This seems like a cute story that I would enjoy, but after 25% in, I can no longer listen to the synthetic voice. It is not the same experience as listening to an audiobook with an engaging narrator I cannot stay with it, much as I'd like to. I'll wait til the book is out. Therefore, my rating is not accurate, because I think that if I listened to the entire book, I'd be giving it at least a 4, possibly a 5.

I keep putting off this review, because I'm not sure I can do it justice.

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney be a Rom Com. It may be Young Adult. Nevertheless, behind that cute cover and seemingly simple story, is a big punch. Quinn writes her fears and her hidden truths in a journal. It is stolen and that anonymous person blackmails Quinn do to things she never wanted to do. Plus, there's the guy she loves and the one she starts to love.
Throughout this sweet story, Quinn and the author share issues that need the spotlight. That’s the much needed punch. Here’s a few:
✔️ Racism in the schools that white kids don't get or care about.
✔️ The use of the N word in songs and jokes.
✔️ White people’s defensive and argumentative response to being told what they do is hurtful.
✔️ How racism seeps within/ among the Black community.

So yes, this is a good YA RomCom. But is it also so much MORE.
Thank you @Harperteen for this book.
I adore it. 🤍

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry will be published May 2021.

#excusemewhileiuglycry

This book gave me all the feels, it was predictable knowing that she was going to end up with Carter BUT how we got to that point gave me goosebumps and butterflies in my stomach. Carter has to be one of my favorite male characters in a YA romance that isn't fantasy. He stepped up when he needed to and I found myself crying and swooning over him multiple times.

I enjoyed Quinn's character development. I liked seeing her tackle her list and grow.

Olivia was my overall favorite. She is such a strong person and doesn't let other people get into her head. I think she was a great influence on Quinn.

I made lists for everything in school, so this kind of hit home in a way. I'm not sure how I would have handled one of them getting out.

I received an ARC of the audiobook through NetGalley and am leaving an honest voluntary review.

2.5/5 Stars

I think I enjoyed the idea of this book more than the book itself. I was loving it from the beginning, but the characters quickly became annoying and the plot fell flat. When it suddenly became a struggle to get through a chapter I knew it was time to either make myself sit down and finish it or DNF all together. Ultimately I did finish the book.

I think my main issue with it was that there was no motivation for the people to steal the journal in the first place. Sure, there was a little teenage drama, but not enough for it to spiral like it did. The main characters were all a little too cookie cutter and didn't show any development until the last few pages. If there was more of a character driven plot I think this book really could have been something. Instead it got a bit too carried away with doing all this random stuff to finish the list and less about why she wanted to accomplish all this in the first place.

Overall not a bad book, but I wish there was more substance to keep the reader invested and wanting more.

I want to thank Joya Goffney and NetGalley for an advanced audiobook of Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry in exchange for an honest review. This is one of the greatest debut novels I have ever had the honor of reviewing. Every once in a while you stumble across a gem and this book is a diamond. It is simply magnificent. Even though Quinn is in high school, I saw so much of myself in her. Her meticulous lists to try to gain control of every single aspect of her life was so relatable. One of my favorite tropes is bucket list style plots and this put a fun new twist on the idea by trying to complete tasks before her private lists are exposed.

While I cannot speak on the aspects of her struggling with her identity and blackness, especially in relation to her family, is immensely thought provoking and I loved watching Quinn grow through these moments of self doubt.

This was an audiobook version of the book and I thought everything was perfect. Overall, I simply loved this book. I cannot wait to purchase a copy of this book and recommend it to everyone I know.

It has been by far the most boring and book/audiobook I have ever read/listened. I just pushed myself to keep on listening until the end so that I was fair. Though I found the element of keeping lists interesting at the beginning it was too much having so many lists as the book progressed. I truly believe they also should just stick to one meaningful list and not overwhelm the reader. I was really disappointed with the plot.

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry is an enjoyable YA book about Quinn, a girl who writes everything down in a journal full of lists. When Quinn loses her journal, her life flips upside down when she starts getting blackmailed into completing her list of fears. The book covers race, class, romance, friendship, high school drama, cyberbullying and finding oneself. I really enjoyed this novel and loved Quinn and her lists. She was easy to root for and watch grow throughout the book. I would highly recommend and look forward to future books by Joya Goffney!

