This Is Why They Hate Us

I love books like THIS IS WHY THEY HATE US.We get to travel closely to Enrique's head and heart, so everything feels vivid and real. The complicated relationships, the personal hurdles, and the trials and tribulations of growing up queer. Fantastic mental health rep underpins the whole thing, making a layered, fun, touching, and enjoyable read with a huge heart.I loved the almost dating sim feel of trying to figure out romantic prospects, which made me realise that's EXACTLY what it's like in real life sometimes, though I'd never thought that whilst playing a dating sim before...The characters are wonderful, and the narrative is smart and self aware, including some of the sweetest coming out moments I've ever read.The whole thing flows with a voice that's both easy to read and fulfilling, that kind of voice where you just flow through the pages enjoying the ride not hitting a single stumbling block on the way.This was the first book I read in 2023, and I almost wish I'd had it in my back pocket for when I was in a reading slump because it would definitely have picked me up! Instead it's a great way to start my year, and an introduction to an author than now gets added to my instabuy list!