If You Still Recognise Me

Product Information

If You Still Recognise Me is a love letter to nerdy, queer, tumblr teens who grew up surrounded by fandom and found comfort in their little space on the internet and the friends they made there. More than just being a sapphic YA romance, it is a story of family, heritage, friendship and connection which was done beautifully. It may have been a sweet story but that doesn't take away from the permeating depth that brings nuance to each relationship and interaction. It was a very real look into the difficulties that can come in family and friendships, particularly from a queer perspective. I loved the interplay of culture and race and how that affected the love shown in this book. The role of fandom was also done fantastically. Fandom and the internet has always acted as a safe space, particularly for young queer teens as they get to see and understand themselves and make friends who know and fully accept them through this. I loved how realistically this was portrayed and the importance put on it throughout. An epic fandom, a scavenger hunt for a lost love and an ode to cultural inheritance – this is a wonderfully heartfelt and joyously queer romance” - Lauren James, author of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe However, this is just a personal thing though and I bet lots of other readers will find and see themselves in the characters' love for reading fanfics and creating fan art and edits!

A beautiful and intricately layered tale of friendship, fandom and finding yourself - I absolutely adored it. - Sophie Cameron, author of Out of the Blue A celebration of fannish glee, queer joy and family in all senses of the word. If You Still Recognise Me asks what it means to find yourself, when we are all more than a single story. I adored it." - Kat Dunn, author of Dangerous Remedy Cynthia So deftly weaves a story that explores queerness, love, and relationships across distance, both geographical and time. An accomplished debut with shades of Nina LaCour, If You Still Recognise Me is the perfect summer-time read. - Lizzie Huxley-Jones, author and editor Beautifully written with moments of sheer lyricism. A must-read for humans of all ages and walks of life. I loved it so much! -- Wibke Brueggemann, author of Love is for Losers This wonderful book is both a tender coming-of-age romance and a tapestry of queer identity that spans oceans, generations, and stages of life ... Suffused with queer wistfulness and the ache to be known, So''s debut is as intimate and revelatory as the first touch of a first crush''s hand."- Riley Redgate, author of Seven Ways We Lie

There’s such a lovely place for friendships in this story. I loved Rikita, Elsie’s best friend, always here for her and yet not afraid to tell her when things aren’t alright. I also deeply appreciated seeing Joan, Elsie’s best friend’s return and how they slowly found their old friendship again. If You Still Recognise Me is a wonderful portrayal of self exploration, female and f-m friendships, the complexity of being queer in a family of colour, and struggling with familial and societal expectations. Elsie goes on a journey of introspection as she exits high school, begins navigating her love life while being a queer woman of color, healing from a toxic relationship, and growing closer to her family before she takes on university. The story is very character-driven, but I still loved the plot and how it tied into Elsie’s character development. I loved the progression of her character more than anything else in this novel. This wonderful book is both a tender coming-of-age romance and a tapestry of queer identity that spans oceans, generations, and stages of life ... Suffused with queer wistfulness and the ache to be known, So's debut is as intimate and revelatory as the first touch of a first crush's hand.' - Riley Redgate, author of Seven Ways We Lie

This book honestly felt like what I’ve been waiting for my whole life. Though YA, a genre I often hesitate to dip into, this was a masterfully constructed story and I cannot wait to see what else the author writes. I loved all the little references to fandom and fandom spaces, and also how it shows the impact can have on people's lives (Elsie, Joan and Elsie's mum later bonding over manga, for example.) The novel is truly a complex love letter to those who have grown up with fandoms as a central comfort and is a refreshing display of what representation should be. The book itself is so beautifully written and the way in which culture, sexuality and relationships are intertwined throughout the book, is so heart achingly emotional to read. We aren’t only just given over five main queer and poc teenagers, we also get to read about the reconnecting of deep relationships that will almost most definitely make you want to pull the tissues out! This is definitely a novel that makes people who feel unseen and unheard, feel represented and loved without even asking. Minimal distractions, comfortable surroundings and a cup of tea. What songs would be on a playlist for your book? i read if you still recognise me at the most apt time: while knee deep in the trenches of yet another fandom hyperfixation—a string of words that some might not entirely understand or relate to, but i think you do. because you’re also here on the internet, together with me despite oceans between us.Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... If You Still Recognise Me is a moving and heart-warming story about queer love, family, culture and fandom and So''s has a uniquely poetic style that sees beauty in the everyday and makes the familiar feel fresh and new"- Ciara Smyth, author of Not My Problem A lyrical, complex tale of friendship, family, and all the stories we tell ourselves - true and not - about what it means to love' - Kelly Loy Gilbert, author of When We Were Infinite Elsie Lo has a crush on Ada, a friend she met online through fandom. They’ve never seen each other in real life, because Ada lives an ocean away. The summer before university, Elsie hatches a grand plan to win over Ada – by going on a search for Ada’s grandma’s long-lost best friend. Along the way, Elsie reunites with her own long-lost best friend, and things don’t quite go according to plan… A lyrical, complex tale of friendship, family, and all the stories we tell ourselves – true and not – about what it means to love” - Kelly Loy Gilbert, author of When We Were Infinite

