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bluebeereads's review
4.0
At this point I'm convinced that I will love any book Robbie Couch ever writes.
kevinscorner's review
4.0
Blaine for the Win is the gay teen version of Legally Blonde and I was all for it. On their first anniversary, high school junior Blaine’s senior boyfriend breaks up with him because he isn’t “serious” enough. So Blaine decides to win him back by running for senior class president to show just how serious he can be. Unfortunately, his ex-boyfriend is now hooking up with the frontrunner while Blaine has no idea what he’s up for.
The parallels with Legally Blonde is obvious and sprinkle some parts of another Reese Witherspoon movie Election, and you’ve got Blaine for the Win. I loved both of those movies, so this one was right up my alley and carried over plenty of goodwill. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but I just wish Blaine was a bit more likable. His flaws are very obvious so the conflicts were predictable when they did come. I do think that the message about being true to yourself came through albeit not very straightforward.
Blaine for the Win is a charming queer take on Legally Blonde.
The parallels with Legally Blonde is obvious and sprinkle some parts of another Reese Witherspoon movie Election, and you’ve got Blaine for the Win. I loved both of those movies, so this one was right up my alley and carried over plenty of goodwill. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but I just wish Blaine was a bit more likable. His flaws are very obvious so the conflicts were predictable when they did come. I do think that the message about being true to yourself came through albeit not very straightforward.
Blaine for the Win is a charming queer take on Legally Blonde.
masonearnhardt's review
5.0
Gives the vibe of a warm mocha with a donut. Simply perfect.
I really, really, liked this book. Legally Blonde was one of my favorite movies growing up, and I could always find power in it’s message of being “unapologetically yourself”.
I was very glad to see the references and inspiration from the movie, and was happy to see that the story diverged in many ways still.
Blaine Bowers was far from perfect, but that’s what I liked so much about him. At times he was a bit selfish and short-sighted, but he learned to do better and empower those around him. His inner monologues were relatable and I really felt nervous for him when he stumbled throughout the book.
Also… Aunt Starr truly deserves the world.
All and all, very enjoyable read!
I really, really, liked this book. Legally Blonde was one of my favorite movies growing up, and I could always find power in it’s message of being “unapologetically yourself”.
I was very glad to see the references and inspiration from the movie, and was happy to see that the story diverged in many ways still.
Blaine Bowers was far from perfect, but that’s what I liked so much about him. At times he was a bit selfish and short-sighted, but he learned to do better and empower those around him. His inner monologues were relatable and I really felt nervous for him when he stumbled throughout the book.
Also… Aunt Starr truly deserves the world.
All and all, very enjoyable read!
nietnoah's review
4.0
I was pretty busy so didn’t have that much time to read but I finally finished this one.
It was funny, cute and easy to read but it reminded me a LOT of Couch his first book “The Sky Blues”. Its practically the same story except the list that got leaked in “The Sky Blues” is replaced by the whole class president story. The characters were all a bit bland none really stood out to me. Finally the plot was also pretty predictable and the major plotwists had a lot of potential but it al ended up the way I expected. Thats why I give it a 3,5 star rating (rounding it up to 4). It was a great book but I expected more from it because I loved “The Sky Blues”
It was funny, cute and easy to read but it reminded me a LOT of Couch his first book “The Sky Blues”. Its practically the same story except the list that got leaked in “The Sky Blues” is replaced by the whole class president story. The characters were all a bit bland none really stood out to me. Finally the plot was also pretty predictable and the major plotwists had a lot of potential but it al ended up the way I expected. Thats why I give it a 3,5 star rating (rounding it up to 4). It was a great book but I expected more from it because I loved “The Sky Blues”
ellelainey's review
5.0
POV : 1st person, one character POV
Triggers : discussions about mental health, coming out, and political espionage
Themes : YA, class president, break-up, LGBT, coming out, self-discovery
Blaine for the Win is another great story, with relatable characters, from Robbie Couch. I loved [b:The Sky Blues|54304017|The Sky Blues|Robbie Couch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598640708l/54304017._SY75_.jpg|73531148], and this one is just as good, if not better.
Our MC, Blaine, is a fun, artistic, bow-tie wearing sixteen year old, who is floating on a cloud. About to go on the date of all dates with his one-year boyfriend, Joey, life is good for Blaine. Until that date turns into a gut-wrenching break-up in one of the swankiest - and unreachable, to financially struggling Blaine - of restaurants. Worse, the break-up isn't his fault, but because he's not "serious" enough for a budding future President of the USA.
Completely blind-sided, Blaine mourns his relationship over spring break, then comes up with the worst of all plans to win Joey back - sign up to become Senior Class President - to show Joey how serious he can be. Except...Joey is now dating someone else. And...Blaine hasn't got a clue how to be class president. And...everything goes downhill right from the word Go!
