Boys I Know
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15
Ratings1
Average rating3
A high school senior navigates messy boys, messier relationships, and the struggle of never quite living up to her Taiwanese mother's expectations. A modern Judy Blume meets Jenny Han, Boys I Know is a raw and realistic look into the lives of teen girls, examining the complex overlap between teen sexuality and Asian American identity. A sharp and unflinchingly honest journey of self-discovery. June Chu has always been the "just good enough" girl. Good enough to line the shelves with third-place trophies and steal secret kisses from her AP Bio partner, Rhys. But not good enough to meet her mother’s unrelenting expectations, or get Rhys to commit. While June’s mother insists she follow in her (perfect) sister’s footsteps and get a (full-ride) violin scholarship, June doesn’t see the point in trying too hard if she’s destined to fall short anyway. Instead, she focuses her efforts on making her relationship with Rhys "official." But after her methodically planned, tipsily executed scheme explodes on the level of a nuclear disaster, she flings herself into a new relationship with a guy who’s not allergic to the word girlfriend. As the line between sex and love blurs, and pressure to map out her entire future threatens to burst, June will have to decide on whose terms she’s going to live her life—even if it means fraying her relationship with her mother beyond repair.
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{thank you to Netgalley, Peachtree and author [a:Anna Gracia 21592280 Anna Gracia https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1624833969p2/21592280.jpg] for providing me an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review!}publishing date- 05th July 2022—————————————rating- 3.5/5[b:Boys I Know 58163787 Boys I Know Anna Gracia https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630513308l/58163787.SY75.jpg 91169148] follows June Chu, a first generation Taiwanese-American as she navigates high school, college applications, relationships, sex and friendships. A sex positive, poignant and realistic coming of age story; June's bad decisions are as maddening as they are cathartic. The book addresses a lot of things from parental issues in Asian households to consent and micro-aggressions faced by asians in the US. It's definitely not an easy, light-hearted read and makes you feel discomfort. But that's what the book aims to do. Reading about actual issues faced by people, ranging from racism to heartbreak written in such an authentic manner was very different from the usual new- adult book. It was an interesting read and delves into so many issues with complex laid out characters. The book refers to June, our protagonist: as ‘just good enough'. As a second child in an Asian household, she constantly feels the need to be as good as her sister, get something other than a third place trophy and manage her relationships well. This low self worth leads her to pursue relationships with the boys she knows. (see what i did there?)Unfortunately, this book like June was also ‘just good enough'. Although it conveys important messages and is realistic in the best way possible, the structure and flow of the narrative seemed a bit disjointed at times. I did read this book over the course of a few days, so it could also be that. But yeah. I found something lacking : maybe in the plot; maybe in the sense of realism it offers; maybe in the way, some instances aren't addressed or the lack of confrontation, calling somebody out and important conversations.But then again maybe that's what the author wanted to capture: the realistic aspect. (sincerely apologise for the number of times i said maybe)Overall, it was a very different reading experience, one that included discomfort (the good, talking about important issues kind of discomfort) and i think everybody should definitely read this book at some point in their lives.
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