Mixed feelings. So so many!!!!!!
I literally went from hating it to accepting it and now kind of loving it. What Alex and Brandon have is truly unique. Even though the beginning is horrible and extremely slow and boring, we have to give this to the author. He wrote the perfect slow-burn/coming-of-age story the queer community needed. I've heard angry opinions regarding the sexualization of the characters, but let's be honest, what kind of a 14-15 were you without having these thoughts or curiosities when next to your girlfriend or boyfriend?

But what made my heart melt was the acceptance and support Alex got from his parents, and not only! The fact that they tried to give him information and learn more about their son is what an ideal parent should act like. I also need to add the fact that Alex and his insecurities and fears towards Brandon were incredibly cute. The exact moment they kissed was pure joy and sweetness.

To be honest, I can't say it's a 5-star book, but it can definitely be classified as a 3,5–4 star read. The number of side details put into it were extremely annoying and unnecessary. So, my final rating is 4-stars.

DNF at 50%

At first, I thought this was a sweet, a bit too cheesy story with average writing about two teens, best friends, in the late eighties and early nineties who slowly realized they were gay and in love with each other. They met when they were twelve and thirteen-years-olds, and the book follows them while growing up and finding their sexuality and each other.

I thought that, with some changes (tighter editing and written more showing), this could be a wonderful (yet still cheesy) story, but along the way, I got a bit irritated about one particular thing.

This story is too focused on looks. What irritated me while reading the book was the constant use of phrases like hardening penises, crotches, and rock-hard arms. My irritation came to an outburst when the boys kissed for the first time. At that time, they were thirteen and fourteen-years-old. They touched each other’s penises, and the author used phrases like: he was hard and throbbing, I knew I wanted you, these lips of yours, you make me so horny.

NO, NO, NO!!! I was reading a YA, right? Not a NA, right? Don’t get me wrong. I love sex-positive (queer) young adult books. I don't mind sex in a young adult book, in fact, I love queer YA books where sex is included. But added to all those hardening penises and abs and muscle talk, it was far too much for me. We’re still talking about young, inexperienced teens! If the author would have handled this differently with the same outcome (the boys kissing and touching) I wouldn't have had issues. The wording, though, made it problematic for me.

Sorry for this rant. I just had to let this out.

Not yet reviewed - submitted review in error. Still reading and will edit the review once completed.

This was just…wow! I was very hesitant about reading this book because I saw reviews saying some of the language was uncomfortable. I do agree that sometimes the language and descriptions used for certain age ranges of Alex and Brandon was cringe and uncomfortable, but it also provided a new set of eyes to being gay in that era.

I think of all the people who could have benefited from this book sooner. If you can look past the uncomfortable moments, you’ll find a marvelous coming-of-age story about love and friendship.

Thank you NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to see a book about this time period that didn't end in tragedy and I really loved the affirmational and supportive parenting and friendship, but the voice was just not at all to my tastes. The narrative felt very young even as Alex grew up, the dialogue felt strangely unnatural and dated, and the word penis started to feel like a jumpscare. There's a story worth telling here and I don't regret the time I spent with it, but the execution left a lot to be desired.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for the ARC.

I was really apprehensive going into this as I'd seen some reviews about the language and intimacy being inappropriate. After reading I can definitely see that point and some of it did make me feel a little uncomfortable because of the age of the characters. However, the relationship ultimately developed pretty slowly and naturally. I do think some bits would have come across better if they'd been a tad bit older or written less bluntly. Was kinda weird when they were calling each other 'hot' and 'horny' but I do remember my friends talking to each other that way so it's probably quite realistic, if rather odd reading from an adult perspective. They didn't really do anything much till they were actually 18 so I didn't think it was overly problematic.

I know that if had read this when I was the age of these characters, I would have thought this was one of the best things I'd ever read. I probably would have cried in relief and in compassion for the characters. I imagine this book could mean a lot to young queer people and this is definitely the kind of story that needs telling.

I was compelled to keep reading and the relationship between Alex and Brandon was just so sweet and special. There were also so many important issues dealt with - safety of LGBTQ people, coming out, religion, scripture, homophobia, familial relationships and finding yourself. The inclusion of real political events was also a great detail.