~
I'll admit, the break-up was BRUTAL. Total caps moment, because that was hard to read, and painful to watch. Maybe not as painful as Blaine fumbling his way through a campaign to become class president, and that first debate - OUCH! - but it's definitely up there.
All the plot twists were clever, well paced and well thought through, so that they happened at just the right moment.
I loved the foreshadowing of introducing Danny before we'd even met Joey, because he is SUPER important to the plot.
Normally, I don't love 1st person POV, as it takes FOREVER to find out the name/details of the central character, but Couch completely bypassed all that, and we had full deets on Blaine by page 2.
Blaine, as a main character, was awesome. A total wreck of a teenager, coasting through school, barely known by anyone outside his circle, thought a little weird, and prone to panic, with a fear of failure, and who jumps to all the wrong conclusions quicker than he could scoff a slice of pizza. I mean...that was most of us, right? And when failure, or a break-up, hits...it hits HARD. Mooning, moaning, and sulking included.
There really wasn't one other main character in the book, but rather a cast of supporting characters that all had their place in the story, and all pulled their weight.
Joey - obvs, as the ex.
Zach - his new boyf, and Blaine's opposition, running for class president
Ashlyn - Joey's bestie, who hates Blaine
Trish - Blaine's bestie
Camilla - Trish's girlfriend, and Blaine's friend
Danny - student council member, and new friend to Blaine
Together, Trish, Camilla and Danny give us - and Blaine - the full scope of friendship necessities. Trish is a strong young Black woman, Blaine's motivator, who is starkly honest and sometimes brutal. Camilla is fun, easy-going, and loves dinosaurs. Danny is Vietnamese, recently out as Bi, and loves plants. They all add something to Blaine's run for presidency, as well as becoming a strong team of friends who are always there for each other.
Joey's role as Blaine's ex is complex, but cleverly done. Ashlyn is a total witch, while Zach is even more complex than Joey, and shows some interesting fair play throughout the campaign.
Then, of course, there is Aunt Starr. Who is, of course, a total star. She's Blaine's rock, his encouragement, and a loveable, crazy aunt who is happy to lead him down whatever path he's chosen. Their bond is really nice to see, while his parents work hard to keep them financially afloat.
~
I don't want to say much about the plot, because it's more fun if you just trust the journey. However, I loved the diverse cast, the clever twists and avenues the plot went down. I loved the strong message about mental health, and how it was linked through everything Blaine was experiencing. His self-doubt, his self-worthy, his struggles with identity and his place in the world. I loved that he worked through each problem, whether alone or with his friends, in a way that most teenagers would be. Stroppy, at times, but getting there eventually, because it takes time to see yourself as you truly are.
The campaign for class presidency was, honestly, secondary to the plot of Blaine learning to accept himself as he was, without letting Joey's judgements change his perception of himself. Words truly can hurt more than actions, and Blaine learned the hard way that not everyone can be trusted, but also that sometimes finding where you belong means trying a lot of things that don't work out as you hoped.
~
OVERALL
Blaine for the Win was a resounding success, and I'm confident I'm going to love whatever else Robbie Couch publishes, from now on. He has a way of showcasing that inner teenager we all were, wanted to be, or loved/hated at school, and making you relive your high school years with a heavy dose of second hand embarrassment you just can't resist.
The characters he writes are visceral, clever and stronger than they realise, while enduring things that every teenager has lived through, dreamed about, or had nightmares about, at least once in their life. And somehow, we all manage to make it to 'The End' unscathed.
I can't wait for the next journey.
Triggers : discussions about mental health, coming out, and political espionage
Themes : YA, class president, break-up, LGBT, coming out, self-discovery
Blaine for the Win is another great story, with relatable characters, from Robbie Couch. I loved [b:The Sky Blues|54304017|The Sky Blues|Robbie Couch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598640708l/54304017._SY75_.jpg|73531148], and this one is just as good, if not better.
Our MC, Blaine, is a fun, artistic, bow-tie wearing sixteen year old, who is floating on a cloud. About to go on the date of all dates with his one-year boyfriend, Joey, life is good for Blaine. Until that date turns into a gut-wrenching break-up in one of the swankiest - and unreachable, to financially struggling Blaine - of restaurants. Worse, the break-up isn't his fault, but because he's not "serious" enough for a budding future President of the USA.
Completely blind-sided, Blaine mourns his relationship over spring break, then comes up with the worst of all plans to win Joey back - sign up to become Senior Class President - to show Joey how serious he can be. Except...Joey is now dating someone else. And...Blaine hasn't got a clue how to be class president. And...everything goes downhill right from the word Go!
