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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
I have a principle in my reviews: the final taste matters a lot in a book.
This book had me frustrated and a bit disappointed for large parts of it, but the final part was so cute and satisfying!
A problem with a lot of YA romances is that the author doesn't give space for the couple to be together in the end. Calum McSwiggan not only avoided this pitfall but made the final part of the book adorable and swoony!
So the rating is for sweet Oliver Cheng, for his chemistry with Max and for a really strong finale.
Saying that, the execution of what Calum wanted to do is lackluster.
The story revolves around Max, a quite effeminate gay teen who is grumpy about what he doesn't have and unfairly vents to his best friends Dean and Alicia wishing that he was straight.
And whoop, he wakes up in a sort of parallel timeline where he is straight! He has to find a way back and on the way he has to get to know himself better and value what he took for granted (or assumed) for other people. But:
- There's a lot of preaching and telling instead of showing (like racial privilege being mentioned without any storyline) when it comes to the messages, and a very American optic of them despite all the characters being British and the school being in England.
- There is a very stereotypical portrayal of the "feminine gay" (the crop top, the way if walking, the fashion and theater, the girlish nickname, all together is like googling decades old stereotypes for gay people). This was a big wince for me.
- There is a rather confusing message with the parallel timeline that being straight might not be as easy as being gay? I assume the intention was to show that you should always be happy to be yourself and not something else but it wasn't done well.
- Making the main character act like a jerk because he was missing memories of his past in the parallel timeline.
The book was still enjoyable despite these issues, and the romance was super cute!
This book had me frustrated and a bit disappointed for large parts of it, but the final part was so cute and satisfying!
A problem with a lot of YA romances is that the author doesn't give space for the couple to be together in the end. Calum McSwiggan not only avoided this pitfall but made the final part of the book adorable and swoony!
So the rating is for sweet Oliver Cheng, for his chemistry with Max and for a really strong finale.
Saying that, the execution of what Calum wanted to do is lackluster.
The story revolves around Max, a quite effeminate gay teen who is grumpy about what he doesn't have and unfairly vents to his best friends Dean and Alicia wishing that he was straight.
And whoop, he wakes up in a sort of parallel timeline where he is straight! He has to find a way back and on the way he has to get to know himself better and value what he took for granted (or assumed) for other people. But:
- There's a lot of preaching and telling instead of showing (like racial privilege being mentioned without any storyline) when it comes to the messages, and a very American optic of them despite all the characters being British and the school being in England.
- There is a very stereotypical portrayal of the "feminine gay" (the crop top, the way if walking, the fashion and theater, the girlish nickname, all together is like googling decades old stereotypes for gay people). This was a big wince for me.
- There is a rather confusing message with the parallel timeline that being straight might not be as easy as being gay? I assume the intention was to show that you should always be happy to be yourself and not something else but it wasn't done well.
- Making the main character act like a jerk because he was missing memories of his past in the parallel timeline.
The book was still enjoyable despite these issues, and the romance was super cute!
This is a sweet, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy that will keep you turning the pages to find out how everything turns out.
I devoured this book right up. I’m not sure what I expected when I started reading, but what I got was a fantastic blend of Freaky Friday and It’s a Wonderful Life all blended to perfection. Our main character learns the lesson of be careful what you wish for, and maybe the grass isn’t always greener on the other side in the biggest and worst way possible. Sure, some things are better, but some things are worse when his wish comes true.
McSwiggan developed beautiful, believable, flawed, but lovable characters that I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know. I especially enjoyed the teacher who was on the LGBTQplus kids side, and enjoyed hating the one who wasn’t. The blurb and several reviews called Max spoiled, and maybe he was. But sometimes we have to live life to learn some things. Life is hard and complicated, as he learns very quickly. I especially enjoyed the beautiful interconnectedness of each aspect of life the author showed through this story. How one small detail, Max being gay, impacted so much of his life.
I hope the wonder of seeing books like this for young adults will never wear off for me. Growing up in the 90s and early 00s, especially in the Deep South of the United States, meant very little access to books or other media with LGBTQplus representation. Even today, the Deep South has a lot of work to do in this regard. So it warms my heart every time I read a book intended for young people making it clear that they are okay. Representation matters so much. I’m thankful for authors like Mr. McSwiggan, and authors like him, for making things easier for the next generation of kids. I will absolutely read whatever he writes next.
Who’s It For
If you love a good romance, especially an LGBTQIplus Young Adult one, this one will absolutely tick all the boxes. Homophobes need not apply, because this book is out and proud – even if it needed all of us to learn a lesson along the way. If you like your books to teach a little lesson, provide some social commentary, and have a wonderfully diverse and amazing cast of characters, snap this book up today.
Content Warning: Homophobia, drinking, drugs, adult situations, adult language, racism
First published (with slight differences) on amorinacarlton.com
I devoured this book right up. I’m not sure what I expected when I started reading, but what I got was a fantastic blend of Freaky Friday and It’s a Wonderful Life all blended to perfection. Our main character learns the lesson of be careful what you wish for, and maybe the grass isn’t always greener on the other side in the biggest and worst way possible. Sure, some things are better, but some things are worse when his wish comes true.
McSwiggan developed beautiful, believable, flawed, but lovable characters that I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know. I especially enjoyed the teacher who was on the LGBTQplus kids side, and enjoyed hating the one who wasn’t. The blurb and several reviews called Max spoiled, and maybe he was. But sometimes we have to live life to learn some things. Life is hard and complicated, as he learns very quickly. I especially enjoyed the beautiful interconnectedness of each aspect of life the author showed through this story. How one small detail, Max being gay, impacted so much of his life.
I hope the wonder of seeing books like this for young adults will never wear off for me. Growing up in the 90s and early 00s, especially in the Deep South of the United States, meant very little access to books or other media with LGBTQplus representation. Even today, the Deep South has a lot of work to do in this regard. So it warms my heart every time I read a book intended for young people making it clear that they are okay. Representation matters so much. I’m thankful for authors like Mr. McSwiggan, and authors like him, for making things easier for the next generation of kids. I will absolutely read whatever he writes next.
Who’s It For
If you love a good romance, especially an LGBTQIplus Young Adult one, this one will absolutely tick all the boxes. Homophobes need not apply, because this book is out and proud – even if it needed all of us to learn a lesson along the way. If you like your books to teach a little lesson, provide some social commentary, and have a wonderfully diverse and amazing cast of characters, snap this book up today.
Content Warning: Homophobia, drinking, drugs, adult situations, adult language, racism
First published (with slight differences) on amorinacarlton.com
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was okay. I just found it be very very stereotypical and missed the mark when it comes to queer issues and privilege. It started to become preachy about some things and the main character wasn't very likable in either world. I liked Dean and Oliver and feel like they were well rounded considering Dean wasn't in half the book but the main character made me cringe way too much.
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes