This one gave me all my favorite comfort movie feels. I just wanted to hug every character in this book and be ten years younger and be bffs with my beloved Theo.

I adored this book utterly. I'm very happy I had the opportunity to read this book early. This book discusses friendships and the true value they hold for us. Hold on to the good ones and know when to let go of the bad ones!

I really enjoyed this one! Loveable characters, the right amount of drama, parents who are willing to learn and apologize, and friendships that both grow and end. The story was fast paced, the mc messy and relatable. I’ll definitely be reading more of Winters’ books!

Summary: Theo’s friends dare him to ask his crush to prom. What can go wrong? At a party, Theo finally gets up his nerve only to find out his crush has a boyfriend. He takes refuge in an empty bedroom and slowly, others who are also avoiding the party join him. They make a misfit group but they are just what Theo needs.

💭 This immediately reminded me of The Breakfast Club so the book blurb was spot on! In that movie I loved all the quirky characters and it was exactly the same here. It was hard not to fall in love with Theo. He is a layered, dynamic character who is trying to find his place with his family and his friends. This new group is just what he needs. All are struggling with something of their own and the support they show each other is what we all should strive for in our relationships.

The dialogue was fun and relevant and the representation and lessons in this book are not to be missed. The characters stayed with me a long time after I finished reading.

I really enjoyed this book! I love the way that Julian Winters scopes his characters, especially when it comes to friendships and relationships. It shows that they are equally important, and I really loved the romance throughout the night.

3.5 rounded down.
as you walk on by is a story about expectations, grief, friendship, and new beginnings. while i liked how some topics were handled, such as river's journey through their grief, i felt that the main third act conflict was really contrived and exaggerated. i think that most of the character relationships were done pretty well, but i did have to suspend my disbelief while reading the previously mentioned main conflict.

so, now, i don’t know how to start this one. i think, mostly, i’m just disappointed. this was my first julian winters book and it just wasn’t it for me. and i know i’m going to be a minority in my thoughts on this one. neither great nor noticeably bad, it just sits smack dab in the middle at alright. and honestly, that’s sometimes the worst place a book can be. it unfortunately means i’ll probably forget everything that happened in a few days, honestly.

none of the characters particularly stuck out to me as interesting to hear much from. the pacing was a bit odd with ~70% been spent at this party, breakfast club style, and then the rest was big time gap after another. and, idk… nothing really excited me much when reading. and side-note, did the teens really have to be recording *everything*? it felt overkill and sometimes felt like the only way we could move the plot along.

what i can say, is that this book had really good queer representation. like as with many queer teens, i feel like we (knowingly or unknowingly) gravitate towards each other. and that what these characters did, forming a lil found family of rainbow. that was by far my favorite part of this book. and the part i’ll remember best.

There are some authors who are continuously drawn to the same central question that drives all of their stories in different ways, and Julian is one of those authors. The question his stories always come back to is: “How do figure out who I am and honor the truth of that person? How do I figure out what my future can or should look like?” And I think what’s so great about that question is how it’s complex, it’s not black-and-white, and you’re not always going to come to the same conclusion depending on who's asking. It’s a great question, and it shapes each of his stories differently, which is why I think that continuously returning to that question is worthwhile.

With that said, I really appreciate how this story sort of slots in with the rest of Julian’s stories, thematically, but it’s also so much different than what he’s done before in terms of actual content. This is kind of like that quintessential high school story about cliques, fitting in, going to the big parties, and finding that one special prom date.

While the story itself doesn’t take place over the course of one night, a decent portion of the story is spent on one night at a party where time seems to stop and it seems like the night’s never going to end, because more and more wild things just keep happening and it’s almost like a weird sort of youthful magic. I think Julian perfectly captures the potential and excitement of a night like that, and as the title is hinting at, there’s also plenty of good “Breakfast Club” vibes as these random classmates are learning more about each other in this safe, isolated space.

And because the characters are being thrown together, the story is really able to start breaking down those barriers between them and showing that the circles they usually move in are limiting or superficial in some ways. These characters are more than just the clubs they’ve joined, the friends they keep, or the labels they use. I feel like that’s really the heart of the story: realizing how difficult it can be to extract the truth of yourself from all the things people expect you to be.

The world will find a million different ways to categorize us or impose different assumptions or stereotypes upon us, and this story is about how it’s really difficult to look inwards and block out that noise, especially for young folks.