Thank you to the author, Harper Audio and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy to review!

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney Review

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this YA! I don't really read YA, but this was great. I loved seeing Quinn develop as a character and learn about herself. I also enjoyed the haters to lovers trope! I had no idea who the blackmailer was, idk if I was overlooking something, but it wasn't a predictable read for a change, which I appreciated! This book delicately and directly hits issues of racism, blackmail, secrets, highschool drama, family dynamics, and cyber bullying. Exploring the normal pressures of a teenager and the affects and anxiety it causes really.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperAudio, and Joya Goffney for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook ARC kindly provided by Harper Audio/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Joya Goofney’s new book welcomes us with Quinn Jackson, a black high school girl that puts her life into her journal. All her fears, goals, list of kissable guys, confessions, and much more are there. The problem starts when she loses her journal, and someone blackmails her. Lucky her, she has Carter by her side!

This book grabbed my attention, and I couldn’t let it go. I listened to the audiobook, and I confess I’m not used to this form. The last time I tried it, it took me weeks to finish the book. With this one? I finished in 1 day. The author’s writing style is really smooth and enjoyable!

The whole blackmailing wasn’t even the focus for me. The discussions surrounding racism are all over the book showing us how it is present everywhere and in all sorts of forms. We see our main character struggling with it and having her “awakening”. Through the journal problem, Quinn gets to meet new people and make new friends. Shoutout to Olivia because in this house, we stan a queen. It was beautiful to see Quinn getting comfortable with Olivia and flowering.

Besides all said above, there is romance. I found myself cheering so hard for Quinn and Carter to get together. They went from “enemies” to friends, and finally lovers. They had an awesome dynamic and their chemistry, oh my god, THEIR CHEMISTRY, THE TENSION!!! Carter is such a great guy, smart, responsible, and kind.

I laughed, smiled, and cried a little.

One point that I didn’t like was the initial focus on Matt. He started having whole scenes, thoughts, and topics in her journal, but he nearly disappears through the end. I think he could have had less attention at the beginning.

I got the whole point about her lists, but damn, I want so much to start making lists too.

Summing it, I enjoyed this book a lot. It was catchy, smooth, and the discussions surrounding race were remarkable.

Goffney did a great job with this title. Quinn and Carter had great chemistry! This is such a great contemporary fiction, a must for your YA collection!

This was the perfect summer (even though it’s winter) read!!! It was so so so cute! And I’ve never related more to the need to write so many lists even ones that don’t make sense. This took me to another place in the midst of this pandemic and I’m so grateful for this ARC!

I think the one thing I couldn't get past is our main character, Quinn. I found it really difficult to sympathize with her as she was pretty judgemental as well as insecure. She complained about being characterized as the spoiled girl but like. . .she was. I did appreciate how she grew throughout the story though. I think this may just be personal preference as I prefer a different minded type of character.

One thing I loved about the story is how racism was discussed. It felt very realistic as I went to a small high school that was mostly white and saw similar types of behavior around my school. It also has the plotline of cyberbullying, another thing that was common when I was in high school. These aspects made the story seem more realistic while other parts of the story didn't seem as believable. I mean, I wasn't really sure how parents wouldn't notice a fake college acceptance letter but alright.

I think this is a nice coming of age story that teens might be able to relate to and with all the themes covered in this book, it's one they should probably read.

A coming of age story about a teenager that actually sounds like a teenager.

I gave it a 3.5/5 because while I liked the idea of the story and thought it was fine I just wasn't super in love with it but I can see why people really like it. I'd definitely be interested in seeing what else this author publishes.

Going to rate this one 5 stars becuase I know it’s going to be amazing and from the chapter u listened to I loved... I just can’t get past the audio. I still have the book preordered because I’m very excited but I just didn’t like the sound.

