MAY 2020 - AudioFile
Logan Rozos’s emotional narration, combined with Callender’s messy and painfully relatable characters, makes for an unforgettable listening experience. Felix is a Black, trans, queer teenager attending the summer arts program at his New York City high school. When someone posts old pictures of him—including his deadname—he hatches an elaborate plan to hurt the person he’s convinced did it. But revenge leads him to places he doesn’t expect. Rozos is superb as Felix, capturing all his insecurity and self-doubt in rising inflections and frenzied monologues. He also excels at quietly bringing to life the tender moments between Felix and his best friend. This audiobook tackles transphobia and racism in queer communities, but it’s ultimately a celebration of self-love, queer friendship, and having the courage to be oneself. L.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 03/30/2020
Black trans artist Felix Love, 17, has never been in love. His mostly supportive single father still struggles to call him by his name and pronouns, and Felix is convinced that nobody except his ride-or-die bestie, wealthy Ezra Patel, can appreciate him for who he is. Felix is attending an ultracompetitive arts summer program to have a better shot at a full scholarship to Brown when someone posts Felix’s dead name beside photos of him, pre-transition, in the school’s lobby. As Ezra begins dating a new guy and the competition for Brown heats up, Felix’s plot to get revenge throws him onto the path of love and self-discovery—concepts he’s been anxious about for as long as he can remember. Callender (King and the Dragonflies) excels, producing an exhilarating cast of queer characters, many of whom are people of color, who are as relatable as they are realistic, and a whodunit that will keep readers guessing to the last twist. Protagonist Felix is like the story itself—boldly empathic, hopeful, and full of love. This top-notch depiction of a messy, complicated, romantic young artist navigating the bumpy road to self-love and self-determination sticks its landing at every turn. Ages 14–up. Agent: Beth Phelan, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (May)
From the Publisher
Felix is like the story itself—boldly empathic, hopeful, and full of love. This top-notch depiction of a messy, complicated, romantic young artist navigating the bumpy road to self-love and self-determination sticks its landing at every turn.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“From its stunning cover art to the rich, messy, nuanced narrative at its heart, this is an unforgettable story of friendship, heartbreak, forgiveness, and self-discovery, crafted by an author whose obvious respect for teen readers radiates from every page.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)
“Felix explores love, friendship, and possibly retribution in this powerful #OwnVoices story of identity and self-worth… Full of warmth, love, and support, this is an important story and an essential purchase.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“The writing is smart and engaging, and #OwnVoices author Callender includes sound information and responsible psychological guidance without bogging down the storytelling. Felix does ultimately find love in this sweet and tender trans romance, but his hardest-won victory is in the fight to validate his self-worth.” — Horn Book Magazine
"Full of nuanced looks at how relationships can be both toxic and supportive, loving and confusing, and exciting but brief, this is definitely not a book to be missed." — Buzzfeed
“An intricate love story for the ages.” — CNN Underscored
“Felix is an open, warm, engaging character who extends far off the page. He’s easy to relate to regardless of reader identity, which makes this book a great candidate for school libraries and summer book report lists.” — them.
"A firecracker of a book from an author with a powerful point of view, Felix Ever After is refreshingly real—full of queer kids who live and breathe and swear and love and make messy mistakes. Teens need this one." — Casey McQuiston, bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue
“Felix Ever After never shies away from the beautiful, messy complexity of love in all its forms. This book is a gift, from start to finish.” — Becky Albertalli, bestselling author of Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda
“This is a story about friendships, finding first loves, and continuing to discover yourself even after you thought you had all the answers. I can’t talk about my love for this book enough—it’s going to change lives.” — Mason Deaver, bestselling author of I Wish You All the Best
“From effervescent characters that I still can’t get out of my head to the sizzling backdrop of a New York City summer, Callender brings vibrance to a story that desperately needed to be told.” — Jackson Bird, author of Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place
"There are stories that are vital and there are stories that are brilliantly crafted. Callender delivers both in this beautiful exploration of friendship, new love, and self." — justin a. reynolds, author of Opposite of Always
“I’ve never read a book that more perfectly balances hardship, hope and happiness. This story shines a spotlight on the one thing that transcends all differences: a desire to be loved and to love in return." — Nic Stone, bestselling author of Dear Martin
CNN Underscored
An intricate love story for the ages.
Buzzfeed
"Full of nuanced looks at how relationships can be both toxic and supportive, loving and confusing, and exciting but brief, this is definitely not a book to be missed."
Horn Book Magazine
The writing is smart and engaging, and #OwnVoices author Callender includes sound information and responsible psychological guidance without bogging down the storytelling. Felix does ultimately find love in this sweet and tender trans romance, but his hardest-won victory is in the fight to validate his self-worth.
Casey McQuiston
"A firecracker of a book from an author with a powerful point of view, Felix Ever After is refreshingly real—full of queer kids who live and breathe and swear and love and make messy mistakes. Teens need this one."
