CW: Essstörung, Bodyshaming, Homophobie Dieses Buch hat mein Herz gebrochen und wieder zusammengesetzt. So poetisch und realistisch, mit Charakteren, die man einfach lieben muss. Die Liebesgeschichte hat mich völlig eingenommen und ich liebe, wie sex-positive dieses Buch ist. In Jugendbüchern begegnet mir das noch viel zu selten. Es vermittelt wunderbar, dass man sich erst selbst lieben muss, bevor man jemand anderen lieben kann. Große Liebe.

CW: Essstörung, Bodyshaming, Homophobie Dieses Buch hat mein Herz gebrochen und wieder zusammengesetzt. So poetisch und realistisch, mit Charakteren, die man einfach lieben muss. Die Liebesgeschichte hat mich völlig eingenommen und ich liebe, wie sex-positive dieses Buch ist. In Jugendbüchern begegnet mir das noch viel zu selten. Es vermittelt wunderbar, dass man sich erst selbst lieben muss, bevor man jemand anderen lieben kann. Große Liebe.

"There are no rules, Gray. And there's no pressure to be anything other than excactly who you are at any given moment." 3.5 stars In the beginning, I was absolutely sure that this was about to be a 5 star read. I was drawn in at once, fell immediatlely in love with Benny and Chase. I also kinda liked Jack but he seemed a little too perfect. But I was all in. Until at some point, I wasn't. I still liked it - especially the story within the story. I would love to that short film. There were two things that bugged me. First: the drug use. Yes, you can say "it's just weed" and stuff but I still hated how the consumption was used in driving the development of everything. I would have preferred having achieved that development without the drug use being "necessary". Second: Chase blames his dad for falling out of love with his mom and not staying in the relationship even without loving her. That situation is complex on a level that I can't (and won't) discuss fully here. But: of course the dad should never have ditched his kids when he ended things with their mom or act as harmful as he did. That much is obvious. But Chase is old enough to see that staying in a loveless relationship for the kids isn't the way to go. It doesn't help anybody. (Of course I don't have the emotional involvement he does and everyone deals differently but this still bugs me.)