What I appreciate most about that is how the story is interrogating those labels or boundaries in ways that more superficial—like what clique you might belong to, what clothes you might wear—to things that have far greater implications on our safety, well-being, and quality of life such as gender, sexuality, or race.

That’s what I hope young readers will take away from this story: the fact that, ideally, nothing in life should be compulsory or something that we do just to please others or create a certain image of ourselves. We should all be active participants in shaping our friendships, our relationships, our family dynamics, our futures, and our life choices.

As I said, this is really just like a quintessential high school story. Lots of queer joy, lots of good friendship moments and laughs, and lot of hard lessons learned on the path to healing and growth, and I feel like there’s really nothing else I could want from Julian Winters.

I will say that there’s a little bit of a budding romance happening in the background of this story that didn't quite capture me. It’s not the *focus* of the story by any means, but I also didn’t feel fully invested in that relationship the way I usually do in Julian’s books just because there’s a really big learning curve happening in a really short amount of space. But even taking that into account, this was still a thematically solid story.

To put it simply: Julian Winters always delivers, and I will always be on board for anything he writes. This is another winner!

(I got this book courtesy of The Honey Pop and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

“One community loves you for your melanin but denies you because of your queerness.” Aleah smiles sadly. “The other claims to fight oppression because ‘love is love’ but is quick to forget the added struggle we face because of our Blackness.”

You know that one thing good YA fiction tends to do? When it takes all the mishaps we made (or were allowed to make) while growing up and turns them into a continuing universal experience even adults could relate to? This feeling of comfort is exactly what made Julian Winters one of our favorite authors last year with Right Where I Left You. But he’s officially going down as one of our auto-buy authors with As You Walk On By.

Julian Winters has a masterstroke in sketching up humanly flawed characters, putting them in the messiest relationships, and then redeeming them with wholesome yet realistic apologies. While the blurb makes Theo Wright sound like the typical head-in-the-clouds YA protagonist (which he is), Wright has some really good dance moves, excellent taste in anime, and a whole lot of room to grow (and grow, he does!) The story starts off with Theo sneaking out into Chloe Campbell’s party with his friends Jay and Darren, all set to ask his crush Christian to prom as part of a dare. Instead, he hides away in the upstairs bedroom with an unlikely bunch of classmates, having a separate party altogether. But the fun and games soon transition into an existential crisis soiree as they start opening up about the things they’re running away from, which leads to some well-written character arcs.

Theo’s complicated friendships aside, an element that gave even more depth to his character development was the bond he shared with his father. And we loved how Winters showcased this father-son relationship from both sides. Even in terms of plot, Miles Wright was quite instrumental in knocking some sense into Theo and navigating discussions around the Black queer experience. Moreover, the way Miles’s character arc just interconnected with the rest of the story was pitch-perfect!

If you love the found family trope, especially when it features a diverse and goofy set of characters struggling with the most relatable problems ever, this book is for you.♥️

I received this book from NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an honest review and I loved this book way more then I thought I would. The cast was wonderful and so diverse without seeming like the author was trying too hard. I felt like every character you got to know super well and it also felt like real high school. This covered so many hard topics and honestly was very eye opening. This book made me feel seen as a bi woman and how it’s hard to be bi and being questioned as a bi person. This had a non-binary character who I absolutely loved. I think everyone should read this book. Doesn’t matter if you’re queer or straight, black or white. No matter your background you will get something out of this book. I have a full review of this book on my Tiktok @nat_json if you want to know more of my thoughts and feelings.

I will admit what really drew me to this book was the cover, it is SO pleasing to the eye. Based off the cover, I had high expectations. They were definitely met. There are so many ways to describe this book; cute, easy to read, fast paced, and definitely YA. Not only was in so cute and amazing on that aspect, but it also had amazing representation as well. Julian Winters... you did it again!

This book is advertised as The Breakfast Club meets Can’t Hardly Wait, and I could not agree more. This book was so fun. It’s definitely YA, and it was really easy on my brain to read. I loved the group of unlikely friends and everyone feeling like they could be themselves around each other when high school can be such a difficult time in someone’s lives. I loved the identity representation alongside super realistic struggles that teenagers go through. This book was fun but tackled tough topics. This is a book I would have loved to have in my hands as a teenager. I will say that the central plot of this centers around a party, so there is underage drinking and mentions of sexual encounters. I am not naive that these things happen for teenagers, but if you are a parent I think this is a great book to have conversations about safe sex and responsible drinking. Overall this book was about acceptance and owning who you are, and I thought it was so fun. The characters, the plot, were so well done.

