3.5/5 stars

Under All The Lights was such a raw and emotional read that reminded me of a classic Degrassi episode arc.

Ollie was a well-developed, complex MC. Being inside of his head while he juggled his new found fame, relationships, internalized biphobia and more felt like being inside the head of an actual teen. I also loved that Ollie also never shied away from his feelings and always wanted to be a support system for his friends and family. However, like myself, Ollie had trouble asking for help himself and I felt like this was an accurate representation of having a hard time letting people in.

I was rooting for Ollie for the entire book and by the end, he has exceptional character growth and I was so proud of him! 🤭

Ameyaw also did an extraordinary job at not shying away from the harder subjects in this novel. You can tell that she wanted an realistic look at what everyday teens are going through and the characterization of an anxiety disorder was done particularly well.

However, though this book does tackle a lot of important subjects, I feel like it tried to tackle *too* many for the page length. I really wanted certain plot points to be expanded on, like Ollie’s reliance on what I assume to be benzos, for example. Not all anti-anxiety medications turn you into a zombie and this could have really been a moment to shine a light on how benzos can become quite addictive and are **completely different** from SSRIs and other anxiety medications.

I also had trouble with the pacing of this book. The first 40% feels very well paced, then suffers a bit once we get to the main story. The end particularly felt abrupt and I could have done with another 100 pages to fully flesh all these amazing ideas out.

Overall, I really enjoyed the diverse characters, great representation, and overall message of the UATL. I’m hoping that Ameyaw comes out with a third book in this series, as I really enjoyed all of the characters and would love to see more of them.

This was a heavy but oh so necessary story about recovering from traumatic events, forming and supporting community, and finding queer joy in a world that wants to stamp it out. Definitely be mindful of trigger warnings, but this is a story I think many people need.

Under All the Lights is an incredibly raw and profoundly written story that left a lasting impact on me. Ollie's struggles felt so authentic, making me root for him and wish him all the happiness and success he deserves. The relationship between Ollie and Ayesha was one of the highlights for me—the comfort and support they offered each other were heartwarming and beautifully portrayed. While some scenes were deeply heartbreaking, their rawness made them even more poignant, reflecting the harsh realities of life. That depth added a layer of sadness, yet it made the story even more compelling. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking an emotional and meaningful read.

On a lighter note, I have to mention the cover and sprayed edges—honestly, they are breathtaking. This is the first book I own with such stunningly beautiful edges, and I’m beyond grateful to the author for sending this to me .☺️

Under All The Lights is a sensational follow-up to Maya Ameyaw's beautiful debut, When It All Syncs Up! The prose is concise and poignant, so easy to read. It's a refreshing experience, but please be warned that this is an incredibly emotional book.

From the beginning, we are thrown directly into the strained relationship between Ollie and his father. It sets the tone for Ollie's struggles with accepting his own identity throughout the book. Ollie finds it hard to open up about his deepest pains outside of therapy, to everyone around him, including his girlfriend Aisha. Music is the one place where Ollie can express himself fully, so when a particularly vulnerable song goes viral his entire world is turned upside down.

But Ollie was in a vulnerable place before any of this madness started. Ameyaw addresses his emotional traumas with a depth and sensitivity that helps the reader feel safe. Ollie is not perfect. He makes mistakes in his attempts to get a handle on his emotions and those choices have consequences. And that's exactly what makes him such a wonderful character.

Under All The Lights is a heartfelt, honest story about love and hope and the courage it takes to figure out who we are after facing our truth. I highly recommend this book to all the music lovers, artists, anyone who loves the raw expressions of hope and love, and all the queer babes wrestling with themselves and/or the world.

Something I’ve found about Maya Ameyaw’s books is that it’s almost impossible for me to not read them in one sitting. I get so sucked into the story and the lives of the characters that I don’t want to put the book down. I was a little bit scared going into this book because of how attached I am to the characters we met in When It All Syncs Up and their relationships, but I think this book does a good job of realistically exploring Ollie’s life and relationships without truly messing anything up about what can be loved about WIASU. Also, this can be read as a standalone, but I personally think it’s even more fun to know all the details of the characters that you learn by reading in order.

Overall, I think this is such a touching exploration of queerness and identity as well as mental health, all through the lens of music and fame. Although it can be frustrating to read about character’s not making the “right” decisions, I think this book does a good job of realistically exploring the very messy struggles of teenager’s trying their best. If it’s not clear, I definitely think this is worth the read and would highly recommend it.

One of my favourite parts of this book was the music, both how it was such a core part of Ollie’s life, and how it was used as this storytelling device for both his character development and just exploring the different emotions and characters of the book. The exploration of the music scene that he was interested in, and the addition of Jesse Jacobs’ character as both a newly famous musician and someone that Ollie is spending months with is really interesting. This book is heavy at times, but I think there are important conversations being had within it. At the same time, it’s also just fun sometimes, and the characters aren’t just suffering but also learning to achieve their dreams, despite the obstacles, and I think that’s why it’s so worth the reading.

CAWPILE Rating:
Characters: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Writing Style: 9
Plot: 9
Intrigue: 9
Logic: 9
Enjoyment: 9

Ollie's world turns upside down when Jesse, a rising star, discovers his music online and invites him on tour. The timing couldn't be better—Ollie’s family is facing the threat of losing their home, and their financial struggles weigh heavily on him. But there’s a catch: Ollie is not only devastatingly attracted to Jesse but is also in a committed relationship with his girlfriend, Aisha. As a closeted teenager, Ollie wrestles with his dual identity, anxiety, and shame, all while trapped on tour with temptation at every turn.

