wren_rainbow's reviews
431 reviews

This book was everything I needed as a teen. I saw myself, my thoughts, my gender identity journey, and my neurodivergent experience reflected on these pages through Phoenix. I highlighted so many sections. It was healing for my teenage self- I cried a few times and broke down in tears at the end. Phoenix and Giovanni is a difficult read so make sure to look at the trigger warnings before jumping straight in. 

Giovanni is a sweetheart.

Phoenix is most definitely autistic and NOT borderline and schizoaffective or whatever nonsense their therapist mentioned.  So often, too often mental health professionals will diagnose AFAB folks with everything under the sun before ever providing or considering an Autism diagnosis. 

Quick read but the characters reactions felt a bit unbelievable. For example, how are crying over Ren not loving you after a few days?? Some of the reactions would have made since after a few months but days? No. The making up at the end was cute but I wasn't convinced. 

The writing feels juvenile almost YA in nature but with mature elements and sex (that’s not well written). The first chapter drew me in and had me so intrigued but after that it went down hill. 41% in and I’m forcing myself to read it and life is too short. Also I absolutely a hire reading books where women are referred to as “females” and the main character is ‘not like the other women’ or in this case ‘not like other humans (females)’ 🙄.

This story is brief but does a great job of showing us the readers, the youth of the world different worlds that black people and white people walk and what that looks like when they come together in a romantic relationship. Jeremiah and Ellie’s romance was the typical first love: they see nothing but each other and can’t see past that. I wasn’t convinced about the love they claimed to have but can understand it from the youthful place it comes from. I knew the ending was coming but it still hurt when it did.