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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
This book was really funny, there were number of times that I laughed out loud, but the reason I only gave this book two stars was because of the insensitivity.
There is some biphobia that you may not pick up on unless it was already mentioned to you. One of the man character's (Jaxon) has two moms, and they are going through a separation in their lives. One of his moms begins dating a man, and everyone makes a huge deal about it. Basically since she was with a woman, then she is a lesbian no matter what. No one seems to grasp that she can have more than one sexual preference.
AND one of the main characters is struggling with their sexual identity, they believe that they are bisexual, and when they come out to the person they want to be with (another man) he responds by saying: "What happens next week when you start craving vagina again?" Like the idea that someone might enjoy having sex with two people of different genders is SO horrific. Some serious bi shaming was going on.
Also the terminology "scissor sisters" was used to refer to a lesbian couple. Who thought that was okay?
This book also makes it seem like being gay is a contest, like someone can be better at being gay than someone else. That's not how it works. Just because someone doesn't participate in their GSA or their PFLAG chapter, or doesn't know the lyrics to a song, or they don't watch a certain TV show, doesn't mean they're worse at being gay than someone who does do/know those things.
Next, I couldn't find the exact part in the book where this was mentioned, but there's a scene when the boys are talking about sexuality, and one of them say's something to the effect of "being gay is who I am." But it sounded much worse, trust me. And that offended the crap out of me. Yes, of course if your gay it's part of who you are, but it's not your defining characteristic. You shouldn't see someone who you view as different and say: Oh there's the gay kind, or the black girl, or the blind person. Being different is not wrong, but it's not who you are either. People are so much more than one thing, so for a book that is all about equality to blatantly throw that out there, not cool.
Finally, the used of the Bangr app. Bangr is not a dating website, it's not to find someone to have a long term relationship with, it's an application used to have one night stands. The app cheapens gay men as a whole, it stands for everything that a gay male should not want to be seen as. For lack of a better word, it makes gay men look like whores. The app is a punch in the face to the LGBTQIAP+ community, it allows the world to view gay men as people who can't be in dedicated, monogamous relationships, and it should not have been included in this book.
This was not even mentioning the transphobia, fat shaming, closet shaming, use of the word gaysian and many other things the author probably though was funny at the time.
I feel so much better after letting all of that off my chest. *wheezes*
There is some biphobia that you may not pick up on unless it was already mentioned to you. One of the man character's (Jaxon) has two moms, and they are going through a separation in their lives. One of his moms begins dating a man, and everyone makes a huge deal about it. Basically since she was with a woman, then she is a lesbian no matter what. No one seems to grasp that she can have more than one sexual preference.
AND one of the main characters is struggling with their sexual identity, they believe that they are bisexual, and when they come out to the person they want to be with (another man) he responds by saying: "What happens next week when you start craving vagina again?" Like the idea that someone might enjoy having sex with two people of different genders is SO horrific. Some serious bi shaming was going on.
Also the terminology "scissor sisters" was used to refer to a lesbian couple. Who thought that was okay?
This book also makes it seem like being gay is a contest, like someone can be better at being gay than someone else. That's not how it works. Just because someone doesn't participate in their GSA or their PFLAG chapter, or doesn't know the lyrics to a song, or they don't watch a certain TV show, doesn't mean they're worse at being gay than someone who does do/know those things.
Next, I couldn't find the exact part in the book where this was mentioned, but there's a scene when the boys are talking about sexuality, and one of them say's something to the effect of "being gay is who I am." But it sounded much worse, trust me. And that offended the crap out of me. Yes, of course if your gay it's part of who you are, but it's not your defining characteristic. You shouldn't see someone who you view as different and say: Oh there's the gay kind, or the black girl, or the blind person. Being different is not wrong, but it's not who you are either. People are so much more than one thing, so for a book that is all about equality to blatantly throw that out there, not cool.
