*2.5 stars
This was originally published online from 2011-2016, and you can really tell. The pestering and wearing down is really toxic at the beginning, but it is redeemed (at least in the eyes of the characters) by the guy "saving" a girl from unwanted advances (ironic...). I think the biggest strike against this is that I had apparently read the first half in August of 2022 and did not remember a single thing. In fact, I didn't even realize I had read it until I stumbled on my rating/review of [book:Always Raining Here, Volume 1|29725908]. Overall, this is fine if you're starved for a gay YA graphic, but there's plenty of better, more modern ones out there, so you shouldn't be.

A lovely story about two gay teens as they deal with heartbreak, romance, family, and high school. Carter is a fun loving impulsive teen who is determined to find a cute guy to hook up with, too bad his options are extremely low. Then he meets Adrian at a bookshop, Adrian is a straight laced, recently single, theater kid who is reeling from his recent heartbreak. Carter is determined to win Adrian over.. the only problem is Adrian is still in love with his ex. Carter and Adrian find themselves bumping into each other more and more, and a unlikely friendship begins to grow... but can their new friendship survive their first hookup or will Adrian's self-destructiveness threaten any chance of a real relationship between them. This was a great queer coming of age story between two different gay teenagers. I love how authentic the story felt and how much growth both characters go through. The romance was so well done and told in a fantastic way. It's just a really great read and one I'd definitely recommend!

Release Date: November 11, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and First Second Books | First Second for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*