Not Here to be Liked is a fresh and interesting Y/A contemporary which explores some important issues with a sweet rivals to lovers romance in the mix, which readers will be sure to enjoy.

Generally speaking titles reflect the story and tie in to the message of the book and I can definitely say that’s very true here. Eliza is definitely not here to be liked, she’s prickly, critical and highly focused with ambition in spades and I really liked that. Is she the easiest character to like? No, but is she interesting? For sure. I don’t think that a character has to be likeable or palatable to be interesting to read about and I liked that Eliza was unapologetically herself at all times.

I also appreciated that Eliza did undergo some character development and growth, making some key realisations about who she is and that she doesn’t have to hold herself back either. I also think it’s important to note how Eliza has certain preconceived judgements of some of her peers, including Len and Serena, who are both part of the popular crowd and how she is forced to realise that she’s in the wrong at times and holds herself accountable for these instances.

A key element within the novel is the discussion of Feminism and what this means to Eliza and the other characters. While the conversations around feminism within the novel aren’t always handled perfectly, I think this is more realistic. I liked how all the characters talked about what feminism meant to them, with certain ideas and standards being challenged and with Eliza and others changing their minds and being more educated as a result. There was definitely ‘I’m not like other girls’ syndrome going on with Eliza at the beginning of the novel so I’m glad that this was explored and Eliza realises there’s no one way to be a feminist and express yourself. There’s a wide range of ways to express yourself and they’re all okay.

While Len is the ‘face of the patriarchy’ and all, it doesn’t stop sparks flying between him and Eliza and their subsequent friendship and relationship was so cute. I liked the slow development and how it was built up over time, over grudging boba dates, baseball games and a shared love of reading. I also think it’s important in a Y/A book to explore consent and boundaries, so it definitely ticked this box as Eliza and Len take things slow and have honest discussions about their experiences and expectations.

While there’s nothing glaringly ‘wrong’ with this book, I think there’s a definite lack of depth and development all over. There’s a lot of issues which Quach touches upon, but not enough time to really dive deep into these which is a shame because there’s a lot of potential here. I would have loved to spent more time with Eliza and her family for instance or more time with Winona, Eliza’s best friend who is an aspiring filmmaker. I also think that Len was sort of underdeveloped despite being one of the main characters and the love interest.

Overall, Not Here to be Liked was an easy and read which I can imagine many readers enjoying over the fall months. While it’s probably more of a one time read for me, I would still recommend this book to fans of Y/A contemporaries, rivals to lovers romance and a feminist driven narrative, with interesting discussions on key topics.

-Review to be posted on my blog closer to pub date-

At first, I would like to thank Netgalley and Usborne Publishingfor allowing me to review this book. Keep in mind that my review, however, is my true opinion on this book.

“Not Here to be Liked” by Michelle Quach is a book of a good mixture between romance and the teen-young-adult literature that lots of young women and young men in the entire world love to read. But this is more than just the usual YA-literature that you see everywhere. This is actually a book of substance, and a book that will give the reader more than a fun and enjoyable story. There is a meaning behind this book, and there is a message hidden in the story. A message we could all learn from.

Eliza Quan is the main character of the book, and she is an incredible character. I absolutely loved her character and her growth throughout the book. She is strong, steadfast, and she is first and foremost a character who never gives up! We see this multiple times in the story, and even though she is faced with a lot of challenges and trouble because of this she never backs down. Eliza is a character to be inspired by!

The other character in the story, whom we learn a lot about is Len DiMartile. He has a nice personality as well, and a sweet persona.

Romance, identity and relationships - oh and feminism! That is what you get in this book, combined with a lovely story!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Eliza Quan's only concern is to become the next editor-in-chief of her school's newspaper. And, considering she's the only person standing for it, she's a shoo-in - she doesn't have to campaign. Which is a good thing, because she's not very personable. But when it's revealed that Len DiMartile, the injured baseball player who joined the paper late last year has tossed his hand in the ring, and more importantly, is chosen by the staff to lead, Eliza see's red. She angrily writes an exposes - for herself - denouncing the sexism of her school, and venting her anger, which then becomes the front page story of the next edition. Now, Eliza is facing backlash for the story from some of her male peers, but the female population of the school believe she's on to something, and she's become a feminist hero. So when she gets closer to Len, and it's clear they both like each other, would it be possible for them to be together?

