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morebedsidebooks's review
Important to note Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye has after its publication been banned in some US libraries. Because of this I decided I should share my blog review I’ve been sitting on for way too long because of different controversy the title has been involved in.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Outing
Minor: Infidelity, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Racism
Also includes Harry potter references.l_353's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Outing
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Violence, and Bullying
Minor: Car accident and Infidelity
planetesastraea's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Violence, Bullying, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Car accident and Infidelity
querciola's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Outing, Toxic friendship, Bullying, and Cursing
Moderate: Hate crime, Biphobia, Religious bigotry, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infidelity, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail
lonely_tardigrade's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Hate crime, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Stalking
Minor: Racism, Cultural appropriation, Car accident, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
evelyn_hughoe's review
emotional
funny
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? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Outing
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Infidelity
taelights's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5/5 stars
I'm not going to give this actual stars until I read the Seven Days manga and see if the plagiarism claims are actually true because I've seen people say they are and others that it's not so I rather make my own judgement before deciding the exact amount of stars I'd give this. But right now I'm going back and forth between 2 and 2.5 stars.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick and entertaining read with an adorable love story. I loved the chemistry between Bryson and Kai and I thought their relationship was very cute.
The writing style was a bit amateur. I realize it's the author's first book but out of a published book I would expect a slightly better writing style. I borrowed this from the library so it doesn't really matter much to me but if I had bought this I would be disappointed because I can find better quality writing on ao3 and there are plenty of fake dating turned real dating stories out there that I can enjoy for free that are of a better quality. So I would only recommend reading this book of you can get it from a library, if not I would pass.
Also I saw someone else in the reviews mention this, but I also agree that the book seems too preachy about how oh love is love and people should be more accepting and oh this is what gay teens go through still and it sucks. But the type of people who read this type of story are either probably going to be gay themselves and know all this first hand or allies who are already accepting so it was a bit annoying to here the same message every few chapters.
I'm not going to give this actual stars until I read the Seven Days manga and see if the plagiarism claims are actually true because I've seen people say they are and others that it's not so I rather make my own judgement before deciding the exact amount of stars I'd give this. But right now I'm going back and forth between 2 and 2.5 stars.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick and entertaining read with an adorable love story. I loved the chemistry between Bryson and Kai and I thought their relationship was very cute.
The writing style was a bit amateur. I realize it's the author's first book but out of a published book I would expect a slightly better writing style. I borrowed this from the library so it doesn't really matter much to me but if I had bought this I would be disappointed because I can find better quality writing on ao3 and there are plenty of fake dating turned real dating stories out there that I can enjoy for free that are of a better quality. So I would only recommend reading this book of you can get it from a library, if not I would pass.
Also I saw someone else in the reviews mention this, but I also agree that the book seems too preachy about how oh love is love and people should be more accepting and oh this is what gay teens go through still and it sucks. But the type of people who read this type of story are either probably going to be gay themselves and know all this first hand or allies who are already accepting so it was a bit annoying to here the same message every few chapters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Biphobia, Infidelity, and Racism
Infidelity is not between the main couple, it's about a character's parents. Forced outing also occurred but for some reason that is not a content warning tag here. The main character mentions facing racism due to being mixed race but none is actually "on screen". Also biphobia/bi-erasure because Bryson is implied to possibly be bi when he was questioning his sexuality but it is never actually put into words if he discovers if he's bi or gay and i find that a bit sus....spearly's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
Okay. I've taken a breathe. I have done a bit more research.
I am (hesitantly) going to change my star rating back based on the fact that I have not read Seven Days: Monday–Sunday myself and I don't think it's fair to compare them without doing my own due diligence.
Yes, the concepts are very similar. Based on the research I have managed to do (that is, watching a review of someone who read both Seven Days and Date Me, Bryson Keller), I've gathered:
the similarities:
- guy at school dates the first person who asks him out for a week
- a guy asks him out and that kicks off the story
the differences:
- the relationship dynamic
- characterization
- the whole "date for a week" think is a bet in DM,BK and it's not in SD
- DM,BK dating week is school week, SD is a full week
- DM,BK deals with issues of race, religion, and homophobia in ways that SD does not
So... the premise is very similar. The execution is different.
You can watch the video I'm basing this off of here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-1mEqy6GW0
It's still hella sketchy that the author has legitimately names Seven Days as a manga he has read and enjoyed. And please do not take this review edit as a justification for plagiarism, especially in the case of stealing from authors of colour, ESPECIALLY females.
I just think we all need to be a bit more careful with things like this. DON'T do what I did, and write a scathing edition to an otherwise glowing review based on OTHER reviews that mention plagiarism, without doing any research of your own.
Proceed with caution.
_________________________
WOW. OKAY THEN.
Just read some of the other reviews of this (I went in blind) and evidently this book was blatantly PLAGIARIZED from a manga called Seven Days: Monday–Sunday by a Japanese woman named Venio Tachibana. So.
Well then. 1 fucking star, Whye.
WHY, WHYE, WHY!!!
Do better.
________________________
I choose to be happy.
Because I can be.
Because I deserve to be.
Gay means happy, too, you know.
I'm not crying. You're crying (yeah, I'm definitely crying)
Date Me, Bryson Keller follows Kai Sheridan, a closeted teen who, in a moment of anger and bravery, asks out the most popular boy in school. And, because of dare made 2 months prior, wherein Bryson Keller has to date the first person who asks him out on Monday for a whole school week, he says yes.
