Felix Ever After in The Nerd Daily Book Club

Mar 20, 2020 Mimi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbtqiap-reads, the-best-of-the-best, 2020-favorites

Stunning. Spectacular. Makes your heart race. One of a kind. A masterpiece. *insert more words so I don't just SCREAM INTO THE VOID THAT IS MY HEART FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY BECAUSE I NEED FIVE HUNDRED MORE BOOKS ABOUT FELIX LOVE*
I will bully each and every one of my friends to read this book, so look forward to that, I guess.

Review:

“I’m not flaunting anything. I’m just existing. This is me. I can’t hide myself. I can’t disappear. And even if I could, I don’t fucking want to. I have the same rig Stunning. Spectacular. Makes your heart race. One of a kind. A masterpiece. *insert more words so I don't just SCREAM INTO THE VOID THAT IS MY HEART FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY BECAUSE I NEED FIVE HUNDRED MORE BOOKS ABOUT FELIX LOVE*
I will bully each and every one of my friends to read this book, so look forward to that, I guess.

Review:

“I’m not flaunting anything. I’m just existing. This is me. I can’t hide myself. I can’t disappear. And even if I could, I don’t fucking want to. I have the same right to be here. I have the same right to exist.”

Have you ever felt angry at yourself while reading a book because you cannot believe that there exists an alternative universe in which you didn’t pick up this particular story, that there is a you out there who will never experience the glory of these words that have forever changed you? Yeah, this is what happened when I read this book. And honestly, writing a review for this one is hard. Why is writing reviews for books that I feel have taken up permanent space in my soul so difficult? I cannot contain my emotions so I am giving you a bullet points- style review:

Felix. How do I talk about Felix? Have you ever read a book and felt like the protagonist could be your best friend? That is Felix to me. There is just something so raw and genuine about Felix questioning his identity, questioning whether he is worthy of love, questioning what feelings are valid and what may just be what he thinks he should feel because of society’s expectations of him. Felix is funny and self-deprecating but above all, he loves. He gives second chances even when he’s resentful, he is kind even when people are hurting him but he also stands his ground. Felix is scared to put himself out there but all he wants is to love and be loved, a universal theme that transcends time and space. Felix contains multitudes.

Ezra. My man. My one true love. The best BEST friend anyone could hope for. He protects Felix, is always there with an open ear and a shoulder to cry on, he’s eccentric and sarcastic and he will forever be on Felix’s side. I just. The loyalty. Ezra is such a Hufflepuff, you guys.

The discussion of gender identity. There is a humongous amount of discussions about gender identity in the book but the perhaps most important takeaway that Callender gives us is this: gender and sexuality are a spectrum. It is completely okay for you to still question who you are even when you have “chosen” something to identify with. Felix is trans and though he is pretty sure he is a boy, there are moments when he questions his feelings, his validity. Some days, he’d like to identify with no label in existence and just – be. There are moments when he doesn’t feel like either a boy or a girl. And it terrifies and frustrates him. Besides just wanting to hug him, I just felt so relieved that this book explores the aspect I think is often overlooked when it comes to social media and gender politics: we are so quick to choose an identity, to find ourselves in word that represents what we feel that we sometimes get boxed in by that word and are scared to further explore what it means to be part of that identifying group. I loved how Callender tackled Felix’s journey and gave readers the hope and the acceptance that they might search for and haven’t found yet represented in books.

The discussion of discrimination within the LGBTQ+ community. THIS. I was freaking out while reading this. So often, we are led to believe that it is only outside forces that discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community when there are even dissenting opinions within the community and above that, we are often pitted against each other, especially when it comes to intersectionality. All of a sudden, you have to be just the right amount of black, or queer, or trans to be accepted. And then there is this sort of unspoken agreement that a certain minority within the minority group has suffered way more and whether that means that the suffering of the other minority group isn’t as valid. I loved that discussion to pieces because it just drives home all the insecurities and fears we in the LGBTQ+ community face and that sometimes, we are our own worst enemy by believing that we are not queer enough, not 100% what is expected of the label society gives us. Callender comments on intersectionality, on the systematic erasure of certain groups and it was. Everything.

The big driving force is love. What it means to love others, what it means to give parts of yourself to others, to be vulnerable and ready for commitment, to be fearless and also scared when it comes to putting your heart out there. And while that is fantastic and so well-done in this book, the thing that it focuses most on is loving yourself. Felix struggles with a lot – from the people who deadname him accidentally (and on purpose) to the inner fears he has that he might not be capable of love or not worthy of receiving it – it all comes down to Felix having to learn how to love himself, how to put himself first. It was so refreshing to read a book that is about love and is driven by a romantic plot that still focuses on self-love first. Felix gets his happily ever after – but more than that, he is happy by himself. And that is the most beautiful thing to read about.