This was a wholly refreshing book, and such an enjoyable read. I relished the fact that Eliza was so 'unlikable', and loved her strong stance of what she wanted, and how she didn't care if people were put off that she told them like it is. She faced so much slack for standing up against the sexist ideas that were rife in her school, and brushed it off like a water off a duck's back. But, underneath it all, it was clear that she enjoyed the new friendships she was forming, and was starting to even rethink some of her own stereotypes and prejudices she may have had. The headteacher of the school was a joke, and I'm glad that Eliza had the support she did. Her and Len's relationship was sweet, and though Len had liked her from the start, it was clear that Eliza's feelings developed slowly, and naturally, and they were truly a good match for each other. This book was fantastic, and portrayed just what teenage girls are facing in school and life these days - everyone should read it!

I'm usually not one to read books in one sitting - but THIS ONE. Gosh. I couldn't put it down.
Not Here to be Liked is a book about Eliza, an ambitious Asian American high school student discovering feminism and the different nuances of it, learning how to deal with bigoted students all the while trying to reconcile her moral code, her ideals and ideas with her identity. I really enjoyed the complex themes explored by Michell Quach in Not Here to be Liked, and how they were addressed gradually through Eliza's growth in the book (as well as her friends'). The additional enemies-to-lovers romance was also super cute - and really added to the story !
Highly recommend this one!

So, I was blessed enough to be granted an ARC of this book. I finally picked it up today and I have to say, wow, I absolutely loved it!! It was a fast paced read for me and I managed to breeze through it. Michelle Quach's simple, but pretty writing style made reading this book so enjoyable. Eliza, the main character, was certainly a little "unlikeable" at start, but as I read through the book, she grew on me and by the time I came to the end of the book, she was my favorite character. Her efforts to change things at her school were so admirable. Len, her love interest, was adorably cute and his interactions with Eliza were so much fun to read. My only issue is that their romance felt a little bit rushed and I would have loved if it they had gotten more scenes together, where we see them grow closer and then become a couple. I would have also loved to see a lot more of Eliza and her relationship with her mother being explored; I feel like that would have been pretty interesting given their differing views about certain things

Nevertheless, I highly enjoyed this book and I'm soo excited to have gotten the chance to read it!!

not here to be liked was to me one of the most anticipated books of 2021, one that i have had very high expectations for. because of that, i am now incredibly happy to write a positive review, since i absolutely loved it.

books about feminism are always moving when you are a woman. no matter where we come from, what language do we speak, what we do for a living - most of us have experienced at least once in a lifetime how unfair and hard life is when you are not a man. eliza’s story (though fictional) is something many of us have had been through. it became especially close to my heart, since i am not much older than her and i remember exactly what it was like to discover that men and women are not treated the same, that the same rules does not apply to them, that women do not have the same freedom as men. coming back to those memories while reading this book made me melancholic - in a positive way.

therefore not here to be liked is a story about feminism, about discovering the different shades and forms of it, finding out for yourself what it is like to be a woman in a man’s world. it shows that feminism is a very broad term and there is no one way to be a feminist. the diversity of characters introduced in this book is incredible, starting with eliza, our main character and then her friends, winona and serena and many, many other women, who were all seemingly very different from each other and yet similar, because as a women they needed to constantly prove their worth. their friendship, their fight for their rights, their support for each other, all of it was very emotional and amazingly well-written.

the romance was great as well. though it is not the main plot of the book, it was a really pleasant bonus, as i am, above all, a huge romance reader. len was very likeable character and his growing relationship with eliza was very sweet and lovely to read about. the only objection i could have is that i felt like we could get more of him, a little bit more of his perspective. it didn’t bother me that much, since he wasn’t the most important part of the story, but still, it would be nice.

the last thing i would like to mention is eliza’s character herself. i must say, i was impressed how much i actually liked her. from what i have read from other reviewers, she wasn’t supposed to be very likable, with what i honestly couldn’t disagree more. yes, she wasn’t the most friendly or cheerful person, but she was ambitious, aware of her faults and strenghts and she knew what she wanted; very interesting character to read about. her journey of getting to know herself and the world around her better was truly a very enjoyable experience for a reader.

in conclusion, this book definitely lived up to my expectations and am really glad i received an arc of it and had a chance to review it. it goes to the shelf with my favourite books of 2021 and i recommend it wholeheartedly.

