Review: Felix Ever After

I really actually wasn't expecting to read this book since I'd booked so far ahead in my tbr, I thought I'd have to wait till it was 2023. But then I realized, I had like 3 books left for this month and there was more than a week left for June to end, and it's Pride month, so why not?

Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after.

When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle....

But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.

QUICK THOUGHTS AND REVIEW: 4.5/5, LOVE THE STORY, PLEASE, I ALMOST CRIED.

Possible Trigger Tags:

1. Mentions of transphobia

2. Mentions of homophobia

3. Misgendering

4. Deadnaming 

5. Mentions of racism

WHAT DID I FEEL ABOUT THE  BOOK'S: 

1. Writing Quality: The writing quality is a bit different compared to the other first person narration books with LGBTQIA rep. Most of the books have like really loud thoughts into their minds, but Felix seems calm and neutral compared to them. He seems like a reliable narrator while in reality he does seem a really unreliable narrator. It does not drag which is a relief, but I feel like that this plot does lack some oomph, basically an X factor.

2. Character Development: To be honest, I would love to give Felix a big fucking hug for being so out in the world and proud of his gender identity. It's tough being a person of colour as well as trans and queer, it's like the three checks that make you kind of exposed to every bullshit out there and it's hard. Like really hard. I'm a person of colour and non binary and queer and it's hard being out. Even though I'm out, I still haven't been out to my parents because they're homophobic and transphobic. I was literally reduced to tears to see that Felix had his supportive dad. He does have slip up sometimes but he accepts him as his son and takes him for his T-shots. Heck he even paid for Felix's surgery. God it actually makes me so emotional for trans and non binary kids have supportive /trying parents. And one can see how much he's trying to be a good son and holding himself together and get his stuff settled out. I just wanna hug him.

Ezra, I think is the most iconic side character I've seen. He and Declan are possibly supposed to be the romantic interests while we do see a deeper side to Declan, I do feel like Declan being a piece of shit to him and always making bad comments at him being trans. Ezra is simply iconic. He's hot, he's cute, he's artistic and he supports Felix no matter what. And he gets high, that kind of adds a plus factor to him and no I am not romanticizing getting high [Don't do weed, kids]. But I really enjoyed reading his character. And the way he adores Felix is so damn cute.

3. Couldn't put it down- Ness: 8/10, it's a short book and really fast paced and an interesting story.

4. Intellectual Depth: I think the book would be about loving yourself. In the acknowledgement, the author says that this book is really personal to them and I actually felt that in my soul. This book feels really personal to me as well. I'm genderfluid panromantic asexual going by fae/faer pronouns. While I'm mostly out to almost everyone in real life as well as online, I have never been able to be properly out to my family or my parents because they'll always try to label me in the cis/het label or use my wrong pronouns on purpose. I still struggle with my gender identity, somedays I feel more masculine, other days I feel more feminine and somedays I'm just floating in the river of non binary. To be honest, there always this inner crisis. But I think it's better than what it was when I was 14, like that time 14 year old me was struggling with faer sexuality and I would just like to hug fae and say its alright, it will be fine. The existential crisis and dread isn't over but you'll be okay with it. Felix accepting who he is and who he loves is something so inspiring.

5. Plot: The idea of catfishing for revenge in fiction is certainly a new concept that I have seen. Though it's not as uncommon in real life, I watched the show Catfish and you wouldn't believe the amount of people catfishing for revenge. Man I miss the show, to be honest, I miss Max and Nev as hosts too. The show isn't the same without Max and Nev. It seriously isn't. No offense, I love Kamie. But yeah, this trope is the first one of its type that I've seen and it's certainly interesting. Plus Declan actually falling for Felix was uncalled for. And man, just Felix confessing to Ezra at the New York Pride Parade, *chef's kiss*

OVERALL, A BEAUTIFUL READ, sad I hadn't read this book earlier.