Right Where I Left You

By: Julian Winters

Narrated by: Giordan Diaz

"Some books are downright fun, and Right Where I Left You is one . . . Winters sends a quiet but important message that queer Black and brown kids deserve to live happily ever after too. . . Winters weaves all of these threads—the romance, the relatable anxiety, the message—into a book that, like a crush, you won’t be able to get out of your head."—The New York Times

Isaac Martin is ready to kick off summer. His last before heading off to college in the fall where he won't have his best friend, Diego. Where—despite his social anxiety—he’ll be left to make friends on his own. Knowing his time with Diego is limited, Isaac enacts a foolproof plan: snatch up a pair of badges for the epic comic convention, Legends Con, and attend his first ever Teen Pride. Just him and Diego.

But when an unexpected run-in with Davi—Isaac’s old crush—distracts him the day tickets go on sale, suddenly he’s two badges short of a perfect summer. Even worse, now he’s left making it up to Diego by hanging with him and his gamer buddies. Decidedly NOT part of the original plan. It’s not all bad, though. Some of Diego’s friends turn out to be pretty cool, and when things with Davi start heating up, Isaac is almost able to forget about his Legends Con blunder. Almost. Because then Diego finds out what really happened that day with Davi, and their friendship lands on thin ice. Isaac assumes he’s upset about missing the convention, but could Diego have other reasons for avoiding Isaac?

©2022 Julian Winters (P)2022 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"[A] bighearted friends-to-lovers romance . . . Isaac and Diego’s intimate connection, facilitated by healthy communication and individual vulnerability, is one to be cherished. Employing a winsome queer and racially diverse cast, compassionate prose, and a joyful tone, Winters skillfully explores myriad walks of LGBTQ life."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"An enthusiastically queer story of friendship, family, and romance and the ways they empower one another."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Winters has written a classic gay romance, which is enhanced by the all-too-rare fact that both heroes pursuing a happy ending are people of color. This is one summer romance that won’t go out of season.”--Booklist, starred review

Love

I loved every minute of this book!! They both reminds me of the fight with my emotions that I go through when I like someone.

Hm

Let me start by saying that this book was under a microscope for the sake of existing. That said, I wish it was better. The plot was perfectly set, which is not a bad thing, but it did need hella tension about halfway through. Overall, the premise was delivered tho.

love it!!!;

great story, a must read. nice to finally have a queer poc love story.

I really wanted to love this

I listened to this audiobook from start to finish, and while there were certainly moments of sweetness, I didn't find the story to be entirely authentic. In my opinion, the character's behavior often didn't match his age, and his reactions to certain situations felt more juvenile than mature. While I appreciated the character's love for comics and social media, I thought he came across as more of a 12-13 year old than a college-bound adult. Additionally, the narration lacked the depth needed to fully bring the character to life, and the performance felt somewhat monotone at times. Although I was disappointed with the character's tendency to be whiny instead of emotionally complex, I do think the story has potential, and it's possible that it was stretched too thin in order to meet a certain word count. Overall, I remain curious about the author's other works and would be willing to give them another chance, as long as a different narrator is used for the audiobook. As a fan of LGBT YA, I still have high hopes for this author's future works.

A Beacon of Hope for Black and Latine Queer Nerds Everywhere

I absolutely adored listening to this, especially during Pride season. I could not help but smile listening to this story. It’s everything I wish I had as a Black gay teen who grew up in the south. I absolutely recommend this if you’re a hopeless romantic, a nerd, or just crave a story with some beautiful inclusion. 9/10!

Great book

This was a sweet book and it shows love is always right in front of you, even if you don’t realize it. I just wish it didn’t end so abruptly.

Your normal everyday hallmark gay story

I struggled to finish this book. It was okay. The story was okay. the characters were okay. The narrator was okay. It was about as middle of the road and predictable as they come.

Such a cute read

Love this book. A perfect coming of age story that touches on queer love, inclusivity, heartache, family dynamics, multicultural families and so much more.