Just in Queso – Karla Doyle

4/5 stars

Phoebe was the most awkward person I’ve ever seen, and I loved her for it! She felt so real to me as a character, and I had a lot of empathy for her as a person. Her insecurities hit several of my own, and I really related to her on a deeper level.

I enjoyed Basil and Betsy a lot, too. They were different and I liked that about them. It made them feel more like people to me rather than cardboard cutouts of what “normal” characters should be. While I don’t have misophonia myself, there are two sounds that absolutely drive me wild and make me irrationally annoyed, so I could understand Basil (at least in part) and what he was going through. I had a huge soft spot for Betsy as it’s really hard to be different from others growing up. She’s a special child in a lot of ways, and it’s hard to run on a different wavelength than most others your age do, and Karla did a great job writing Betsy’s character.

Just in Queso was an adorably sweet mutual pining! Basil and Phoebe are very cute together, and reading Phoebe getting all tongue tied around him was so fun (though I swear I felt the mortification right there with her). This was fun and flirty, but it also dealt with some heavier topics that I think Karla portrayed really well. And honestly? She had me at the title because I am an absolute sucker for a good food pun!