Casey McQuiston queers the romance genre and U.S. politics in one swoop with this snarky-toned little novel. I don’t actually like romance at all, but I can tolerate this one (sort of). Confession: it was recommended to me by a good friend, and, solely on her tribute, I assigned it in my queer literature class this term. Students had a lot to say, fortunately, and I learned a lot. The main character Alex is a little annoying, but Henry’s characterization redeems things. If you’re looking for an alternative timeline for events circa 2016, this is it. It’s been described as pure wish fulfillment. The novel refuses to participate in bi-erasure, and that alone is a breath of fresh air.
I tried to watch the movie. Heaven knows a couple of my students eschewed the novel for the movie! I did not like it enough to finish it. The movie removes the excellent character of June-bug, Alex’s older sister, and messes more than a few other things up. Do not recommend.
