First of all, I'd like to thank NetGalley for letting me
read an ARC of this delightful book!
This is a sparkling debut about what it means to be Taiwanese-American in the Midwest, about
growing up and not feeling as though you have
found your place. June Chu is an incredibly
interesting and well written protagonist, who
seems vibrant and realistic! Her struggles with her own identity as well as the universal stress of
choosing a college was relatable, but not in a two dimensional way.
June's journey throughout her last year of high
school and relationships with boys, friends and
family was addictive. This author in particular was excellent in terms of her similes- I simply couldn't get enough! This book is light and fluffy, sprinkled with darker themes, and pretty much does what it says on the tin! If the blurb interests you, you will not be disappointed by this read.

This book was so funny and it was such an entertaining read. I loved the romance in this and I found the main character to be very relatable

I think this is one of the only books I have read recently, where the blurb perfectly captures what the book is about. Literally, this is exactly what the blurb says. Nothing more, nothing less, pretty much.

I'm gonna start off by saying that this book is probably not for everyone. I can very easily understand why this book would not be enjoyable to a lot of people, but fortunately for me, I enjoyed it a lot.

I keep thinking of this book. It's been a long while since I finished it now (i am just very behind on reviews, it's fine), but I still find myself thunking of characters or plot points from this book every now and again. The pacing wasn't perfect, I was annoyed with certain things that happened and were done, but overall, the story grabbed my attention and had me invested from very early on and i had a good time!
I loved how the characters were written and built up. They weren't perfect, they were really messy, and I felt like that made them very realistic. Most of the characters were very different from me, but I still found them to be very relatable (especially June), and I can imagine they'd be even more so to someone more similar to them on more aspects than me.
I also think the story captured the mess that is the final time in high-school very well. Because it is really messy, and you don't know what you're doing, and you're going to make mistakes and do dumb things, but that's okay.

I think the pacing was definitely not great throughout, and there were aspects of the characters and the plot that I did not love... And I definitely see how this might not be for everyone. But it was it for me, and I think a lot of readers would find some of the same positive qualities in it as I did, which really pulled my rating up.

Overall I liked it a lot. I keep thinking about it so often, and it's positive for once.

There are several trigger warnings for this book, which I cannot remember off the top off my head because again, I am late with writing reviews, but definitely look into it before picking this up ^-^

A great coming of age story that addresses Asian identity, sexuality, familial pressure, and the ways they intersect. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to like this book so much but the writing was really well done, June felt very real and very honest. She made mistakes, had super messy relationships - romantic, familial, and platonic - and her decisions at the end felt earned and bittersweet.

boys i know was the raw, sex-positive book i didn't know i needed in my life. i loved it all throughout and connected with june from the very first page. the ending was perfect and honestly, it has become one of my favourite reads of the year

June Chu is the girl who is "just good enough." She's good enough to have a bevy of third-place trophies on her shelf and steal covert kisses from her AP Bio companion, Rhys. But not well enough to fulfill her Taiwanese mother's unyielding demands, or to persuade Rhys to commit to anything other than a well-timed joke.

June's mother demands that she follow in her (perfect) sister's footsteps and receive a (full-ride) violin scholarship to Northwestern (to study pre-med), but she doesn't see the purpose in putting in too much effort if she's going to fail anyhow. Instead, she concentrates her efforts on making her relationship with Rhys "formal," but when her meticulously planned, sloppily performed ploy backfires, she jumps into a new connection with a person who isn't allergic to the word "girlfriend."

However, when the line between sex and love blurs and the pressure to plan out her entire future begins to explode, June will have to decide on whose terms she will live her life—even if it means irreparably fracturing her relationship with her mother.

June piqued my interest. I'm sure I have the same issues she does, both at school and at home. I had issues with my father, mother, and sister, as well as grades, AP classes, additional credits, friendships, mental health, and a feeling of inferiority. As a result, I enjoyed the book a lot. However, I felt like I was skimming through the book because 25 percent of it was monotonous.

As a reader, I want to be able to finish a book with a sense of accomplishment. I can't bring a story to a close without a conclusion. For me, having a regular closure is a must. Therefore, the story’s conclusion did not appeal to me. It was hasty and monotonous. I wasn't sure how to interpret the essay's conclusion, which came off as sudden. As a result, it is a significant omission on the author's side.

I didn't like any of the characters in this novel. June would be my favorite character if I had to pick one. She is compassionate and considerate, and she always puts people first. She is an excellent role model who makes everyone feel at ease. Not just because she was the lead, but because she's the only character who appeals to me. I tried but failed to like the others. It was difficult for me to get along with them. Racism, sexism, and misogyny were all present in each of them. They also came out as domineering, particularly towards June.