This was a fun and impressive debut that i adored! Quinn is one of the few black students in a prestigious private school; she finds refuge in writing and making lists in her journal. Her journal goes missing and someone begins to blackmail her deepest and darkest secrets she freaks out, and has to begin working with Carter, a fellow black student who she has never gotten along with. Soon, the hate the hate they had for one another dismantles as they build a connection to retrieve her journal and also complete her lists from her journal her blackmailer is forcing her to do. This book is about facing your fears, being honest, and falling in love.

While I Like The Premise Of The Book. I Just Could Not Get Past The Fake Siri Sounding Voice On The Audio. I Believe That The Galley Should Have A Real Voice Or Something Close So That The Reader Can Actually Connect With The Book.

This Wasn’t It For Me. I’m Still Going To Purchase The Book When It Comes Out So That I Can Give It A Better Review.

Quinn is wound up tight with all her secrets and trying to live up to expectations she's not even sure she wants to live up to. When the handsome boy she thought she'd never have to deal with takes her list journal full of all her secrets and then loses it, she's forced to face all the things she's been hiding from and find herself along the way.
It's a solid coming-of-age story with interesting characters and a great message. Quinn is a great guide into being the only different one within a friend group and how fantastic it can be to find those you have the most in common with. She also serves as a great example of how life-changing facing your fears can be.
My only point of annoyance is that there's a lot of time spent developing a relationship with a character that's supposed to be super close and important, and then that character gets ghosted with no explanation or mention. It feels like the character got shoehorned in to make drama and then forgotten once the drama was achieved.
Other than that, it's a solid story done well with great messages. Definitely worth the read.

Many happy thanks to NetGalley and Harper for the early read.

Thank you to HarperTeen and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC of this adorable high-school rom-com in exchange for my review.

This book is rich with the everyday dramas of being a teen and what it’s like to be in between a kid and an adult. Our female protagonist, Quinn, is dealing with things every teen can relate to - a crush on the boy next door, a fight with her best friend, marital tension between her parents, an ailing grandparent, and (when her journal with her inner most thoughts is stolen) cyber bullying.

Beneath the drama and budding romance the author eloquently wove in issues of race and what it means to act and feel black when you’re surrounded by (slightly racist) white friends.

I found myself laughing and crying as Quinn discovers her true self in this debut 5 star novel by Joya Goffney.

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry - Joya Goffney

I initially was drawn to this book because of the cover. I love the bright colours and cartoon-ish characters. I feel on a shelf in the bookstore, this novel will be very eye-catching if placed well.
I loved listening to this audiobook. I feel this book covered a range of topics, including betrayal from friends, racial discrimination, and the day-to-day struggles teenagers have in high school. The novel quickly dove into Quinn's blackmailer forcing her to complete her private 'to-do' lists that she keeps in her journal or all of her secrets being revealed. Quinn's journey with her parents was interesting as there were so many moving parts that involved a big secret that she was scared to admit. With the help of her new friends, and new crush, I loved the character development she had with overcoming all of her obstacles. I think this book showed Quinn's growth in facing friends in hard situations and learning the hard way about how lies can affect many people.
I really enjoyed this story and I am excited for others to read it.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of the audiobook through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

TW : racism, blackmail, cyberbullying, chronic illness bereavement

Okay, first things first, while reading my review, keep in mind that : being an ARC, the content was generated by a synthetic voice. Which means the voice is flat even during emotional moments, and everyone speaks the same way. Which is also extremely weird when an 8 year old has the voice of an adult 😂 It took a while to get used to, which could also explain why I only truly got invested into the book about halfway through. Gotta thank those insomnia nights, had nothing else to do but push forward 😅👍

This book adresses so many important subjects, like racism leading to blackmail and cyberbullying, privilege, dealing with highschool drama, the consequences of keeping secrets and lying, as well as facing your fears and atoning for your mistakes.

You also can't ignore the important messages about relationships in this story : different dynamics with family members and friends, the importance of kinship while navigating a predominantly white highschool, and distancing yourself from toxic relationships. This book also explores the phases of bereavement when it comes to a family member's chronic illness.

I appreciated how everything tied up nicely at the end of the book, the positive ending, annnnd the enemies to lovers trope! 3⭐