This was really a cute story and one I really enjoyed listening to on audio! It’s a very quick and easy read, I finished listening to it within two days. This book covers a lot of topics. It covers race, high school drama, blackmail, secrets, cyber bullying, trust, and so much more. I thought all these topics were handed really well though!

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. I thought they had believable hardships that they went through. I loved watching them grew and learn from that. I also loved the family dynamics in this book, it’s cool to see how different everyone’s family is. This book touched on very realistic topics, and I felt that it taught a lot of life lessons that people need. I would highly recommend this book!

4.0 ⭐️ OVERALL
N/A⭐️ NARRATION

💬 “I don’t think white people shouldn’t say the friendly version of that word knowing that someone, somewhere is still using it as hate speech. Doesn’t seem fair to black people that every time they hear it, they have to figure out whether or not they’re being insulted.”

🥀 Genre🥀 YA, Romance

🥀 Premise 🥀 Quinn is anxious black senior at a predominately white high school. She is constantly writing lists until her journal is stolen and a blackmailer forces her to face her fears.

🥀 Narration 🥀 This was my first experience with Voice Galley, an audiobook created with a synthetic voice for the sneak peak. I am hopeful about the narrator that is eventually chosen, there are some great accents and personalities in this book.

🥀 Thoughts 🥀 I absolutely adored this book! The title is cheesy but the book is anything but! Quinn is real and raw and shows great growth. Her struggle with her black identity while growing up with white friends is so realistic. She also has to navigate her privilege as she makes unlikely allies and friends. I love that she expects to get into Cornell but does not put in the work, another privilege she is forced to confront. It normalizes the prospect of going to a state school and being proud of that fact.

🥀 Thoughts 🥀 There are some really difficult and important conversation Quinn has to have throughout the book. She talks to her father about his self-hate. She talks to her white best friend about her covert racist comments and behavior. It shows subtle shades of racism in our society that simmering under the service but sometimes difficult to articulate. Come for the adorable romance and friendships, stay for the truthful commentary on covert racism.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Quinn uses her journal to keep track of her lists, including a lot of things she would never admit out loud. When the journal goes missing, the person who ends up with her anonymously blackmails her into completing one of the lists in her journal, a list Quinn imagined having trouble having the courage to do. Carter was the last person to have her journal, and he teams up with Quinn to clear his name and figure out who ended up with the journal. While Quinn is facing her fears, can she also find love?

I really enjoyed this story; Quinn was a very relatable character! This book tackles a lot of teen issues, including racism, bullying, and pressure from parents. The characters in the book were well-developed and likable, and I enjoyed getting to see Quinn's blossoming new friendships. My favorite part were the lists Quinn made at the end of every chapter.

Review also published on blog: http://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

What happens when a teenage girl’s journal that includes all of her most personal thoughts goes missing?

Lots of heartbreak, a side of humor, and a whole lot of love.

Quinn is a High School Senior, filled with a little hope and a whole lot of fear. All of which she pours into a journal filled with lists. Lists containing her hopes, her dreams, her fears, and even her deepest darkest secrets. Unfortunately, Quinn’s journal is a spiral bound notebook that looks just like any old notebook and it gets swiped (by mistake) during a study session, by Carter, one of her classmates. The next day at school, Carter inadvertently loses it and all hell breaks loose.

Thereafter, one of Quinn’s lists gets posted to Insta and some of her secrets get out. To make matters worse, whoever stole her journal starts blackmailing Quinn into facing her greatest fears or else. Not knowing where to turn, Quinn decides to trust the last person who had her journal in the first place: Carter.

In doing so, Quinn finds herself, becomes more accepting of others, and owns up to her mistakes.

“Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry” is a thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, and seriously sweet novel that deals with some very serious issues and was definitely more than I bargained for. The issues of blackmail, cyberbullying, dementia, gender, marriage, and racism (among others) are prevalent. A character-driven, contemporary novel, that stole my heart and reminded me of days gone by.

“Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry” reminded me of my High School days as I did in fact write in a journal. A “Five Star” Spiral Bound Notebook (preferably with a blue or teal cover). I carried it with me everywhere (in school and/or out of school) and I wrote in it all day long. While my classmates noticed and commented on it, no one tried to steal it (thank goodness, lol). I hadn’t thought of it in decades until reading this book and I no longer have them, but reading this brought back the memories and made me laugh. For what it’s worth, I no longer write in journals, I book write reviews instead. :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the digital review copy. As a note, this audio was a synthetic voice and was actually quite good! After the first few minutes, for the most part, I forgot that I was listening to a synthetic voice altogether and was wholly impressed with the quality and would definitely recommend this digital review copy to those who are interested.

Published on Goodreads on 1.25.21.

