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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
DNF. You know cis gay men who think they can say the shittiest misogynistic stuff about women but it’s cool because
Absolutely loved this book. From the minute I read the blurb about it I know I wanted to read it and I’m glad I did.
I loved this book, I felt the teenagers felt real, they were just kids making mistakes, but in a way I still felt for them, couldn’t they have acted better? Yes, were they selfish in their actions? Again yes, but I understood why and then they owned it and make amends. I specially liked that the situation with the parents wasn’t all fixed and everything was perfect, sometimes parents don’t deserve a redemption arc.
Another plus it’s hilarious!
Another plus it’s hilarious!
CW: Homophobia, Bipobia, Transphobia, Racism (internal), body shaming, Slut shaming, self destructive thoughts based on one's sexuality, molestation, online dating app encounter gone wrong.
I really wanted to like this book. I bought it a couple years ago when it came out, there was a huge boom of LGBTQIA+ literature in the YA Genre and I was so excited. I tried to read it back then and put it down, now I know why.
Our story follows Becket and Jaxon, two teens that seem like total opposites. Becket is out and proud, and loves The Golden Girls. This was one of the reasons I wanted to read this book, being a huge fan myself. Jaxon is the star quarterback of their high school football team. They meet because their parents start dating, and it's their mission to break them up.
This book was not for me. The main characters were not like-able at all. Becket in particular was biphobic and the book opens with him shaming one of the female characters for being sexually active. Jaxon was slightly better, but still had his faults.
I didn't like the plot of them trying to break up their parents. Jaxon has two moms who split apart, one of them, Jojo, starts dating Becket's dad. And Jaxon is questioning his own sexuality, which made his biphobic comments about his mother very gross to me.
There were some good things about this book. I liked the side characters, the adults in particular were all supportive of the rainbow prom that the two boys start. This book made me tear up, which I was not expecting.
I believe the author's intentions for the story were good. Teens in the LGBTQIA+ community deserve their happiness. They deserve to have a prom where they're not judged and a safe space to be themselves. I wish the plot and characters supported this theme more than they did.
I really wanted to like this book. I bought it a couple years ago when it came out, there was a huge boom of LGBTQIA+ literature in the YA Genre and I was so excited. I tried to read it back then and put it down, now I know why.
Our story follows Becket and Jaxon, two teens that seem like total opposites. Becket is out and proud, and loves The Golden Girls. This was one of the reasons I wanted to read this book, being a huge fan myself. Jaxon is the star quarterback of their high school football team. They meet because their parents start dating, and it's their mission to break them up.
This book was not for me. The main characters were not like-able at all. Becket in particular was biphobic and the book opens with him shaming one of the female characters for being sexually active. Jaxon was slightly better, but still had his faults.
I didn't like the plot of them trying to break up their parents. Jaxon has two moms who split apart, one of them, Jojo, starts dating Becket's dad. And Jaxon is questioning his own sexuality, which made his biphobic comments about his mother very gross to me.
There were some good things about this book. I liked the side characters, the adults in particular were all supportive of the rainbow prom that the two boys start. This book made me tear up, which I was not expecting.
I believe the author's intentions for the story were good. Teens in the LGBTQIA+ community deserve their happiness. They deserve to have a prom where they're not judged and a safe space to be themselves. I wish the plot and characters supported this theme more than they did.
So, to be clear: I did enjoy this book. I mean, that's 4 stars up there. Anything higher for me is exceedingly rare...
That said: I believe the author is a bit detached from today's youth. While they're making use of the Grindr-like apps (not so creatively renamed 'Bangr', along with other social media apps representing Instagram and Facebook), the protagonist uses phrases like "up in my Kool-Aid".
Man.
It's 2018.
I haven't heard that phrase since I graduated high school in 2006. And I live in a rural community that is always about 5 years behind the rest of the world.
There were a couple of other phrases that really made me go, "What? Seriously? Teenagers do not talk like that." But I returned the book already (yay, libraries!) and didn't write them down.
I was also a little confused about the definition of this "small town". Okay, so it's in the south and has like 10 churches, 2 of which are particularly close minded. That's fine. But then it sports a small community college and is close enough to several other universities to have a gay bar within it's limits? What? Not being familiar with North Carolina geography, I can't really say whether this is feesible, but up here in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin...dude, no. The closest -city- of that kind of demographic is at least 30K pop. My rural town, which houses 4 church congregations and twice as many bars (none LGBT), is 1500. The 30K city near me has the only gay bar for a 100 mile radius...
All that aside, I also didn't really like the way that Beck treated his BFF Shelby. Maybe she was perfectly fine -not- being dolled up by drag queens. Not all girls want or need to wear dresses to feel pretty, Mr. Howard. Not all girls want or need to wear make-up. I'm not saying the experience at the spa wouldn't have been fun...but seriously. If someone had ever tried to take me to that kind of place, being very Shelby-like in my teen years, I would have been seriously embarrassed and probably would have stopped speaking to them. Twelve-ish years later, I probably STILL wouldn't be speaking to them.
