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The student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901

The Wellesley News

The student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901

The Wellesley News

The student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901

The Wellesley News

Books Before Boys is a curated list of reviews, written by Ann Zhao. Graphic courtesy of Kalie Holford.

Malinda Lo has done it again

Ann Zhao | September 30, 2022

Malinda Lo ’96 worked on her latest novel for basically a decade. In the acknowledgments of “A Scatter of Light,” Lo writes that the novel was conceptualized in 2012 and that she began writing it...

Books Before Boys is a curated list of reviews, written by Ann Zhao. Graphic courtesy of Kalie Holford.

I have never been more interested in fish fossils

Ann Zhao | September 29, 2022

Welcome (or welcome back) to Books Before Boys, a misnomer of a book review column (“Books Before Literally Anyone Because I’m Aromantic and Asexual” just doesn’t quite have the same ring to it)...

Kit Connor and Joe Locke as Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring. Photo courtesy of Netflix.

I will never stop talking about Heartstopper

Ann Zhao | May 4, 2022

Let me set a scene for you.  It’s 2018. I am 16 years old, at the start of my junior year of high school. I still use Tumblr as my main social media platform. A black-and-white webcomic keeps on...

Books Before Boys is a curated list of reviews, written by Ann Zhao. Graphic courtesy of Kalie Holford.

I love reading about white people and their drama

Ann Zhao | April 20, 2022

Content warning: mention of pedophilia in review of “This May End Badly,” discussions of sexual content in review of “Mistakes Were Made.” I’ve had a lot of advanced review copies sitting on...

Books Before Boys is a curated list of reviews, written by Ann Zhao. Graphic courtesy of Kalie Holford.

A YA novel for people in love with Tom Holland (Books Before Boys review)

Ann Zhao | April 20, 2022

The title kind of says it all, but let me explain what this book is about. The concept of “A Show for Two” is based on author Tashie Bhuiyan’s absolutely wild high school experience, where Tom Holland...

Books Before Boys is a curated list of reviews, written by Ann Zhao. Graphic courtesy of Kalie Holford.

Casey McQuiston has me in a chokehold (Books Before Boys review)

Ann Zhao | April 20, 2022

There’s something particular about Casey McQuiston’s writing that I can’t quite describe. It’s the way that settings and characters are described, the way their dialogue flows so naturally, the...

Books Before Boys is a curated list of reviews, written by Ann Zhao. Graphic courtesy of Kalie Holford.

I just keep on reading fake-dating romances (Books Before Boys review)

Ann Zhao | April 20, 2022

It’s so funny that I once made a TikTok about how I don’t care for fake-dating because I just checked my Goodreads reading challenge for this year, and I think “The Feeling of Falling in Love”...

Books Before Boys is a curated list of reviews, written by Ann Zhao. Graphic courtesy of Kalie Holford.

A smart satire for white-man-haters (Books Before Boys review)

Ann Zhao | March 22, 2022

After reading “The Love Hypothesis” and “A Brush with Love,” I admit I might have begun to romanticize grad school a little bit. I feel like I kind of have to, seeing as I plan on going in the...

Books Before Boys is a curated list of reviews, written by Ann Zhao. Graphic courtesy of Kalie Holford.

You need these Chinese-Indonesian aunties in your life

Ann Zhao | March 2, 2022

This review contains mild spoilers for “Dial A for Aunties,” the first novel in the Meddelin Chan series. You know, when I saw the premise for “Dial A for Aunties,” I thought to myself, “This...

Books Before Boys is a curated list of reviews, written by Ann Zhao. Graphic courtesy of Kalie Holford.

The perfect wish-fulfillment book for all the hopelessly romantic single lesbians who go to this college

Ann Zhao | March 2, 2022

Are you a lesbian? Are you in college? Are you upsettingly single? Do you have mommy issues? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should consider reading “She Gets the Girl.” When I...

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