Quinn Jackson is a senior in high school and keeps track of her life using her red journal full of lists. These lists are her fears expressed in writing so that she did not truly acknowledge or confront them. One day, Quinn's journal is accidentally taken by someone else. A sleepless night follows without knowing its whereabouts. When Quinn attempts to retrieve the journal, she finds out that it has been lost. Suddenly an anonymous Instagram account is created and one of her lists is posted-tagging everyone in the school. She teams up with some unlikely friends to track her journal down and faces her own fears along the way.

4 out of 5 stars. Thank you HarperCollins/Harper Audio for an e-ARC through NetGalley.

Quinn is an enthusiastic list maker, but after her journal goes missing, she's being blackmailed into completing her to-do list of her worst fears.

I loved Quinn's growth in this story. She was struggling with her identity and found the courage to face her fears and learn how to talk about her feelings instead of just writing it all down. The story highlights the importance of friendship as Quinn forges bonds with people she judged prematurely.

The book covered a lot of ground with deeper themes too as it addresses racism, cyber bullying, trust , and forgiveness. There's also a sweet romantic component that is adorable and will have you smiling.

Highly recommend this one for fans of To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Pick it up when it publishes May 4! Thank you NetGalley and Harper Teen for my advance copy in exchange for a review.

Links to Instagram and blog will be added a month before publication.

I listened to this as an unfinished audiobook provided to me by Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
This was really cute! I loved Quinn and Carter as a romance but the friendships were also great and wholesome. I feel like every character had a personality and history and their little quirks which can be hard to find in cute ya romances! It was a perfect mix of romance, friendship, a blackmailing conflict and racial issues. The racial issues were discussed nicely, but as a white woman I don't feel like I can speak on the representation.
There's not so much to say without spoiling the plot but it was a fun quick listen!

I liked the story a lot I want to listen to it when it comes out because I would like to hear it with an actual narrator but it made me embarrassed for the main character and it made me happy at the end. I did enjoy the writing style of the author and I liked the main character a lot and the plot and the twists were so good.

I am so tired of reading YA novels with the same plot of a diary or secret being exposed by an anonymous identity to the whole school via some sort of technology. Is no one original anymore? I understand that the audiobook is this version because it has not been made ready for the public yet, but it is incredibly difficult to listen to and/or connect with in any sort of way.

CW: blackmail, racism, internalized racism, school bullying, teenage drinking, slut shaming, dementia

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for ALC in exchange for an honest review.

For starters, I’m glad this was my first finished book of 2021. This YA was delightful as it tackled serious topics like racism and bullying. I was transported back to my senior year with the struggles of picking a college and keeping the grades up while also trying to please parents with the decisions being made.

The anxiety and the struggle not to cry was authentic and I felt so much for Quinn in those moments. Quinn’s struggle to be honest with herself was my favorite part of the book. Questions were asked of her that had her thinking about her actions and thoughts. The realizations that she goes through were brutal at times but were a great learning experience for herself and me as the reader.

Tl;dr this is a great YA contemporary that deals with heavy topics in a light and impactful way. Worth the read.

Do you keep a journal? Can you imagine all your secrets being exposed to your school? That's exactly what happens to Quinn in the story. With the help from some new friends, Quinn will try to get her journal back and will also learn a lot in the process.

I just finished this book, and let me tell you….I am ugly crying internally because I am so sad that this adorable high school rom-com is over.

Thank you to HarperTeen, NetGalley, and Joya Goffney for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my review.

TW: racism, blackmail, cyberbullying

Quinn, a Black high school senior, keeps a journal of lists including names of people she wants to kiss, how many times she’s ugly cried in her life, mistakes she has made, and goals for her to complete before college. Her life is completely turned upside down when her secret-filled journal goes missing, is exposed, and is used to blackmail her. Quinn sets off on a quest to complete tasks and activities in her journal she had never ever thought she would do.

In honor of Quinn and her love for lists, here’s what I loved most about the book:

• A light read with a focus on heavy topics
• The evolution of Quinn’s character throughout the story
• The navigation of race and several necessary discussions about it
• The entertaining lists in each chapter
• The emphasis of facing fears and owning up to mistakes

What a sweet story!

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry follows Quinn (though I thoroughly enjoyed the "nickname" Queen) who becomes the target of cyberbullying when her journal goes missing. As you might imagine, Quinn's journal is full of private information and she's blackmailed into completing the list of things she wants to do - but is scared to do - before graduating high school.

The relationships in this book were my absolute favorite part! I was surprised by how much I fully bought into Quinn's relationship with both Carter and Olivia. It reminded me of how quickly we can connect with people when that connection feels genuine, tangible, and unexpected, especially at a young age. Even the relationship between Quinn's parents and her other friendships stood out to me. Plus, it was nice to see her receive so much support during a challenging time.

It's also a lot of fun to follow Quinn as she breaks out of her shell and discovers who she really wants to be. That boldness felt earned and it's easy to cheer for her along the way.

Try as I might, I could not figure out the motivation for bullying Quinn in this way. I get revealing pages from Quinn's journal as a way to humiliate her, but why would anyone care if she completed the things on that list? It seems so arbitrary. Normally, the set-up of a book isn't something I care that much about, but it plays such a big role in the overall story that it was hard to ignore. Every time it came up, I found myself wondering, "why???" This was my biggest issue with the book.

