Okay, this story feels like a real romcom, but if you’re expecting a swoony romance, I’m going to disappoint you: it isn’t. A.M. Woody, who blurbed this book, calls their own stories romtraums, and maybe America’s Not-So Sweetheart isn’t a romcom, isn’t a romtraum, but a traumcom. Traum because Alec was painted as the villain on that reality show, and now everyone hates him. Everyone except Joaquín, his ex, the guy he’s still madly in love with.

Messy, witty, and at times chest-tightening, those are the words that come to mind when I think about this book.

The banter is just chef’s kiss. Not just between Alec and Joaquín or the other characters, but also in Alec’s own head. It’s actually a fantastic place to be—Alec, who wants to do good but is also a total disaster of a person, disheveled and morally gray in all the best ways, driven by a constant need for approval, and endlessly overlooking the red flags around him.

I fell hard for Alec’s longing and yearning in the first part of the story. From page one, I wanted him and Joaquín back together so badly. And yet, a little voice in the back of my head kept whispering warnings. I shoved them into a box and locked the lid tight. Just like Alec did.

The second half of the book gave me even more to think about. Again, just like Alec.

At its core, this story is about embracing who you are with all your flaws and building healthy relationships. And even though it’s not really a romcom, we need more books like these because this is what teens’ lives actually look like. Complicated. Messy. Full of love and fun, but also full of shi*tty things because sometimes, things just are tough.