Thank you Netgalley for a review. I originally was not going to give feedback, but now that it has been a few years, I just want to say I will not be reviewing this because of controversy around the author that I heard before this book came to be published. I am posting this to not affect my ratio. Thank you!

What would happen if you star in a science fiction show as a queer teen and you fight hard to depict that representation in the show.... but the writers and directors are stuck in their ways and don't see the value of LGBT representation on screen and they are racist in their writings/character development. Would you speak up and fight for what is right? Or would you follow order and play your part? This is the struggle of the main character of this story. Lily/Frey is trying to figure out her own roles on and off the screen. Will they figure out how to use their voice for good and stand up to be who they want to be?

Read on to find out!

What I loved most: how Frey can be himself online (and Greta too), the realistic struggles of gender identity, the character development, the theme of standing up for what you believe in despite the cost

I requested this book before looking at reviews or anything because it sounded great but after reading all the negative reviews I‘m very confident that this book and author isn‘t for me!
Dnf

I was honestly not looking forward to reading this book once I realized it was “YA” but it epitomized everything I love in queer romance. Characters who felt real and that you could root for and understood their flaws. The film setting seemed far fetched at first, but once I suspended disbelief I enjoyed living in the bizarre Hollywood-like world. I would 100% recommend this book. It made me think, feel and feel a whole range of emotions.

"Acting the Part" by Z.R. Ellor is a compelling and heartfelt LGBTQIAP+ romance that explores themes of self-discovery, authenticity, and the power of connection. Ellor's storytelling expertise shines as they craft a tale of love, identity, and the journey to embracing one's true self. The book's relatable characters and emotionally resonant plot create an immersive reading experience that resonates with young adult readers. Ellor skillfully navigates the complexities of relationships, self-acceptance, and the challenges of coming out, adding depth to the narrative. "Acting the Part" is a moving reminder that love and self-discovery go hand in hand, leaving readers with a sense of empowerment and the reassurance that they deserve to be loved for who they truly are, as they accompany the characters on their journey of love and personal growth.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

I liked this a lot. I think the cover could do more to convey that this is a movie set and not a high school theater, but I liked the conversations that this sparks about queer representation on TV.

This book and I are in a massive fight and if I see it on the street we’re gunna TUSSLE because how fucking dare it make me ugly cry THREE TIMES in the last 50 pages!!! The audacity! The gumption—nay, the gall! My favorite trope-that-no-else-identifies-as-a-trope is Idiots to Lovers and this book embodied this to a T. The mix between Hollywood gossip (Miley Cyrus forgetting to put on a seat belt meets Elliot Page coming out as trans, namely) and internet mistaken identity created the perfect storm for this coming of age, coming out story. I loved the fire in the MC and the quiet confidence of Greta. I loved the unwavering support from family, even if it was at times misguided. And I really, really loved the moments of connection between all the characters. Perfect book.

Representation: transmasc queer MC, asexual panromantic love interest, Black side character, Asian side character

spice level: none

tw: workplace retaliation

I wanted to love this. A romance between an ace girl and a nonbinary person who is figuring out their gender identity, and there’s fake dating. It seemed like it would be right up my alley and those things could be, but this was not it.

I was lukewarm on Ellor’s YA debut, it was tropey and the plot got unrealistic but I understood the angry teen mentality. This felt so far removed from that though.

Every single one of these characters was flat, even the main character who was so self-centered that all of the side characters felt like cardboard cutouts of the one trait they remembered about each of them. And despite all of these characters lacking real characterization, there were still characters that had complete personality shifts. And the relationship? The mistaken identity “twist” was obvious from page 1 and there was zero chemistry between these two. I also had issues with how the main character reacted to racism, but there are BIPOC reviewers who have more articulate complaints there. I’ll just say that I got real tired of their ignorance, like yes, people are allowed to make mistakes and grow but I did not love that they went from “what do you mean that’s racist” to “I’m going to make sure BIPOC writers get jobs in Hollywood” in like 50 pages.

My biggest issue, however, was with the trans representation. Own voices stories are important, but this book tried so hard to show a young person grappling with their gender identity while leaning so hard into toxic gender roles with absolutely zero critique of them and that is not positive representation. Some of Frey’s “proof” that they weren’t a girl was that they never bought into problematic diet culture and they like gaming, which like toxic beauty standards are not a femme exclusive thing and gaming isn’t just for boys. There were more examples, I just quite frankly want to be done thinking about this book.

This book has taught me to research an author before requesting an ARC.

There is one star because I have to, not because this book deserves it.

By now, most of us are aware of how important own voices books are, but of course there are authors who manage to write experiences different from their own in a respectful way. Ellor does not do that. In fact, it feels as if he hates sapphic love. Had I done some research prior to requesting this title, I probably would've found that out and saved myself the mess that this story was. I truly do not understand how this story got published. The author hates lesbians both in this story and in real life, and then proceeds to create circumstances where he can financially profit off of those stories, its disgusting.

