Audiobook Review & Giveaway: Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Crushed on by kelly, on June 19, 2020, in Giveaways, Reviews / 0 Comments

Audiobook Review & Giveaway: Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender is just one of those books you really want all your friends to read so you can experience it together!

Felix is a part of our PRIDE READS Giveaway and not only can you win a copy, it has also has been painted by Edged in Starlight! In conjunction with Edged in Starlight, the Pride books sold this month will have a 10% donation made to The Trevor Project. Christy and I are matching that donation. So please buy these (and other!) books even if you don’t win our giveaway!

See the giveaway details below and the 6 YA books by Black queer authors!



Audiobook Review & Giveaway: Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Felix Ever After

by Kacen Callender
Published by: Balzer + Bray
on May 5, 2020
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 368
IndieBoundAudiobook through LibroFMAudible
Goodreads

From Stonewall and Lambda Award-winning author Kacen Callender comes a revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time.

Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after.

When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle....

But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.

Felix Ever After is an honest and layered story about identity, falling in love, and recognizing the love you deserve.




Review

Possible minor spoilers below – continue at your own risk.

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender is an insightful look at the struggles of not only being a Black queer teen, but being trans and finding your identity. It is important to relay that Felix Ever After is a love story. There are messy parts to finding love (teenagers are messy with their feelings), but most importantly, Felix is about allowing yourself to find love and feel worthy of love.

First, let’s just talk about this cover. A Black transmasc character right there with their top-surgery scars visible! This is a thing of pure queer magic and I cried when it was first revealed – I am not joking. It is a landmark and the bar is set! Also the cover has a perfect scene in the book (where Felix paints himself during his art summer program) that made my heart soar while reading.

This story is so genuine. I hope the teens who need this book find it and can see themselves within the pages. I myself am an adult, queer, white, cis women and I found myself in these pages; I can only imagine what it might mean to a questioning teen to see a character portrayed this way. Felix is hurt, by many, including himself, but he finds his way. At the end, there is hope and love.

Also, Felix figures out another identity by the end of the book, with help from the queer community and support groups. I really loved that aspect of turning to the community to help them understand where they feel they fit best!

The audiobook narrator was brilliant. Actor Logan Rozos was a perfect voice for Felix and I am really proud that Felix Ever After is their first audiobook. I expect to hear a whole lot more books with Logan in the future!

Possible Trigger Warnings: Catfishing, Dysphoria, Transphobia, Off-page Deadnaming, Misgendering, Abandonment, Homophobia.



Giveaway

To help raise awareness and to celebrate Pride, today we are giving away this stack of Black queer YA books that have all been painted by Edged in Starlight!

Pictured (top to bottom in 1st photo):
How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters (green edges)
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender (yellow/orange ombre)
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus (purple)
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson (pink/purple ombre)
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson (pink & blue)
Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann (purple ombre)

The giveaway is US/PR only. Closes on July 4th. Must provide a mailing address in the rafflecopter to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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