I absolutely loved this book. The MC was so sweet and the relationships between everyone felt incredibly real. I loved their nerdy comic book obsession and the online community aspects. And the descriptions of food throughout the book were so multi sensory and made me hungry! Overall a lovely queer YA story. The audio was well done too!

What a truly wonderful book!

This was one of those books that I was taking every possible opportunity to listen to. It’s set during that one, epic summer holiday that happens between your A levels and freshers week, and we follow Elsie across these summer months. She has big plans, but of course plans can change!

This book had so much in it – family secrets, long-lost loves, long distance crushes, queer friendships, and more. I felt so emotionally invested every step of the way, and I really felt the ups and downs that Elsie went on.

I loved the relationships between the different queer characters in this book. I thought it was a really good depiction of not just romantic relationships but also the friendships and kinships between queer people, and I really felt that sense of belonging that Elsie found.

I also really liked the way the book explored how queerness is seen in different cultures. Many of the characters in this book, Elsie included, have a range of cultural influences in their lives, and I loved how the author included these themes. It was also fascinating to see how these different influences affected the characters, and how it helped them shape a sense of their own identity.

The inclusion of queer people from different generations was also a great touch. I remember very vividly how it felt when I first started interacting with the queer community outside of my own peer group, and it’s such a fulfilling moment that was vividly captured.

There was also excellent narration from Siu-see Hung, who didn’t just perform the text in an immersive and engaging way, but also nailed an astounding range of accents!

I received a free copy for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So. I really enjoyed seeing such a diverse cast of characters, from different races to cultures to sexualities! This was a deep and meaningful Young Adult book and which I would definitely recommend. It deals with emotional and sensitive topics, including but not limited to homophobia, abandonment, racism and prejudice, grief and loss of a parent.

If you still recognise me is a gorgeous sapphic YA romance that explores family and cultural identity amidst a complex web of friendships and crushes. I thoroughly enjoyed the story however I don't think the audiobook vs physical would have changed my opinion. It is not the strongest audiobook I have ever listened to however it does not detract from the story at all.

A really sweet and sincere introduction to queer love for YA readers. I loved the narrator and will highly recommend this to my audience

Refreshing to read a queer novel which explores the realms of cultural identity, and the the depth of how the two intertwine with each other. Whilst the book didn’t have me on the edge of my seat, I still found myself going back to read more, as there was something about the characters that had me invested. Genuinely a really lovely read, and one I’d recommend for something a little lighter on the heart.

this was an incredibly emotive, wholesome coming of age, YA, queer romance story. elsie is learning so much about herself, and her family, and you really feel like you’re on that journey with her.
i loved the intersection of sexuality and culture, and the representation of queer asian characters! there are also very strong themes of friendships, grief, and complex family dynamics.

This was the epitome of a "slow and gentle" sapphic romance. I enjoyed the way the main characters reconnected after so long and I really liked seeing Elsie gain confidence in her identity. The conversations she had with her mother towards the end of the novel, were so heartfelt and lovely. Just a very sweet, warm coming-of-age story.

I loved this book! I thought it was a beautifully written story about discovering and embracing queer identity as a teenager, and thought the characters were captivating and well-developed. Elsie was a compelling protagonist and I loved reading all about her culture and her new and old friendships throughout the years, especially when her best friend Joan came back into her life after years of being away. I thought the narrator did an excellent job, especially with different voices like an American accent for Ada, and the narration really added to the story and made it a fantastic book to listen to and experience. I would definitely recommend this to any fans of queer fiction and anyone looking for more diversity in their stories, and I’m thankful I got to read this. It was AMAZING.

This was a beautiful slow-burn sapphic romance that explores so much more than romance. It explores culture and identity, too, which felt like a nice angle as I don't believe we get that much in romance novels.

This book was so gorgeous!
I loved the in depth friendships, and the family dynamics.
Elise is an awesome protagonist and her story was so wonderful and relatable and I just wanted to hug her.
The narrator for this is also wonderful and I highly recommend this book!