Unfortunately, the writing felt quite inconsistent. Some bits were really great and then other bits felt clumsy. In particular, there was a lot of dialogue that felt stilted and not like how people talk - mainly when it was the adults speaking. It was also quite repetitive at times and could have been a lot shorter or perhaps followed them into adulthood a little. I would have liked to have seen that phase of their lives.

A book have mixed and complex feelings about (hence the longer than normal review) but, I am glad I read it. The afterword from the author was really interesting and gave great insight to their thinking behind the novel.

3.5*
A Nice Surprise

”To speak of love is a risk; to love is even riskier; to deny love is the greatest risk of all.”

The book’s light writing and storytelling it’s easy to follow, and even when some events aren’t that interesting, it still has a fast paced narrative.

The book does have many highlights and moments that gets you excited for the upcoming events.
I loved Brandon and Alex, and even that I know that some people would dislike the narrator’s voice and how he is “carried” by other characters but that’s something I actually enjoyed. Like, not every narrative voice has to be assertive and it does feel good to have a storyteller that is actually shy. Not just saying that he is, but showing.

”I felt a new and unexpected stirring inside: an oddly-paired sense of satisfaction and longing, like I had discovered a magus kind of food that simultaneously filled me up and left me wanting even more”

Also, I liked the slow burning relationship, but when they finally come out to each other feels rushed and not as explosive as I expected [that happens in like the first paragraph of a new chapter that takes place months after the chapter before. (hide spoiler)]
But yeah, overall I liked the plot development. I also know some people are going to be mad at the author because our main characters pay a bit too much attention to physical appearance but… isn’t it like that when you are 14? I can tell that when I was 14 I already looked to other men’s bodies. So it’s fine, in my opinion, to have a book about discover your sexuality that doesn’t ignore the physical attraction part, and how that is also important to realize how you really are.

In the other hand, the book is a little bit too cheesy sometimes, and some situations and dialogues feel unreal. I do not complain about that, but some dialogues are weird to read, because people just simply doesn’t speak like that.

However, I did like the book and I think it’s a good option for those who want to read a story of discovering yourself, instead of just erotica nothing wrong with that, tho. And I’d really like to read more stories written by Freeman.


The Best: I really LOVED the first half.

The Worst: The second half isn’t bad, but it feels repetitive at some point. Also, that weird talking is recurrent there.


I received this for free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have to say that there are formatting problems (especially with dialogues) but since I read an ARC, I do expect they’re corrected for the final draft.

I struggled in the beginning to make a connection with the characters and the storyline. The story was quite fast paced and maybe trying to add lots of idea's in at the start. As the book moved on it began to make more sense and flow better. It was a little wordy at some points.

By the end it was a beautiful love story between two boys who started off as friends and then progressed into a coming of age story that spanned over 6 years of their lives. The story shows the ups and downs people face in a Christian background and what struggles they would face. This was based in the 1980s to 1990s. Alex and Brandon meet at Christian camp and began spending many waking hours together. I would defiantly suggest the read. In the end it was all about coming together and having tough discussions between families involved with them. Another big theme in the book is about safety and what consequences may have happened in a world/ time the didn't understand the queer community.

The writing wasn't for me at all. Too fast and superficial for me to be able to connect with the characters

Author Danny Freeman has created a beautiful love story about two teens who discover themselves while also coming to terms with their sexuality. Alex and Brandon are inspirations as they develop a bond. Six years go by and we see them grow, come out to both themselves and to their families. The angst a teen has is well-portrayed. Alex has the luck of understanding parents whilst Brandon has a father who espouses homophobia. He is a preacher and cannot get past the basics of Christianity. One can argue that the portrayal of the preacher is unfair, but for me it's usually the preacher who is the unfair one, at least when it comes to gay rights and women's rights.
The novel could have been tightened up a bit, and I don't recommend it for younger readers. For older teens and adults, it is a heart-warming and entertaining read.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

A sweet coming of age story that navigates first love and coming out, with the backdrop of a Texan church community. While narrator Alex has his parents unconditional love and support, the object of his desire, Brandon the preacher's son, is not so lucky...

There are some really interesting discussions around self-acceptance, reconciling sexuality and belief and overcoming trauma, however there are moments where this becomes a little too didactic. This is important representation and a great premise for a story. I've just become very picky in knowing what I like in writing school as an adult and high school English teacher who reads a lot...

