And especially there need to be constantly on their guard regarding their relationship in public.

Despite some of the language and character voices making me uncomfortable, as I said earlier, I found the book as whole thoroughly wonderful. I feel very privileged to read such a raw book.

"The You I See" is a story of two boys, Alex and Brandon, who meet when they are 13 and 14 in Houston, TX circa the late 1980's. The book does a nice job of encompassing that giddy feeling of friendship as an uncertain teen, growing into a friendship and eventually love.

In terms of a YA book, it touches upon a lot of issues and emotions in a way that feels very relatable. But at times the conversations seem stilted and unrealistic and, at 400+ pages, this books feels bloated and unfocused at times. I think it could have definitely benefited from some editing. 3.5 stars.

Let’s talk about sex, ba — or, maybe not?

I’ll start by talking about the eggplant in the room. I’m prefacing this by saying I think sex-positivity in YA and on-the-page sex are great, necessary and vital. But something about the way The You I See deals with sex made me uncomfortable, and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t just projecting my discomfort reading details about tweens hooking up. So, I reached out to my sister-in-law, an educational psychologist, to talk through some of it.

First, she did agree that while we millennials do feel a lot of shame about sex, there was content in the book that was iffy to her (at least from what I described). Mainly, she took issue with the way that Alex’s parents talked about sex with him and Brandon. Here’s what she had to say:

I think the problem with the parents in the story is that:

1. Talking generally about sex is great, but specific questions about the kids’ sex life is inappropriate.

2. I don’t think a parent should ever set hard rules about sex (eg touching vs penetration); they should just teach what safe sex looks like. Kids historically have not followed these rules anyway!
She went on to say that while there’s no hard and fast rule for when kids are “ready” for sex, sex ed should start as early as age two and be a continual conversation, developing as your child does.

Say what now?
Putting the above aside, there is some sexual content in The You I See that’s problematic without debate. It isn’t acceptable for someone’s adult brother to even joke about being “turned on” by how hot their child sibling is. Nor is it all right for an older high schooler to say similar things to an unrelated middle schooler. Sorry, I don’t care if they’re both sexually confused in the ’80s.

This book is intended for younger readers, and it’s dangerous to just leave these interactions there, hanging, like they’re OK. Of course, intergenerational queer friendships are great, even ones where sex is talked about, but there’s a way to do it that doesn’t border on — or cross the line into — predatory behavior.


Context is key
The You I See takes place in Houston, Texas in the late 1980s and early ’90s, and according to author Danny Freeman, is “loosely autobiographical.” He uses real historical events as a backdrop and draws from his own experience with Christian Fundamentalism to build the story. Personal stories like this are extremely important and will always have a place.

The thing is, a book set in the 1980s, but written in the 2020s, is necessarily different from one written contemporarily. One written now has to take the modern lens and sensibilities into account.

I felt like Freeman assumed too much contextual knowledge on the part of the audience. The AIDS crisis had/has so much to do with US American knowledge of and attitudes towards gay men. There’s a lot of complexity there that was boiled down to “the church says homosexuality is a sin,” when the issues are inextricable. Yet, The You I See didn’t explore that connection.

In an interview with the LA Times back in 1986, Reverend James L. Lowder, a pastor in an SF gayborhood, had this to say, “Those who predicted homosexuality would be the most challenging topic facing the church in the ’80s were right … AIDS has forced this into the forefront.”

I know context is harder to provide in first-person POV, but it is possible. Especially given the number of extremely frank conversations Alex and his parents had.

Care to gripe some more?
Don’t mind if I do. The You I See is a dialogue-heavy book, which I normally love. I’m a theatre kid at heart, and I read plays for fun. That wasn’t my issue with Freeman’s writing (though I do think there was a lot more telling than showing.)

But! Oh! My! Goodness! Nearly! Every! Sentence! Ended! In! An! Exclamation! Point! Also, Alex and Brandon start the book aged 12 and 13, respectively. By the end of the book, they are 17 and 18. That passage of time isn’t reflected in their thought or speech patterns. That made it quite difficult to follow where the boys were in development.

Do you have anything nice to say?
All that being said, something kept me reading this book. I liked the sweeping narrative and time-lapses. As I said, there was something cinematic or stagey about it. This would make a much better movie than novel.

In the end, I honestly don’t know what to do with this book. On the one hand, I finished it, and I am not a person who has the time to finish things for the sake of finishing them. Whether I kept reading The You I See out of morbid curiosity or out of enjoyment, I’m still not sure.

Wow, what an absolutely delightful, heartwarming, and funny story about two boys coming-of-age, and coming out in the 80s and 90s. My Gen X, Prince Bride loving heart soared.

This was a love story, at a precious age, in an era where a lifeline was hard to come by, especially when you are questioning who you are and people around you are closed-minded and hateful. And though this deals with outright homophobia, the story never ceases to remain hopeful and affirming.

This so perfectly captured young/teenage boys; they were all the things teenagers are: funny, awkward, wise, and immature. Brandon is wild, energetic, and emotional. He has a huge heart and will fight (literally) anyone who hurts the people he loves. Alex is thoughtful, mature, and calm. They are the opposite sides of a coin. They make such a charming pair. And though things aren’t always smooth, there is no denying their bond is special and strong.

Thanks to some beautiful people in their lives, these two have a chance to love themselves and fight the shame some would want to bestow on them. It's a powerful story, that will leave you with all the feels.

DNF around 40%

I was bored, I found Brandon’s endless talking incredibly annoying, and the explicit way the author referred specifically to our 12 year old MC’s penis as opposed to just general attraction made me incredibly uncomfortable.