Felt more like a straight romcom with two guys than the aching, messy, beautiful queer coming-of-age story the book gave us. So much of what made Ari and Dante’s connection feel earned, Ari’s internal struggles, the slow build, the emotional weight was stripped down or just left out entirely. The pacing was rushed, the queer experience felt like a subplot, and honestly, a lot of the book’s heart got lost in translation. The leads did what they could, and there were moments, but it didn’t hit like it should’ve.
Felt more like a straight romcom with two guys than the aching, messy, beautiful queer coming-of-age story the book gave us. So much of what made Ari and Dante’s connection feel earned, Ari’s internal struggles, the slow build, the emotional weight was stripped down or just left out entirely. The pacing was rushed, the queer experience felt like a subplot, and honestly, a lot of the book’s heart got lost in translation. The leads did what they could, and there were moments, but it didn’t hit like it should’ve.