Overall, this was a nice read. I recommend it more for the younger siblings more, though.

Aiya June! I love that our MC was complicated and headstrong. The surrounding cast of characters made me mad tho - probably since high school is behind me, and I've gained a bigger sense of self since then... Some of June's mistakes made me cringe, and it really hurt my heart in places too. Signs of a well-written story! The struggles with her family were realistic and made sense - I would almost love to see a story from her sister's POV as well. In some places, it felt a bit dragging on, so my score wasn't as high as before. It was good, but I am not sure if I'll read it again - definitely liked it tho and very much here for the Asian-American representation.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book!

This book surprised me, I loved how it dived head on into topics that I think will be so extremely relatable to teens! June was a beautiful protagonist, rebellious, defensive and hiding, much like a lot of teens, but as the story goes on you really get to see her come into herself and begins to understand what she actually wants from her relationships with the people in her circle.

This was very coming of age, and so sex-positive with a pleasantly frank view on first times and desire! This book is one I’d definitely recommend!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up!

What I enjoyed
-June was relatable, messy and funny main character who makes mistakes and learns from them
-Asian American rep. Loved seeing the relationship between June and her Mom and sister.
-Sex positive. Teenagers having safe sex and talking about it in a safe way!
-Loved the messiness of the boys, I have definitely been in June’s shoes!

What I disliked/needed improvement
-one dimensional side characters
-didn’t feel super connected to June’s friends or the lead love interest Rhys
-I wanted June to come into her own a little more! Her development was there but not super strong

Looking forward to reading more books by the author! Thank you to the publisher + NetGalley for the ARC!

I really loved this book. Everything about it is really great, and I love the Asian representation. It’s really interesting and sad at the same time to hear that there is racism even between Asian people

This book was amazing! It was a typical coming of age story, but with a lot of deep topics.

I really liked the fact that there was so much focus on the pressure June experience, because this happens a lot in the real world. It is too big a part of a lot of teenagers life while growing up. In this setting I feel like that fact that June is from an asian family is why there’s so much pressure and I guess that it is true on some level, but it happens in all kinds of cultures, which makes the topic really relatable.

Another thing I love about the book is the whole rebellion act June has going on, because that is often a part of being a teenager, especially if you come from a background of pressure.
I feel like June had a big character development throughout the book. She started as a teenage girl with very little personality, to becoming a young women who knew what she wanted and had her own opinion on things. I felt like she had a lot of confusion going on, but as I got further into the book I also felt like that confusion got smaller and smaller.

The whole story about her love interest Rhys felt so real. Two teenagers who had a hard time showing and taking about what they actually wanted, which made their relationship end before it even really started. Instead of talking about it, they just went their own ways and wasted a whole lot of time where they could have been together instead. It’s a typical teenage love story and even though I wanted them together since the start of the book, I think that June needed to experience the break up and everything that came after in order to grow older and wiser and become more sure of herself.

I throughly enjoyed the story and the characters. I will definitely recommend it to everyone who wants to read a well written and pretty amazing coming of age story.

The title is a clever wink at Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. In fact, the boys at senior June Chu’s predominantly white, Midwestern high school are too lazy to make any other comparison and nickname her “Covey” - even though June is Taiwanese and Lara jean is Korean.

But June’s love life is just as complicated as Lara Jean’s. While trying to live up to her immigrant mother’s impossibly high standards, June navigates a series of messy relationships with boys clearly unworthy of her. The book is an unflinching exploration of why.

Her sexual encounters are often awkward, but June is still swept up in the romance of them. She has agency, and does not come across as a victim. Of course, it’s only through these awkward encounters that June recognizes she is trading physical intimacy for the emotional intimacy she so clearly desires (but doesn’t seem to feel she deserves). Another painful realization comes when June travels for a college tour and can finally see the cultural isolation she has suffered growing up Asian American in small-town Iowa.

Told with lacerating wit, Gracia has created a funny and completely relatable main character in June. The complicated - and competitive - relationship between June and her older sister, Wendy, is nicely rendered. But it is the relationship between June and her mother that was the most affecting for me. She is a force, always throwing Chinese proverbs at June. It’s to Gracia’s credit that her overarching desire to see her daughter succeed comes shining through even if her manner is harsh.

Ultimately, Boys I know is a deeply authentic depiction of a family and a culture wrapped around the main character’s struggle to define herself within them. Highly recommended.

I LOVE this book so much. I laughed, I cried, I was so proud of June by the end of it. I read one review on Goodreads that says people who relate to June should seek psychological help. Hello, my name is Erik J. Brown and I'm in search of psychological help, because my GOD did I relate to June.