From my blog post: This is yet another book with a lovely cover that drew me in. I’d mostly read short stories by Julian but I’m so glad this was my introduction to his novels. This book tackled a lot but with an air of levity that was invigorating to read; from what it is to be Black, to be Gay, to be male and what it is to be all three. It also highlighted friendships, what healthy and potentially unhealthy ones look like & how to move towards what is best for you. I loved that we got the romance for the MC Theo but also familial and friendship love. There really was more than one happily ever after in this book and I love to see it! Heads up, there was also a lot of shenanigans too since some of the characters love dares (this book takes place before prom, need I really say more on that).

This was surprisingly deep and poignant, more often than not feeling quite heavy. So many important and critical topics and themes are brought up, including but not limited to: sexuality and identity, toxic relationships seen through manipulation and both racial and homophobic micro aggressions, slut shaming and sexual assault (implied not on page), racism, death and grief, and overall mental health.

While these issues and themes are laid on the page beautifully and respectfully in a way that feels authentic, it did at times overshadow the plot and characters, I found myself needing and wanting more moments of levity and joy just to help balance it out as it felt overwhelming at times. That said, I think this is an important read because it captures so much of what teens undergo that is often ignored, and highlights especially all the ways teens struggle to rise to the expectations and pressure placed on them by family, friends, and society. It can be hard to know who you are and want to be when everyone has a viewpoint and opinion on who you SHOULD be.

There’s great LGBTQIA+ representation, as well as a whole cast of diverse characters who are very real and honest about what their experiences in a predominantly white neighborhood and school can look like. I highly recommend this but do advise checking TWs as there are several instances of racial and homophobic micro aggressions, among other things.

Thank you to Viking Books for Young Readers/NetGalley for a copy of As You Walk On By in exchange for an honest review.
Bottle it up! 

Roughly one-half of Julian Winters's As You Walk On By takes place in one location over one night. If this were a TV show, that'd basically define a bottle, or single-location, episode. These episodes gained popularity as a way to keep production costs down. Except, of course, the beauty of a book is there are no costs associated with location (location, location!). 

The beauty of so much of As You Walk On By being confined to a single space is it forces the focus onto character development. This novel has a large cast, and each secondary character is well-drawn and distinct, which is sometimes hard to do in a first-person narrative. Without needing to define constantly switched-up settings or action, Winters is able to devote page time to keeping these characters unique. 

As the tendency in media trends toward shorter and shorter scenes, it was exciting to read something that stood still, planted. 

Beware the man bun

I'm kind of kidding with that title, but not really. If I've learned anything the last few years from consuming media, it's this: If a cishetero white dude has a bun, run! He might as well be twirling an exaggerated mustache. But in all seriousness, As You Walk On By handles the topic of microaggressions versus macroaggressions really well. 

Without smacking you over the head with a Lesson Stick, the novel reminds you that ally is a verb, not a noun. Also, Winters holds the main character Theo accountable for his actions. More importantly, Theo holds himself to account. There's a lesson taught toward the end of the book about apologies. Essentially, it's only meaningful if you are specific about what you're apologizing for. I will be holding onto that. 

Should you read it? 

As You Walk On By is another solid novel by Winters. His books feel like cozy, safe spaces -- even when the going gets real, you know it's gonna turn out all right. And while I usually loathe prom things (I left my own early), the book didn't make me roll my eyes about the whole shebang. That's no easy feat. 

Any theatre kids, nerds, current and former, especially those who are queer and/or POC, will relate to As You Walk On By. So, too, will anyone who understands the term "self-imposed familial pressure."

Pick up a copy of As You Walk On By at your local indie bookstore or library. 📚🎉

As You Walk On By by Julian Winters

*Swipe for the synopsis*

Theo, Darren, and Jay have been friends for years. Even though Darren and Jay say they accept that Theo is gay, Theo can tell Jay doesn’t fully accept and/or understand him - some subtle and not so subtle clues give it away. And Theo thinks the clues have been there for a long time.

The pressure from Theo’s father was a nice layer to the story. Some parents apply so much pressure that kids not only resent it but feel like they can’t be themselves. Take these classes. Go to this college. Choose this career path. Theo had the added pressure of not having money like Jay and Darren (Theo wasn’t poor but he definitely wasn’t wealthy). His father means well, and he’s loved at home, but still.