This book was a lot of fun. It took me a few chapters to get into it as you are thrown into the story right from the beginning, and I had to listen to the first chapter twice to understand what was going on. The different voices used for the characters were great and made it easy to distinguish who was speaking. Ada's voice was the exception, I found it quite annoying. Overall this was a really enjoyable audiobook and did the novel justice.

A summer of fandom, friendships, family, second chances and finding yourself amidst the chaos.

If You Still Recognise Me written by Cynthia So was an incredibly nostalgic and heartfelt read. The book follows 18 year old Elsie as she navigates her crush on Ada, a girl from the internet who lives thousands of kilometres away, and what to do about her long lost best friend Joan who suddenly walks back into her life.

I really enjoyed the narration by Siu-see Hung and felt she was the perfect voice for Elsie. I also really loved the sound effects to differentiate when the characters were communicating via texts.

Some of the choices Elsie made and the way she acted in certain situations definitely frustrated me a little at times but she’s an 18 year old with her first queer crush and I also made a lot of questionable decisions when I was in the same position.

This book has plenty of representation. Our main character Elsie is a Chinese- British Bisexual who’s found family is filled with LGBTQIA characters. They also explored an emotionally abusive relationship in Elsie’s past in a really respectful way.

Overall, I loved this book a lot more than I ever expected to and would highly recommend if you’re looking for a queer summer read with a little bit more depth.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for providing me with an ALC of this audiobook.

I enjoyed this book, however some ya books come across much younger than others, and this was one of them. The relationships and even friendships just felt a bit immature and shallow. I did like all the inclusion in this book though

Sweet, quaint and romantic, 'If You Still Recognise Me' is a charming YA novel however it didn't particularly tick my boxes. I'm not quite the audience for this novel however, despite knowing that, there were certain aspects of the online/fandom/Tumblr sub-plot that I couldn't get behind having been on those sites/part of that community in my own teens. I understand this is a feel-good YA romance along the lines of 'Heartstopper,' but the sugar coated view of online collaboration/community was both too shallow and didn't explore the toxicity of fandom at times. Additionally I wasn't mad about the narrator but that might just be my own taste issue.

Thanks for this advance audiobook copy.

A beautiful tale of finding your true identity and falling in love.

Cynthia's writing is so touching and heartfelt, you really are on the journey along with each character. it is so easy to get lost in each small sub plot.

3.5 Stars
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This YA contemporary really stands out in the genre and had so much going for it I'm not sure where to start! It's a childhood-friends-to-lovers summer romance entwined in a light mystery with complex family relationships, rooted in fandom culture. So if any of that appeals to you, this one might be right up your alley!

We're following our protagonist Elsie, who has recently completed her A Levels and is looking forward to a long summer. However, we soon realise this might not be the relaxing summer Elsie is hoping for- her po po who the family haven't seen in years is is coming to stay, her best friend Joan who moved to Hong Kong seven years ago and promptly ghosted her is back in town, and she is still grappling with an unrequited crush on long time internet friend Ada. Elsie decides to try and win the affections of Ada by reuniting Ada's grandmother with a long lost lover, but in the process ends up discovering hidden depths about herself and her loved ones.

