This was a very interesting book and it had been a long time since i had last read contemporary ya. It was enjoyable and i would definitely recommend it, just isn't a genre that i'm usually drawn to.

What you expect from the blurb is exactly what you. This book follows around June in her senior year as she navigates expectations, after HS plans, and relationships. I enjoyed June's exploration in her racial identity and the abrupt wakeup call when she was called out on being whitewashed.

Original Review Posted to Goodreads.

This book was great! The blurb pulled me in and the cover is absolutely stunning! This book is a great representation of Asian Culture and Asian families! I loved the characters and the storyline very much! The book is a great big mess just like the blurb says, its great! It only took me a few days to finish! Would 10 out of 10 recommended and read again!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Boys I Know is one of those books that I knew I would connect with immediately. I mean, growing up Asian American in a majority white city with majority white classmates? It's such a strong reflection of my life growing up. June is just trying to grow up just like any other high schooler but there is just so much that she doesn't understand and no one really around to show her. I found my high school self in June and I hope that June can do the same for others, especially teens who are still where June is today. I'm so glad this book exists and I'm so excited for Boys I Know to find it's readers because I know that my experience, June's experience, is not unique.

June Chu is the definition of "just good enough" but she's somehow still never good enough for her mother's exceedingly high expectations or to get any good guy to want anything serious. June just wants to get through high school, prove to her mom that she doesn't need to follow in her sister's footsteps to be successful, and focus on making her relationship with Rhys "official." But will it be enough to meet her mother's expectations?

June's experience growing up is shockingly similar to mine, which made Boys I Know so special to me. Like June, I grew up in an area where I knew very few Asian people and the ones I did were definitely not Vietnamese (or in June's case, Chinese). I had no concept of what it was to be growing up as an Asian woman because I just didn't have friends who could give that meaning. I didn't understand certain microaggressions because I didn't know the root of any of them.

June makes so many mistakes in Boys I Know and she lets too many things slide that she shouldn't. But in those mistakes, and in that obliviousness, I found myself. I know exactly what it's like to not understand how "China doll" is terrible. I completely understand how it feels when you finally hang out with Asian women and they remind you how much you've assimilated. Deep in my soul I know how painful it is to wonder if there was ever a way not to assimilate when you are the only Asian woman. Did I really have a choice? Does it make really me less Asian? It doesn't but that is a lesson that takes years to understand. Maybe, just maybe, with more books like this, that lesson won't be so hard to learn.

This was a refreshing read for me because of the MC, June. So often books have MCs that are written to be “likeable” or “relatable” and “good” enough we root for them. But this book is interesting because June makes a lot of bad decisions and isn’t the best person in situations, yet it’s because of that I enjoyed her.

June felt like a real person, a real teenager, and it was nice seeing the way she navigated all the emotions of an overbearing mom, while juggling the love she had for her, the highs and lows of relationships and messy loves. I do wish we got more character development from the other characters, particularly Rhys who I feel wasn’t as well-rounded as he could have been. This is an honest, coming of age story that deals with topics a lot of books shy away from in YA and for that I think it’s five stars.

This book has at its core June Chu, delving into all the aspects of her life and how they connect, influence, and modulate each-other, which is probably the thing that sold me the most about this novel.

Far from being a mono-thematic novel, it digs deep in the romance aspect, seeing how family and friend relations, racism and others affected how she interacted and perceived everyone, by far my favorite aspect of this novel.

Furthermore, thanks to the first person perspective, we can see the whole thought process that June goes through while dating, which particularly enticed me, making it a clear point how we (women) are taught to turn the mere fact of receiving attention from men into something empowering when in reality it is anything but.

Even though this book doesn’t really shy away from many topics, I found it lacking specifically in one of the conflicts presented, Candace's relationship with Dom. I feel like the main lesson that we got from that situation was “Always support your friends” without adding nuance to the debate of college guys dating barely legal girls, which I was hoping it would do.

Overall, Boys I Know is a wonderful novel written with obvious care for the characters and topics portrayed while keeping it accessible for young adult readers.

This novel wraps in a bow what it means to be a teenager going through the most formative stage of your life, struggling to fit in and struggling to find out what you really want to do in your life. As someone currently in the same shoes, this hit close to home. Does she follow her overbearing mothers wishes, or does she do what would make her feel happy and the most truly her?

Following June’s relationship with the boys: Rhys, Brad and Gang, was about as painful as you’d expect. You were definitely left rooting for some and not for others but there was a lesson within each of their storylines and there was a part of June that grew with them. The romance, surprisingly, was more of a secondary plotline and the leading one followed June finding herself.

An incredible insight look into the navigation of complicated family dynamics, sexuality,understanding and appreciating ones culture and first dating experiences.



The book manages to explore many issues however I think there were certain topics that could of been dived more deeply.