To top all that off, Theo, Jay and Darren were all heading to different colleges after high school (well, if they followed the plans their parents laid out for them). Heading in different directions/states. What would that mean for their friendship? And are their differences, and Jay’s failure to understand and accept Theo, something they can overcome, or has their friendship run its course?

I liked that Theo found other friends, people he connected with in a different (and more meaningful) way (esp since I hated Jay so much). There is so much to this story, but this friendship (the new group) really gave me all the feels and felt super important to the story. They take turns confessing things, asking each other important questions (big questions). It’s clear they all get each other in a way nobody else can or does. They’re drawn to each other. I felt myself really hoping throughout everything that THIS group of friends would stick together.

I really enjoyed this one. A queer romance but I’m not sure I’d even consider it a romance, more a contemporary novel about growing up and surviving high school (which for Theo included being Black and gay). But there is romance in here too so…. maybe it’s a romance 🤷🏻‍♂️

Pub date for this one is January 17th (this Tuesday). Thank you @vikingbooks and @penguinrandomhouse for the gifted copy!

An impossible dare. A party that doesn’t go quite as planned. And the pressure of prom. These are the perfect ingredients for a teen drama!

In Julian Winters’s latest YA novel, As You Walk on By, we’re introduced to Theo Wright; a track star who seems to have his life after high school all planned out. When a dare from his best friend goes wrong though, he begins to question the track he’s on and the people he’s surrounded himself with the last few years. Ever present is the stress of finding a prom date and what he must do to achieve his father’s dreams after graduation.

As You Walk on By takes a raw look at what it’s like to be a teenager grappling with their identity, along with the social pressures of “fitting in” in high school and living up to the expectations placed on them by their families. While these are topics that are often examined in books and movies, I thought that Winters did an excellent job of incorporating unique characters who are each struggling with their own circumstances, but are also each striving for true, authentic relationships.

For me there was a strong message throughout the book about friendship and how those are often our found families. I thought the author did a wonderful job of depicting toxic relationships that are often detrimental to a persons self esteem versus those relationships that are built on trust and support for one another. I also really appreciated the themes of forgiveness and how that should look in a healthy, constructive way; whether it be with someone in your family or friend, or even with yourself. There were so many valuable lessons and nuggets of wisdom that really touched my heart and had me reflecting on my own past experiences and relationships.

I truly loved this novel and the characters that were portrayed throughout. As I was finishing this book I found myself smiling towards the end and couldn’t help thinking how valuable stories like this are for teens today. I highly recommend picking up As You Walk on By for yourself and any young adults in your life today!

As You Walk on By follows seventeen-year-old Theo Wright, who has it all figured out. His plan is foolproof – exceling at his school so he can get scouted by college recruiters and then live the dream by going to Duke on an athletic scholarship, exactly what his dad always wanted for him. The next big goal, in comparison, is pretty simple: have the perfect prom night. After his best friend Jay dares him to prompose to Theo’s crush at a party, he’s ready to put it all on the line for that perfect night. But when the promposal goes epically wrong, Theo seeks refuge in an empty bedroom while the party continues on. There’s just one tiny thing standing in the way of him having his existential crisis in peace – he’s not alone in the room. As more of Theo’s classmates show up one by one with their own ghosts they’re hiding from, Theo realizes he’s not alone in being confused and scared, not by a long shot. And what starts as an unexpected meeting between him, his ex-best friend, a quiet outsider and a few familiar faces might just turn into new friendships that’ll last a lifetime.
As You Walk on by is as close to perfect as books get for me these days. Winters truly put everything in this book – from complex friendships and the challenges that come with reevaluating them, to incredibly sweet queer romance that kind of melts your heart and learning how to make up for the mistakes you made in the name of protecting the ones you love. Add to that an incredibly fleshed-out, diverse cast of characters that feel like you’ve known them all along and you have a masterpiece. Coming-of-age stories can sometimes feel like too much or too little, but Winters somehow strikes the perfect balance between hard-hitting topics and funny moments that make this novel work so well.
One of the elements of this story that nearly broke me (you know, like, in a good way) is how Winters approaches being an ally and what makes a friendship work. What happens if your best friend, who seems to be your biggest fan, biggest ally…doesn’t really stand up for you when it matters? Only gives a noncommittal shrug instead of saying, “hey, that’s my friend and it’s not okay to talk about him that way”? We definitely don’t talk enough about this in real life. Sure, there’s ghosting and there’s friendships breaking apart for good (and totally ridiculous) reasons but Winters here offers an incredibly vulnerable, nuanced look at what it means to truly be an ally and what kind of horrid turmoil it causes in your heart and mind to question the people you thought you could always trust, no matter what. Theo’s friendships are a central theme of the novel and I loved how there’s not really a good and evil division here – we have people (including Theo) making mistakes, but not everyone owns up to them, and not everyone grasps what they did wrong even when they’re told. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an accurate portrayal of how you sometimes feel obligated to overlook certain things when you’ve been friends for a long time but at some point, enough is enough. And I bet everyone who will read this book may reevaluate their own friend groups after this.
Lest you think this book is only heavy-handed, there is also so much queer joy within these pages. And most of that joy happens in the room where Theo meets people who turn his whole world upside down, in just a few hours. I loved how open these characters were with each other under these less-than-ideal circumstances. Each of them is hiding from something at that party – and in their lives – but what starts out as hiding turns into finding a piece of themselves in that room. I loved the subtle nod to how every one of us behaves differently depending on who we’re surrounded by. Everyone in the room blossoms into the best version of themselves and while it’s a struggle to cling to that version once they leave the room, I loved how Winters reminds us with this book that to be yourself is always the best course of action. The right people will find you and love you for exactly who you are.
All in all, this book was an absolute delight and shows you that nothing bonds you quite like being on the outskirts – but that it might just be the best place to be sometimes in order to find where you truly belong. A perfect blend of a sincere exploration of what makes a friendship work and much-needed lighthearted moments of queer joy, As You Walk on by is a warm hug for anyone who’s ever felt like an outcast.

