Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry
by
Joya Goffney
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
HarperCollins
Imprint
Harper Teen
ISBN
9780063024793
Awards and Honors
2022 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Language: Strong Language, Language: Racial or Ethnic Epithet/Slur, Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism, Sexual Content: Reference/Discussion, Sexual Content: Sexual Harassment, Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Underage Use
Riveting debut own voices romance for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, with juicy secrets, sexual tension, and lots of ugly crying!
Debut author Joya Goffney creates a standout own voices story of an overly enthusiastic list maker who is blackmailed into completing a to-do list of all her worst fears. It’s a heartfelt, tortured, contemporary YA high school romance.
Quinn keeps lists of everything—from the days she’s ugly cried, to “Things That I Would Never Admit Out Loud” and all the boys she’d like to kiss. Her lists keep her sane. By writing her fears on paper, she never has to face them in real life. That is, until her journal goes missing. . .
Then an anonymous account posts one of her lists on Instagram for the whole school to see and blackmails her into facing seven of her greatest fears, or else her entire journal will go public. Quinn doesn’t know who to trust. Desperate, she teams up with Carter Bennett—the last known person to have her journal—in a race against time to track down the blackmailer.
Together, they journey through everything Quinn’s been too afraid to face, and along the way, Quinn finds the courage to be honest, to live in the moment, and to fall in love.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Language: Strong Language, Language: Racial or Ethnic Epithet/Slur, Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism, Sexual Content: Reference/Discussion, Sexual Content: Sexual Harassment, Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Underage Use
Details
Format
Page Count
368
Trim Size
8 3/10" x 5 1/2"
Dewey
F
AR
4.1: points 11
Genre
Fiction
Scholastic Reading Counts
0
JLG Release
Jul 2021
Book Genres
Romance, Realistic Fiction
Topics
Privacy. Family life. African American teenagers. Black people. Coming of age. Texas. High schools. Diaries and journals. Cyberbulling. Anxiety. Phobias.
Standard MARC Records
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Cover Art
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Praise & Reviews
Praise & Reviews
School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up–Quinn makes a list for everything in her spiral notebook: It keeps her grounded. But when her notebook goes missing and an Instagram account posts one of her lists, an anonymous blackmailer informs Quinn she needs to complete her list of seven fears or else the entire notebook goes public. She knows Carter is the last person who had her notebook, though he swears he’s not the blackmailer. To prove it, he teams up with Quinn to complete the list, hunt down the real culprit, and show Quinn how to let go. Goffney’s debut novel hits all the right points as a dynamic modern romance full of heartache and courage. Quinn’s experience as a Black teen attending a predominantly white private school accurately emphasizes the racial prejudice that exists today. Even as Quinn faces horrible situations (like her white friends using a racial slur), Olivia and Auden are characters who show the importance of respect, true friendship, and allyship. Throughout the novel, Quinn struggles with her emotions, using her lists as a crutch. As she faces her seven fears, she discovers that a person shouldn’t box themselves into a set of ideals; and always leave room for growth and forgiveness. Quinn and Carter are Black. Olivia is biracial and Auden is white. VERDICT For fans of Ben Philippe’s Charming as a Verb or Nicola Yoon’s The Sun Is Also a Star, Quinn’s story is for readers seeking more than just a simple romance. –Emily Walker, Lisle Lib. Dist., IL
School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-Quinn makes a list for everything in her spiral notebook: It keeps her grounded. But when her notebook goes missing and an Instagram account posts one of her lists, an anonymous blackmailer informs Quinn she needs to complete her list of seven fears or else the entire notebook goes public. She knows Carter is the last person who had her notebook, though he swears he's not the blackmailer. To prove it, he teams up with Quinn to complete the list, hunt down the real culprit, and show Quinn how to let go. Goffney's debut novel hits all the right points as a dynamic modern romance full of heartache and courage. Quinn's experience as a Black teen attending a predominantly white private school accurately emphasizes the racial prejudice that exists today. Even as Quinn faces horrible situations (like her white friends using a racial slur), Olivia and Auden are characters who show the importance of respect, true friendship, and allyship. Throughout the novel, Quinn struggles with her emotions, using her lists as a crutch. As she faces her seven fears, she discovers that a person shouldn't box themselves into a set of ideals; and always leave room for growth and forgiveness. Quinn and Carter are Black. Olivia is biracial and Auden is white. VERDICT For fans of Ben Philippe's Charming as a Verb or Nicola Yoon's The Sun Is Also a Star, Quinn's story is for readers seeking more than just a simple romance.-Emily Walker, Lisle Lib. Dist., IL
Grades 9 & Up
Young Adults
For Grades 9 & Up
Your older teen readers will appreciate the 12 selections in this category, a diverse mix of fiction and nonfiction covering complex issues and more mature content, from crushes and body changes to friendships and sibling rivalry.
12 books per Year
$243.96 per Year
Interests
Diversity,Fiction,Mature Readers,LGBTQ+,Novels,Funny/Humorous,Realistic Fiction
Grades 9 & Up
Young Adults
12 books per Year
$243.96 per Year
