Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling

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Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling by Elise Bryant

10 reviews

sugarcainn's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective slow-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

5.0

This book was so cute, I absolutely loved it! It's a coming of age romance that has great character develoment.

Content Warnings

tinysierra's review

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

“Maybe you can't protect yourself from the wrong. All you can do is be yourself fully, authentically until the right person sees and loves that.“ pg 365

The main characters and their relationships felt so realistic as they struggled to gain confidence in themselves and grew as people over the course of Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling. This book is really about the journey to self love and acceptance in order to love others.

I did not like or feel a strong attachment to the male side characters in this book. I just felt like they were annoying and entitled. I guess that makes it feel realistic as well because none of the characters were perfect.

I loved the discussions about disability (dyslexia, migraines), race (being Black “enough”), and racism in the D&D community. I think there could have been room for discussion about the racism Taylor Swift fans might experience, but then again it’s probably best not the piss of the Swifties lol

I did love the Taylor Swift references! The invisible string line…. ahhhh. /pos

The romance was pretty sweet.

Content Warnings

psistillreadyou's review

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lighthearted reflective 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

4.5

Content Warnings

bookishmillennial's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

disclaimer if you’ve read other reviews by me and are noticing a pattern: You’re correct that I don’t really give starred reviews, I feel like a peasant and don’t like leaving them and most often, I will only leave them if I vehemently despised a book. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not, regardless if I add stars or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial

Premise:

contemporary teenage fictional romance and coming-of-age set in/around LA
third book in the Happily Ever Afters series (interconnected series of standalone books!)
dual first-person POV of main characters
Reggie, Black D&D player, and anonymous contributor to an online blog, sees Delilah perform at a show on New Year's Eve, and is immediately enamored
Delilah, half-Black lead singer of Fun Gi, struggles to find her confidence and voice as she steps into this new role, with a band full of mostly young white men
As the title suggests, the book takes us through a year, mostly on holidays when Reggie & Delilah run into each other & develop a friendship
Ties to Happily Ever Afters universe: Reggie is Lenore's cousin!
cw: cursing, racism/microaggressions, bullying, toxic friendships

Thoughts:
I am incredibly biased when it comes to Elise Bryant because her books were one of few that really got me back into reading about young adults! I spent years subscribing to the idea that these books were not for me anymore, because I wasn't a teenager anymore. I allowed people to shit on the things I liked/wanted to like because I was scared of looking silly.

Elise's characters are so special to me because of the journeys they go on to pursue their passions, despite what anyone else says. It's so inspiring, and full of reminders I need as an almost-32-year-old. My only regret is not growing more authentically into myself sooner, so I could've been reading books like this during my 20s.

Anyway, I loved Reggie & Delilah! The D&D aspects in Reggie's POV were so much fun!!! His excitement and enthusiasm was so clear, and I appreciated that he discussed the lack of representation in the online spaces. Delilah's journey as a singer, and to publicly claim Taylor Swift despite the misogynistic scoffs, was so sweet too! Elise wrote both of their arcs so realistically and lovingly.

I appreciated that they both felt a bit embarrassed or shameful about what they truly wanted out of life, and Elise illustrated the importance of spending time with the right people to foster a space where you can be brave enough to just be yourself. This also translated into their romantic relationship, because they both held each other so high on a pedestal, that they didn't allow the other space to show up as their true selves.

I will continue to read whatever Elise Bryant writes & I love these cute nerds!!!

Quotes that stood out to me (there may be spoilers in this so just scroll on):

I wish I could say this was out of character. But I’ve shrugged and yeah, whatever-ed my way into a lot of things I never thought I would’ve done since I transferred to Willmore Prep and met the guys in September. Like if I keep playing the cool girl—the girl they think I am—maybe I’ll actually become her.

But I’ve always believed in the magic of the new year. Even though it’s just a day on the calendar, I love the idea that we get a chance to start over. Maybe when I step onto the stage tonight, I’ll feel like I belong there. Maybe the spotlight will make me into someone I’ve always wanted to be. I keep that corny shit to myself, though.

When you’re one of the only Black kids in a building, you feel it in your bones. The stares that linger too long, the too-wide smiles that hide all their expectations and discomfort—man, it made me want to shrink and hide.

I mean, it’s not like I’m the only Black person here, but the crowd is “diverse” in the way that woke white kids think of diverse. Just a few of people of color sprinkled around the room, the only-the-lonelys in their friend groups. Like the cilantro in the white rice at Chipotle, you know what I’m saying? That rice is freaking delicious, but I’m not trying to live in it.

But, like, nothing you love is above critique. And if you love something, you want to make it better.

I know that insta-love is bullshit. It’s a necessary evil in some of my D&D sessions because I’m trying to move the game along, but, like, it doesn’t actually happen in real life. I know that. Except, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with the girl in the middle of the stage.

