This reading was quite a challenge for me. As you know, I’m not really fond of queer reads, but I successfully finished this one anyway. No matter what year we’re living in, I personally believe there are only two genders. What I did appreciate about this book were the themes of friendship, and family bonds. Those basics play an important role in shaping who we become in the future.
Ren Hsu and Colin Ong are schoolmates who are inseparable and serve as each other’s safe space and support system. Both are Asian, gay, and clearly searching for validation. For about half of the book, the author leans heavily into familiar struggles of being gay, which to me felt a bit cliche and exaggerated.
Things take a turn one day when they are heading home through the woods. A strange incident occurs and Ren is suddenly caught by something, at least that is what Colin thinks, and goes missing for a while. Then, just as suddenly, Ren reappears out of nowhere, but he is not quite himself anymore. While the plot is clearly there, I felt the author could have made this part more cinematic. Instead of building tension and atmosphere, the moment came across as a bit monotonic, which made the impact miss slightly for me.
Their parents do not exactly approve of their tendencies, and soon their dream of living together for college falls apart due to a sudden change of plans. Determined to figure out what is going on, Colin starts investigating and discovers that Ren might be possessed by a demon. A gay demon, to be precise. 😅
Overall, He’s So Possessed With Me by Corey Liu mixes friendship, identity, and supernatural chaos in a way that is quirky, even some parts were not quite for me.