- i received a complimentary copy of this book from usborne publishing. opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I raced through this fantastic new novel from Michelle Quach. 'Not Here to be Liked' is not your standard tale of enemies to lovers. Giving off strong 'Moxie' vibes, the story centres on feminism, calling out gender inequality and not being afraid to follow a forthright protagonist. We meet Eliza on the day of the election for the Bugle's editor-in-chief. She is an incredibly qualified candidate but fate has other plans in the form of injured baseball star, Len who swipes the election from under her. Eliza inadvertently calls out her peers on their sexism, starting a chain of events which puts a magnifying glass up to the dominance of the patriarchy at their school.

Focusing on the romantic angle of the novel, I loved the sparks which fly between Eliza and Len, blurring the lines between love and hatred. However, I appreciated the nuanced exploration of feminism even more, including questioning the performative nature of some students' actions and the conflict between bringing down the patriarchy, and actually being rather attracted to males... I enjoyed Eliza's quest to define her own identity and refuse to contradict her strict moral code. She refuses to be 'nice' and pliable to conform with stereotypical expectations of femininity.

This is explored alongside the tensions within Eliza's immigrant family. She learns a lot from observing the dynamic between her parents which is characterised by arguments as they put pressure on their daughters to live out their dreams. We understand why Eliza holds herself, and those around her, to such high standards. Despite her being unlikeable to her classmates, I appreciated Eliza's strength and growth across this fantastic novel. Highly recommended! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not Here To Be Liked was utterly enchanting and totally addictive, Michelle Quach masterfully tackles issues such as feminism, race and complicated family relationships in an enemies to lovers,Contemporary YA that I couldn’t help but fall in love with. It’s Fantastic!

“Everyone loves a girlboss until she tries to tell you what to do.”

Eliza Quan expects to be made the new editor-In-Chief of her school’s paper. She’s worked hard and has the most experience. So when Len DiMartile (injured baseball star and the paper’s resident slacker) wins the majority vote, Eliza is far from happy.

Motivated by the injustice, Eliza spearheads a campaign to end the sexism that’s rife within the school. It may not make her popular but she doesn’t care, Eliza’s not here to be liked—she just wants to win.

But someone does like her. A lot. Shame it’s the same boy standing in her way of her becoming editor-in-chief....

I cannot believe how incredible this was or that this is Quach’s debut novel, it’s just soo good.

The characters were all really well developed, including Eliza who, although not initially likeable (as expected from the title and publisher’s warning) her tenacity, intelligence and conviction to do right helped make her one of my favourites (alongside Len.)

Do I agree with every action she takes? No,but that’s what makes her so relatable, so human and her observations on inequality at Willoughby High are definitely spot on. The way in which the topics of race and feminism were woven into the narrative was superb, I especially loved seeing feminism as viewed from the POV of women of colour—a group often forgotten,erased or whitewashed from the history surrounding women’s equality.

The chemistry (and enemies to lovers romance) with Len was incredible and definitely swoon-worthy—I was soo excited when they finally kissed. Perfection.

Overall this was an absolutely stunning Coming of Age, YA debut and I cannot wait to read more from Michelle Quach in the future. I’d recommend to lovers of Coming of Age, Contemporary YA and the enemies to lovers trope (trust me this is definitely a must read for YA Romance fans!)

Thank you to Usborne Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5

I have mixed feelings towards this book.

The story revolves around Eliza Quan, an ambitious, intense and, to be honest, at the beginning non very likeable junior who aspires to become the next editor in chief of the school journal. However, despite being more qualified, she is unexpectedly defeated by - unassuming, inexperienced plus ex-jock - Len DiMartile who, on a whim, decides to run for the position.
She bottles up all her anger and frustration for what she sees as an unfair, misogynistic decision in a Google doc that, accidentally, gets published. And so with Eliza's involuntary feminist manifesto getting viral, our story starts...