This is just my life. I don’t get to enjoy anything all the way. I always have to worry about things being too much.

She laughs, but it’s not a mocking, what the fuck is wrong with this guy? laugh. I know that one well. No, it’s warm and kind. She smiles at me, that same small smile from the stage—just a slight upturn of her lips. And I swear to god, my heart legit skips a beat. Like, I might need to go to the hospital.

Dungeons & Dragons. The official spiel: It’s a tabletop role-playing game where you create your own fantasy adventures. But, like, it’s so much more than that. It’s storytelling. It’s an act of friendship. It’s creativity in its purest, most uninhibited form.

Reggie is so sure of himself, so solid. He seems to be exactly who he is, without any anxiety about how others may perceive him or judge him. And, wow . . . I want to be like that. I want to, at the very least, be around that.

“Well, Delilah. I don’t know you very well yet, but I’m pretty sure you deserve all the somethings.”

Dad may not outright diss me like Eric, and yes, I know there were some compliments there. But he can never quite let me forget that what I like, how I choose to spend my time, is wrong.

Sometimes I wish I could scream and kick in real life like the girl I’ve started to channel on stage. How different would things be if I was loud and wild and let out everything I’m holding in?

It feels like sisters can only exist as polar opposites. I guess it’s evolution or something, so that we each can justify our place since we’re not like . . . furthering the family name? But this is the one thing that Georgia and I do have in common: our love for Taylor Swift. And our firm belief that losing yourself in one of her songs can make anything better.

Man, I’m so sick of feeling this way: that I’m not Black the way I’m supposed to be. That I don’t like the things I’m supposed to like. That there’s something wrong with me the way I am—so wrong that even my own family can’t defend me.

...walk through life holding everything in. Every thought that’s too hard or too much. Every comment that may make someone uncomfortable or look at me differently. I push everything deep, secure the lid, and then sand down all my edges, too, until they’re smooth. Presentable.

But it feels good to be big, to take up all this space. To be the girl that the band, and this audience, wants me to be. That girl can do anything.

Trying to anticipate what lens I’m being seen through, going down the checklist until—Bingo! Got your prejudice!

“The holiday magic keeps throwing us together! It’s like a movie. We’re probably supposed to save the world together or something.”

“Who cares if it’s cool? Who gets to determine what music is cool anyway? You gotta like what you like and live authentically.”

Like, there’s nothing more punk than owning who you are and what you like, unapologetically.

“He sent the last text!” Yobani explains. “With a thirsty red heart—”
“It was not thirsty!” I interrupt. “It was just a nice, normal heart! She was nervous. I was trying to show her I supported her.”
“That is not what a red heart means. You shouldn’t be allowed to send emojis if you don’t understand them. Like, with great power comes great responsibility.”

He responded to my days-long migraine cluster exactly how I wish people would. Acknowledging how much it sucks and offering to help, instead of brushing them off as headaches like everyone except my mom and sister does. He seems so smart, so kind, and just unapologetically himself. And also . . . he’s just really, really cute.

Of course it’s going to be awkward. I don’t know how it won’t be awkward with these three supercool people and then me—just barely starting to feel like I can exist as my actual self in the same universe as them.

“Why do you have your read receipts on?” Yobani yells, throwing his hands out. “Are you some kind of monster?!”
“I agree,” Greg says. “Read receipts are definitely monster-adjacent behavior. Let’s fix that for you now.” He takes my phone from my hands, navigating to the settings page.

“Of course, it didn’t, like, get rid of my dyslexia. That’s never going to happen. But it was the first time stories felt accessible to me, instead of just something that I would never figure out. Does that make sense?”

I want to argue that it’s different. I want to argue that I’m entitled to feel however I want to. I want to remind them that I pulled it together and put on the best fucking show I ever have. But all I do is shake my head and turn toward the door.

I was brave. I was the girl I want to be. So if they don’t like that girl, then that’s their problem, not mine.

Her head falls back against the seat as she laughs, a cascade of shiny brown curls against the dull gray, and I want to freeze the scene in my brain so I never forget it. I get that feeling a lot, as we drive up the coast, sharing snacks and stories. I want to remember everything.

Even as I’m living these moments, it’s like my mind recognizes that they’re special, fleeting, and I need to scoop them all up and tuck them somewhere safe, like a little kid whenever confetti falls from above.

“There’s no shame in putting yourself first. Even if other people are, like, inconvenienced or uncomfortable . . . that doesn’t mean you’re wrong.”

“I want you to see my color. It’s part of who I am,” I say, my words quieter now, calm. Because I’ve shown myself that I can be loud if I need to be. But also, I don’t have to give anyone that much of me if I don’t want to. I don’t have to fight people who don’t even deserve that. “And I know you do. That’s okay. What’s not okay is . . . using my color, using me, to benefit your music, and then turning around and keeping me out of everything else—making it clear that’s all you thought I was good for.”