I'm a gay, cisgender, white male from Philadelphia and I still related to straight, Taiwanese June from the Midwest. June figuring out how to communicate with boys and deal with all the dumb stuff they do brought me right back to discovering my own sexuality and trying to figure out the difference between sex and love and a crush. Trying to straddle that thin line between cool/aloofness and that heart-bursting excitement of a new crush. You don't want to be too available, but also not cold, but also not too excited, but also not too sexual, but also SO. MANY. OTHER. THINGS! It was terrible for me, but thankfully June is much smarter and headstrong than I was at her age.

This is such a wonderful, funny, heartfelt book and Anna Gracia is such an exciting new voice. I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

‘Boys I Know’ by Anna Gracia 3.5 stars
This book is a realistic coming of age story.
It follows June Chu, a Twanaises-American girl who is trying to navigate through her life right about the time she is about to graduate. Her parents, especially her mother, pressures her to be like her sister. All of this leads her to make mistakes(messy relationships and boyfriends) and try to be someone she isn’t. Even though no matter how much she tries to get away from her parents' impact on her life, she just can’t violin, personality, it all comes back to them.


This book was good, not really wholesome but more realistic. The main character felt like a real person, her stupid mistakes and the pressures she faced, wanting to be someone she isn't. She starts ignoring red flags and racism. The writing was so good it led me to hate some of the side characters so much, they felt real but the side characters I actually enjoyed reading about, felt flat. They had a story but they never got into it. I also really didn’t like the ending. I needed more, what happened to the characters ? Yes you know where they are going but how was college their college experience? None of those questions were answered. Beside this I enjoyed the book although I got second hand embarrassment sometimes.
Thanks netgalley for the arc.

I received a copy of this e-ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Boys I Know sounded cute. A story of an Asian-American girl, June, who is always "just good enough" navigating her senior year of high school, college admissions, and some messy relationships with boys. This did deliver on that. It also did a good job of portraying senior year of high school for someone who feels maybe a little aimless. The three boys June likes/has relationships with (Rhys, Brad, and Gang) are all very messy, somewhat despicable, immature boys. The representation of Asian American culture and the question of what does it mean to be "Asian enough" was interesting. It also does a nice job of highlighting microaggressions and how hurtful they can be.

Unfortunately, this book didn't hit the mark for me. June fell flat for me as a character. Her mother comes across as a disciplinarian/heavy handed mother, but simultaneously does not seem to really care where June comes or goes. For a girl who is in honors and AP classes, June has a group of friends who are pothead/underage drinking/very average. I don't understand how she and Rhys were in a relationship but weren't. I was appalled with Brad's character and the playground scene. Gang seemed like he could have been interesting, but clearly was a disappointment as well. I can understand an 18 year old might not understand navigating sex well, but then I'm surprised she even had sex with 2 different guys in this book. After the first incident, I would have thought her character would have sworn it off for a little bit.

I understand I'm probably older than the target demographic for this book, and I am not a prude. However, the cavalier portrayal of sex does seem a bit reckless/unsettling. It almost makes it seem like no big deal, which doesn't track for me for an audience of 14-19 year olds.

I got bored with this story about 50% of the way through, but wanted to make sure to finish it for complete thoughts. I do like how June and her mother seem to come to an understanding in the end, and I do like that June grew as a character throughout the book. Unfortunately, I don't think I will remember this book in a few years and it wouldn't hit a recommended list for me.

A big thanks to NetGalley, Peachtree Teen, and Anna Gracia for the ARC!

✼ ----------- ✼

⌜★★★☆☆⌟

✼ ----------- ✼

Did you guys see that cover? Hopefully, you did but lemme tell you that the cover isn't the only gorgeous part of this book.

We follow June, a teenager about to graduate from high school, who is facing not only the challenges of growing up but also a sense of not being part of the Taiwanese-American community. With only that premise, we all know what's going to come.

Then, let's start talking about the plot, the writing, and the author's style.

⇾ I had to admit that I found this one a little heavy going at first. I was not sure what direction the plot would take; if it would be a YA romance or a YA contemporary; and so that made it a little difficult for me, especially in the first few chapters.

⇾ Anyway, once we started getting deeper into the story it was such a complete adventure I couldn't put it down even to take a breath. The narration becomes fluid, June's monologues have more substance and you can feel the troubles coming to the surface.

⇾ It's a story to be reflected in. It includes social issues such as identity conflicts and other more "usual" ones, such as those associated with the end of such an important phase as high school. June is a transparent and true-to-life character, with which you find many points in common and situations that probably you've already gone through or will go through.

Our main character is June, and the author did a good job building her, giving her shape and profile; the result is a real girl, who is not far away from the reader and has a plot that adjusts to her personality. She's not good, she's not bad; she's just a teenager struggling to find her way, stumbling around, ending relationships, and starting new ones.

