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kaje_harper's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. It's important going in to realize that this is really not a m/m romance novel, despite the cover and publisher. (Although actually MLR maybe offers more range than some of the other romance lines.)
This is more of a coming-of-age novel. There is romance, eventually, and even a HFN shading to HEA ending, but the book is about one main character not two. As the story opens, film student Micah is twenty-two and trying to figure out how adult life is supposed to work. In fact, he's one of the most realistic very-young adults I have come across in a while. That means he is idealistic, enthusiastic, emotional, and very funny, but also insecure and very self-absorbed.
Micah is surrounded by a coterie of friends, who are well portrayed with their own quirks and personalities, although they are seen only in interaction with Micah and are therefore sometimes a little sketchy. Micah narrates his story with theatrical verve, including many asides, chiming in from his internal Greek chorus, and imagined conversations. The style was quirky, amusing and fit the character although this type of narrative won't appeal to everyone. Through the course of the book Micah grows and develops as he interacts with people and events around him. The thing that made me take off a half star was that I felt there was some unevenness to his development. For a long time he needs a good shaking for his shallow self-absorbed moments, but when he meets his eventual boyfriend the change to increased maturity happens fast and largely off the page. That boyfriend has some major challenges, and I wish there had been more between chapters 30 and 31 (which is effectively an epilogue) to show the issues that surely arose and Micah learning to step up to the challenge.
Micah is not a romance hero with whom you quickly fall in love, but he is one whom you can enjoy, empathize with and eventually come to like and cheer for. And the book as a whole is a refreshing change from the standard styles and tropes. Recommended for readers who want to try something a little different.
This is more of a coming-of-age novel. There is romance, eventually, and even a HFN shading to HEA ending, but the book is about one main character not two. As the story opens, film student Micah is twenty-two and trying to figure out how adult life is supposed to work. In fact, he's one of the most realistic very-young adults I have come across in a while. That means he is idealistic, enthusiastic, emotional, and very funny, but also insecure and very self-absorbed.
Micah is surrounded by a coterie of friends, who are well portrayed with their own quirks and personalities, although they are seen only in interaction with Micah and are therefore sometimes a little sketchy. Micah narrates his story with theatrical verve, including many asides, chiming in from his internal Greek chorus, and imagined conversations. The style was quirky, amusing and fit the character although this type of narrative won't appeal to everyone. Through the course of the book Micah grows and develops as he interacts with people and events around him. The thing that made me take off a half star was that I felt there was some unevenness to his development. For a long time he needs a good shaking for his shallow self-absorbed moments, but when he meets his eventual boyfriend the change to increased maturity happens fast and largely off the page. That boyfriend has some major challenges, and I wish there had been more between chapters 30 and 31 (which is effectively an epilogue) to show the issues that surely arose and Micah learning to step up to the challenge.
Micah is not a romance hero with whom you quickly fall in love, but he is one whom you can enjoy, empathize with and eventually come to like and cheer for. And the book as a whole is a refreshing change from the standard styles and tropes. Recommended for readers who want to try something a little different.
msmiz95's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
Like other readers, I am conflicted with how to accurately reflect how I felt reading this book. It does read like a script, I mean there are headings!! hee At first I thought I would need to get up and pace as I read and maybe take some ADHD meds. It was too fast and Micah has a head like Sybil. Add on top of that, I am not a big inner monologue girl.
With all of that said, I really liked this story. It was clean, well thought out, funny with a side of heartbreak. In the end taking this journey with Micah, his real friends and the cast of characters in his head was a real treat.
Like other readers, I am conflicted with how to accurately reflect how I felt reading this book. It does read like a script, I mean there are headings!! hee At first I thought I would need to get up and pace as I read and maybe take some ADHD meds. It was too fast and Micah has a head like Sybil. Add on top of that, I am not a big inner monologue girl.
With all of that said, I really liked this story. It was clean, well thought out, funny with a side of heartbreak. In the end taking this journey with Micah, his real friends and the cast of characters in his head was a real treat.
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