The main strength of this book is that it invites the reader to reflect on a bunch of larger topics such as friendship, gender & race-related stereotypes, equality, love, and family.
However, in my opinion, addressing all these issues is the greatest weakness of this book. The author did a great job, but maybe she tried to put too much into one book, presenting many elements without really fleshing out several of them.

Also, Eliza puzzled me a bit. Of course, I expected her to be not very likeable (as both the title and the Publisher suggest). However, at times I felt as if she was insufferably self-righteous. She was ready to see stereotypes and discrimination (which, mind you, are actually present in the book as well as in reality) everywhere. However, at the same time, she hardly saw beyond the labels she put on people (if not at the end), judging them with blinders on (e.g Len who was far more than an ex-jock, or Serena who proved to be not only a pretty face).
And here comes the million-dollar question she never asked herself: what if she had lost to Len, not as a woman, but only because she was too cold and hypercritical to everyone?

I’ve really wanted to read this book as soon as I heard about it so thanks so much to Netgalley and Usborne Publishing for this eARC.

First I just want to say that the cover is absolutely stunning! I cannot wait to buy the physical copy once its out.

Not here to be liked is about Eliza Quan, a very ambitious high schooler who wants to be the next editor-in-chief of her school paper. It is a story with a great POC cast, that I as a British Chinese person really appreciated! It also has themes of friendship, feminism, love, race and family.

I liked reading about all the characters as they were trying to figure themselves out. I also enjoyed how the book touched on a lot of stereotypes and how Eliza sometimes acts and dressed would’ve been ok for a man but not for her because she’s a woman.

Overall it was a really enjoyable read and I can’t wait to see what Michelle Quach comes out with next!

Not Here To Be Like by Michelle Quach is a story about standing up for feminism, the characters are very diverse and accidentally falling in love with someone Eliza was supposed to bring down. This book also highlights on the love of writing for Bugle, the school paper and that equality should definitely be present for both genders.

When I first picked up this book, it reminded me so much of Moxie, another book that also portray characters at a high school who demands equality and the fight for feminism. Though, this book is different but it does have a few similarities.

In the beginning, I was curious as to who actually published and completed Eliza's article about her rival for editor-in-chief but as the story progresses, I completely forgot about it. It was only when suddenly it was all revealed that made me surprised and the person behind it isn't someone I originally suspected at all.

Halfway through, it feels a bit draggy and while there's only 20% left of this book, it feels like nothing could be resolved in the remaining pages. But it has managed to caught me off guard as everything seems to settle down and concluded very well.

This book is a fast and eye opening read about how our surrounding can be full of misogyny and a change is definitely long overdue. I absolutely love that this book is so diverse and reading about Eliza as well as her parents navigating life from what they had to run away from is astounding as well. So, if you like a book about feminism, identity and going for a less antagonistic approach to fight for the cause with a side of love, then I would recommend you to pick up this book.

This seems to be a standard enemies to lovers story, and it is, but it’s also so much more. It’s about feminism, being Asian in the US, and of course love.

I have to admit, I choose this story because the British publisher is Usborne (Hideous Beauty, Ace of Spades, The Outrage, The Guilded Ones). Their choice of books is always spot on. Solid writing, interesting topics, diverse characters.

I prepared myself for Eliza because according to the title and the publisher she’s not very likable. And when I read the first chapter I disliked her in an instant. Correcting drafts with red marks like a teacher. Being intense, cold. Overly critical. Expecting to be the new chief editor. No, I should rephrase myself: knowing to be the new chief editor. And then she suddenly wasn’t ... Out of frustration, Eliza writes her feelings down and mentions Len is chosen because of misogyny. Then her article gets published accidentally.

Although Eliza isn’t very likable at first, I loved reading about her. She’s also fierce and intelligent and a go-getter. The story is full of examples where a girl is treated less than a boy, or things men don’t want to know about women. Girls can’t wear a large sweater, but a boy with a hoodie is normal. Tampons are embarrassing, periods are sooo embarrassing. Stereotypes like needing to keep your head down as an Asian girl and the angry Black woman.

This is a story all teens need to read, if you are a girl, a boy, or gender-queer. It’s a search for the meaning of feminism seen from Asian (and Black) girls.

And of course there was also Len. I’d have loved to know more about him and if I could have chosen, I’d have included his side of the story as well! But even without his voice, I thoroughly enjoyed this story.