What Happens At The End Of 'Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel'?

Man, the ending of this book hit me right in the feels. Leila spends so much of the story doubting herself—worrying about what her traditional parents will think, stressing over whether Saskia even likes her back—but the way it all comes together is just chef’s kiss. The art show scene? Perfect. Saskia’s painting of Leila is this beautiful, vulnerable moment where everything unspoken between them finally gets acknowledged. And Leila’s reaction? So relatable. She doesn’t have some grand speech; she just lets herself feel, and that’s enough. Farizan nails that teenage awkwardness mixed with genuine emotion.

What sticks with me, though, is how the book handles the fallout. Leila’s parents aren’t immediately okay with her sexuality, and the story doesn’t pretend that’s an easy hurdle. But there’s this subtle shift where you see her dad trying, in his own way, to understand. It’s messy and imperfect, but it’s real. And the friendship drama with Lisa and Greg? That doesn’t magically fix itself either. The ending leaves room for growth without tying everything up with a bow. It’s refreshing to see a queer story that doesn’t sugarcoat the challenges but still leaves you hopeful.

The ending of 'Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel' is such a satisfying wrap-up to Leila's journey. After all the confusion and heartache she goes through, she finally embraces her feelings for Saskia, the new girl at school who’s confident, artistic, and totally different from anyone Leila’s ever liked before. The book does a great job of showing her internal struggle—balancing her Iranian family’s expectations with her own desires—but by the end, she finds the courage to be honest with herself and others. There’s this sweet scene where she and Saskia share a moment at the school’s art show, and it feels like everything clicks into place. Not everything is perfectly resolved—her family’s acceptance is still a work in progress—but the story leaves you hopeful. It’s one of those endings where you close the book and just sit there smiling, because Leila’s happiness feels earned.

What I love about this ending is how it avoids being too neat. Real life isn’t like that, especially when it comes to coming out and first love. The author, Sara Farizan, keeps it messy in the best way. Leila’s parents aren’t instantly supportive, and her friendship with Lisa, who had a crush on her, stays complicated. But the focus is on Leila’s growth—how she learns to trust herself. The last few chapters have this quiet power, especially when she stands up to her manipulative 'friend' Greg. It’s not a dramatic, fireworks-filled finale, but that’s what makes it feel real. I’ve reread those final scenes so many times, and they still give me that warm, fuzzy feeling.

The ending of 'Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel' is this quiet, heartfelt moment where Leila finally stops overthinking and lets herself be happy. After all the back-and-forth—watching Saskia from afar, stressing about her family’s reaction—she takes this tiny but huge step forward. The art show scene is where it all culminates: Saskia’s painting reveals her feelings, and Leila, for once, doesn’t second-guess herself. They don’t kiss or make some big declaration; it’s just this understated, perfect connection. The book leaves her family’s acceptance ambiguous, which feels honest. Not every coming-out story gets a tidy resolution, and that’s okay. What matters is Leila’s courage to be herself, and that’s what lingers after the last page.