My favourite part of the book was Junes character. There is constant character development and every experience leads her to new conclusions that are later on questioned, and her flaws are discussed. Honestly I would of rated this higher if more characters were written nearly as well as June was.


Due to the lack of more character depth on characters aside from the mc and the sometimes underwhelming writing of this book I sadly can't rate it higher, however it definitely had potential and I look forward to any feature books by Anna Gracia

An Asian American teen. Sex positivity. So much messiness. Boys I Love had so much to offer, and still … I decided to DNF.

This review is a bit different than usual because of the reason I decided to DNF.
A while ago, Aaron Aceves (This is Why They Hate Us) posted his order of preferred writing styles on Twitter:
* First-person, present tense
* Third-person, past tense
* First-person, past tense
* Third-person, present tense

I fully agree with Aaron. And it’s not that I don’t like third person, present tense; beautiful books like Beartown have been written in this style. But in my opinion, the style needs to fit the story. Fredrik Backman writes from a helicopter view, contemplative, more distant. In these cases, third person, present tense works really well.

Boys I Like is vibrant and immediate and is written in first person, past tense. The past tense is my problem. Because a lively, urgent story in the present should (still my opinion, yours could be different) be written in present tense. After reading a few chapters, I even started to replace tenses in sentences. Then a friend told me to drop the book. I didn’t want to because I still loved the premise and could see myself liking the story. But after a couple more pages I decided to quit after all. Because I got too frustrated with this past tense and don’t want to ruin me and my family’s weekend out of frustration for a book.

Honestly, I’m ride or die for June Chu. I wasn’t really expecting it, because we have basically nothing in common, but Boys I Know, as it follows June’s senior year and struggles with boys, her parents, and college choices, is written so sincerely and dynamically that I was right there with her from the start. I’ve already graduated college twice, but I still found MYSELF a little stressed out as June struggled with choosing a college that would make her happy and her parent’s expectations.

I loved June’s voice, but I especially liked the pacing of how the story unfolds. Sometimes with contemporary books it can feel like the last few chapters are the character figuring out their life lesson all at once to wrap things up, but June’s character progression and realizations felt very natural, and very relatable to the teenage reader. This book really expertly juggles a lot of different themes June is facing—boys, sex, college, race, her family, and her own agency and responsibility within all those things—with a lot of interesting nuance. I knew going in I wasn’t going to be rooting for any of the boys, but I was surprised that I didn’t hate any of them (well...maybe Gang, but he’s an ADULT). They were all very human, and all the scenarios June found herself in felt very realistic and understandable. Everything about June’s journey feels interconnected in a very real way, and I really liked how she had to learn to maintain boundaries for herself, but also look more critically at how she impacts other people. (As an older sister I legally have to side with Wendy overall, but I didn’t spend the whole time going ‘Wendy is right’, so that’s big for me).

Even if you don’t really read contemporary, I’d recommend Boys I Know. It’s a very fresh and relevant story, and it approaches a lot of important topics in a really sincere and lived-in way. And like I said, I really just love June.

I finally decided to grab this book and I’m actually really glad I read this. I read this book in one sitting and was only reading it, I read it quite quick too which is surprising because I do take ages.

I was hooked on this book as soon as I discovered the author and this blurb!! And the cover is so damn beautiful and one of my favourite ones ever. I loved the asian rep and I think it was so good. Many books include diverse characters especially asians but never explode or had minor details that make it unique, but this captured a lot. The whole vibe and aesthetic of the book was great.

I really liked June, I think had really had a personality and I could relate to her in many ways. Many may not like how she was, but her honestly and how straight forward she was, it was one of my favourite things about her. Her story was amazing and she had so much about her, the author showed how messy a teenagers life can be and it was really interesting and I was eager to know what she will do next.

As I don’t expect books to be perfect, there were some stuff that really bothered me. I didn’t like how June didn’t stand up to the boys in her life. I felt as if she just let them get away with the stuff they did and just let them walk over her, which I was quite surprised because she stands up to her mother and sister many times. I really wished she put the guys in her life in their place. This really would have made her character even more better. Rhys was definitely my favourite from them and towards the end of the book I was really hoping they’d be together.

I just didn’t like the whole pregnancy, plan b plot line. I do feel June was really selfish in that part of the book and I just wish it was kind of done properly in a way. Everything was so rushed and I just needed more and needed more plot and story with every guy she was with instead of a couple of chapters. I really wanted to see the development and the raw reality of how the situations were likes

I think this was a good debut book and I look forward to more releases from this author.

A hilarious and sweet story about a Taiwanese American girl finding her place in high school and also in the world, with a focus on her relationship dynamics with a typical tiger mom. Overall a fun, light read that touches on many relevant issues!