On to the story: the characters are mostly flat, underdeveloped, and the writing is boring and hard to follow.
There are so many concerning moments:

1. There's a scene where an ADULT, asks an under 18 character about scissoring! This in of itself is horrible. It's not like the author then goes on to give the reader some insight on why this is wrong, no, in fact, the character in questions responds that they're pretty sure scissoring is not even a real thing... really?

2. Frey's inability to support other queer characters when they themselves are queer.

3. Frey's horrible relationship with racism.

It saddens me to see such a great cover and story concept be wasted on this crap.

Acting the Part is a book that tries to say so many things, but fails to do so in a way that conveys any meaning. It follows Frey, the star of a popular sci-fi show, and Greta, who they start fake dating in order to avoid scandal and convince the showrunners to not "bury their gays". This set-up seems fine by itself. It starts to fall apart when the show is revealed to be deeply problematic. For example, Frey realizes that racism exists, even on their show! This is acknowledged, but is it fixed? Nope! And then, when you realize what this author has said previously about lesbians, it makes much of what this book tries to do seem even worse. The characters in this book know that there are bad things happening, but they do almost nothing to fix it by the end. Also, our main character has insane privilege, and is a nepotism baby. They almost always refuse to acknowledge this and it made want to pull my hair out.

The other issue is the romance is pretty underdeveloped. It falls to the wayside in favor of online gaming scenes, introductions of forgettable characters, and our MC wallowing in self-pity, despite their immense privilege. The only part of this that works is Frey's journey with their gender identity. Its a super accessible way to talk about the trans experience, and is very honest, and often heartbreaking. Still, it doesn't seem like enough, and until this author acknowledges his own mistakes, I can not in good faith recommend this to young readers.

This was a sweet, queer YA book. It's fairly typical of the genre and predictable. That being said, while I didn't enjoy it the *most*, I do find it really great that queer narratives can just be a standard representation of the age group rather than having to be something totally original or off the wall. It doesn't exactly sound like it, but I swear this is a positive review. It's a quick story and would be a great addition to a collection.

**Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Acting The Part by ZR Ellor was a book I needed to read, even though I am not the target demographic.
We meet Lily in the beginning, a Hollywood nepotism baby who is trying to make her mark on the world by providing queer fans someone they can relate to, cheer for, and feel seen. However, as the story progresses, Lily realizes she never feels more like herself than when she is Frey, a male character, in her online gaming community. Throw in a love story, and we’ve got a great romantic journey!
Watching them struggle with the fight for their marginalized community while realizing their own privilege that caused them to miss other people’s struggles was very powerful.
As someone who has a lot of privilege in my own life, but works with many young people starting to question their gender identity, I felt like I was able to start to see what it is like to struggle and question these things.
For the young reader who is struggling, trying to come to terms, or just figure out how to tell others who they really are, they will feel seen in this book!
#ilovetoread #yaliterature #lgbtq #windowsmirrorsandslidingdoors

I enjoyed this novel however it was a little too predictable for my tastes. The story was enjoyable but at often times it felt as though the plot was rushed along without explanation. However as a middle school or high school lighthearted, no high stakes love story it was lovely. Would definitely recommend to that age group and those just beginning to explore the wonderful world of romance tropes. 3.5 stars

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the eArc of <i>Acting the Part</i>. All opinions are my own.

<i>Acting the Part</i> is an incredibly well-written book that goes way beyond a YA romance. Its main character, Hollywood darling-ish Lily Ashton, is known for many things—her acting on the hit sci-fi series <i>Galaxy Spark</i> and mainly for her famous mother, Hollywood producer Kate Ashton. But when <i>Galaxy Spark</i> proposes a change that goes against everything Lily and her evolving identity stand for, can she really stand by the show runners (and her mother) who made her a star and gave her this place of privilege to begin with? And who else will she take down if she dares to take a stand?

This book brought up so many issues that I assume young actors in Hollywood grapple with: representation in mainstream media, bullying or borderline abusive studio executives, writers, and producers, nepotism, and of course, how the heck to live as your genuine self when there's an entire fanbase out there counting on you.

Obviously I have absolutely no connection to what these characters' lives are like in the spotlight, but their struggles of how they are seen and how to be their genuine selves, how to stand up against what they know isn't right, is a fight many queer teens and adults face on a daily basis. Ellor does an amazing job of painting the seemingly disparate worlds of gaming, fandom, fantasy, and show business and tying them all together in a small maybe-happily-ever-after story that teaches us how to stand up for what we believe in.

Ugh! I absolutely love this book and the characters and everything about it. I found Frey's gender identity story thread so completely relatable. I also appreciated the other nod to the often neglected queer community of asexuality. I definitely want to be best friends with Great!