“But I do think maybe you two need to readjust your expectations of each other . . . and just, like, let the other person be human instead of perfect.”

So maybe you can’t protect yourself from the wrong. All you can do is be yourself—fully, authentically—until the right person sees and loves that.

“I don’t expect you to be fearless. I don’t expect you to be perfect. I guess I realized that . . . I did that as much as you did, creating this idealized version of you in my head. And it didn’t give you the space to be authentic.” I can feel my tears welling up, and I let them spill out. I let him see all of me. “I want you, Reggie, just as you are.”

“I thought I loved you right when I met you, but I hadn’t earned it yet, that feeling. Because I didn’t know you yet. But now I do. I know your talent and how bright you shine. I know your worries and your fears, which you’ve shared with me, so bravely, even when I didn’t deserve it. And I know you’re not perfect—I don’t expect you to be perfect either. But, sweetheart, you’re a treasure to me all the same.”

And I may not know what comes next—I don’t know if this is a detour or the finish line. But I know it’s worth the risk.

Content Warnings

hobbithopeful's review

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emotional funny 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

5.0

If Elise Bryant writes it, I will read it. (And likely love it so much, and rate it 5 stars!)
A dual pov romance full of punk music, DND, and overcoming fears. I never thought I would put those words in a sentence together, but after reading this book I can't believe it hasn't been done before! Delilah gets asked to be a lead singer for Fun Gi, a punk band led by charismatic Charlie. While initially very anxious she soon falls in love with it and the band starts picking up traction.
Reggie is a shy introvert, preferring DND and posting essays in forums talking about some of the racial and colonization issues prevalent in the lore and history of DND.
At the first concert Delilah performs at, Reggie is smitten and falls for her (I love this trope!), and manages to talk to her, adopting a confident persona that isn't really his personality. As the two begin to get closer over the course of a year, they each struggle with being true to themselves and overcoming fears and being comfortable with their Blackness.
I adore how Bryant writes, all of her characters are always so human, so real, so lovable. Because this is a dual POV book, there are several instances where Reggie or Delilah assume what the other is thinking and take actions based on that. (This is why communication is so important) As frustrating as this could be at times, it was such a joy to read how these characters evolved. There isn't anything else like watching a character grow into themselves and become more confident in who they are by the end, it's inspiring. The way Bryant writes their interactions was so sweet and cute, the chemistry and build up to them *finally* being together was worth every page.
This is one of those books that you will pick up and start reading, not realizing how quick time is flying by. I'm not surprised I loved this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great romance.
The Cover
The Cover artist: Michelle D’Urbano
Okay several items to touch on.
Elise Bryant always has amazing covers, they are always so cohesive and will look great on a shelve together, and THEY ARE JUST SO GOOD.
For this cover it is a bold bright pink, with an illustrated picture of Reggie and Delilah sitting with each other. Reggie can't seem to tear his eyes away from her as she leans against his shoulder, while Delilah has her eyes shut seeming deep in thought. The outfits capture the characters personalities and interests so well, with Reggie having looser plain clothes, and Delilah wearing her signature flannel and vans. Her guitar case is behind her covered in stickers, while other hearts, sparkles, and calendar pages float around them both. It's just such a sweet picture! I l adore the style that D'Urbano draws in, it's never uncanny valley or stilted, there is so much emotion in just one illustration.
The title font is the cherry on top, like with the other covers of Bryant's books, this one has a mixture of handwritten and serif fonts, with added emphasis around certain words. It works so well with the composition and I am so glad to see such a great book with such a great cover.
Michelle D’Urbano you are truly an artist!

Content Warnings

dinipandareads's review

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emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Special thanks to SparkPoint Studio and Balzer + Bray for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

TL;DR: This was a fun coming-of-age YA contemporary that was a well-balanced mix of fluffy and serious. It tackles themes of racism, identity, mental health, learning disability and bullying in a sensitive and well-rounded way. Both of the characters felt like real teenagers who are simply doing their best and despite being frustrated by their actions sometimes, it was easy to root for them to find their happiness. The romance was admittedly a bit too cheesy for me at times and I felt like the build-up of the story felt too drawn out, I still enjoyed this and I think many YA readers will too!

