Boys I Know was everything it had said it would be and more. Depicting messy teenagers, hard situations and bad decisions with a mix of finding oneself amidst the problems spread around, this novel was a very enjoyable read.

Anna Gracia brings readers into the story with a down-low plot. This story does not have an ulterior plan or motive, it is simply a coming-of-age about a girl that makes some really bad decisions before coming full circle into realizing her wrongs and beginning to right them.

Gracia’s characters are some readers will easily recognize to be as “dislikable” and “messy,” as had been described in the book’s pitch. The main character, June, is not the best person. Judgemental, a bit rude, and somewhat self-absorbed, June is not fully aware of how she really is. Throughout the story, she makes mistakes that a lot of real-life teens make too. Saying the wrong things to friends, not communicating the proper reasons for why you are upset to your partner, sleeping with another just because, dating someone because you are not entirely sure what love is, not listening to your parent even when they might be right. June struggles a lot with her mom being overbearing and, at times, negative about anything June finds fulfilling. But come to the end of the novel, much of June’s problems are sorted out with the new comprehension of all she had been doing wrong and what she needed to do going forward to be better.

When it came to the side characters, one can find they might be unsure of whether to be supportive or not. In the case of characters like Brad, readers can find it easy to dislike him (or even hate him, when consideration is given to what he had done and said to June). However, when it came to June’s friends like Candace and Liz, as well as June’s ex Rhys, it became a bit more complicated. Candace, Liz, and Rhys all had separate problems–the type that you could not help but be frustrated by but hold an understanding of how they got there and/or why they would be making such statements, actions, or decisions. Gracia made this possible by expanding those situations throughout the story instead of just within a chapter or two, and it made the experience all the more worthwhile.

As for the story itself, this was one that was both hard and easy to get through. As mentioned several times before, this is not a happy-feeling story. That is what makes it harder to get through. With all the messy teenagers and situations, one can easily find themself frustrated if not having been faced with similar circumstances before or if having been through the circumstance but having not quite fully healed from it. Boys I Know is meant to be this way. This is what sets this book apart from others. It is different, but it is still a very good and enjoyable story.

What was interesting to see, however, were the differences pointed out during the shifting settings. June was born and raised in the Midwestern United States, specifically Iowa. The Midwest is a predominantly-white culture setting, and because of that, oftentimes, minorities are left to struggle in many ways. Gracia capitalized on this, and this was a necessary detail that was a part of the story.

Overall, I really loved Boys I Know. I took my time with this book because I wanted to thoroughly read and enjoy it, and that goal was ultimately achieved. For that, I give it a single star rating and do recommend it to other readers, specifically those who are in favor of very messy characters. I look forward to seeing what Anna Gracia will release in the future.

DNF @ 34%

I really wanted to love this novel, but I couldn’t do it. It is all because of me, though, and not the book itself.

Largely, my inability to continue with this novel has to do with the fact that I’m ace. Whenever I read about teenagers who are REALLY interested in sex and follow-through with that interest, I just disengage. It’s so outside my experience that my brain can’t process it. This is not to say that I’m a prude as I read plenty of adult erotica. But when we’re following a teenager, I can’t help but think to my teenage years and have a total disconnect.

I wanted to like Boys I Know more.

"Good enough test scores to get the A but not the A-plus. Good enough skill to get a trophy, but not first place. Good enough to be someone's girlfriend, but not their first choice of company. Just Good Enough™."

June is refreshingly honest about her inner monologue; there's no stone left unturned here. But as much as I love YA, this was a little too YA: it read like a teenager's diary with no editor. Multiple paragraphs explain a feeling that could be expressed in a few sentences. I know the author has a very personal connection to the 'moral' of the story, but it's like she doubled down hard to get her point across and instead, it got lost in the words.

The main takeaway here is the imperfect relationships.
‣ June's friends Liz and Candace are good friends. Not great and not terrible, at times they feel very superficial - not really checking in or sharing a lot - and then other times they're just straight up mean to each other - blunt and rude to their face or laughing them into uncomfortable situations in front of other people. Why does June have to explain to others why things are racist? Why is no one telling a teenager she shouldn't be dating her 23-year-old boss? Why is no one there to support June -in a girlfriend feminist independent way - and help her find herself outside of a relationship?
‣Obviously, mother-daughter relationships are complicated. They get even more complex when you add in cultural expectations and immigrant families. Still, her mum is legit on her case 24/7 about school, the violin, and what she's wearing, but has a serious blind spot about how much time she spends away from home 'with friends'. Also, where the eff is her dad?! Yeah, he works a lot, but I don't think he said a word the entire book - a few looks here and there, maybe a shrug? Totally absent.
‣And then there's Wendy: the perfect big sister who knows exactly how to bully June into feeling less than and self-conscious. And you know it would have been so tough to be perfect all the time and to take the heat as the eldest sibling in that household, but you'd hope that moving away for uni would've softened or mellowed her a little.
This is all without going into the 'boys June knows' - but you knew going into it that these relationships would be imperfect. All these bonus ones show the actual reality of being a teenager.