I was so happy at the end when Frey finally talked to their mom not only about their gender identity but also how they felt about acting. Throughout the story I can feel Frey's displeasure with acting and how they only did it because their mom was in the business. But having the opportunity to try on different careers is not something most teens get and I wish we provided more services for teens to do so (yes, I will include early to mid-twenties in this). At times I did get annoy with Kate. Yes, some of this was on Frey for not properly communicating with their parents. But also Kate and Frey's stepdad (who's name escapes me right now) are the adults. Most of the time it felt like they were just brushing Frey's concerns off without actually listening. I do think the ending when Frey finally admitted that she wanted to quit acting helped but it was still frustrating.

I love all the representation in the book. Not just Frey and Greta, but also the blended family that Frey has, and actors on the show that are people of color. This show brought up some horrible tropes that Hollywood exploits, kill your gays, Black men are the bad guy, and seeing Frey struggle in real time with how to handle all of this as an 18-year-old is refreshing. Frey trying to do right by their fellow cast mates but also realizing that they don't have all the answers (because they're a teenager).

Definitely a fun, weekend or beach read for me!!

When I finished reading this, the Harper Collins strike was still going on and I wanted to wait to submit my review until it was resolved. It is now January 21st, and we have entered into day 53 of the strike (according to the HarperCollins Union Twitter account). I fully stand behind the HarperCollins Union and will not cross the picket line by posting this review on my blog nor highlighting this book/review on my social media. I hope you understand my position.

<i>Acting the Part</i> is a queer YA novel about two teenage costars, Lily/Frey and Greta, and their on- and off-screen relationships. As they both learn more about themselves - and each other - their initial animosity turns into an alliance, and then something more.

There are so many good things in this book. Lily/Frey, a white child of privilege, comes to terms with this fact throughout the story. Racism, sexism, transphobia, and homophobia in the movie industry are dealt with, as are family relationships. For such a short book, it deals with so many issues that non-Hollywood star teens can relate to, and it does so in a way that feels genuine and not like a lecture. You can't help but root for the main characters throughout.

I suppose if I have any complaints, it's that the plot is fairly predictable - the mystery identity of a character Lily/Frey meets online isn't really a mystery, and the nefariousness of one of the "villains" is obvious from a mile away. That being said, these are minor issues, and ones a lot of readers (myself included) are probably willing to overlook.

For fans of queer YA fiction, this is a must. The characters are engaging, the story is paced well, and you'll leave with that warm, fuzzy feeling after a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen for providing a copy for review.

Fantastic representation. However, I found the plot to be extremely predictable and the main character whiny.

I don't quite know where to start with this book—there are so many things wrong with it that it's difficult to identify the most glaring issues.

The good: I think the trans rep was probably okay? I'm cis, so I can't speak to it personally, but I believe that it is an OwnVoices book by a transmasc author.

I have very little positive to say about any other aspect of the book. The protagonist, Lily, is so privileged and unable to see beyond their own experiences that it is honestly infuriating to read. This isn't helped by the fact that no other character in the book gets any real amount of development; they're all just cardboard cutouts in Lily's story. The plot is unrealistic and absurd, the romance is very poorly developed, and the "plot twist" was obvious from the first chapters of the story, to name a few of the other issues.

I feel like the treatment of POC characters and issues rubbed me the wrong way, although I'm white and can't necessarily speak to it. It just felt wrong to me how absurdly ignorant Lily was in regards to the problematic tropes that the show used. Additionally, a big thing was made about the show completely shelving all character development of one of its only Black characters to further the development of a white character (Lily's character, Morgantha), but Acting the Part itself did just that? There are three Black characters and an Asian character, but none of them get any real development. No side characters in this book got any real development, but it felt especially problematic when Lily's stepbrother, who is Black, basically shows up to point out the problematic tropes in the show and say some thoughtless things to Lily, and get no real personality or anything of his own despite being one of the more significant characters in the story and in Lily's life. Again, I cannot say for sure whether the treatment was actually problematic or not, but it certainly didn't feel right reading it.

The most blatant issue that stood out to me. however, was the lesbophobia and even casual sexism in this book. The sexism I can kind of look past, seeing as Lily is struggling with realizing they aren't a girl and so they're having issues placing themselves in regards to femininity, though I do wish that it had been recognized at any point. The lesbophobia on the other hand is so bad? I just? There are other reviews that go into it in more depth, but it made me uncomfortable as a queer woman to have to read it. I didn't know the author's problematic history with treatment of lesbians before requesting this ARC, but I certainly would not have had I known.

I wish I had DNF'd this book, but I kept hoping it would get better. I'm giving it 1.5/5 stars. I can't in good conscience recommend this book to anybody; there are better queer books out there that actually treat all identities with respect AND are exponentially better-written.

I did not like how the main character went from disliking the love interest to whisking her away and making out with her in like 10 pages.