Michelle Quach

When Eliza loses her bid to be editor in chief of the school newspaper to Len, a less qualified candidate, she writes a scathing essay highlighting the misogyny at her high school. She hasn’t decided whether to publish it when someone posts it. Suddenly everyone at her high school is talking about her essay and taking sides. The principal forces Eliza and Len to work together, while Eliza and some girls plot to protest Len’s election. As Eliza and Len get to know each other, Eliza show more realizes that she has conflicted feelings about the face of the patriarchy. Not Here to Be Liked is a frank, funny, feminist coming of age novel. Eliza may not care if she is liked, but I loved this book! show less

Eliza is shocked when she loses the election for editor-in-chief for the school paper to a injured baseball player who hasn't put in the long hours and years of work she has. In her anger she writes a manifesto of sorts about feminism not intending for anyone else to read it. Somehow her work gets published on the front page of the paper and then leaked on Instagram. Her relationship with Len, the guy elected to the position, gets complicated as Eliza develops feelings for this rival. Strong show more supporting characters and discussions of what it means to be a feminist, the double standards that exist for guys and girls, and ways teens are navigating those dynamics. show less

You know how there are some books that slightly incorporate feminism into the story and other books that take it 1,000 times further and feminism takes over the book? Well, Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach definitely falls into the latter category, and I’m all for it! This book is possibly my favorite so far this year!

The novel follows Eliza, a Chinese-Vietnamese-American girl who is determined to be the Editor of her school’s newspaper her senior year. She is not worried about show more this though. She knows that she is the only candidate that has put her whole heart into the newspaper, and factually, she is the most qualified. However, Eliza’s world falls apart when Len, a former baseball playing jock, smooth-talks his way into winning the position she had her heart set on.

This book is so much more than girl meets boy though! When a personal rant Eliza wrote about losing the election gets posted to her school newspaper’s website, she is suddenly forced to confront this problem, not as a personal issue, but as a feminist one. Her schoolmates quickly go from calling her a feminazi to following her lead, when Queen Bee, Serena Hwangbo, gives her support to Eliza’s cause. As the story progresses, Eliza realizes she might have feelings for the boy who started this whole mess. Can she really feel that way towards Len after everything he did? And if she does, would that make her a bad feminist?

Not Here to Be Liked is not only an adorable love story, but also a commentary on the struggles within feminism. This book truly forces you to ask yourself: What does it mean to be a feminist? It raises so many issues within feminism, such as racism and classism within the movement, well-intentioned men who unknowingly perpetuate misogyny, and the disappointing realization that the patriarchy is often cute.

Seriously, this book addresses so many issues, from the way it is considered taboo to talk freely about feminine hygiene, to the problematic way that boys’ voices are often validated more than girls’. When Len plays the Knight in Shining Armor, Eliza is torn between feeling wooed and not needing to be rescued. She struggles with the genuine issue of falling in love while also maintaining her feminist values.

On top of that, the characters in this novel are extremely complex. Eliza herself has a very intricate background, and she expresses turmoil over reconciling her cultural and family background. Also, Winona, who is the best friend that we frankly all need in our lives, raises many issues about feminism and People of Color. She expresses unease about participating in a demonstration at school because she doesn’t want to be seen as the angry Black woman. AND that is validated by other characters!!! This was such an important aspect of the book because often Black woman are told they are overreacting when they raise a concern like this, but I was pleasantly surprised when the other characters supported Winona in whatever decision she made.

I could literally go on about this book for days, but I won’t bore you with all my gushing. Instead, you should definitely pick up a copy of the book when it comes out on September 14, 2021, so you can experience all the joy of this book yourself. This is truly a book that everyone should read because it sincerely challenges readers to examine their own beliefs about feminism and what it means to be a feminist! show less

I love smart, feisty main characters and Eliza Quan did not disappoint. She has been working toward becoming the school paper's editor-in-chief since she was a freshman and then Len DeMartile, the ex-baseball player, walks into the newsroom and disrupts everything. Eliza's inner monologue is funny and sharp. The story weaves in feminism, sexism, friendships. ambition, and so much more but it isn't cumbersome or preachy.