Above all, Felix Ever After is an empowering tale of romance and self-discovery; it is a love letter to being yourself even when people try to take that inalienable right away from you. It’s about finding the things that make you great and working for what you believe in. It’s heartfelt and validating and exactly what this generation needs. I am just so glad this book exists and that people will get to read it and identify with Felix. There are some game-changing novels out there in this world, chronicling your life in before you read them and after and this is certainly one of them. An ode to growing up, a reminder of all the possibilities you have to define who you are, an homage to being yourself and loving yourself, Felix Ever After is not to be missed. ...more

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Apr 25, 2020 The Nerd Daily rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Mimi Koehler

Why This Book Will Steal Your Heart:

- The friendship dynamics between Felix and Ezra will mend your heart (cinnamon roll who is protected by equally messy cinnamon roll, basically)
- There’s a whodunit plot that will keep you on your toes
- If you like the friends-to-lovers trope and the enemies-to-lovers trope…you should pick this up. IMMEDIATELY.
- Felix and Ezra attend an art class and the discussions on intention and meaning are inc ...more

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Jun 06, 2020 Mary rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2020

4/5✨

This is such an important book and I really enjoyed it!

Felix Ever After is a story about love: falling in love for the first time and loving yourself. Felix had such great character development and I loved seeing his journey.

There were so many important topics discussed but it also had a hopeful tone and it had a great balance of the different themes.

There is one subplot that I wasn’t the biggest fan of. It felt a bit manipulative and didn’t add a lot to the story but other than that I truly ...more

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Jun 21, 2020 Logankreads rated it it was amazing

I am trying to put into words how much I loved this book and I am struggling. This story is so heartfelt and beautiful and also sad and low at points. It seems very real. It has an extremely satisfying ending. This will be a book I reread.

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Dec 03, 2020 Gauri rated it it was amazing

I loved this so freaking much!

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May 17, 2020 claureading rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, books-i-own, queer-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. You guys, this book! This was so heartwarming. It made me angry, sad, upset and most of all SO happy.
I read it for The Nerd Daily Book Club and I could not stop.
I loved Felix with all my heart. He made many mistakes, yes. But his growth during the book was beautiful. Where he starts and where he ends is just amazing to see.
And the characters felt so real that I just wanted to hug them.

Ezra was the best person from the beginning. I loved how he cared about Felix. The way he wanted to protect him You guys, this book! This was so heartwarming. It made me angry, sad, upset and most of all SO happy.
I read it for The Nerd Daily Book Club and I could not stop.
I loved Felix with all my heart. He made many mistakes, yes. But his growth during the book was beautiful. Where he starts and where he ends is just amazing to see.
And the characters felt so real that I just wanted to hug them.

Ezra was the best person from the beginning. I loved how he cared about Felix. The way he wanted to protect him at al costs and would do anything for him to be confident and happy. I was totally team Ezra and you could really see how the match in the best way possible. I loved this friend to lovers and how it is not totally clear from the beginning. Also I think they have the best relationship. Being best friends and lovers at the same time is how it should always be.

Let’s talk Declan! I absolutely adore this character and I want for him nothing but the best. I have a soft spot for him for some reason. I think he starts as the villain for speaking his mind and bing himself and I was sure (or hoping very very hard) that he wasn’t grandequeen69
I love the character arc and I thought the ending with Felix and him was a bit harsh in some way. I would’ve liked for them to end up a bit (just a bit) more close. Meaning I would’ve liked to see them get to the point where they can have friendly conversations even if it’s just at school.
I also would’ve loved to see him get the scholarship cause I thought that would’ve been a fair ending for him. I feel he ends up with nothing but hope.
I am a fan of the line where he says he is sure he can fall in love again, I loved that moment and made me really happy and at the same time it made my heart ache.

And Felix, I adore him. I got mad at him sometimes, but never stopped loving him. I just thought of him as somehow someone I know and care about and I could be upset one moment and don’t mind the other because I knew he was just learning along.
Man the last few chapters when he finds out who he is and he stopped being afraid of being happy and strong. Just wonderful. Heartwarming. Beautiful.
The last conversation with his dad... I cried. How he finally calls him by his name and apologizes. Yes please.
Overall I think Felix is an amazing and very real character and I am really happy we got to know his story.

So yes this were basically some of my MANY thoughts that I could put into words.

So many more things I could say about this book, but I’m just gonna say that everyone needs to read it. Because it contains many truths about the LGBT community in general that I think should be considered by everyone.
It shows that there’s still a lot to learn from each other and that an opinion based on hate shouldn’t be respected.
I think the most awesome part of this read is all you learn with it. And the coolest: it is own voices! ...more

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May 21, 2020 Lauren Jones rated it liked it

There is no doubt that this is groundbreaking lgbt representation and im glad its out there... that said I didnt really care for the book.

It has a very YA voice which isnt a problem inherently, just not to my tastes. I dont know its the writing style which focuses on narrative and internal monologue but it felt like the book was doing a lot of *telling* rather than *showing*. It made the book both feel rushed and feel like not much happened.

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Jun 13, 2021 Barry Quinn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbt, ya

"People like Felix are queer and trans and Black, and they have to deal with so much more bullshit than you or me."

Felix Ever After has been on my to-read-list for ages and I've finally devoured this fucking special book. Being queer is hard, but since it's Pride month I guess I should say it's pretty fucking great sometimes too. Read Felix Ever After if you're after a feel-good book about being true to yourself. This is one of the best queer books I've read. Period. 🏳️‍🌈 ...more

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