Hi friends, happy Monday – I hope you’ve all had a good start to your week! Today I’m going to be posting my review of Kacen Callender’s novel Felix Ever After.

Felix Ever After by: Kacen Callender: Felix craves love; all he wants is to be in love so he goes chasing it. Even though he’s proud of the person he is and his identity he still fears that he’s too queer, black and transgender to get his own fairy-tale ending. But when he starts to get transphobic messages this leads him down a road trying to figure out who it could be; it also leads him down a road of self-discovery and what he’s always wanted: love. This novel was such a strong and powerful coming of age story. The story was really sweet; as much as the main character went through a lot of turmoil there was also so much joy to be found too. The plot kept the reader going; it was so fast-paced and the way Callender ended their chapters left the reader compelled to continue reading. They weren’t complete cliff-hangers, but they were just enough that the reader couldn’t not continue. The way plots weaved in and around each other was beautiful. This was so well written and really gave a voice to queer people who may still be questioning who they are. Watching Felix try and figure out who he was, his queer identity, was so important; it let readers see that it’s okay to keep questioning your identity, your sexuality, until you find what fits for you. This novel really struck a chord with the reader when Felix finally starts to learn to love himself and to stop chasing love and being afraid to receive the love that is in his life. It felt really liberating to read and felt like a personal mantra that readers could use to follow. The characters were really well created and strongly developed. The reader enjoyed getting to know them and become part of their world. It was fascinating to see the different dynamics between them all, and the way they each perceived the other; it really made for some great storytelling and strong character developments. This was such a pleasure to read filled with love, hope and friendship.