Thank you @HarperTeen and @Netgalley for the gifted #VoiceGalley and ARC of Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry!

I was super excited for this one but I sadly did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I’m giving this one a 2.5 rounded up to 3/5!

The book overall felt very repetitive and I don’t really buy the whole, let me shame you, steal your journal and black mail you into doing and saying all the things you always wanted to 🤷🏾‍♀️!

The main character stressed me out but I do not want to minimize her experience as a biracial character because I am not a biracial woman myself.

I appreciated Carter’s character in this one although he too felt a bit stereotypical. I think this was done in part to showcase the area he was in as well as the issue Chloe was dealing with.

On a separate note, I really enjoyed this new style of receiving ARCs! The voice galley was perfect! It takes a little bit to get used to it but if I’m honest, this is the way to go! Audiobooks and voice galleys are just the mode I’m in right now!

I wanted to love this one so much but it fell short for me. I wasn’t super connected to the characters and didn’t love how the whole entire book focused on this missing journal and so many to-do lists! With that said I did really love how race was a major topic in this book. I also appreciated where it went with this topic since it’s not really talked about enough.

There was more layers than I expected. It was more heartfelt and entangled. I was taken aback in a good way by the complications in one young girls life. Then the hurt and betrayal of a friend. Finding new meaning in new friendships.

I enjoyed the story and the narrator.

For me this was an excellent introduction to a new author.

Oh, how I enjoyed this book! The recording took away slightly but I knew going in that it was a computer generated voice for this arc rather than a finished copy of the audiobook so I tried my best to not let that stand in the way of my enjoyment of the book. Overall I loved the story and the characters, and I'm definitely going back in to see the finished audiobook when it's released because I think that could just make it better.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I didn’t love the main character, Quinn, or some of the spoiled rich kid moments. I did however appreciate how the story handled certain plot lines around race, bullying, high school friendships, and the expectations parents put on their children.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Quinn keeps a journal and makes a list of literally everything. From the most mundane things to the most embarrassing. One day, her journal is stolen and she is black mailed into facing her seven greatest fears otherwise the entire journal will go public. I used to keep a journal too so this reminded me a lot of those days but I would never bring a journal into my school. I still like making lists like Quinn too, especially to feel productive.

Anyway, I liked this and mostly enjoyed the friendship between Quinn and Olivia. The romance didn’t do much for me, it was sweet but I didn’t connect to it too much. It felt a little cheesy and predictable. There was something off with the pacing just because I felt like it tackled a lot of different issues. Racism, family, and the pressures of parents expectations with getting in college. The different feelings of being a teenager were depicted pretty well. All of these were good issues to discuss in a YA novel but it felt kinda scattered to me. The audiobook was read by a synthetic voice and that was terrible. I wish Netgalley would stop doing that.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Quinn gets blackmailed by someone who finds her journal containing a lot of personal lists. The blackmailer asks Quinn to complete a certain to-do list in the notebook or else all of the journal's contents will be publicly revealed.

The to-do list had some pretty daunting tasks and some required her to gather courage. It's really nice how through that list, she was able to get closer with Carter, become good friends with Olivia and Auden, and even slightly improve her relationship with her parents.

The development of the relationships and Quinn's character growth are my favorite things about the book. Quinn has done shitty things in the past. They can't be excused though I really admire how she tried to make things right with different people throughout the story. A+ for holding yourself accountable to be a better person!

She has also left her old friend group, but the new ones she made are better in every way. Special shoutout to Olivia is so badass and a very great friend overall. I love her take-no-shit attitude and how she sticks up for Quinn. The romance is also so cute, it was really easy to root for them. Carter is an absolute sweetheart.

There's also lots of important talk about race, status, and racism especially since they were in a predominantly white school & neighborhood. Quinn used to also let racist remarks slide from the people around her, even her old friend group. But eventually, she was able to speak up and call out people even her own family members.

Adding this to my favorites list!

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry is an enjoyable YA novel written from the perspective of Quinn, a black teenager, as she navigates social pressures, racial constructs, bullying, relationships and family dynamics. It's a must read for those who loved "To All the Boys I've Loved Before"

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel. The narration was computer generated and took away from the story slightly. The final recording will only improve the audio version.

I went into, Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, assuming it would be similar to other light hearted YA romances I’ve cruised through before but what I found in these pages was so much more!

Yes it was well written, fast pass, and adorable but it also tackled tough topics such as racism, class separation, family dynamics, bullying, culture clash, and family pressures. The characters were raw and real, feeling all the emotions like only teenagers truly can. Love, lust, anger, fear, excitement, anticipation, and everything in between. What a ride!

As a white Canadian women this novel was eye opening to the struggles faced by Black youth in America today. I had never heard the term “Oreo” or considered the implications and identity confusion that comes when a visible minority amount friends is referred to as “basically white”
While I enjoyed the lighthearted romance between Quinn and Carter I also appreciate the thought provoking aspects of this book that gave me pause and broader my views.