Due to the homophobic themes & trauma, as well as explicit discussion of sex, I would not recommend to students below 16, and would do so judiciously on a case by case basis.

I went in with low expectations for the You I See, I hadn't seen much buzz around this week but I always enjoy reading new authors. I enjoyed this book. At times the dialogue felt a little forced and not natural. The book also could have used a bit of editing. I really enjoyed the characters of Alex and Brandon and seeing their relationship.

Definitely the wrong voice for YA; reads like an adult recounting a memory from youth. Not much going on plot-wise other than the central relationship, and there is much that could be cut and trimmed down.

Based on the synopsis, I wanted to love this book so much. But I ended up DNF'ing it at about 15%. I just could not get into it at all. I think it was a mix of things - the main characters being so young & the church being so anti-queer and the things being said about it.

I read a lot of YA and I recommend a lot to the students I teach. I thought this book would be great to share with certain students but I struggled with the overly descriptive nature of the sexual encounters. I’m not sure it’s suitable for 13-14 year olds so unsure if I would suggest it to students. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I was apprehensive going into this as I’d seen some reviews about the language and intimacy being inappropriate. After reading I can definitely see that point and some of it did make me feel a little uncomfortable because of the age of the characters. However, the relationship ultimately developed pretty slowly and naturally. I do think some bits would have come across better if they’d been a tad bit older or written less bluntly. Was kind of weird when they were calling each other ‘hot’ and ‘horny’ but I do remember my friends talking to each other that way so it’s probably quite realistic, if rather odd reading from an adult perspective. They didn’t really do anything much till they were actually 18 so I didn’t think it was overly problematic.

I know that if had I read this when I was the age of these characters, I would have thought this was one of the best things I’d ever read. I probably would have cried in relief and in compassion for the characters. I imagine this book could mean a lot to young queer people and this is definitely the kind of story that needs telling.

I was compelled to keep reading and the relationship between Alex and Brandon was just so sweet and special. There were also so many important issues dealt with - safety of LGBTQ people, coming out, religion, scripture, homophobia, familial relationships and finding yourself. The inclusion of real political events was also a great detail.

Unfortunately, the writing felt quite inconsistent. Some bits were really great and then other bits felt clumsy. In particular, there was a lot of dialogue that felt stilted and not like how people talk - mainly when it was the adults speaking. It was also quite repetitive at times and could have been a lot shorter or perhaps followed them into adulthood a little. I would have liked to have seen that phase of their lives.

A book I have mixed and complex feelings about but, I am glad I read it. The afterword from the author was really interesting and gave great insight to their thinking behind the novel.

This book was a pleasant surprise, I got it through NetGalley because I’m a sucker for some LGBTQ+ story and the sinopse gave me a glimpse of the book that really drew me in. In this sense I wasn’t expecting the best gay book ever written since I hadn’t heard a lot about it, but I think LGBTQ+ content is needed in every atmosphere possible. We need these stories to be told. That being said and considering this is the fist novel by the autor, it was a really enjoyable experience in the full, but I can’t say it was perfect. In some parts I sense the development was somehow shallow and a little predictable. I would recommend you to read and get to your own conclusions, and be prepared to be entangled in the world of Alex and Brandon.

I originally gave this 3 stars but I’m changing it to one because I firmly believe friends or family of the author or the author himself made fake accounts on goodreads and is coming after anyone who dared to post anything even slightly negative about the book. I don’t know what they think they’ll get out of that but coming to my review, assuming things about me only to tell me how wrong I am for not liking certain parts makes me both uncomfortable and pissed and I simply won’t tolerate that. I don’t think anyone not close to this book in some way would bother to make a new account this month, specifically only review and rate this book and write paragraphs and paragraphs of comments to anyone who doesn’t agree with them so there is that.

***

Big thanks to NetGalley and and Atmosphere Press for providing me with an early copy.

I have somewhat of a hard time rating this one because I understand what the author was going for and I do appreciate a lot of aspects of the book. I did read the afterwards and I do agree that we absolutely have space for all types of stories especially when they are ownvoice. For me personally though, some parts of this book were just a bit too much.

