Excuse we while I ugly cry by Joya Goffney Trigger warning: Racism, trauma. Age rating: 13+ Overall rating: 5 out of 5. Gernes:Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary. A spoiler free summary Quinn Jackson is obsessed with her journal; it is her whole foundation of who she is and is a large part of her life. She is a notorious list maker; she makes a list from “The things I’ll never admit out loud” to “If I could kiss anyone” and that’s what keeps her sane, so she starts to fall apart when she loses her Journal, or did it go missing? An anonymous Instagram account posts a picture of one of her lists and blackmails her to complete that list or else more of her lists will go public. Now Quinn is about to face the fact a lot of truth is going to come out and the entire school is going to know about. Quinn doesn’t know who to trust. Out of desperation she teams up with the last person who had her journal, Carter Bennett. Together they race against the clock to face some of Quinn’s greatest fears, and she learns to face the world with courage, and she might even find love through it all… Review Excuse me while I ugly cry, was such a fun romcom to read. I read this in one sitting and it had me smiling almost the entire time. I loved how the author explored the serious theme of racism, yet it didn’t make the book too heavy. I think it is wonderful that it shines light on racism in schools today and the experience of many black people. All the character were so fun, Quinn, Carter, Olivia, Auden, Imani and so many of the others add a lot to the story line. It was easy to dive into the story almost straight away and the whole storyline was well thought out. I thoroughly enjoyed the character developments, they were so well done and thought out. Even some of character I didn’t expect had character development. It also focuses on the pressure many face in relation to race, school and the societal pressure on BIPOC people. Quinn’s parents are quite present in the novel, which is unfortunately very rare in many YA novels, so I appreciated that aspect to. I loved many of the character’s relationships, it was super cute, and one relationship especially was super badass, it was the perfect friendship. Quinn’s connection to her lists and her journal is something I enjoyed. Quotes “It’s okay.” Olivia grabs my hand and squeezes my fingers. “I’ll protect you.” "I looked at her tiny build, then at the muscular man behind her and somehow, I believe her. I’ve seen her fight on multiple occasions, multiple guys…” “Look at my nails! Queen did my nails!” Queen. I smile back and breathe a laugh through my nose.” “As we climbed down the steps, Livvy hisses, “I said it! Just like the movie.”” Recommendation If you want a fun quick paced romance with enemies to lovers and Black main characters being blackmailed and great character development this book is for you. Pros: The chapter had fun names. At the beginning of the book there was a contents page, which is always good because you are able to go back and find certain parts that you especially enjoyed. The paper back I own is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. The lists provided throughout the book really added to the storyline. It's written by a BIPOC author with BIPOC characters! Cons: I honestly cannot think of any in this moment.
Enna Mari 