~
I'll admit, the break-up was BRUTAL. Total caps moment, because that was hard to read, and painful to watch. Maybe not as painful as Blaine fumbling his way through a campaign to become class president, and that first debate - OUCH! - but it's definitely up there.
All the plot twists were clever, well paced and well thought through, so that they happened at just the right moment.
I loved the foreshadowing of introducing Danny before we'd even met Joey, because he is SUPER important to the plot.
Normally, I don't love 1st person POV, as it takes FOREVER to find out the name/details of the central character, but Couch completely bypassed all that, and we had full deets on Blaine by page 2.
Blaine, as a main character, was awesome. A total wreck of a teenager, coasting through school, barely known by anyone outside his circle, thought a little weird, and prone to panic, with a fear of failure, and who jumps to all the wrong conclusions quicker than he could scoff a slice of pizza. I mean...that was most of us, right? And when failure, or a break-up, hits...it hits HARD. Mooning, moaning, and sulking included.
There really wasn't one other main character in the book, but rather a cast of supporting characters that all had their place in the story, and all pulled their weight.
Joey - obvs, as the ex.
Zach - his new boyf, and Blaine's opposition, running for class president
Ashlyn - Joey's bestie, who hates Blaine
Trish - Blaine's bestie
Camilla - Trish's girlfriend, and Blaine's friend
Danny - student council member, and new friend to Blaine
Together, Trish, Camilla and Danny give us - and Blaine - the full scope of friendship necessities. Trish is a strong young Black woman, Blaine's motivator, who is starkly honest and sometimes brutal. Camilla is fun, easy-going, and loves dinosaurs. Danny is Vietnamese, recently out as Bi, and loves plants. They all add something to Blaine's run for presidency, as well as becoming a strong team of friends who are always there for each other.
Joey's role as Blaine's ex is complex, but cleverly done. Ashlyn is a total witch, while Zach is even more complex than Joey, and shows some interesting fair play throughout the campaign.
Then, of course, there is Aunt Starr. Who is, of course, a total star. She's Blaine's rock, his encouragement, and a loveable, crazy aunt who is happy to lead him down whatever path he's chosen. Their bond is really nice to see, while his parents work hard to keep them financially afloat.
~
I don't want to say much about the plot, because it's more fun if you just trust the journey. However, I loved the diverse cast, the clever twists and avenues the plot went down. I loved the strong message about mental health, and how it was linked through everything Blaine was experiencing. His self-doubt, his self-worthy, his struggles with identity and his place in the world. I loved that he worked through each problem, whether alone or with his friends, in a way that most teenagers would be. Stroppy, at times, but getting there eventually, because it takes time to see yourself as you truly are.
The campaign for class presidency was, honestly, secondary to the plot of Blaine learning to accept himself as he was, without letting Joey's judgements change his perception of himself. Words truly can hurt more than actions, and Blaine learned the hard way that not everyone can be trusted, but also that sometimes finding where you belong means trying a lot of things that don't work out as you hoped.
~
OVERALL
Blaine for the Win was a resounding success, and I'm confident I'm going to love whatever else Robbie Couch publishes, from now on. He has a way of showcasing that inner teenager we all were, wanted to be, or loved/hated at school, and making you relive your high school years with a heavy dose of second hand embarrassment you just can't resist.
The characters he writes are visceral, clever and stronger than they realise, while enduring things that every teenager has lived through, dreamed about, or had nightmares about, at least once in their life. And somehow, we all manage to make it to 'The End' unscathed.
I can't wait for the next journey.
jugglingpup's review
3.0
To see a full review check it out here.
It wasn't bad, but nothing really happened. It was light and fun though. So I am glad it exists, even if it wasn't super thrilling.
It wasn't bad, but nothing really happened. It was light and fun though. So I am glad it exists, even if it wasn't super thrilling.
nthnrgb's review
4.0
So I read this entire book in about 4~ hours at work, it's frankly such an easy and delightful read. It's PEAK romance and yes, it is every Legally-Blonde-but-make-it-gay vibe you think and hope it is.
Overall, the premise is kind of simple: Blaine gets dumped by his richer, hotter, smarter, overall "better" boyfriend because he's not serious enough for someone who is one day going to be the first gay president (these are high school students. I get being ambitious but sir you are like 18 at BEST. Calm down). Blaine decides that he's going to run for senior class president, to prove that he's serious and win Joey (his ex) back. The main problem is, he's never been involved in student government and is up against a shoe-in, Zach. So he gets together with his best friend Trish, her girlfriend Camilla, and a student council member Danny to build his campaign based on addressing the needs of students, specifically the mental health crisis that a lot of students face (and the author actually comes up with a plan that would be feasible by a student council, which I very much appreciate nothing takes me more out of a book than something that doesn't fit with the rest of the vibe of the story).
