BOOK REVIEW: Autoboyography

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
Publication Date: September 12^th, 2017

 Autoboyograghy is a gorgeous work of fiction, if a little meta. It’s been on my TBR since Tree shouted from the rooftops about it (over a year ago). Anyways, I finally picked it up because I was going to an author event and Christina Lauren was (were?) going to be there. Basically, I sped-read the book the weekend before the event. I thoroughly enjoyed Autoboyography. It is light and good-humored while still hitting on touchy subjects. The story follows Tanner, a formerly out bisexual who moved from Palo Alto, California to Provo, Utah 4 years ago. As he heads into his last semester of high school, he is content to float through the rest of the school year. At his best friend Autumn’s prompting, he joins the Seminar; a prestigious writing class where you must complete a novel by the end of the term. In the previous year’s class, Sebastian Brother’s book was picked up for publication. Since he’s delayed his mission for his book tour, he’s still in town and volunteers to TA for this year’s class.

What I Liked:

• The characters in this book are detailed, realistic, and uniquely their own. Their emotions are messy and don’t always make sense, but they have the best chemistry; whether it’s friendship, relationship, or something special.
  • I just have to say, I really loved Autumn. She is such a complex and interesting best friend character. Also, Tanner’s parents are so fricken supportive of him. It makes me feel squishy.
• I really enjoyed the setting. For a story that takes places around same-sex sexuality, Mormon-central Provo, Utah sets a very interesting contrast and adds a layer of risk.
• My cat’s name is Sebastian, Seb for short, and so is the one of the main characters in this book. It added a level of humor than made me picture my cat as the character.
• The good and the bod sides of the Mormon religion are given equal airtime in this book. I really liked how they showcased what it’s like to be Mormon.

What I Did Not Like:

• It does get a little fourth wall-y. In essence, Tanner is writing a book for his seminar class, but it’s basically the book that you’re currently reading. It gets weird if you think about it too much.

Recap:

Overall, this book stressed the hell out of me. From secret meetings to friend drama, this book has everything that your anxiety feeds on. It was A STRESS, but it was also SO, SO, SO worth it. Besides the fantastic chemistry the characters have, this is a plot line I haven’t seen done before, or at least not quite like this. I really can’t recommend Autoboyography enough, and I can’t wait for Christina Lauren to write another YA book.

5/5 stars

xoxo, Bree