Yes, Boys I Know is heartfelt and addresses the feelings of being overlooked or misunderstood. Of just wanting to belong somewhere or to be wanted. Unfortunately, the message gets a little lost, leaving it feeling unfinished. June's awareness of her cultural identity (or lack thereof) is questioned when she goes to Washington but seems to be quickly forgotten for another storyline. Her quickly aborted first crush/relationship is touched on a few times but is left feeling incomplete - the exact opposite of how I think it was meant to feel in the end. There's a weird tangent with plan b being addressed as a form of abortion that felt judgmental and strange that I still don't quite understand. Overall, it's all a little too messy for a cohesive story, so while I enjoyed it and found it easy to read, I don't think it made the impression it could have with further editing. And yes, I acknowledge the irony of calling for more editing within a long, rambling review.

The synopsis is pretty sufficient. We are delivered that and no less. Had I been a bit younger, perhaps I would´ve enjoyed it more. The family was awful, the boys too and the friends reminded me of some friendships I had. This is a factual high school experience, all the troubles, the doubts, the fights, everything. The ending was fitting and it was overall an enjoyable read. My thanks to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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 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.

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.

I really loved this book, I think it´s a pretty good reflection on what the sexual life of teeneagers looks like, the pressure of being with someone and havig a relationship, it´s all here.
I really liked how June discover herself and kind of learn from each expirience with each boy what she wanted and how she liked to be treated, which I think it´s a good way of showing the reader how life is, it isn´t totally just you what makes your life the way it is, it´s the other people around you, especially a partner, I believe that a relationship teaches you more in life than anything, and this books shows that.
I loved how she learned to love and RESPECT herself, coming from the treatment she grown up used to from her parents, she wasn´t used to put her opinion and what she wanted first, she put her parents opinions firts all the time, and seeing how she grown out of it during this books makes me want to start doing that even though my parents are nothing like June´s haha.
This book is the type of book that teenagers need, something that validates their feelings and at the same times, teaches them how to validate them themselves. I wish I read something like this one or two years earlier, I´m becoming jealous of the new generations that get this type of books when all I got were books where women fought each other ffor the attention of men.

My favourite part of this book was easily the character growth we see in June over the course of the story. Watching her grow and learn to realise that she was deserved so much more than any of the (dumb) boys she liked could be bothered to give her. Sure, June wasn’t always in the right - she made mistakes, but so many of them were also just a big part of being a teenager. I think this could be a great book for a lot of teenagers in high school and heading into their university years. But to an extent I also think whoever is reading this needs to have a certain level of maturity to be able to properly recognise all the things that are going on in June’s life for what they are, because she doesn’t always see the problem with what she or others are doing wrong. This book is marketed as showing “messy” teen relationships, but that feels like a gross underrepresentation of some of the relationships that are just incredibly toxic, manipulative, and even abusive.
I would also say that there was a lot of different (albeit mostly interwoven) plot points going on throughout which made it kind of a chaotic reading experience at times. And as alluded to previously I couldn’t always get behind June as a character or her decisions. Though as I also said before I did really appreciate her growth and that was definitely the highlight of the book for me.
June’s perspective as an Asian American going through high school in a place with minimal cultural diversity is not something I can at all relate to, but this was another part of the book I did really appreciate. What June was going through at this stage in her life was very different to my own experiences, and I valued the new perspective this book offered me.

I devoured this excellent debut from Anna Gracia. BOYS I KNOW is a nuanced exploration of Asian American identity in the Midwest. From the first sentence, I was hooked. What may seem like a love story is actually a coming of age story—June is a character who grows and is pushed to challenge her thoughts about herself. What she used to want and expect comes at a cost, and when she realizes she can want more for herself, I loved seeing the fire light within her. As an Asian American who grew up in the Midwest, I felt completely seen by June’s experiences as she travelled outside of the region. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking to see her experience it all. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Ohhhh this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it did not disappoint. BOYS I KNOW is sharp and funny and heartfelt, and June is such a compelling narrator. What a wonderful debut!

2.5/5 stars
I enjoyed this book enough I lacked trigger warnings and it was too drama filled for me personally.
YA books are really hit and miss for me they have to have a special quality to them

This was a great book. I loved how sex positive it was along with giving perspectives that aren't spoken enough about. I think there will be a lot of readers who could relate to the main character and as a child of immigrants, I understood so much of how she felt. I also understood her anger and her sarcasm. I wish she saw through some of the things that went on around her (especially microaggressions/subtle racism) but I also understood not acknowledging things as they happened being the one experiencing them. I also loved her friends & their dynamics. It was an overall great story.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book dealing with the struggles of high school love and first-time sex this well delivered. The main topic is about growing up in a demanding Asian family, but I couldn’t relate to that—even though it was superbly interesting—contrary to the fact of being eighteen, which plunged me back into my own past.

