I Hate Everyone But You is the debut novel of YouTubers Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin, who run a comedy channel that deals with both queer issues and coping with mental health issues. Their book, which is a New York Times bestseller, is a lighthearted take on a lot of the same themes.
There are two main characters, Gen and Ava, who go off to college on opposite coasts. Gen, like Dunn, is a journalism major discovering her bisexuality and her tendency towards polyamory while Ava deals with issues with OCD and dating frat boys.
Told entirely in emails and texts between the two, I Hate Everyone But You does an excellent job of showing how college can be a time of growth that doesn’t always mean changes for the better as the two deal with tension in their friendship with each other and their other relationships. It’s also worth saying that epistolary novels, especially ones told in very short form content, like texts, can often seem very rushed and this novel is not an exception. The pacing mostly works well but has its moments, especially towards the end of feeling very rushed. The advantage of this is that it is a very quick read and I was able to read it in an afternoon.
While this novel does deal with a lot of heavy themes, it is also filled with comedy that truly shows how the pair have managed to keep a comedy YouTube channel going for years. Some may also be familiar with them from Buzzfeed, where they worked before splitting off to create their own content.
This book is a good choice for those in their first semester in college who are still trying to figure out how to navigate their relationships with friends at home. It’s also great for those who are dealing with serious mental illnesses and trying not to let it affect their lives more than it has to. If you’re looking for a realistic portrayal of bisexuality and mental illness or polyamory in a young adult title, this is the book for you.