Potential cons
- If you don't like Legally Blonde, chances are you won't love this. That being said, if you like (or love) Legally Blonde, I think you'll really enjoy it.
- The characters, particularly the love interest, can read a bit flat. The book is, rightly, focused on the main character. Because it's done in first person, I found that it was a bit hard to feel how fleshed out the others were, especially for Trish and Danny as we see them most often.
- Questionable chemistry. For a split second at the end, I thought there was supposed to be a different love interest and when there was about 30~ pages left I was left wondering how the bridge was going to be closed. And the gap is closed but I personally like a little "revel in the romance" right at the end where we actually get to see the couple being a couple.
What I loved
- The easy of this book. As I originally said, I read this in one sitting, about 4~ hours while at work (whoops). It's very easy to get lost in this book and keep changing because yeah it's trope-y and cliche, but it's done well and it's like a warm, comfy blanket.
- The prompt of this book. I, like anyone with taste, LOVE Legally Blonde. I also love queer romance novels. This was my heaven.
- Representation. Trish is a black sapphic woman, and Danny is a Vietnamese bi man. They're not the main characters, and yes I've said in some ways they read a little flat, but their representation feels genuine and real, particularly when you remember we're understanding their representation from the perspective of Blaine (a white man). Danny talks a bit about how hard it was on his dad to open a Vietnamese cafe and how that's impacted his fears for the future. Trish talks about her mental health struggles. Neither of these things are the "focus" of the book, but rather help to flush out why these characters are helping Blaine with his campaign.
Overall, the premise is kind of simple: Blaine gets dumped by his richer, hotter, smarter, overall "better" boyfriend because he's not serious enough for someone who is one day going to be the first gay president (these are high school students. I get being ambitious but sir you are like 18 at BEST. Calm down). Blaine decides that he's going to run for senior class president, to prove that he's serious and win Joey (his ex) back. The main problem is, he's never been involved in student government and is up against a shoe-in, Zach. So he gets together with his best friend Trish, her girlfriend Camilla, and a student council member Danny to build his campaign based on addressing the needs of students, specifically the mental health crisis that a lot of students face (and the author actually comes up with a plan that would be feasible by a student council, which I very much appreciate nothing takes me more out of a book than something that doesn't fit with the rest of the vibe of the story).
Potential cons
- If you don't like Legally Blonde, chances are you won't love this. That being said, if you like (or love) Legally Blonde, I think you'll really enjoy it.
- The characters, particularly the love interest, can read a bit flat. The book is, rightly, focused on the main character. Because it's done in first person, I found that it was a bit hard to feel how fleshed out the others were, especially for Trish and Danny as we see them most often.
- Questionable chemistry. For a split second at the end, I thought there was supposed to be a different love interest and when there was about 30~ pages left I was left wondering how the bridge was going to be closed. And the gap is closed but I personally like a little "revel in the romance" right at the end where we actually get to see the couple being a couple.
What I loved
- The easy of this book. As I originally said, I read this in one sitting, about 4~ hours while at work (whoops). It's very easy to get lost in this book and keep changing because yeah it's trope-y and cliche, but it's done well and it's like a warm, comfy blanket.
- The prompt of this book. I, like anyone with taste, LOVE Legally Blonde. I also love queer romance novels. This was my heaven.
- Representation. Trish is a black sapphic woman, and Danny is a Vietnamese bi man. They're not the main characters, and yes I've said in some ways they read a little flat, but their representation feels genuine and real, particularly when you remember we're understanding their representation from the perspective of Blaine (a white man). Danny talks a bit about how hard it was on his dad to open a Vietnamese cafe and how that's impacted his fears for the future. Trish talks about her mental health struggles. Neither of these things are the "focus" of the book, but rather help to flush out why these characters are helping Blaine with his campaign.
haileyannereads's review
5.0
Robbie Couch is easily becoming one of my favorite YA authors. I adored The Sky Blues, so I was so excited for this one.
Blaine's "perfect" boyfriend dumps him (In a fancy restaurant. On their one year anniversary), because Blaine isn't "serious" enough. So, to prove that he can be a Serious Guy, Blaine abandons his passion for painting murals and decides to run for class president.
I love a good "learn to be yourself" and "don't change yourself for others" book. And that's what this book is. It's funny, heartwarming, and I just really loved it.
Blaine's "perfect" boyfriend dumps him (In a fancy restaurant. On their one year anniversary), because Blaine isn't "serious" enough. So, to prove that he can be a Serious Guy, Blaine abandons his passion for painting murals and decides to run for class president.
I love a good "learn to be yourself" and "don't change yourself for others" book. And that's what this book is. It's funny, heartwarming, and I just really loved it.
cardbuck1720's review
hopeful
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? Yes
4.75