You and Me and Misery

by Rayel Louis-Charles

Gin has recently accepted that she is a lesbian. She also may just remain a loner for all of eternity. Meanwhile, across from her in class, Johnny is battling life at school and at home. His day-to-day life consists of a heavy dose of bulimia, self-hate, and abuse from his father. The two loners come together, connected by shared misery, but can they admit how much they need each other before it's too late?

Genres: LGBT, Young Adult

200 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2020

Reviews

[Saskia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short snappy verse novel. TW for eating disorders and abuse.

[•anwyn• · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super short, written in poem format, and a goose-bumping tale of two juniors in high school struggling through their, well, misery. A beautiful story of friendship, love, self-image, and family.

[Madi · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who is not usually a fan of verse poetry novels, I was surprised at how engaged I was with this one. I devoured it in one sitting, wanting to know the characters more and see how it ended.

[Peyton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really have to stop reading modern poetry. I find that the style is the same with every poet and the stories run together and do not stay with me. I think this book touches one some very important topics and I think I really would have enjoyed it if it was not in verse. I think it would have done better as a solid story. I would have enjoyed it more that way. It isn’t a bad book; the format ruins the story. If it had been done as a regular book it probably could have gotten five stars.

[makenna zess · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was pretty good, but it didn’t dive into the characters personal lives as much as I would’ve liked. It felt one dimensional. Gin was the sad girl who was scared to come out. Johnny struggled with an abusive parent and had bulimia. It didn’t talk about a lot of important things in the characters lives. It was still a good book, and I’m glad I read it.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

You and Me and Misery is a hi-low novel in verse, told in alternating perspectives. The book touches on bulimia, grief, and struggling with identity. The novel handles difficult subjects with appropriate sensitivity, but I lacked connection with the characters.