So...over all, it was a fun read and I'll suggest it to anyone else looking for a laugh.
That said: I believe the author is a bit detached from today's youth. While they're making use of the Grindr-like apps (not so creatively renamed 'Bangr', along with other social media apps representing Instagram and Facebook), the protagonist uses phrases like "up in my Kool-Aid".
Man.
It's 2018.
I haven't heard that phrase since I graduated high school in 2006. And I live in a rural community that is always about 5 years behind the rest of the world.
There were a couple of other phrases that really made me go, "What? Seriously? Teenagers do not talk like that." But I returned the book already (yay, libraries!) and didn't write them down.
I was also a little confused about the definition of this "small town". Okay, so it's in the south and has like 10 churches, 2 of which are particularly close minded. That's fine. But then it sports a small community college and is close enough to several other universities to have a gay bar within it's limits? What? Not being familiar with North Carolina geography, I can't really say whether this is feesible, but up here in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin...dude, no. The closest -city- of that kind of demographic is at least 30K pop. My rural town, which houses 4 church congregations and twice as many bars (none LGBT), is 1500. The 30K city near me has the only gay bar for a 100 mile radius...
All that aside, I also didn't really like the way that Beck treated his BFF Shelby. Maybe she was perfectly fine -not- being dolled up by drag queens. Not all girls want or need to wear dresses to feel pretty, Mr. Howard. Not all girls want or need to wear make-up. I'm not saying the experience at the spa wouldn't have been fun...but seriously. If someone had ever tried to take me to that kind of place, being very Shelby-like in my teen years, I would have been seriously embarrassed and probably would have stopped speaking to them. Twelve-ish years later, I probably STILL wouldn't be speaking to them.
So...over all, it was a fun read and I'll suggest it to anyone else looking for a laugh.
dnf at 11%
SUCH unlikeable characters. one had major internalized homophobia even though his parents were 2 women. the other wouldn't stop calling his dad's gf "Big Titties" and then started making fun of his female best friend's looks. i'm out!
SUCH unlikeable characters. one had major internalized homophobia even though his parents were 2 women. the other wouldn't stop calling his dad's gf "Big Titties" and then started making fun of his female best friend's looks. i'm out!
In Becketts words: This book recieved two strikes.
The transphobia and the misogyny within the first. 50-100 pages.
I was set to continue reading, because I did kind of like the character of Jax and hope thst it's all going to ge tadressed at the end. Now that I have looked at the reviews, it doesn't seem like it will get any better. I don't have to put myself through that, so nope. DNF'd
The transphobia and the misogyny within the first. 50-100 pages.
I was set to continue reading, because I did kind of like the character of Jax and hope thst it's all going to ge tadressed at the end. Now that I have looked at the reviews, it doesn't seem like it will get any better. I don't have to put myself through that, so nope. DNF'd
actual rating: 3/10
was I invested yes? was it somewhat cute? yes. was it also chock full of EXTREME misogyny, racism, biphobia, transphobia, and a bunch of other isms and phobias? yes. not to mention the heinous shit both beck and jax do that simply cannot be brushed off as “selfish teenagers.” staging a hate crime and lying about abuse lands you closer to psychopathy than being a teenager. so many times my jaw actually dropped bc like no one told him “hey don’t write that!!!” this is so painfully white gay male millennial literature. if you can even call it that. it’s just a somewhat cute story that could’ve been executed much better. I wish someone had shown him wattpad. this should’ve jus been a fanfic. 2 stars for the pacing and being funny at times, as well as wanting to get to the kiss. if I don’t read a great book soon I’m gonna cry.
was I invested yes? was it somewhat cute? yes. was it also chock full of EXTREME misogyny, racism, biphobia, transphobia, and a bunch of other isms and phobias? yes. not to mention the heinous shit both beck and jax do that simply cannot be brushed off as “selfish teenagers.” staging a hate crime and lying about abuse lands you closer to psychopathy than being a teenager. so many times my jaw actually dropped bc like no one told him “hey don’t write that!!!” this is so painfully white gay male millennial literature. if you can even call it that. it’s just a somewhat cute story that could’ve been executed much better. I wish someone had shown him wattpad. this should’ve jus been a fanfic. 2 stars for the pacing and being funny at times, as well as wanting to get to the kiss. if I don’t read a great book soon I’m gonna cry.
dnfed after chapter 5. from what i listened to this book, it’s worth 1 star, especially those jabs from beck, aimed (in his head) at his best friend, a fat girl who he wants to give a makeover to because he thinks she would be much better with mascara, plucked eyebrows and styled hair. i’m sorry but that’s not friendship. when i think about my friends, i don’t see the things i would change in them. let’s not mentioned everything else that was wrong in those 5 chapters.
i had quite big expectations for this book ever since it came out, but this was overly disappointing.
i had quite big expectations for this book ever since it came out, but this was overly disappointing.