I really liked Elsie as a character, she has spent so may of her teenage years feeling lonely and has found solace in her favourite comic series and, by extension, her online bestie Ada. I felt like I could really understand how Elsie has felt the past few years, despite only seeing her in the present day, and so it was really nice to see her come out of her shell and discover herself through the course of this book. She gets a weekend job in a comic book shop which was a nice addition to the story, there was so much going on this plot but I didn't feel confused or overwhelmed once which I think is a sign of a talented author.
Elsie has known she is bisexual for years but seems to still be coming to terms with that part of herself, especially as she hasn't yet felt able to come out to her family. Whilst I would say the story is rooted in friendship, Elsie's family is definitely still at the forefront. We see Elsie come to terms with the fact that she is now an adult and so is learning some of the family 'secrets' that have been kept from her, in a way which I think is relatable to many young people. And, without spoiling anything, I like how the LGBT themes of the book become unexpectedly intertwined with this complex family dynamic.
Elsie's friendship with Joan is another really strong point of the book. The two were best friends in primary school, but Joan then moved back to Hong Kong and Elsie hasn't heard from her since. I liked how Joan's reappearance helped Elsie reconsider her relationship with herself as a bisexual woman and I, as a reader, learned a lot from Joan about attitudes towards LGBT and 'tomboy' girls in Hong Kong.
Along with Ada and Ritika, Elsie's core group of friends really blurs the lines between romance and friendship in this book, in a way which I think is realistic of many teenage experiences. There's a fun storyline of them trying to uncover a woman from Ada's grandmother's past, which provides many opportunities for these romances and friendships to be explored. I liked the discussions of how the girls were struggling with these emotions, and equally liked the ending which I thought was very satisfying in wrapping these up.
One more thing that I appreciated about this book was Elsie's past relationship and how that has impacted her. She has an ex boyfriend who was a bit older than her, and mistreated her in a way which she didn't recognise at the time. She has internalised a lot of the trauma this gave her, and we can see how this has impacted her perspective on love and relationships. It was a beautiful moment when she opened up about this, and I'm glad it has been tackled in a book for young readers as I think it is something so many face but don't talk about.
I listened to the audiobook for this one which made the fandom aspects and online relationship even more fun- there were sound effects to remind me when a conversation was happening over text, and I think listening to it helped me feel even more like I was in Elsie's head and therefore understand her and the story better.

Whilst there was clearly a lot to love about this book, I did ultimately only give it a 3.5 star. This was because, whilst I appreciated the characters at a surface value and recognise their value, I didn't;t find myself feeling much for them or feeling particularly attached to the story. This could be because this book is written for a younger audience than myself, but I feel like it's largely because of the way the characters communicated which felt quite unrealistic and mechanical. This sadly meant I didn't care for them all the much, and if I'm going to love a book like this one then it is important for me to love the characters too.

Overall, whilst this wasn't a favourite for me, I think it is a valuable addition to the UKYA genre and will mean a lot to so many people. The storyline had a lot going on without being confusing and the characters were well developed- I recommend giving it a go, particularly if you enjoy authors like Alice Oseman or Ciara Smyth!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an audiobook copy of this title!

I listened to this on audio and it was SO GOOD. The narration added a lot to the story.

This book is absolute perfection. I really appreciated how well Elsie's previous emotionally abusive relationship was handled. And I enjoyed the gender non-conforming sapphic rep.

Overall this is just a beautiful story about friendship, fandom, and finding yourself (with a very cute sapphic romance as well)

Thank You for the review copy.

Always happy when a request is approved!

This is a coming-of-age story. A wonderfully orchestrated love story. It has several triggers in it. So, if please read the blurb before picking it up. However, if you do, you'll appreciate the story.

I received a gifted audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review which is entirely my own

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, after the synopsis promises a summer of repairing and finding new connections, and not really much else to be taken from that to be honest, but I was intrigued, and what an absolute lovely and representative read!

The author has done a brilliant job of creating such a wonderful vast collection of characters with found family vibes, whilst staying true to their personalities and traditions, including such a fantastic reputation within the LGBT community as well as the Chinese-British community. I loved the backdrop for the book, and enjoyed the girls trip to Cornwall on Elsie's trek to find Theresa.

I loved the connection that all the girls had, and the inclusion of the fan fiction, it really helped to build Elsie's character and give her depth, she didn't feel like a one dimensional character, she is easily a young woman who I would have loved to be friends with, and I like that we spent a lot of the book within Elsie's mind trying to figure out if she is *something* enough, I felt like it was really relatable to those within that age groups, after just finishing college, a lot of 19 year olds still aren't really sure who they are, and for someone like Elsie with the extra homelife pressures, the sexuality and nationality pressures, I really felt for her, and spent majority of the book cheering her on, you are good enough Elsie!