Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry was a refreshing book that I couldn't put down. It captivated me from the beginning. Joya Goffney, I am now a huge fan!

Quinn, a senior in high school, writes lists in her journal. Very private, very personal lists. Lists about her secret desires, her secret feelings, and the times she ugly cries. Her journal gets mixed up with Carter's notebook and chaos ensues when they both realize her journal missing. Quinn and Carter form an unlikely bond to go on the hunt for her journal.

While I am not of YA target audience age, I loved this book! I couldn't put it down. It put issues like race and class along side the struggles of growing up. I really enjoyed Joya Goffney's writing style and loved that lists were included throughout the book. It tied everything together and who doesn't love a good list? The only critique I have is that there was something left unfinished for me at the end of the book. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't affect the book at all. I would have just liked it to be wrapped up more for my peace of mind.

I am excited for this book to be released. I highly recommend it.

Disclaimer: I got this ARC in exchange for an honest review from @NetGalley.

Joya is a teen who loses her journal and is blackmailed into ticking off a list of one of her major fears. Along the way, she falls in love and it's one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year!! It's incredibly cute. It's perfect for fans of Frankly in Love, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and Odd One Out.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I wanted to like this book but it just fell flat for me. Honestly, it was a slog to get through. I didn’t rally respond to the main character, Quinn, and her journey of finding her voice left something to be desired. Typically I enjoy the enemies to lovers trope but this one didn’t do it for me.
This book contained several topics that could trigger some people. Be aware that race, cyber bullying, and white privilege are dominate themes.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a very well written YA contemporary novel about facing your fears, race, and growing up. The issue of race was ha naked very well and will give readers a chance to do some deeper introspective thinking. I loved Quinn!!! And Carter!! All the characters were very well developed and has great depth! I do wish there was more resolution with how things "closed" with Matt and Quinn. I appreciated that this YA book did not have sex in it but still managed to convey the attraction between Quinn and Carter. Well done and I would read more by this author!

This is definitely a book to put on your tbr if you love messy, high school drama-filled coming of age ya novels. I will say I struggle reading on my phone as opposed to physical books, so the reading process was a bit difficult for me and definitely impacted the speed at which I read this one. This may have impacted the memorability of the story for my in the long term.
Still, I think the author did a really great job of including important conversations around identity and the main character's understanding of herself and those in her life, both separately and in relation to her. I thought this balanced a fun driving plot while also including conversations about race that would be beneficial to any high schooler reading this book, if not to relate to Quinn, perhaps to better evaluate their own relationships and treatment of others.
The plot element with Quinn's grandmother was an unexpected aspect of the book that definitely made me tear up due to my own experience with family members experiencing memory loss. I think it was a really important conversation to include, because it is something many young people are forced to grapple with, but without knowing someone in the same or a similar situation it can feel pretty isolating to experience.
Overall, the plot was fun and engaging, while also having heart. The book essentially read like a movie I would’ve loved as a teenager and I was here for it.

Thank you to HarperCollins for providing me a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley. This is a fantastic YA contemporary. I adored the humor, the writing style (with all of the lists), the authenticity of the characters and their experiences. I appreciated Quinn's journey to self-acceptance, and her tackling of issues with identity and racism and knowing what's right or wrong. So many important conversations, and so many important statements expressed in this book.

I loved the representation and overall premise of this book. I feel like the characters were enjoyable despite their flaws, the plot kept me engaged enough to continue reading, and this book leaves the reader thinking about the topics presented within.

A thought provoking young adult contemporary brimming with humor and heart. Joya Goffney’s debut addresses issues such as racism and bullying with a thoughtful and gentle hand. Quinn is a list maker. She has a list for everything in her journal -The boys she wants to kiss, the bad things she has done, the things she wants to do before she graduates high school, her hopes, her dreams.... When Quinn‘s journal goes missing she is convinced it must be Carter (a boy she’s not sure of) who has it, after all he was the last one with her before it went missing. BUT then Quinn is blackmailed and Carter is determined to help her. Can she trust him though? what follows is a sweet story about coming to terms with who you really are, learning that you cannot judge people at first sight, and taking responsibility for your actions.

In honor of Quinn here is a list of reasons why you should read this book:

Quin is a likable relatable character, flaws and all.
Carter is a sweet guy that will steal your heart.
The subject of race and racism is handled particularly well in the story. It is never preachy but betrayed very realistically. Gave me a lot to think about.
I also really liked the family dynamics in the story. It was really interesting about how different families have different expectations and how suffocating that can sometimes be.
The Romance in the Story was super adorable. Nothing better than first love.
Quinn and Carter had some pretty fabulous friends.

This book comes out in May 2021, so be sure to add it to your TBR. There is no better palate cleanser than a good sweet young adult contemporary.

*** Big thank you to Harper Teen & Harper Audio for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

🎧 The audio version I was given of this book was narrated by a synthetic voice, therefore I will not be offering any feedback on the narration in particular. However I do have to say this is a pretty good synthetic voice for anyone who reviews audios.

This was the cutest book. I couldnt put it down!! Quinn has a lot going on in her life. She writes lists in her journal. Even the really personal things. When her journal is misplaced and she begins to be blackmailed, she must try to figure out who has it. Whoever is blackmailing her tells her that she must do one of her lists, telling a boy she cares for him, her parents she didn't get into college, and facing the way she sees herself and how others see her.

This was a good book! I appreciated Quinn's struggles, and Carter's, and the development of Quinn's friendships with Carter, Olivia, and Auden. Ah, Olivia! What a great character and friend. :)

I did wish we got more interaction with Matt along the way because I feel like things with him kind of went...quiet? And if he was her best friend I would've expected him to be a bit more pushy about figuring out what was going on and why they weren't interacting as much. But that's my only complaint!

I am very glad that I read this! The depiction of anxiety, race, friendships/betrayals, bullying, and how Quinn grows so much more confident throughout the obstacles that she faces...absolutely splendid!

In honor of the list format of this book

Reasons You Should Read Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry

Black Girl Lead navigating a predominant white school
Black Teen Enemies to Lovers Romance
Black Girl Friendships
Complicated parent relationships
Journal Writing


See full in depth review at
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/926761900904033693/5468645958178981244