Kacen Callendar is always good. They write novels that are filled with real world issues, realistic and diverse characters, and a compassionate view of the challenges young people face. This book is no exception, and even though I really never want to read COVID-19 stories, this was handled in a way that I could stomach. Without flinching away from the hard things, this book will speak to teenagers.

I LOVE KACEN CALLENDAR. Every single book by Kacen gives me so much joy and this was not an exception. A great book that feels like the characters are sooo real. 4.5!

A neurodivergent nonbinary Lark wants to be a writer. They have a Twitter account and one night something is accidentally posted to their account. This creates a mess.

I really enjoyed the book and the thoughts and the insights. This is an important book to read.

This book wasn't my favorite but nevertheless an important read.

This was good, but not excellent. I liked the main character but it felt a little forced. Was a fine read, but probably wouldn't purchase it for myself!

tHIS FUCKING BOOk!!!! I love it so much!

Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution follows Lark, a Black neurodivergent and nonbinary teenager. Lark has had a twitter for a long time and has managed to gain quite a following. They are really close to breaking 100K followers and they think if they do, they will have a good chance of getting their book published. When their ex-best friend, Kasim, publishes a love poem on Lark's account, they realize they must pretend they wrote it in order to protect their friend.

Lark plays along and pretends they had a crush on a classmate. But feelings are often more complicated than we first expect. As Lark spends more time with Kacen and his girlfriend, they find themself growing close to both of them. As Lark's love life explodes across social media, it will have ripple effects across their whole life.

This book is a love letter to queer Black teens, especially neurodivergent ones. I love Lark so much. Their brain and mine are so similar and I just have so much empathy for Lark. I would give them the biggest hug if I could. So many times throughout this it felt like Lark's words were twisted or intentionally misconstrued by other characters and it was so hard to read at times. Being neurodivergent means constantly over-explaining and still being misunderstood; then asking clarifying questions only to be snapped at. Seeing this through Lark, made so much of my past experiences make sense.

We also see Lark continue to question their queer identity as they begin to juggle romantic feelings for more than one person. I really loved this questioning journey about polyamory. We rarely seeing the questioning portion of polyam people in YA fiction.

Overall, I love this book so much. It is amazing and talks about so many current topics. Cannot recommend this book enough.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution, and definitely can see young, queer, teenagers relating to it especially growing up now in the age of social media. As a queer woman, the more representation we can get out there the better, that’s why I love this author. I love the diversity of the characters, and the relationships.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This is a really, really tricky review to write. And here's why.

The guiding question of this book -- something that's referenced in a very meta way through the character of Lark's dream agent, Janet Fields -- seems to be, <I>"Should we be trying to write for the sake of pleasing other people?"</I>

The answer, as Lark and the other characters resoundingly answer, is No. (Which is where the whole writing-reviews-of-the-book thing gets tricky.)

Some initial thoughts, NOT related to the book but which I do think are important to say first:
--I read Kacen Callendar's first book -- [book:Felix Ever After|51931067] -- and adored it. Like, in my review, said it was a g*ddamn revelation, and I still believe that.
--The book is pretty highly rated on Goodreads (4.29/5) and won awards.
--There are also some really harsh 1-star reviews. I read some of them, and the general consensus seems to be that FEA is "unrealistic," "full of unlikable, unreatable characters," there are "too many queer characters," and that Felix's experience / story doesn't line up with trans-readers own experiences and is therefore dangerous and harmful and should never be given to trans kids.
--This book was released in September of 2022, and Callendar's other book, Moonflower, was released just a few weeks earlier.
--Finally, in April 2021, Kacen Callendar <a href="https://www.kacencallender.com/post/wip-social-media-and-mental-health">wrote a blog post </a>about the dangers of social media and how they were stepping away from it.

All of this, I think, is necessary to understanding what, exactly, this book is.

IMHO, this is not a book of fiction. This is a book of therapy. Obviously, yes, it is fictionalized, but I'm not sure "reader enjoyment" is the main purpose of this text. I was absolutely exhausted reading this book, because it forces you to keep track of these cerebral, emotional conversations the characters are having -- in much the same way that a therapy session would exhaust you.