JULIAN WINTERS KEEPS OUTDOING HIMSELF AND I AM ABSOLUTELY HERE FOR THIS.

This book captures the essence of The Breakfast Club it compares itself to exceptionally well, centering the feeling of unbelonging that brings unlikely friendships about. Theo is such a delightful narrator to follow, and each of the other characters feels and is essential to the plot. I appreciated Winters' deft incorporation of conversations about queerness, Blackness, gender expression and identity, grief, and pressure and expectations as always. Furthermore, I liked the exploration of toxic friendships and what true friendships should emulate. And the romance was perfectly tender and believable and brought me such joy. I just can't get enough of this book and will scream about it forever.

Oh my godddd!!! Guys this was the perfect YA book, like honestly one of my favorites I’ve read in awhile.
To start off the representation in this book was phenomenal. We had many different races, sexual identities, tragedies all discussed and represented in this book and told so well it was truly so refreshing to see.
Throughout the story we followed Theo on his self discovery journey as he natives high school as a queer black teen trying to meet everyone’s expectations. A lot of what Theo went through is stuff I truly think we could all relate to- academic expectations, selfish friends and learning who you are outside of the bubble you’ve grown up in.
This story was written beautiful and felt like a very mature YA story, I think it would be perfect for high schoolers to read as those are the ages that could relate to Theo currently, but honestly I think any age would find something to love and connect to in this book!
Overall this was a wonderful, powerful and moving read, that I’m so glad I read. I would 100% recommend picking this book up once it comes out on January 17th, I definitely want to get my hands on a physical copy!

*Thank you so much to Penguin Teen & NetGalley for providing me with an early access ARC, all opinions above are 100% my own*

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60878137-as-you-walk-on-by" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="As You Walk on By" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1652105808l/60878137._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60878137-as-you-walk-on-by">As You Walk on By</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17571829.Julian_Winters">Julian Winters</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5133187655">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Oh my godddd!!! Guys this was the perfect YA book, like honestly one of my favorites I’ve read in awhile.<br />To start off the representation in this book was phenomenal. We had many different races, sexual identities, tragedies all discussed and represented in this book and told so well it was truly so refreshing to see. <br />Throughout the story we followed Theo on his self discovery journey as he natives high school as a queer black teen trying to meet everyone’s expectations. A lot of what Theo went through is stuff I truly think we could all relate to- academic expectations, selfish friends and learning who you are outside of the bubble you’ve grown up in.<br />This story was written beautiful and felt like a very mature YA story, I think it would be perfect for high schoolers to read as those are the ages that could relate to Theo currently, but honestly I think any age would find something to love and connect to in this book!<br />Overall this was a wonderful, powerful and moving read, that I’m so glad I read. I would 100% recommend picking this book up once it comes out on January 17th, I definitely want to get my hands on a physical copy!<br /><br />*Thank you so much to Penguin Teen & NetGalley for providing me with an early access ARC, all opinions above are 100% my own*