Becky Albertalli
Felix Ever After never shies away from the beautiful, messy complexity of love in all its forms. This book is a gift, from start to finish.”
ALA Booklist (starred review)
From its stunning cover art to the rich, messy, nuanced narrative at its heart, this is an unforgettable story of friendship, heartbreak, forgiveness, and self-discovery, crafted by an author whose obvious respect for teen readers radiates from every page.
them.
Felix is an open, warm, engaging character who extends far off the page. He’s easy to relate to regardless of reader identity, which makes this book a great candidate for school libraries and summer book report lists.
Mason Deaver
This is a story about friendships, finding first loves, and continuing to discover yourself even after you thought you had all the answers. I can’t talk about my love for this book enough—it’s going to change lives.
justin a. reynolds
"There are stories that are vital and there are stories that are brilliantly crafted. Callender delivers both in this beautiful exploration of friendship, new love, and self."
Nic Stone
I’ve never read a book that more perfectly balances hardship, hope and happiness. This story shines a spotlight on the one thing that transcends all differences: a desire to be loved and to love in return."
Jackson Bird
From effervescent characters that I still can’t get out of my head to the sizzling backdrop of a New York City summer, Callender brings vibrance to a story that desperately needed to be told.
Justin A. Reynolds
"There are stories that are vital and there are stories that are brilliantly crafted. Callender delivers both in this beautiful exploration of friendship, new love, and self."
School Library Journal
★ 03/01/2020
Gr 9 Up—Black, queer, and trans Felix explores love, friendship, and possibly retribution in this powerful #OwnVoices story of identity and self-worth. Seventeen-year-old Felix Love hopes the summer art program he's attending will help raise his grades and increase his chances of getting a full scholarship to attend Brown. Surrounded by a diverse and mostly queer group of artist friends, Felix navigates complicated relationships, including transphobia and harassment from his own friends, from his loving but still learning father, and from an anonymous bully. Bent on revenge, Felix begins catfishing his top suspect, only to encounter some uncomfortable and surprising revelations about not just his potential tormentor, but his own feelings. Coping with the abandonment of his mother and feeling like he isn't worthy of love, Felix also grapples with the unsettling feeling that his identity still isn't the best fit. It's only after a lot of research that he discovers the label "demiboy" and begins to feel a sense of comfort that extends to how he works through and untangles his various complex relationships, both romantic and platonic. Immensely readable, the narration and the dialogue are honest, smart, and at times, bitingly vicious. Felix and friends are complicated characters, constantly fighting, messing up, and making up. Felix is achingly relatable, both vulnerable and guarded, often on the sidelines but wanting so much more. His explorations address privilege, marginalization, and intersectionality while he learns about what and who get to define a person. VERDICT Full of warmth, love, and support, this is an important story and an essential purchase.—Amanda MacGregor, Parkview Elementary School, Rosemount, MN
MAY 2020 - AudioFile
Logan Rozos’s emotional narration, combined with Callender’s messy and painfully relatable characters, makes for an unforgettable listening experience. Felix is a Black, trans, queer teenager attending the summer arts program at his New York City high school. When someone posts old pictures of him—including his deadname—he hatches an elaborate plan to hurt the person he’s convinced did it. But revenge leads him to places he doesn’t expect. Rozos is superb as Felix, capturing all his insecurity and self-doubt in rising inflections and frenzied monologues. He also excels at quietly bringing to life the tender moments between Felix and his best friend. This audiobook tackles transphobia and racism in queer communities, but it’s ultimately a celebration of self-love, queer friendship, and having the courage to be oneself. L.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2020-04-08
Jealousies and deceit resolve into affirmation and artistic self-love.
Seventeen-year-old black trans boy narrator Felix Love wants romance but lacks self-understanding. No longer a girl, he thinks “boy” doesn’t always fit either. Felix’s dad deadnames him despite supporting histop surgery and hormone therapy, and he hates his mom for leaving when he was 10. Felix’s self-image shatters when his pre-transition photos and name appear in the school gallery—followed by relentless transphobic texts. A talented visual artist, Felix dreams of an art scholarship to Brown. His uber-rich, down-to-earth best friend, Ezra Patel, helps him navigate contentious relationships at their private art school’s summer intensive and shares copious pot and booze with Felix. But this friendship falters when Ezra starts dating Austin, and Felix thinks he likes Declan—Ezra’s ex and Felix’s rival for the art scholarship. Felix's ethnicity seems to have no cultural richness, surfacing primarily when he’s being marginalized for his race, poverty, and gender. Keeping up with his devastating episodes of self-doubt and anxiety along with the story’s complicated plot details make this an exhausting read, and although Felix ultimately overcomes some oppressive transphobia, the barrage of blatant ignorance and bigotry he faces might haunt readers despite the book's ebullient ending.
A trauma- and drama-filled demiboy’s story that’s not for the faint of heart. (author’s note, resources) (Fiction. 14-18)