Y'all. Where was this book when I was in high school? WHY aren't there more stories like this for all the teens out there struggling with their sexuality?
This story was so. dang. cute. And what's even better, there was so much more too it that just a surface level YA high school romance. You have Kai, a closeted, mixed-race high school kid with religious parents, and Bryson, captain of the soccer team and most popular guy in school, who learns more about himself in his fake relationship with Kai than he did with any of the girls he'd dated because of the dare.
Spoilers ahead, which will be covered because EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS.
I'll just be clear now, THE DARE IS NOT THE BIG CONFLICT. Kai knew about the dare when he asked Bryson out, which is partly why he had the confidence to do it. The whole "it was a dare??" trope is one of the most annoying in history and I would not have read this book (probably) if that was the big conflict.
This story, Bryson and Kai's relationship, was EVERYTHING. It was almost too good, that every chapter I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was worried that the big conflict would be Bryson feeling overwhelmed by his discovery about his sexuality, by how much and how fast he was feeling for Kai. I was worried he would pull away, clam up after a possible altercation at school with some of his douchebag teammates. And... it just never happened. Bryson took his new sexuality in stride, never shied away or felt shame or denied what he was feeling. He was just a damn pleasure to read about.
And Kai absolutely blossomed. He started out this fly-on-the-wall type who hated attention, just wanted to get through high-school so his life could finally <i> start</I>, so he could get to college and be who he's always known he was. As his relationship with Bryson developed, he became more confident, more sure of himself, less inclined to hide himself from the world. When the big drama does go down, sure, he makes some mistakes with how he handles his relationship with Bryson . But the resolution was just *chef's kiss*.
When I say I saw RED at the big conflict, I mean it. I wanted to pummel Shannon and Dustin. What they did was one of the worst things you could do. And Kai, for all his growth throughout the book, took it like a fucking king. And Bryson was a fucking king, too. And I just. I just love them.
read it read it read it read it read it
I am (hesitantly) going to change my star rating back based on the fact that I have not read Seven Days: Monday–Sunday myself and I don't think it's fair to compare them without doing my own due diligence.
Yes, the concepts are very similar. Based on the research I have managed to do (that is, watching a review of someone who read both Seven Days and Date Me, Bryson Keller), I've gathered:
the similarities:
- guy at school dates the first person who asks him out for a week
- a guy asks him out and that kicks off the story
the differences:
- the relationship dynamic
- characterization
- the whole "date for a week" think is a bet in DM,BK and it's not in SD
- DM,BK dating week is school week, SD is a full week
- DM,BK deals with issues of race, religion, and homophobia in ways that SD does not
So... the premise is very similar. The execution is different.
You can watch the video I'm basing this off of here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-1mEqy6GW0
It's still hella sketchy that the author has legitimately names Seven Days as a manga he has read and enjoyed. And please do not take this review edit as a justification for plagiarism, especially in the case of stealing from authors of colour, ESPECIALLY females.
I just think we all need to be a bit more careful with things like this. DON'T do what I did, and write a scathing edition to an otherwise glowing review based on OTHER reviews that mention plagiarism, without doing any research of your own.
Proceed with caution.
_________________________
WOW. OKAY THEN.
Just read some of the other reviews of this (I went in blind) and evidently this book was blatantly PLAGIARIZED from a manga called Seven Days: Monday–Sunday by a Japanese woman named Venio Tachibana. So.
Well then. 1 fucking star, Whye.
WHY, WHYE, WHY!!!
Do better.
________________________
I choose to be happy.
Because I can be.
Because I deserve to be.
Gay means happy, too, you know.
I'm not crying. You're crying (yeah, I'm definitely crying)
Date Me, Bryson Keller follows Kai Sheridan, a closeted teen who, in a moment of anger and bravery, asks out the most popular boy in school. And, because of dare made 2 months prior, wherein Bryson Keller has to date the first person who asks him out on Monday for a whole school week, he says yes.
Y'all. Where was this book when I was in high school? WHY aren't there more stories like this for all the teens out there struggling with their sexuality?
This story was so. dang. cute. And what's even better, there was so much more too it that just a surface level YA high school romance. You have Kai, a closeted, mixed-race high school kid with religious parents, and Bryson, captain of the soccer team and most popular guy in school, who learns more about himself in his fake relationship with Kai than he did with any of the girls he'd dated because of the dare.
Spoilers ahead, which will be covered because EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS.
I'll just be clear now, THE DARE IS NOT THE BIG CONFLICT. Kai knew about the dare when he asked Bryson out, which is partly why he had the confidence to do it. The whole "it was a dare??" trope is one of the most annoying in history and I would not have read this book (probably) if that was the big conflict.
This story, Bryson and Kai's relationship, was EVERYTHING. It was almost too good, that every chapter I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was worried that the big conflict would be
And Kai absolutely blossomed. He started out this fly-on-the-wall type who hated attention, just wanted to get through high-school so his life could finally <i> start</I>, so he could get to college and be who he's always known he was. As his relationship with Bryson developed, he became more confident, more sure of himself, less inclined to hide himself from the world. When the big drama does go down, sure, he makes some mistakes
When I say I saw RED at the big conflict, I mean it. I wanted to pummel
read it read it read it read it read it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Car accident
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