"And for a brief moment, everything felt exactly how it used to. The rush of the life I was leaving behind flooded back—inside jokes, our mock arguing, the intense feeling of safety he brought. The nostalgia washed over me, magnifying all the things I was giving up." — Boys I know, Anna Gracia.

Ah, I remember when I was making a little selection of the upcoming YA titles for a post for my bookstagram, and how I found out about this book thinking 'this one will be very interesting'! Turns out I was right! WOW, what a slap in the face this book has given me!

Boys I Know is the debut YA novel of Anna Gracia, and it follows the teenage life of June Chu, a Taiwanese American who struggles to find herself in Pine Grove. She feels pressured by her family, who wants her to follow the steps of her sister, Wendy, by going to Northwestern college, and by society in general. Between racist surnames and the fact that she is one of the only Asian Americans in her town, June Chu tries to find a place for herself among her peers, no matter what she must do. But this is not without struggles and wrong beginnings that she experiences the most important steps of her teenage life: boyfriends; friendships; life decisions; every 'yes' is a new risk to take. And perhaps a new facet of herself to discover...

Where to start? By being honest: I started this book on the wrong foot. The first chapters introduced me to June and her strong temperament. At first, I had a hard time relating to her; I think I was too narrow-minded and was simply trying to overlay my own teenage memories/self to her own narrative, which has basically proven itself to be wrong. There's one crucial element that one shouldn't dismiss when reading this story, and before making harsh judgements on June's decisions: June is not any teenage girl, she is Asian American. She carries with her her parent's story as immigrants and all the responsibilities and expectations they have for her in being the perfect child with excellent grades and a prodigious career as a violinist. She is trapped in this image and life built up for her.

To that, I could instantly relate. As soon as Anna Gracia developed a whole reflection around the idea of being 'good enough'—or the contrary, being 'not good enough'—, I was hit by how true and authentic June's narrative was. Simply because I, too, felt like that during my teenage years. I know how challenging it is to be as good as your perfect sister; how annoying it is to be compared to her and her good grades when you're torn between wanting to live your own experiences and working your ass off to match the images she outlined for the family. I just knew it all; this sense of freedom without completely owning it for fear of disappointing my parents and people around me.

June's relationship with her mother was particularly interesting in that sense because it develops one of her greatest problems: the feeling of not being loved and wanted. Yet, it is in her mom's presence that June feels like herself: an Asian American, confronted with two languages, one of which she still has a lot to learn about. (btw, 30% of my reading was dedicated to me trying to work my Chinese tones. *cry* It was hard. Thanks Anna!) June's struggle to understand every Chinese idiom contributed to this identity crisis she is subject to in her story: where does the feeling of belonging stand when you're a child of immigrants? Is June American enough to feel at home in her town, which community was mostly white? Is she Taiwanese enough to hang out with Chinese/Asian native people who study in the college of her dream? These are all the questions Anna Gracia puts in her novel.

Although I, as a reader, frowned a lot upon some of June's decisions, I realised that I had the distance (after many years) to notice some toxic relationships she created or maintained throughout the story. One of which was certainly that with Brad. I could write an entire essay entitled 'How to avoid or not be a Brad in your life' because God knows how uncomfortable and infuriated he made me feel as a young woman.

Boys I Know, on the whole, is very raw and very realistic in terms of how teenagers live their lives: drugs, sex, parties, bad influences...etc. June doesn't avoid that. On the contrary, she experiences them all. Even the worst scenario case, which I won't reveal to avoid spoilers. I thought that, for once, depicting the reality actually gave some originality to the story: Bye-bye cringe romances and bad boys turning good for the sake of their lovey-dovey shy girlfriends, hello indecisive and shitty boyfriends. It felt like discovering that someone had been lying to my face for several years. I'll admit it kind of hurt because it just reveals how difficult relationships are now—many of my friends met a Brad, a Gang or Rhys once (not me, fortunately, but I'm glad I could through June).

Anna Gracia's writing thus spoke straight to my heart and eventually turned out to be an excellent discovery. It surely lived up to my expectations and I completely agree with what Ashley Hearn, Anna Gracia's editor, writes when she says that '[She] wished [she]'d this [kind of story] when [she] was a teen'. This IS a story every teenage girl should read and, for this reason, I'll be recommending this book to those around me.

I can't thank Peachtree teen and Anna Gracia enough for the opportunity of reading an advance copy of Boys I Know. It was a real pleasure and I would love to continue reading more of Anna Gracia's novels in the future.

First of all, huge thanks to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for giving me an e-arc in exchange of a honest review. All thoughts are on my own.

This book felt so real I was annoyed many times at the characters. Because humans are annoying, teenagers fuck up, parents and their high expectations are stressful and the world is full of jerks that have no affective responsibility.

I think I enjoy reading books with Asian representation not only because I enjoy learning of new cultures, but also because I like to find things in common with my own experience and culture, to see how even though we're not from the same culture we struggle with similar things, and I think every teenager in the world should read this book, it's a must read.