Finally, the used of the Bangr app. Bangr is not a dating website, it's not to find someone to have a long term relationship with, it's an application used to have one night stands. The app cheapens gay men as a whole, it stands for everything that a gay male should not want to be seen as. For lack of a better word, it makes gay men look like whores. The app is a punch in the face to the LGBTQIAP+ community, it allows the world to view gay men as people who can't be in dedicated, monogamous relationships, and it should not have been included in this book.
This was not even mentioning the transphobia, fat shaming, closet shaming, use of the word gaysian and many other things the author probably though was funny at the time.
I feel so much better after letting all of that off my chest. *wheezes*
honestly almost DNFd this book right with the first chapter because beckett is that unlikeable and the language he uses is just so awful.
this book is like the parent trap if the protagonists were assholes and there was a bit of semi pseudo incest thrown in. it wasn’t fun and i didn’t particularly want anyone other than maybe jojo to have a happy ending.
the lengths that beckett and jax went to in order to get their parents back together were....gross. the plot itself was a little bit convoluted (and again at times gross) such as high school kids getting anal bleaching and brazilians (???) and this being totally cool and fun and beckett trying to lose his virginity on a grindr-esque app where low and behold he’s magically catfished by jax and it’s just sort of introduced out of nowhere and doesn’t really add anything at all to the story.
it has the bones of a story that could have been good, but it just really wasn’t
this book is like the parent trap if the protagonists were assholes and there was a bit of semi pseudo incest thrown in. it wasn’t fun and i didn’t particularly want anyone other than maybe jojo to have a happy ending.
the lengths that beckett and jax went to in order to get their parents back together were....gross. the plot itself was a little bit convoluted (and again at times gross) such as high school kids getting anal bleaching and brazilians (???) and this being totally cool and fun and beckett trying to lose his virginity on a grindr-esque app where low and behold he’s magically catfished by jax and it’s just sort of introduced out of nowhere and doesn’t really add anything at all to the story.
it has the bones of a story that could have been good, but it just really wasn’t
I did not enjoy this book. The characters were really self-absorbed and obnoxious and did not seem to learn much throughout the story.
I also had a problem with the way that many of the female characters were described ("it"/"big tits" for one character much of the time, "she'd be pretty if she just let me make her over" about a female friend, "whore" for a random character.
I also had a problem with the way that many of the female characters were described ("it"/"big tits" for one character much of the time, "she'd be pretty if she just let me make her over" about a female friend, "whore" for a random character.
DNF at 90% More like a 2.5.
I was honestly on board with this book for a while, but some of the events that happened turned me off. If I haven't picked a book up to finish it in 2 weeks, it is time to move on. Hoping for a less problematic next book. The Golden Girls references charmed me a lot.
I was honestly on board with this book for a while, but some of the events that happened turned me off. If I haven't picked a book up to finish it in 2 weeks, it is time to move on. Hoping for a less problematic next book. The Golden Girls references charmed me a lot.
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
I LOVED this book! I read it in one day, and I really hope that a sequel is in the works? XD
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
I’m a little torn on how I feel about this book. There were absolutely delightful moments: all of the “Golden Girls’” references, the spa run by drag queens, and just any scene with Beckett and Shelby together. So funny. I loved Beckett. So sassy and sweet, but I also didn’t enjoy some of the choices Beckett and Jax made. I mean, seriously, it’s a story about teenage boys. They’re still figuring things out. So it would be unrealistic to write characters who were always being selfless and kind. Still, some moments in the book made me cringe and others just made me feel bad. I found Beckett’s implied lie about his father to Jax’s mom particularly horrific. (I’m trying not to give spoilers here.) And I found myself during the whole latter part of the book anxiously waiting for the other shoe to drop. So, as I said I’m a little on the fence with this one. But definitely some seriously cute, funny moments, and I think that’s the greater takeaway for me.
medium-paced
It was a quick ehh read...
I saw a review that mentioned Simon Vs and the Parent Trap It is a fair comparison.
I saw a review that mentioned Simon Vs and the Parent Trap It is a fair comparison.