This was an interesting depiction of the turning point between high school and college, where June struggles with her Asian identity, friendships and relationships, all while trying to work out what she wants her future to look like.

However, I'm not sure I appreciated the way men are portrayed in this book. I can't think of any boy June saw as a friend, she saw herself in relationships with all of them, regardless of their toxic personalities, and got herself hurt frequently for it. If the genders were reversed, June herself would seem like a Nice Guy.

This story did slog for me, as June wandered from guy to guy, getting herself hurt in the process and constantly putting up with being ignored, given racist nicknames and pressured into sex. However, I did enjoy the moments of her relationships with her friends, sister and mom.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the eARC!

Trying to work out your place in the world is tough, especially when you’re also trying to live up to your parent's expectations and navigate relationships at the same time. Boys I Know follows June Chu as she finishes high school and tries to decide which college to attend. Of course, high school comes with even more challenges.

When I started reading the book, I didn’t expect to relate to June so much, especially considering we had fairly different high school experiences and families. However, Anna Garcia did an amazing job of making me want June to succeed at everything she tried, and the entire college plotline hit a little too close to home.

I gave this book 4.75 stars rounded up to 5, and I would definitely recommend it. The only reason I didn’t give it a perfect rating was that the conversation with Rhys at the end seemed a little out of nowhere, but I’m glad June got to say what she wanted to him.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed seeing a version of high school with bigger issues that happen in real life, and I’m so happy that June found where she belongs, even if it took a while for her to go in the right direction. I loved June and was constantly cheering for her, even when she was making some interesting choices. The second someone wronged her, I was immediately ready to fight them, even if they are fictional.

All in all, you should absolutely read Boys I Know, and I’m really glad I did. The ending of this book made me so happy and reading something like this last year when I was also panicking about choosing universities would have absolutely helped me realise everything would work out eventually.

I love how layered this is and how it accurately depicts the Asian experience. If you like the exploration of teens fighting what parents want versus what you really want for your own future, this is for you. If you thought teen friendship would last forever, but found life diverges, this is for you. If you’re a woman who has ever felt like you’re not ___ enough, for love, for attention, for your potential career— or anything, then June understands you.

For BIPOC women, this hints at fetishization and being called by whatever celeb name is popular at the time for your demographic. The MC being called “China” or “Covey” by boys made me flashback to being called various racial slurs, talked to in pretend Chinese, asked if we named kids by throwing silverware down the stairs, & being called “Connie Chung” or “Kristin Kreuk.” I’ve seen other reviews complaining about June’s choices, but this is reality as a teenager— she’s not an adult with hindsight. Still, she grows so much in this book and I’m rooting for her.

I didn’t have books with Asian protagonists when I was a kid, so I’m glad this can be there for another generation.

this is something i enjoyed at 24 and wish i had to read at 16! this book was fun and real and honest and i enjoyed every minute of it.

Sometimes, I wish I have these kind of books when I was younger to help me navigate my teenage years. Boys I know resounded to me in ways I didn't even expect. If you can read at least one book this summer, please try to include this one to your lists!

When I started reading this book I thought I wasn’t gonna like it very much mainly because I can’t really relate to the main character. She’s Taiwanese-American and in her last year of high school dealing with a lot of “boy problems”, I, on the other hand, am brazilian, white, in university, my last year of high school was during the first year of the pandemic and I’m asexual and also on the aromantic spectrum.

I was partially right. I didn’t relate a lot with the main character, our life experiences were very different, but I did like this book a lot. When I started reading I thought it was going to be a shallow book only talking about teenage relationship problems and it did talk about it but also a lot more. It talked about parents' expectations, friendship, fitting in and sexuality.

My favorite topic it approached was the sexuality one because it’s not often you see a book about heterosexual relationships talk about sexuallity. In queer books we have a variety of approaches to sexuality and how they are represented but in heterosexual books it’s not a topic that’s discused very much because hetesexuality is seen as the “norm” so I really apreciated this aspect of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen Books for the e-ARC to read and review. I thought this book did a phenomenal job at capturing the messiness of those later teens-going into college years. The story feels full of those moments that I have a lot that are just like, "am I doing this because I want to, or is it just expected of me? Is it just that my friends are doing it and I don't care strongly enough one way or another to come up with something else? Is hanging out with these people really better than being lonely?" I love that this book brings up those questions really naturally for readers to ponder over, but I think I didn't love that those thoughts are tied up explicitly as they're unfolding. Our main character, June, comes to those realizations a lot, but she overly explains their grand meaning in a way that feels like it's coming from an adult perspective. I wasn't invested in any of the boys June came to know, and I wasn't even invested in her college-picking journey because I felt like every option was contingent on either following someone (a boy, her friends, her sister, her parents' expectations) or just rejecting it all and going as far away as possible. I really wish for her (and honestly, a lot of real life teenagers!) that there was a third option.

this was a fast read and interesting. i didnt like a few of the characters but still found myself wanting to finish the book, so i guess that's a good thing! thank you for the arc!