I also felt at times that the tone of this book felt quite young, particularly how Quinn herself is portrayed. Not that big of a deal, especially because the younger YA audience deserves more books, but it did seem strange given that Quinn is just weeks away from graduating high school. It did not feel that way at all. But hey, I get that everyone matures differently and responds to things in different ways so, again, not that big of a deal.

On the whole, I really enjoyed this. I can see the comparisons to Jenny Han's work, though I found this a bit more substantial than To All the Boys... Quinn is a lovable character figuring out who she is, what it means to be Black, what boundaries she needs in her friendships, and how to love herself through it all.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for my ARC.

3.5**

This story follows Quinn who has her journal stolen by a fellow student who is blackmailing her to complete lists she has made or else the lists will get exposed.
Inside the journal Quinn has a lot of secrets that are never supposed to be seen by others. She is dealing with a lot of identity issues/guilt - feeling as though she should be a certain way because she is mixed and has money.

This book dives into her insecurities as well how friendships and family should be.

I enjoyed it to be fair and was exactly as the synopsis said, there was just something missing for me.
And the romance kind of felt like it came out of nowhere, as in, it wasn't spoken upon at all and they mostly avoided it but then it just happened.

I loved everything about this story and these characters. I loved the list making and how it was incorporated into the story. I also really appreciated that the book dealt so much with race and class and represented well just how messy those issues can be. The only thing I wasn't thrilled about was how much time was spent on the resolution of the story. There was a lot to wrap up, sure, but I felt like there was just too much time after she got the journal back. I started to get kind of bored thinking "wow, it's not over yet?" I think I wouldn't have noticed this so much if there had been some more time getting to know the characters before the journal goes missing. I feel like we jump right into the action, but then after the immediate conflict is over, we just sort of get strung along.

Excellent Book,.our main Character Quinn loves lists, one day she loses her journal with all her secrets and lists that's when the fun ensues. This book covers bullying, love family dynamics and racism and the lessons that
she learns. on the way.

Thank you to #Netgalley for the voice galley of this forthcoming young adult romance #Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry” in exchange for an honest review.

This is an excellent, realistic debut from @JoyaGoffney. I certainly hope we have more stories from her in the future. The romance & high school drama in the book are spot-on and the book has appeal for adult readers as well. There are educational moments regarding cultural diversity which is very important. Books such as these help people to understand how they can be more thoughtful in their speech and their gestures. So in that regard, I would compare & highly recommend this book for those who enjoyed Angie Thomas’s debut, “The Hate U Give” or “Such A Fun Age,” A debut from Kiley Reid.

The storyline revolves around Quinn, a high school senior who keeps a journal of lists. Many, many private lists, such as “lies people believe about me” or “boys I’d like to kiss.” The journal is misplaced and falls into the hands of someone who sees fit to blackmailing Quinn with a smear campaign...publishing portions of her journal if she doesn’t meet the deadlines set forth by the cyber bully. Quinn sets out to recover her journal and accomplishes quite a bit along the journey.

You can pre-order this book now at an affordable price. It is a highly recommended 2021 publication.

I really enjoyed this book, Starting with the name and the cover, I was quickly drawn in. The writing flowed, was easy to read, and captivating. The story overall was cute and brought the reader through a whole range of emotions. I will certainly recommend this book to my students. I think they will easily be able to relate to the themes and characters in Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry.

This book was just too cute! I was drawn into it by the cover, title, and description alone and gifted an audio ARC by NetGalley and Harper Audio in exchange for an honest review.

In Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, a debut by Joya Goffney, we are introduced to compulsive list maker, Quinn Jackson who enthusiastically lives for her next list. Her lists run the gamut. From lists of guys she’s crushing on and would love to make out with, to lies she wishes she had the courage to tell the truth about. Quinn cannot live without her list journal. It holds her biggest truths and her ugliest lies. Until one day her journal comes up missing and not only is her world exposed to the person who finds it but even worse she’s being blackmailed to tell her truths or have all her lies revealed to the world. In a quest to find the journal she’s helped by a cast of characters she never imagines would be team Quinn.

The thoughtful conversations about race, class, and bullying I especially liked. I also liked the plot and how it brought the characters closer together overall. It is a YA romantic comedy but it packs a huge punch highlighting larger contemporary issues that cannot often go overlooked.

I have journaled my entire life so I thought the main character to be very relatable. While I haven’t compiled many lists, I’m now considering do so.

Quinn + Carter = I Stan! Besides, who doesn’t love a happily ever after?!

4.5 solid hearts!
Publication Date: May 4, 2021

This book was so much fun!! Fans of To All The Boy I Loved Before would love this. For me, the first half was a lot stronger and I feel like it could have been a bit shorter, but it was so much fun and I loved all the characters!