But again, I keep coming back to the point that as much as there are characters (who we don't learn much about; I don't really know much about Kasim other than what he looks like and that Lark and Sable love him) and a plot (where not much happens, beyond the fallout of Lark's viral thread), this is more a text of Ideas. I don't think this is a story for readers as much as it is a story for Kacen Callendar to work through their feelings.

All of this is purely conjecture, but I think you can see this book as Callendar processing and working through all of their feelings about the response to Felix Ever After. That book, much like Lark's (Kasim's) thread, blew up, perhaps much more than they initially expected. And with that viral quality, came a lot of attention, not all of it positive.
In much the same way that Lark admits that they care about what other people think about them because they want to be liked and feel that they need that validation in order to love themselves, I think we can probably assume that of Kacen Callendar -- especially given the way their step away from social media parallels Lark's.
I also think that Lark's writer's block may have been something Kacen Callendar struggled with while writing Moonflower. I have *absolutely* no proof of that, but given the conversations in this book about writer's block and energy and creativity and how Lark resolves that by taking accountability and growing -- maybe that's what this book was for Kacen Callendar. Maybe writing this book -- processing all of that..."stuff" surrounding FEA -- allowed them to find the creativity to finish Moonflower.

I don't know.

That's all conjecture. But there are so many layers to this book, so many things that just make sense if you look at the surrounding context of Callendar's life.

Did I enjoy this book?
Not particularly.

Was this book emotionally exhausting -- raw, visceral, uncomfortable?
Hell yes.

Did I connect with the characters?
No. Because we didn't really learn much about them outside of this narrow scope of the Twitter thread. And, much like one of the reviewers said, I thought they were all *really* self-aware to talk about their emotions that way, especially having gone through as much trauma as they had.

Did I find the premise a little lacking?
Yeah. It kinda bugged me that one friend asked another one to do something to protect them, and the other friend did it, and then everyone responded as if it was a Brutus-level betrayal. Maybe that's me showing my distance from the social media generation, but it also seemed to discount the motivations and the tenants of friendship. But again, if this book was Callendar's way of working through the fallout of FEA, then those motivations don't matter, as the friendship and Lark's decision to honor Kasim's wishes and protect him (which is what a GOOD FRIEND would do) after he asks her to do that aren't the point/focus of the book. (As a reader might initially think they would be.)
And, I think the rejection letters from the agents are things we're supposed to notice about the book (too teen, too rambly, not Black enough, too many queer characters), and may be based on things said about FEA.

Will I still recommend this book?
Hell yes. There is (1) queer representation, in a variety of forms, that can always be helpful, especially for readers who don't see themselves represented often and (2) this could be extremely helpful for teen readers to learn how to verbalize their emotions and provide them with a vocabulary they may not have and just know that they are worthy of love, especially if they haven't heard it before.

So, yes. At the end of the day, it was not my favorite book. (I'm definitely going to check out Moonflower though.) And I'm not sure I'd read it again. But I'd recommend it, and I think the point is that my response doesn't really matter.

Enjoyed this one and definitely can see young, queer, black teenagers relating to it especially growing up now in the age of social media.

So lovely! I usually have a hard time connecting with the characters in YA novels; I think I'm just a cantankerous old person now, I spend so much time wondering where all the parents are and why no adults are stepping in to sort things out. Lark & Kasim was a breath of fresh air. Both protagonists leapt off the page, hooking me with their individuality and empathy, which made it so easy to tear the book in very few sittings.

I cannot say enough good things about Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution.

Kacen Callender has given us a story filled with diversity with rainbows, mental health, neurodivergent, and race. You know how I'm a sucker for these types of books. Callender does not disappoint.

The author gives us two very different points on the journey of growing up and that is exactly what Lark and Kasim are doing, along with their friends and enemies. I saw both viewpoints as the characters are both right, but I totally got the in-fighting. There is a lot of emotional drama here folks. I will give you a heads up because some topics might be triggers for readers and the story directly deals with depression, anxiety, bullying, and suicidal ideation.

I love the layout of the book. I do wish that the social media design had made it to the last part of the book. It’s a small thing, but my brain immediately picked up on it and got stuck on it (chuckle).

The one thing that I did not get stuck on was my empathy towards Lark and their crush on Sable. (sigh) I was even crushing on Sable after their second conversation. Yeah…hard-core crushing.

Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution was a little slow going at first for me, then I got sucked in and could not put it down. I love the growth, the conversation, and the happy-right-now ending. Everything about this Revolution was a hit for me.

I received a free copy of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

I really loved this book, from the story to the characters! And it is so amazing to see such a diverse cast of characters in one book.

Loved this This book focuses on Lark and Kasim, as they navigate identity, relationships, and the ups and downs of high school. The book also touches on the role of social media and the internet. It's a charming and relatable coming-of-age story that deals with important themes of self-discovery, friendship, and acceptance in a nuanced and heartfelt way. Overall, a great read for anyone who is interested in exploring the experiences of queer teenagers and the impact of technology on their lives.

Another great book from Kacen Callender. I was able to get emotionally attached to the characters, which is a must for me to give a high star review for a book. I enjoyed the plot, characters, and while the writing style was a little odd, in an almost stream of consciousness type of way, I think it worked for this book.

LARK & KASIM START A REVOLUTION is the recent release from bestselling author Kacen Callender. Lark is a Black, queer, nonbinary, and neurodivergent teen who hopes to snag thousands of Twitter followers and a book deal for an unfinished novel. Kasim accidentally uses Lark's phone to send tweets from their account confessing unrequited love. When they go viral, Lark takes credit for the tweets and uses them to their advantage to get a date with their crush. However, the tweets Kasim made were all about his love for Lark.

This novel was just as captivating as all of Kacen's previous novels. Their attention to the major parts within relationship that move friendship forward is remarkable. It was a pleasure to be able to dive into these characters' lives and see often marginalized and rarely represented experiences be placed on paper.

This was a beautifully diverse YA romance celebrating the differences and struggles nonbinary and trans people face every day! Told with such an honest voice that resonated so much for me with what many BIPOC teens today have to deal with - from racism, transmisia, cancel culture, depression, social media addiction and more.

I really loved the neurodiversity, autism and polyamorous rep from Lark's character and the mental health rep from Kasim's as these two former best friends try to navigate their evolving friendship and an unexpected declaration of love.

Great on audio narrated by Qamar Yochanan and highly recommended for fans of authors like Joya Goffney, Katalina Gamarra or Elyse Bryant. Lark's journey to increase her social media presence and query agents to get her book published was another highlight for me especially as she struggled with being honest and staying true to herself.

Much thanks to NetGalley and the author for an early digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Even though it started off strong, this book just wasn't for me. I couldn't relate to the characters at all.

There is so much to appreciate in this book - neurodivergency, trans voice, nonbinary representation... This is one with real, messy characters that you root for. Definitely a contemporary YA novel that I want everyone to read.

The nonbinary and queer representation was amazing in this. Pronouns were easy to follow and keep track of.

This book was a pretty disappointing read from someone I consider an amazing writer. I now understand what people mean when they say a book feels "millennial." I do think there were amazing discussions through out the novel but it read very forced and out of place, bordering on childish. The Birdie character was also distracting and didn't really add anything to the plot.

There was a very big shift around half way through. Maybe this was on purpose to show that main character, Lark, was changing but wow the writing went from completely rambling, long stream of consciousness to much more bearable interactions. It felt like reading two different books.

I didn't feel a huge stake in the main conflict. It felt like there was a lot of drama surrounding the fact that Lark lied. In reality, I don't know that one lie is as deep as the book made them seem.

There was a lot of boundary discussions which was great to see but at other times, the boundaries seemed more like the person instilling a boundary needed to work on their own traumas and stop projecting them onto someone else.

Eli's character was poorly developed in my opinion. There was 0 foreshadowing about what his character would be, which just seemed to be out of nowhere.

My experience with Lark and Kasim Start a Revolution was mixed. I enjoyed the characters, rooted for them, but also felt exhausted by them—sounds just like a stereotypical old person responding to teens, doesn't it?

I am, however, not the intended audience for this book. It's written for and about a community of nonbinary teens, most of them POC. That's a community that is hugely underrepresented (times infinity) in current publishing. I will be recommending Lark and Kasim Start a Revolution to my students, buying copies of it to share, and looking forward to future titles from this author.

If you enjoy YA literature and/or want more depictions of nonbinary, POC youth, grab this book. Read it, then pass on your copy to someone who needs it. We all have people who fit that description in our lives.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.