Vanilla

Note: I am an asexual person who is very involved in the LGBT+ community. I finished this book in a day.I understand the controversy over this book. I really do. But I think there's an important distinction to make that isn't being acknowledged. This book isn't acephobic, but there is acephobia in it. It's a book ABOUT acephobia. That's the point. It's not supposed to be an ace positivity book, but more of an ace awareness book. And it does that exceptionally well.I don't want to include any spoilers in this review, but this book is extremely difficult to read, especially because of the split POV that allows you to see the perspective of multiple characters. Listen to yourself as you read it, and take breaks if you need to. It could be triggering depending on your experiences. But I still do recommend it, whether you're ace or not.I think that the author correctly shows that the acephobia seen in the book is wrong. I like the symbolism throughout it, and think that it fits well with the writing style. But I can also see that this book isn't going to be right for everyone. My best suggestion is to give it a shot, read it to the end if you can, and make your own decision on it.Personally I absolutely loved everything about this book, and it really messed with my emotions in the way that a contemporary YA should. Highly recommend.

I loved this book so much! The poetry was beautiful and moving, and the story was completely engrossing. I’ll admit, when I started reading I was a little confused by the writing style. I’ve never seen a novel written entirely in poetry form. I wasn’t sure how it was going to work. But it works. It made me want to slow down and savor every word. Just when I thought I hated the villain, I read their point of view and realized there is no villain. There is no hero. We are all just doing the best we can. This book touched my heart.

An amazing book. I just finished it and felt so overwhelmed by how powerful the characters and language is. The characters really come to life, I feel like I know them, and they are so deeply flawed but so intimately expressive. I have endless praise for this book. If you read any queer literature in your lifetime, it should be this book. I wish it existed ten years ago when I was a boy in school. It would’ve changed my life. Now, though, I will still recommend it to everyone I know.

This book reminded me of several specific times from back when I was figuring myself out. Very accurate to my ace experience and how I came to terms with myself. Especially how long it took to find the word. A really great book that I wish I had had back in high school when I felt so much like Vanilla

A very good read for a teenage to young adult crowd

Hunter and Vanilla are inseparable BFFs, and sometimes a little more than that. They've been together for as long as anyone can remember and their friends and family assume that they're together romantically as well. But Hunter wants to move on from hugging and kissing to something more, and Vanilla isn't ready – and he's not sure he'll ever be with Hunter.Their relationship is closely observed by Clown, a boy in their school who is the life of the party and has an entire gang of gay friends flocking around him at all times. He's the sun they all orbit around and yet while Clown seems confident and outgoing, wearing his full face of make-up as a proud mask of who he believes he truly is, there is more to him than is painted on the surface.Hunter, Vanilla and Clown are all trying to find themselves underneath layers of teenage angst, changing feelings and prejudice. Tackling 21st century social issues head on, this book explores their different journeys in an honest and beautiful away.Vanilla initially caught my interest because it's written in verse, something you don't come across often within young adult fiction (though I wish it was more commonly used as it works so well for this audience, I feel). I am a big admirer of what Sarah Crossan has done with One and Moonrise, which are both told in verse, and I was curious to see how this way of storytelling would work with another author's voice at heart.And I can say that it was incredible.Though using less words than an average novel, I find this approach conveys so much more meaning and emotion, and it really allows the reader to understand the characters on a much deeper level. Each word, each sentence and each placement has been carefully chosen to add depth to the story. Not only does it work exceptionally well, it makes for a constantly surprising reading experience too (which doesn't happen often when you read as many books in a year as I do).And the contents of Vanilla was a beautiful one too, not only for the way it was written but even more so for the story it conveyed. It was an eye-opening and thought-provoking exploration of gender identity and sexuality; not just focusing on one or two options, but instead delving into the myriad of different directions the characters go in on their journeys to self-discovery.Diversity in all its shapes and forms might be hot theme in young adult fiction right now but don't let that make you think this is a book just jumping on that bandwagon. Vanilla was honest, raw and evocative – and a worthy addition to any YA reader's collection.

The format of a series of poems penned by various characters was a surprise but it made reading the book remarkably easy. The characters are all distinctive, new and attractive. Most importantly the issues it raises about various responses to sex and sexuality. It really expanded my understanding of the possibilities and showed me characters prepared to grapple with them.