If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So is just so SO perfect. Refreshing, relatable and raw in its honesty, this is the book I wish I'd had as a queer teen discovering my identity.” - Sarah Underwood, author of Lies We Sing to the Sea If You Still Recognise Me is a poignant, perfectly formed debut about queer love, fandom and family.” - Lex Croucher, author of Reputation Coffee house Caffè Nero has announced the 16-strong shortlist for the inaugural Nero Book Awards, recognising the outstanding books of the past 12... Exploring the bonds of friendship, family, fandom, culture and queer community, this is a story about finding who you really are at the heart of all the things you love. - Sera Milano, author of This Can Never Not Be Real If You Still Recognise Meis a moving and heart-warming story about queer love, family, culture and fandom and So's has a uniquely poetic style that sees beauty in the everyday and makes the familiar feel fresh and new.' - Ciara Smyth, author of Not My ProblemIt’s the summer before she starts university, and a comic enthusiast from Oxford, England, has plans. If You Recognise Me" is an incredible debut that follows 18 year old Elsie during her last summer at home before she moves away for university. A beautiful and intricately layered tale of friendship, fandom and finding yourself – I absolutely adored it.” - Sophie Cameron, author of Out of the Blue Elsie has just finished her A-Level exams, and the long summer ahead of her promises to be one filled with excitement. There’s travelling with her best friend, finding a job she loves, meeting new people, keeping up with her favourite comic, chatting to her internet friend-turned-crush. But then there’s also her grandmother from Hong Kong - a woman she hasn’t seen since childhood - staying in her house, the loss of a grandfather she barely knew, her childhood best friend returning after years of radio silence, and family secrets no one will share.

I read this in one sitting and was absolutely enthralled, this has got to be the standout YA debut of the year. Elsie was a lovely main character to follow, I immediately fell for her. She’s insecure after a toxic relationship, she’s falling for someone she hasn’t met just yet, she’s scared of coming out as bisexual to her parents… I really loved how she grew as the story went on, what she learned about herself, her family and most of it all, how she managed to slowly, little by little, let go of the past, as well. A beautiful coming-of-age story that really captures the complexities of friendship, sexuality, love, relationships, family and fandom.A celebration of fannish glee, queer joy and family in all senses of the word. If You Still Recognise Me asks what it means to find yourself, when we are all more than a single story. I adored it. - Kat Dunn, author of Dangerous Remedy I could not get over how accurately this book portrayed what it’s like to be in a fandom space—especially when you’re a queer poc. As someone who reads and writes fanfiction, who obsesses over different forms of media in the exact same way shown in this book, I’ve never felt so seen. I’ve made many close friends online and this perfectly captured the way an online space can be freeing and online friendships can be just as important and deep as irl frienships. Also the way being in a fandom is very inclusive in a way that many queer people cannot experience irl. With this range of ages, Cynthia So does a brilliant job of showing the generational gap when it comes to reactions to queerness in a way that manages to be both heartbreaking but beautifully hopeful all at the same time. Throughout the book a number of characters discuss their struggles with coming-out-to their family, and share worries about parent reactions, and whilst there are some negative responses, overall, Cynthia So has crafted a sincerely optimistic portrayal of the queer experience. This heartfelt, poignant YA debut is a second-chance summer romance that will steal your heart—perfect for fans of Heartstopper, Some Girls Do, and It’s Not Like it’s a Secret. If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So is just so SO perfect. Refreshing, relatable and raw in its honesty, this is the book I wish I'd had as a queer teen discovering my identity.' - Sarah Underwood, author of Lies We Sing to the Sea