I truly enjoyed this story from start to finish. Ollie is a complex character, and I appreciated how Maya wrote the supporting characters in a way that deepened his reality. Ollie is anxious, brave, kind, and, most importantly, a teenager—so he doesn’t always make the right decisions, which felt authentic. I wanted to truly fight Ollie’s dad, but every other character captured my heart. I can’t wait to see where the rest of this series goes!

Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours, NetGalley, and Annick Press for the BEAUTIFUL ARC in exchange for an honest review. Check out my posts in the coming days on ig and tiktok for more thoughts on this lovely book (@Blackgirlbujos).

This was a great follow up to Canadian YA author, Maya Ameyaw's debut, When it all syncs up that features Ollie, a bisexual singer/songwriter who goes viral and gets invited to go on a cross Canada tour with Jesse, another young hit singer.

Not yet out to his parents, Ollie struggles with sexual assault trauma from his past plus his sexual identity especially as he grows more attracted to his tourmate. Conflicted over his new feelings and the fact that he also has a girlfriend back at home (Aisha from the previous book) Ollie finds himself spiraling a bit trying to balance everything. Performing on stage is also triggering his anxiety and causing panic attacks forcing Ollie to adjust his meds and rely more on friends and his therapist.

His mental health overall also suffers as he gains popularity and is increasingly under public scrutiny. Full of excellent mental health rep, this was good on audio and perfect for fans of books like Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

CW: sexual assault survivor, anxiety, panic attacks, biphobia

This book is such a light, cozy, and heartwarming read! The story follows Ollie, a young musician whose life changes overnight when his YouTube video goes viral, landing him a spot as the opening act on a music tour for the popular singer Jesse Jacobs!

While the book is a sequel to the author’s first novel, *When It All Syncs Up*, it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone. Although the first few chapters were a bit challenging to follow due to some missing backstory, everything gradually falls into place, weaving a beautiful story!

I absolutely adored both Ollie and Jesse! Each character is so well-developed, with enough backstory that you can't help but root for them. Whether it's the fiercely loyal best friend Neil, the loving and supportive sister Sophie, or the kind and patient girlfriend Aisha, every character has a piece of your heart by the end. The story delicately tackles important themes like sexual assault, bisexual identity, addiction, and mental health, making it not only touching but deeply meaningful.

It was inspiring to see Ollie's growth as a person throughout the pages and the ending was fitting (though I would have LOVED an epilogue!). The book is an emotional tour for the readers- with some love, giggles, drama, tears and acceptance.

When I picked this book up I wasn't aware that it was a sequel, but I do think it can be read as a standalone. At no time was I confused or felt like I was missing crucial information to enjoy this book. There were some pacing issues in the middle and I felt the characters were underdeveloped, but I got through it quickly.

I love books involving music so I was looking forward to reading Under All the Lights. In that book, we follow Ollie, whose song goes viral and gives him the chance to get to go on a full tour and an album deal. More importantly, that will give him the opportunity to help his struggling family. The problem is, Ollie has stage fright.

I previously did not read When it All Syncs Up, which Under All the Lights is an indirect sequel too. I look forward to reading that next, as I enjoyed Under All the Lights.

I like rockstar romance but I have two issues with this book. First the writing for this book so choppy it was hard to digest. And second, I don’t think I am the right audience for this book. This book is too YA for me.

I was initially so excited about the premise of this book because I typically love books like it where one or both of the MCs are famous, especially when they are musicians. Unfortunately this book did not meet my expectations. The main plus of this book was its representation—survivor of assault, LGBTQ, anxiety, indigenous, etc. Although it was an interesting perspective because it focused on Ollie and the instant fame he gets, the pacing felt very strange, and the ending felt sudden. This was not because it was so much of a cliffhanger but because it felt like it just left off at a random page, and not exactly one that left me wanting more. Instead I was just confused and thought I’d skipped the last page.

Actual rating 4.5 stars.

For fans of If This Gets Out or Kiss and Tell. Or those with a soft spot for anxious teen boys. And for those who can handle heavier and darker-themed stories.
 
Even though Under All the Lights is a sequel, this story is perfectly readable as a standalone.
 
I was curious but also a little scared when I started reading because Ollie was in a solid relationship with Aisha after book one. Although I really wanted to know what was going to happen between Ollie and Jessie, I didn’t want to get stuck in a cobweb of lies because of a love triangle. And luckily, that didn’t happen. But be prepared; this story is messy. Let me just love messy and harder hitting stories! Under All the Lights is about a boy and his confused feelings. About a boy who’s trying to battle with severe anxiety.  About a boy who’s suddenly in the spotlights, including sh*tty social media rumors. About a boy and his past and the inextricable link to his internal biphobia. And yeah, it’s also about a boy with a wonderful girlfriend who finds out he likes a guy, too.
 
I loved reading from Ollie’s POV. I already had a soft spot for him when I was reading When It All SyncsUp, and after I found out what happened to him in the first installment of this series, my blood was boiling, and I wanted to protect him against all costs. And therefore, I fully understood why Ollie felt he needed to ignore his feelings for boys. But after meeting Jesse, his feelings came flying back like a boomerang, and suddenly, he couldn’t shrug off what he knew deep inside anymore.
 
Some stories hit me hard, and this is one of them. Those two boys, both struggling so much but not letting the other in. I felt their inner fights throughout the book. The soft spot I had for Olly has become bigger, and he nestled himself deep into my heart. Just like Jesse, actually, and I’m secretly hoping Maya Ameyaw will write a follow-up story with a dual or even triple POV because with that ending and all, I’m not done yet with these characters, and I really, really, really need more!

I was excited about the idea of this book and I loved the diverse cast of characters. However, I couldn’t get into the writing style. I found it super choppy and hard to follow