We see June grow as a person, how she tries to fit in somewhere, be who she is and try find love and affection, especially when she doesn't find it at home with her parents, sadly, the guys she ends up liking are not a good option at all, and the next one is even worse than the one before.

We also see her struggling with college, her relationship with her friends, her family and herself, and I loved to read this, this has officially become one of my favorite books of the year.

Trigger warnings: minor pregnancy scare, a very uncomfortable first time mild-explicit sex scene (it's the only explicit sex scene though), mention to an adult dating a teenager, cheating (one guy was cheating on his girlfriend with the FMC but she didn't know this until later), underage drinking, mention of drugs.

To start I would say this book definitely lives up to its blurb. It's exactly about a teen trying to navigate life, relationships, and her identity. Except for the funny part. While there were scenes that I could pin to be mildly humorous, for the most part, the book is quite serious, discussing serious topics that are often overlooked.

What I loved about the book was its relatability. I won't consider myself as the spot on target audience but I did relate with June on so many levels. From being different than the rest, to trying to fit in and maintain a certain image, to giving your best to live up to your parents' expectations. It's safe to say, most of the topics hit really close to home.

I loved June with all her flaws and imperfections. That's what made her feel real. She made mistakes and owned up to them. And even tried to rectify them. Following June's journey gave me a new perspective and a lot of things to look back to and ponder over. Again, props to the author for keeping it real. Life isn't always sunshine and rainbows and more often than not we face disappointment. But we learn from it and move on.

3/3.5 stars from me because despite the book being highly relatable with well-written characters, I found it difficult to fully immerse myself in the story. I wish I could pinpoint exactly what prevented me from that.

Overall, it's a good book. Different from the usual YA books and definitely the most realistic book I have read so far in 2022. Thank you NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the e-ARC.

<i> "I deserve to be with someone who tries." </i>

Okay, first of all, Boys I know was not what I think it would be. But... in my opinion? Better.
What I love about this book is how honest it was. All the teenage angst, the "want" to set ourselves apart. To be different, in a good way. To be acknowledged. And of course, I believe not just for Asians but yes mostly in Asian families, the constant need to be the best in everything we did. Less than perfect is not acceptable.

June experienced all of it. Friendships, relationship dramas, family expectations, and finding herself in the midst of it all. She made mistakes and what I love about this book is she is not "trying to be perfect". At first, yes, but she also grew to accept things and learn from her mistakes, which is nice to see her character development. Boys like Brad, Gang, and Rhys existed in real life and I'm glad this book didn't feature a "perfect book boyfriend" and stick to, like I said, honest to real life persons and their struggles.

It was a good read!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an early copy to review!

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The writing style was fast paced and captured the main character's thoughts and personality well. A lot of the book was predictable and I got a bit frustrated with some of the characters. I really liked the mother-daughter relationship and I thought that the struggles were very realistic. This book is very enjoyable for those who like YA coming of age novels about girls finding themselves.

This is a really important story that is handled with so much care and full of things teens need to hear, but when I think of it, I can't say I actually enjoyed BOYS I KNOW. Maybe it was my high expectations, but as a fiction reader, I want more than lessons on paper. I want to care for the characters and what happens to them, want to feel what they feel, and that is what this book missed for me personally.

I did really appreciate how authentic this book was. It didn't shy away from the things we teenagers mess up (and are allowed to because we simply are messy!) and its exploration of sexuality was admirable, too. This book is honest and I can truly imagine people loving it. BOYS I KNOW just, unfortunately, missed a spark for me.

It was still a good book and I'm glad I picked it up, but I expected more. I really do wish it had found its way into my heart instead of getting lost somewhere along the road.

Facing pressure from her mother to be the perfect daughter, June is overwhelmed by her inability to meet those expectations. Rather than continuing to strive to meet expectations she doesn't believe she will hit, June decides to throw herself into her relationship.

I want to start off by saying this novel did a great job of showcasing the expectations placed on Asian American teenagers and the messy nature of high school love. However, I don't think contemporary YA romance is the genre for me. I have found myself struggling more and more with coming-of-age stories recently. As a 26 year old, I have no problem with adults reading YA on principle. I, personally, simply do not wish to read another story about high school/high schoolers. They remind me a little too much of being a high schooler myself.

That said, this was well-written and covered a lot of topics that would be great for young adults to read.

At the end of the day, I think I would have absolutely loved this book had I read it about a decade earlier. Now, I am no longer the target audience and that's absolutely okay. I think this will be a great read for the high schoolers of today.

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A book that delivers on all its promises!

Read the blurb and it is what you get. Raw. Emotional. Real. I could feel the story from first page to last word.

Talk about teenage reality angst and emotions! Send me back to high school already why don’t you. Even to the parts I wish I could forget.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this ARC read!