What worked for me:

This was a great coming-of-age contemporary that was a well-balanced mix of fluffy and sweet, as well as serious. Bryant covers some important themes including racism, identity, mental health, learning disabilities, and bullying and I think the themes were handled sensitively. I enjoyed seeing how Reggie and Delilah dealt with these issues individually and how they grew from their struggles.
Reggie and Delilah were easy characters to root for. They both had their struggles to deal with but I liked how they supported and buoyed each other especially when they were together. I admit that the decisions these characters made were oftentimes frustrating but... Teenagers? 😂 I felt like these were very realistic portrayals of teens who are confused about who they are and where they fit in, on top of finding and embracing their passions, as well as dealing with both familial and societal expectations.
Of the two, I think Delilah's personal arc had the most satisfying growth. She starts as this shy, uncertain young woman who doesn't have a lot of self-confidence or worth. She sees herself in a very unworthy light despite her talent and she would constantly let others take advantage of her kindness and willingness to accept things as they are. It was so great to see her realise her worth and find confidence in herself, even if that growth resulted from someone being dishonest with her. I think Delilah is someone many readers will be able to relate to and it was a joy to see her find peace with her identity, embrace her talent, recognise her worth and stand up for herself!
Reggie experienced growth but it took slightly longer for him to get there. I kept waiting for him to embrace who he was, D&D nerd and all, and each time that didn't happen the further the story progressed, the more I found myself feeling disappointed. I'm not a fan of lying and although he definitely didn't have any bad intentions, he approached the whole thing very poorly. I mean, it was comical in a way and I guess somewhat (stereo)typical for a young teen wanting to very badly impress a girl with a certain level of cool. But I did like his realness when he was being himself with his friends. They were a great group of teens and I loved their delightful banter—reading about them goofing around was kinda infectious!
The romance, while definitely on the cheesier side of cheesy, was full of angsty teenage moments wondering whether the pining and crushing were mutual. I really liked the premise of them always ending up in the same place on holidays and it gave the story a solid timeline structure. I thought these two were perfectly cute and fit well together.

What didn't work for me:

This was slightly instalove on both ends but most definitely for Reggie. As much as I liked their romance and the holiday meet-up premise, the nature of it meant that we didn't get to see them spend much time together for a good portion of the book. I wished that we had more scenes with them actually hanging out and getting to know each other earlier in the story rather than leaving it all until the very end when it felt a little too late.
This brings me to how I felt the build-up of their story was a little too drawn out and I think the back-and-forth nature of both these characters' thoughts made the narrative feel slightly repetitive, especially when it kept repeating. With this taking up so much space, it made it feel like Reggie's character growth got pushed to the sideline and his arc didn't get fully realised. I think this element is what disappointed me most because I would've loved to have the resolution of Reggie's storyline with his parents and brother be more fleshed out; it was good but it could've been great if there was more depth!
I wished some of the side characters had gotten more page time. I would've loved to see some of these characters play more of a role but they felt pretty two-dimensional and served only to push the romance along.

Content Warnings

rickireadss's review against another edition

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Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

AMAZING. this has me giggling and swooning and kicking my feet. i just had the best time while listening to this! the character development of delilah was so fun to see and watch her grow into herself. reggie >>> i love that nerd so much. they were amazing individually, and even better together!!

⚠️: racism, chronic illness, bullying, gaslighting, panic attacks/disorders

Content Warnings

aqtbenz's review

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emotional 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? No

5.0

Content Warnings

imstephtacular's review

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

readingwithtrey's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

Delilah has recently joined a punk rock band with a few of her friends. Though her sister, Georgia, is typically the star of the family with a huge talent for singing and acting. Delilah has never sang for real before and isn’t quite sure she’s any good.But after the band’s first gig featuring Delilah singing, they gain notoriety overnight. They begin to get more and more opportunities and gigs. While Delilah is growing to love performing, she still isn’t sure that she truly belongs in the band. She questions her talent and identity as a Black girl in the genre. Until one day she meets Reggie. He exudes confidence and doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him. He seems too good to be true.

Reggie would prefer to play Dungeons and Dragons over going to see a band play on New Year’s Eve. But after one too many taunts and jokes from his older brother, he decides to use it as an excuse to escape. When he arrives at the venue, he sees Delilah commanding the stage and its love at first sight. He runs into her after her performance and decides he has to play it cool. He presents the Reggie that he wishes he was. They continue to have chance encounters on holidays and their relationship slowly builds over the course of the next year. But Reggie gets in over his head with pretending to be someone he’s not.

While the title is literally “Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling,” I still didn’t really have too much of an idea of how it would play out. But let me tell you, it was SO cute and precious. This was such a unique story line that kept me smiling. There was so much of this story that I could relate to, and I appreciated it so much. I really could have used a book like this growing up. It took me well into my adult years to truly be comfortable with just being myself. I’m a little awkward and nerdy and enjoy “nerdy” things, and that’s totally okay. Life is too short to live it trying to be someone you aren’t.

This was an awesome read, and I have no complaints. It tackles some current social issues extremely well, and the overall message surrounding embracing what makes us who we are was *chef’s kiss.*

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