To discuss such, ah, personal matters on the air, especially in an educational setting, is really quite in poor taste.” I not only loved that we got to know more about an Asian family, it also felt like a realistic portrayal because no family is actually perfect. We usually get dead parents trope (no offence meant here) to show a dysfunctional family in YA but a complete family also has it’s fair share of arguments and fights.

i thought a sound plot of the book would be for Eliza to realize she lost not because of Len being a guy, but instead being supportive of him and realizing she can learn how to be a more understanding leader from him... but NOOOOoooo the author makes both so scared to show any emotion that they give off exactly that, no emotion. for example, in this last encounter, why not make him angry? let him be frustrated at her, and let her be affected by that. give them emotion! instead, we get this insipid scene. Dr. Guinn studies me for a moment. (...) “I’m just trying to ensure that this is an environment where everyone feels comfortable.” Why the hell would you want that? I’d asked once, and Mom had to shush me: "No one’s telling you to!" But guess what? I would've voted Len, too. He gave a better speech!!! She just talked about her accomplishments instead of talking about why she wanted the position, why she likes being part of the paper... She just thought she was entitled to that position because of her accomplishments. Now, I'm not saying that Len was more qualified because he probably wasn't, but at least he isn't rude to everyone there like Eliza. She was disrespectful to everyone and expected them to vote for her?SO BASICALLY, feminism felt superficial. The main character didn't really know what feminism was about and just used the words "feminism", "misogynistic" and "sexism" as protection to do anything she wanted. The purpose of the feminist movement didn't feel like it was to educate others, it was just so Len would resign so she could get the position she so badly wanted. Awesome! Cassie smiles at me like she knew all along that I’d come through. Then she offers me a fist bump before bouncing away, leaving me to wonder why exactly everyone is assuming that this Len kid’s eleventh-hour, third-rate, basically write-in candidacy is something I’d be even remotely threatened by.

Hey, I say loudly, because I can tell he’s caught me spying, and the last thing I need right now is some James Jin commentary. I try to think of something to distract him. You know that new boba tea shop? Look, I get it. Tampons are embarrassing. Periods are embarrassing. PMS, for some reason, is not, but that’s because it has somehow become a synonym for being in a bad mood while female. The whole specific business with the bleeding, though, is still not cool, except in certain woke corners of the internet. (...) You definitely get it from your dad.” Mom is still pontificating on my facial calisthenics. “It’s such a bad habit.” I'm a white woman so I don't think I can judge how good or bad this rep was, but I think it's always appreciated to see characters of different races/ ethnicities/ religions/ sexualities... so I'm glad this focused a lot on the family relations of Asian families and how the main characters (both Asian) talked about their stories.I loved the discussions of double standards, of the internalised misogyny—slut shaming, how a girl and guy can wear the same clothing but get judged for it differently, girl-girl hate—of the stigma and stereotypes existing in our society. The entire story starts off with Len, an inexperienced candidate being voted for the position of the editor-in-chief, simply because he seemed more like a leader from his speech. All the while Eliza, very qualified and experienced, was criticised for “not being too nice”, for “trying too hard” or “being overly critical” when she was just doing her job as a journalist and editor and even being just as intense, critical and with high standards as her male coworkers. Could it be,” I say, in as conciliatory a tone as I can manage, “that maybe it’s not an environment where everyone feels comfortable . . . if we’re not allowed to talk publicly about something that is a normal, healthy part of life for every menstruating student and teacher at Willoughby?” The last draft I have belongs to Natalie Weinberg, another sophomore. I scan the room to see if she’s here yet, and I spot her approaching Len’s corner. Which is a little odd. The fact this nuanced exploration of sexism, feminism, classism and racism is done from an Asian lens just made the book even better. Not Here to be Liked is a book that teenagers can relate to with issues that they will likely have strong opinions about. A strong lead character who is resilient in the face of adversity. I have to say that for a character that was supposed to be unlikeable, I had a lot of time for Eliza. This was an empowering read. Recommended for older teens.

The book itself is advertised as an enemies to lover romance. I think not. I think it's more of special snowflake feminist book with a horrible hero to match. Our hero was bland and didn't do anything right or wrong but got dragged through the mud by our heroine during her "feminist epiphany"It occurs to me then what a singular moment this is: here I am, inexplicably in solidarity with Serena Hwangbo, the girl whose entire student-council tenure has been based on nothing but marginally considerate behavior and attractive boyfriends. Feminism is a funny thing.”

Kim is only two years older than me, so she used to go to Willoughby, too. Last year, when she was a senior, I thought I’d finally be free of her when she graduated, but then of course she ended up at UC Irvine. “So close!” Dad said. “You don’t need to stay in the dorms. Waste of money.” So here we are. Like old times. It’s fine. I flip through my binder to find his draft, which I edited last night. His story is about the annual student-council bake sale, which would be a real snoozer even in more capable hands.The ROMANCE, it was sooooo cute. Len was a bit hot and cold so wasn’t sure where it was going but the development throughout the book was wonderful, and I loved them together! Not Here To Be Liked is the YA contemporary I needed! It follows Eliza Quan the hard-working managing director of her school's newspaper running for the post of editor-in-chief. And she's the perfect choice, until Len, the ex baseball star runs against her and wins. What follows is the start of a feminist movement in her school, questioning the sexist behaviour prevalent. I think I would've liked this book a lot more if she was the main character instead of Eliza, I think I would've agreed more with her views. and Len... I liked how he called out Eliza on her bs and how he didn't let Eliza antagonizing him ruin his reputation, but instead joined the cause. I just wish he wouldn't have resigned.