The rest of the characters are fine, but are not as important as June; so I won't talk too much about them. The conflicts are well treated. The intrapersonal and interpersonal ones. June conflicts with her family, her friends, with her romantic relationships. In addition, she has to deal with micro-racisms, offensive cultural expressions, and the feeling that "I'm not white enough or Asian enough". It's a good example of how to understand certain conflicts today.

My only beef with the book might be the ending, but that's personal; many of you will probably like it.

Again, thanks to those who allowed me to enjoy the book.

An honest, authentic coming-of-age YA that explores a young girl's budding sexuality and clashes with her immigrant parents with care and nuance. The themes in this book are evergreen and the main character's conflict between parental expectations and personal desires is one that many, many teen readers (ab even adult) readers will relate to. Perfect for fans of Never Have I Ever and My So-called Life

In BOYS I KNOW, Taiwanese-American June Chu navigates boys, sex, the world, her identity, and her mother's extreme expectations in the months leading up to her High School graduation.

To be honest, I had this book on my radar for ages, so when I saw it was available on here, I jumped at the chance to read it. The summary sounded interesting and I don't often read sex-positive YA novels, so I figured... why not?

Well, well. I definitely enjoyed this. It was funny, well-written, and charming. However complicated June was, I loved her and still rooted for her through all of the times I wanted to yell at her to go get her shit together.

I think what fell short for me with this book was what the summary made me expect I was getting VS what I actually got. It didn't necessarily follow a linear plot, and it made me really confused since I was genuinely expecting one. To enjoy this book at its best, one should go into it not expecting one. It's honestly more of a snapshot of June's senior year and the things she went through than anything else. My rating definitely would've been higher if I hadn't felt misled by the summary. Because of it, I spent majority of my reading experience wondering where the summary was gonna kick in and where the story was going and it lessened my enjoyment a good amount.

Nonetheless, I totally loved Anna Gracia's writing and will be reading more of her in the future. This was a really good debut and I can't wait to see how she eventually grows in future projects.

One thing I will say is that while this book is supposed to be 13+, I'd only recommend it for 16 years old and up. I believe the sexual content in this book should only be consumed by teens who can critically consume it.

Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5
Main-Character: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Plot: ⭐️⭐️ (once again, I felt misled but it would've been higher if I would've known it wasn't necessarily a story that relied on its plot)
Pacing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 /5

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

TW: Horrible men, pregnancy scare.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

June Chu is in her senior year, and she's tired of not being enough. Her parents are always comparing her to her older sister Wendy. The boy she likes doesn't seem to want to put a label on things. She can't even seem to win a violin competition, even though she almost always places in the top three. When does she get her moment?

This book is sex positive, thought provoking, entertaining, and completely attention-grabbing. I have no doubt that this book will be widely loved and enjoyed by many when it is finally out in the world. I connected so much to June in her experiences of being confused in high school, chasing perfection, and wanting to be enough, and I'm certain that other readers will feel the same way. I'm so happy I got to read this! It publishes on July 5th, and you don't want to miss out!

CW: sexual content, morning after pill, vomit, alcohol use

What does it mean to be an Asian-American teenage girl struggling with boy drama, school drama, parental expectations, and finding your own identity? June Chu is in high school, she’s struggling to get the attention of the boy she has a crush on, she’s struggling to live in her sister’s shadow and meet her parent’s expectations, she’s struggling to decide where she’ll go to college, and where she fits in. June wants nothing more than to be wanted, to be loved, and to feel like she belongs. When she starts hooking up with her AP Bio partner Rhys, she thinks its finally the place she’s meant to be... except one trip to a cabin and one rebuffed advance from her and she’s suddenly doubting if he even wants her at all. Then comes Brad, cute hokey player who refers ot her as “ China Doll” or just “China” ( big red flags there) and she decides to date him and dump Rhys.... except things also go bad with Brad... and then comes Gang, a college musician who only sleeps with her while he has a gf because she’s “ just a child and nothing serious”. June cycles between all these boys with clear red flags and she’s struggling to find herself. This is a story had me cringing in embarrassment for her, and just being frustrated with her because yes she’s young but oh god all the red flags these boys have. I love how sex positive the story is and honestly it deals with a lot of relatable issues that many Asian-American girls have ( me being one myself I could relate to her). But the fact that June is super judgmental about people, the fact that she lets every guy she likes walk all over her, and the fact that she barely has a personality outside of liking boys is a bit much even for me. Yes she grows at the end of the book and thankfully she finally gets out of all these toxic boys but oh boy was it a bumpy ride for her. Overall a good growing up read for girls struggling with identity and boys!

*Thanks Netgalley and Peachtree, Peachtree Teen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*