9,3/10
- FOFO demais
- leitura muito leve e rápida
- me identifiquei muito com algumas partes
- romancinho clichê fofo ( )

SO WHOLESOME

Keep in mind this reads very YA (cuz it is LMAO) so I did feel like some things weren’t approached as conspicuously and fervently as I would’ve liked, but I do think the book did a great job addressing common issues of body image, fat shaming, homophobia, etc. via the characters in a sensitive manner appropriate for its audience. Very realistic in that respect, and Felipe’s quirky POV? Equal parts hilarious and relatable!

My main niggle would be where the story ends. I always have this overwhelming desire to know explicitly how problems affecting the MCs in the course of the story are resolved (ex. how the bullies will be handled, how Caio will deal with his mom, etc.). Leaves room for a sequel if you ask me ( )

Cute story, good lessons for kids. The parentheticals got to be a bit much for me, but I'm not the target demographic for this book. If you want a cute story about high school kids finding themselves and each other, this is a good choice. ( )

Here The Whole Time is a young adult gay romance. It's a Brazilian book that has been translated from the original Portugese. Two boys have to spend fifteen days living together during the school holidays. Felipe, who gets bullied at school for being fat, can't wait for the holidays, so that he can spend time on his own and away from school. But Caio, his neighbour, will be spending part of the holiday with Felipe and his mum, whilst his own parents are away. This isn't just an annoying disruption of Felipe's plans; he has a crush on Caio, and he's insecure about his body.

I think the best thing about this book is the characters. All of them have depth and their own issues, which we slowly get to see through Felipe's eyes. I really liked Felipe. His voice is very readable. He's self deprecating, very self aware, and humerous. Caio is adorable, and the more I found out about him, the more I loved him. I also really liked Felipe's mother, who is artistic, scatterbrained, and a wonderful parent. Rebeca and Melissa are brilliant side characters as well.

Here The Whole Time is such a sweet story. It moves at a slow, relaxed pace, from the awkwardness of not really being friends with someone, feeling insecure, and having a crush, to growth and learning about themselves and each other. There are so many cute scenes, and some scenes that really tug on the heartstrings. I thought Felipe and Caio's night time conversations were wonderful, loved the bonding over books, and the whole bit at the art class brought tears to my eyes.

This book is about body positivity and acceptance, understanding that even people who look like their life is perfect or completely together have their own problems, and about finding people who make you feel comfortable, and beautiful. ( )