Let me start by saying what I liked about this novel. It’s essentially a coming of age story set in the late 80’s that follows two boys from the ages of twelve to eighteen and how their relationship changed in said period. The book deals with topics of sexuality, friendship, coming out, homophobia, religion and emotional abuse. By following the relationship of these two different characters we are introduced to two different family situations as well as different support systems they both have. Alex’s parents are far more accepting, patient and protective of their son making it easier for him to accept his sexuality and deal with the changes that brought into their life. On the other hand we have Brandon who comes from a strict and religious family and is often pressured to conform and punished if he stands out from the norm, therefore he doesn’t feel as comfortable with himself as Alex. I really like that Alex’s parents were there not only for their son but also Brandon which at least gave him some sense of security. Alex is very open with his parents, at times maybe even too open. I liked that he had confided in them about his issues and worries and I feel like the novel is trying to convey that message that some adults really will do everything they can to help you as well as educate you if you ask them. I also liked that the book has an overall positive outcome. For a lot of novels, especially those set in last century, the fate of the queer characters is usually far worse so I am happy that the outcome of this book is a positive one.

There are two points that I struggled with. The first one is the length of the book. Now, some of the things which could have been cut from the book do add to the certain atmosphere which I liked but some of it really felt unnecessary. A lot of bickering between Alex and Brandon was often repetitive.

The other one is something I find a little more off-putting. It could be just me but I simply wasn’t comfortable while reading over half of this book. So based on the synopsis I expected to have a typical young adult novel which usually follows characters who are teenagers on their way to adulthood. Most of this book however, and I mean like 50% of it, is about Alex and Brandon when they were ages 12 to 13. Now a lot of what happens between them is during that age, including kissing and some experimenting. I’m actually thankful more serious stuff didn't happen until they were older because I would probably drop it. I wasn't a queer boy in the 80's to have a grasp on how things were but I found them far too young and I wasn't comfortable reading about them having a hard on every few chapters. Maybe I wouldn't have that much issue if that was something mentioned on the way and not necessarily described but yeah.

The story is told through Alex's pov and sometimes he seemed very mature but at the other times he did seem very child-like which just made all that even more awkward for me. There is a part where he tells his parents about some of the sexual stuff him and Brandon did and on one hand that makes me go okay yeah it's good that he has so much trust in his parents but it was also once again kind of uncomfortable to read him describe some things in detail. Not a big fan of when books make me go "what the hell" out loud. One other thing which was mostly weird if nothing else was when Brandon's brother learned about their relationship and then says Brandon is turning him on and how he's hot as hell and how if he were their age he'd be drooling over Alex. Like I don't know but why was that necessary? That would be such an inappropriate thing to say to anyone especially two minors where one of them is your brother. So no, just no. If this wasn't near the end of the book it would probably also get me to quit.

So yeah while there are definitely parts of the book which I enjoyed as well as messages which I appreciated I just really couldn’t go pass some of these issues I mentioned.

What an amazing book.

This is a story set over a few years following two teen boys growing up in the 80's/90's. They meet at church group and become friends. Their friendship grows over the years into a budding romance. The story also follows how coming out to your parents is hard and when they don't accept your choice, how much more difficult it can be.
5* Read..... Loved it!

The You I See is a coming-of-age story set in the late 80s/early 90s Houston, following the blossoming friendship that turns to something more between Alex and Brandon. The two boys have little in common, and yet, they are drawn to each other like magnets and navigate life together, discovering truths about themselves.

The book touches a lot of issues, like opression from religious parents, the hate and homophobia of the era, the physical exploration of their bodies teenagers do, family, support systems.

It perfectly captures the atmosphere of the era where it is set (I suspect part of the story is inspired by the author's own experiences), and does a very good job to portray the rather naive and innocent world of the two boys in the first part.

It excells at making the reader wholeheartedly hate Brandon's father and his psychologically abusive behaviour, especially putting it in contrast with Alex's parents.

It fails for me when it comes to touching the issue of sexual topics. It starts exploring them at a part of the book where both Brandon and Alex are too young (which makes it awkward for the reader) and the writing doesn't feel natural when it transitions a scene from cute and intimate to "hot". My opinion is that the author should have put the sexual exploration part when both boys were a bit older, and dealt with it in a different way.

Also, I found myself being bored in the 2nd half of the book, since the dialogue was extremely repetitive, the same expressions, the same jokes, the same reactions.

The ending left me satisfied and despite its issues, it's an #ownvoices book that I'm glad I read !

Thank you NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for the ARC !