Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry

Written by Joya Goffney

Narrated by Jordan Cobb

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by debut author Joya Goffney is a story of an overly enthusiastic list maker who is blackmailed into completing a to-do list of all her worst fears. It’s a heartfelt, tortured, contemporary YA high school romance. Fans of Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Kristina Forest’s I Wanna Be Where You Are will love the juicy secrets and leap-off-the-page sexual tension.

“A hilarious and swoonworthy story.” —Kristina Forest, author of Now That I’ve Found You

“A fun, emotionally rich romance with a sweet, imperfect character who will win your heart.” —Liara Tamani, author of All the Things We Never Knew

Quinn keeps lists of everything—from the days she’s ugly cried, to “Things That I Would Never Admit Out Loud” and all the boys she’d like to kiss. Her lists keep her sane. By writing her fears on paper, she never has to face them in real life. That is, until her journal goes missing . . .

Then an anonymous account posts one of her lists on Instagram for the whole school to see and blackmails her into facing seven of her greatest fears, or else her entire journal will go public. Quinn doesn’t know who to trust. Desperate, she teams up with Carter Bennett—the last known person to have her journal—in a race against time to track down the blackmailer.

Together, they journey through everything Quinn’s been too afraid to face, and along the way, Quinn finds the courage to be honest, to live in the moment, and to fall in love.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Epic Reads Recommended Pick at Target

A Kirkus Children's Best Book of 2021

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: May 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063024823

Joya Goffney

Joya Goffney grew up in New Waverly, a small town in East Texas. In high school, she challenged herself with to-do lists full of risk-taking items, like “hug a random boy” and “eat a cricket,” which inspired her debut novel, Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry. With a passion for Black social psychology, she moved out of the countryside to attend the University of Texas in Austin, where she still resides.

Reviews for Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry

[Karla Petrova · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the best stories ever written. The book tackled some very real issues on race while still maintaining that fresh and youthful tone that fits any YA book. Black girl magic at its best!

[Ekene Ogbue · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I knew from the title it was gonna be an entertaining read. Only I didn't realize how entertaining until I got in

This book is perfect for fans who love To All the Boys I've Loved Before

[Chinke Ifeyinwa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Omg!
I got emotional at various parts of this book and the narrator did an amazing job. This was the perfect read after binging thriller & horror novels ?

[Anita Warren Williams · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was great. I really enjoyed it. Awesome great

[Tamara Hayes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is a dynamic listen! It draws you in from the beginning and never loses your attention throughout this story of learning who you are and loving who you are. I enjoyed it throughly and it has such a fresh, realistic feel. I look forward to more from this author

[THEBESTDTL GAMING · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the book but the ending was slow imo

[jay ev · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A must read!!!!
This was a very good book
Well written
It felt like I was watching a movie

[Lexus Thomas · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was really cute story … devoured this in 2 days .

[vanessa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This such a beautiful written story! Truly enjoyed every second of the book! Highly recommended!!

[Henrietta Enam Quarshie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Summary; cute
I liked everything about this
Relatable struggles teenagers might have with friends especially with different races
No smut just so much cuteness
It was great
I liked the topics of race, cyber bullying, parental struggles and how they were all handled

I also liked how the writing of lists was incorporated into the story . Neatly blended

Yes I recommend this for anyone looking for a fun read that’s not too heavy despite the topics in the storyline

[MarHasHobbies · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

''I need you to be aware that our differences will get us different outcomes in life. And I need you to know that
just because I don’t fit into your stereotypes, that doesn’t mean I’m any less Black'' THIS PART RIGHT HERE!!!!! Why can't people understand that?? I speed trough this book so fast

[Bree · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was such a wonderful book. It’s teaching someone who’s young so many life lessons along the way and full of encouragement!

[Margaret Humphrey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book soo much! Every part of it!!

[Jessica Burnett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is such a cute story and fun teen adventure. It's hilarious at times but also has a lot of tender and heartfelt moments.

[AJ · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story! I love the chemistry between Quin and Carter. Olivia is the realest! Do yourself a favor and get ramped up in this book!

[maureen mario · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it, am I the only person who felt Matthew's part needed more? What happened to their relationship?

[Angela Walker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story with all the twist and turns of life!

[stephanie jackson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I chose this as a recommendation and ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.

[herenya_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Someone has got hold of Quinn’s private notebook. If Quinn doesn’t start on her To-Do list -- like explaining to her ex-best friend why she walked away, or telling her parents that she lied about getting into Columbia -- her secrets will be posted on social media. To prove he’s not her blackmailer, her classmate Carter offers to help her.This YA novel was at its strongest when exploring Quinn’s experiences as a Black girl in a mostly white community, and when Quinn’s (new) friends support her to face her fears. But I thought it was odd when Quinn eventually concludes -- uhh, minor spoilers -- that she shouldn’t keep writing her thoughts and plans in her notebook, because she needs to take action and talk to people more. I’d thought it was obvious it wasn’t the notebook-keeping that had been stopping her, but rather a lack of confidence and support! Even if she doesn’t have the need for her notebook she previously had, journaling is still a valid thing to do! (Okay, okay, it’s a very minor detail, all things considered, and maybe a believable conclusion for a teenager to make?)

[onnaday · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received this audiobook from NetGalley to give my honest review. The book is read with a synthetic voice only for early review use, and doesn’t reflect the audiobook, that do not use synthetic voices.This debut novel, Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by author Joya Goffney is a contemporary YA high school romance. Quinn, an overly enthusiastic list maker who is blackmailed into completing a to-do list of all her worst fears. Her lists keep her sane... until her journal goes missing. Desperate, she teams up with Carter Bennett—the last known person to have her journal. Quinn doesn’t know who to trust, and along the way, Quinn finds the courage to be honest, to live in the moment, and to fall in love.I was attracted by the book cover, that is released on May 4, 2021. I can relate to the main characters journal of lists. Personally, I have a journal for different reasons (i.e. daily To-Do list, etc.), but not a list of my fears. I found a lot of the subject matter redundant, and I was taken aback with explicit language, sexual innuendo and some adult like content. I had to remind myself of the age, and generation differences. The story addressed aging, cyber bullying, and racism. I thought the end of the novel wrapped up in good order. The synthetic voice was monotone, and gave me pause to the rhythm of the story, and contributed to the reason why I found the novel mundane.#ExcuseMeWhileIUglyCry#NetGalley