I am eagerly anticipation more from this young, engaging author.

Thank you to netgalley, harper audio, and Hoya Goffney for the advanced listener copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five stars with a PG rating for sensitive topics.

Thank you so much to Net Galley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry is an extremely enjoyable read for all ages. The writing is fast paced, engaging, and easy to fall into. Once I started, it was difficult to put down. The characters felt real, and the reasoning behind their decisions felt natural and logical.

Heartwarming, engaging, insightful, and joyous, this book was a delight to read!

I’m loving this story but the digitized reading is cumbersome and difficult to listen to.

I’ve requested the digital copy, or will purchase when the novel is published- or an actual narrator is reading.

3.5 stars.
so much of this was really fun and cute (the relationship and banter between the two main characters) but it also explored tough topics well, like racism and classism, and having parents who are going through relationship problems. I loved the beginning but the love i felt in the beginning started to taper off towards the middle and by the end I was a little disappointed. I felt like there were some weird things said, such as a comment along the lines of "i was mean to you because i like you" type stuff. I was really disappointed in Carter revealing that he read her journal and I though after that point, he shouldve worked hard to be her friend and no further relationship shouldve been pursued between the two.

Further issues:
-Matt was an unnecessary plot device. He barely showed up, he didn't really need to be there, he could've easily been written out entirely.
-The lists, after a while, got on my nerves. And I say that as someone who loves lists. Some of them were just superfluous, like "what i will do if carter read my journal" list.

I really tried to continue with this one, but the narrator for it was awful. She sounded so robotic that I couldn’t even concentrate on the story itself.

I liked the concept of this book and its delivery. With a real narrator I know it will be a strong addition to the YA audiobook landscape. The beginning was a bit fast, but as time went on the characters came to life more.

I really liked this book and I think it's very interesting the characters were so original and the attention grabbed my attention from the start

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney is an #OwnVoices contemporary YA romance that reads as a Netflix movie. In fact, the book is filled with pop culture references and many story progressing vehicles used in popular teen movies. Quinn, is a senior on the verge of graduating high school and carrys several heavy burdens. She maintains her sanity by keeping a journal of lists, but once that journal gets into the hands of a blackmailer, Quinn’s world gets turned upside down.

Fans of Jenny Hans To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before will appreciate the feeling of dread as some of Quinn’s innermost secrets are out in the open. Who can Quinn trust? A surprise romance develops as an unexpected ally helps to figure out who has the journal. Told with honesty and candor, Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, shows the current struggle with identity in a post Obama country, the power struggles of teen status and bullying, and most of all, the power of connection – all from the point of view of a beautiful black teen. As she seeks her journal, Quinn is surprised to find more of herself.

This was a fun read and an excellent debut novel! I loved all the older pop culture references.

I do not want to give anything away about the book because I truly want everyone to read this book. It was such a meaty YA book. (I hate that I listened to this via the robotic galley voice...it was terrible).

I could relate to Quinn as a teen- really goofy and unsure of herself. But a true romantic at heart. And being a black spot in a white bowl of milk is also relatable. It was the prefect mix of social issues (racism, economic disparities, colorism) and romance.

It was a truly charming book where you want to root wholeheartedly for the MCs

But I am going to need NetGalley never to put an automated voice up again. That was the worst trying to listen to.

After getting over the robotic voice of the narration, the theme of the book was okay. As a journal writer, I can't imagine how I would feel if one of my journals was lost, and somebody posted the contents on social media.

In this book, the main character is a teenager who makes personal lists in her private journal. Somehow her journal was lost, and all of her personal thoughts were posted for all to see.

This is a young adult fiction book that I would recommend. I only wish I had requested it as an Ebook not an Audiobook with NetGallery.

🚨🚨🚨🚨Spoilers Read at your own risk🚨🚨🚨🚨
It was so so good. I absolutely needed this book. It was so realistic with it's characters and conflicts. The book shows that like in real life some 'villains' can be forgiven.  Everything form the mean girls to the concerns and problems that Quinn, Carter, Olivia and Argie go through. The  book handles racism and classicism so well. This book is so good as a stand alone but by the end it had me dying to know how Carter tackles his own list as well. I also wanted more adventures with Quinn's new friends.  The synthetic voice did confuse me for a little bit but I know the real audio book will do this book justice.  I can't wait for the book release to get my hands on the physical copy.

Quinn, the somewhat flawed protagonist, was easy to related to. Living mostly in her own head she deals with her feelings and secrets by keeping lists. When her journal goes missing and a blackmailer threatens to expose her secrets and lies she is forced to open up and start letting people in.
The book takes on numerous issues and this at times feels overwhelming, but it is well written and although the computer generated narration was at time distracting, I mostly enjoyed listening to this audio book.