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northstar24's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
5.0
john_the_captain's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great book of how two boys randomly meet and fall in love. I really enjoy the writing style, it's realistic, refreshing and fun. The dialog flows and is easy to read. I've no problem recommending this book to anyone who enjoys YA fiction. (LGBT or not)It's a little cliched and that's why I've given it a 4 instead of a 5 (I would really give it a nine out of ten if that were possible on goodreads)
ciuli's review against another edition
3.0
3/5
CW: rape; unprotected sex; panic attacks; PTSD; depression; addiction;
I was looking for a fun and light novel so it's not like I dived into this book looking for something that would change my life, but it was a bit more cliché than I expected. I was surprised to see that the author of this book is the same as 'Openly Straight' because I hadn't really liked it, and if I had know beforehand that it was written by the same person I probably wouldn't have picked it up but hey, I enjoyed it!
I struggled a bit with the audiobook because the voice of Max's narrator is very deep and I sometimes struggle to understand deep voices in English. I had trouble with Jordan's as well because he read very fast and, even though I understand it was meant to represent the character's anxiety, it was very difficult for me to follow what he was saying on audio. So if you're looking forward to listen to this on audio, maybe keep these things in mind before picking it up!
Max, who is Mexican-American, and Jordan found themselves working on Jordan's food truck by accident, after Max witnessed Jordan's mom having a meltdown and he decided to give him a hand with the work. Jordan's life literally depends on this food truck, considering that they're behind on payments and if he doesn't save enough money for the mortgage, he's going to be homeless soon. They only know each other from passing each other at school, so the both of them had prejudices on the other before actually getting to know them.
Jordan believes that Max is perfect, he sees him as the handsome dudebro who has life figured out and nothing can touch him. Max only sees Jordan as a cute kid who needs to be rescued to satisfy his superhero complex.
I didn't really connect with the characters , mostly Jordan. he is extremely insecure but at the same time he so damn self-centered. Jordan pissed me off. A lot. Like, all these prejudices he had on Max and that he kept on having even after getting to know him? Like he firmly believed that Max's life was perfect just because he's fit. He didn't even stop to think for one second that something could be wrong in his life because Max is handsome and he is not, so he is definitely the one who has it worse. And, don't get me wrong, logistically speaking Jordan has it worse than Max: his mum is completely unreliable, he has to sustain himself and he could probably end up being homeless. However, I would have empathized with him more if the focus had been put on these very important issues, but all he thought about was why Max didn't want to have sex with him.
I think that some parts of this book were very good and it also raised some very good questions about rape like is it rape if I'm bigger than the partner and I could have easily stopped it? Or is it rape if I was aroused and enjoyed it at moments?
However, other parts of the book felt unnecessary, like when they went to the gym the first time or when Jordan was passing time with his 'wives' (ugh).
Many things, on the other hand, were not given as much importance as I would have liked. Like Jordan's mom's mental illness, the fact that he's going to lose the house he lives in, him having a confrontation with his friends and finally telling them off for dismissing his feelings.
Overall it was a nice quick read and I enjoyed it, I just wish some issues were given the importance they deserved.
CW: rape; unprotected sex; panic attacks; PTSD; depression; addiction;
I was looking for a fun and light novel so it's not like I dived into this book looking for something that would change my life, but it was a bit more cliché than I expected. I was surprised to see that the author of this book is the same as 'Openly Straight' because I hadn't really liked it, and if I had know beforehand that it was written by the same person I probably wouldn't have picked it up but hey, I enjoyed it!
I struggled a bit with the audiobook because the voice of Max's narrator is very deep and I sometimes struggle to understand deep voices in English. I had trouble with Jordan's as well because he read very fast and, even though I understand it was meant to represent the character's anxiety, it was very difficult for me to follow what he was saying on audio. So if you're looking forward to listen to this on audio, maybe keep these things in mind before picking it up!
Max, who is Mexican-American, and Jordan found themselves working on Jordan's food truck by accident, after Max witnessed Jordan's mom having a meltdown and he decided to give him a hand with the work. Jordan's life literally depends on this food truck, considering that they're behind on payments and if he doesn't save enough money for the mortgage, he's going to be homeless soon. They only know each other from passing each other at school, so the both of them had prejudices on the other before actually getting to know them.
Jordan believes that Max is perfect, he sees him as the handsome dudebro who has life figured out and nothing can touch him. Max only sees Jordan as a cute kid who needs to be rescued to satisfy his superhero complex.
I didn't really connect with the characters , mostly Jordan. he is extremely insecure but at the same time he so damn self-centered. Jordan pissed me off. A lot. Like, all these prejudices he had on Max and that he kept on having even after getting to know him? Like he firmly believed that Max's life was perfect just because he's fit. He didn't even stop to think for one second that something could be wrong in his life because Max is handsome and he is not, so he is definitely the one who has it worse. And, don't get me wrong, logistically speaking Jordan has it worse than Max: his mum is completely unreliable, he has to sustain himself and he could probably end up being homeless. However, I would have empathized with him more if the focus had been put on these very important issues, but all he thought about was why Max didn't want to have sex with him.
I think that some parts of this book were very good and it also raised some very good questions about rape like is it rape if I'm bigger than the partner and I could have easily stopped it? Or is it rape if I was aroused and enjoyed it at moments?
However, other parts of the book felt unnecessary, like when they went to the gym the first time or when Jordan was passing time with his 'wives' (ugh).
Many things, on the other hand, were not given as much importance as I would have liked. Like Jordan's mom's mental illness, the fact that he's going to lose the house he lives in, him having a confrontation with his friends and finally telling them off for dismissing his feelings.
Overall it was a nice quick read and I enjoyed it, I just wish some issues were given the importance they deserved.
naamah's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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
4.25
Really loved the character development
blurrypetals's review against another edition
3.0
This was kinda disappointing! Openly Straight was a really cute and fun read last year and, even though I didn't like it as much, so was Honestly Ben.
I think part of my issue was the narrators for the audiobook, mostly Joel Froomkin as Jordan. They were both extremely amateur and Froomkin was damn near unlistenable. The sound quality was also really poor and both actors had a habit of yelling, getting too loud.
Whether it was due to a poor production or not, I had a really difficult time connecting with the characters and their story, especially Jordan. I couldn't see past the whiny pissant he saw himself as, and Froomkin's voice did not assist me in that endeavor. His mom was also insufferable, understandably so, but still insufferable nonetheless.
I thought Max was a really interesting character, but the stuff with Jordan and the food truck really dragged his whole story down. I think the food truck story would have been better if it had been closer to a side story, and the whole book would have been a lot better if it had all just been through Max's POV.
I think part of my issue was the narrators for the audiobook, mostly Joel Froomkin as Jordan. They were both extremely amateur and Froomkin was damn near unlistenable. The sound quality was also really poor and both actors had a habit of yelling, getting too loud.
Whether it was due to a poor production or not, I had a really difficult time connecting with the characters and their story, especially Jordan. I couldn't see past the whiny pissant he saw himself as, and Froomkin's voice did not assist me in that endeavor. His mom was also insufferable, understandably so, but still insufferable nonetheless.
I thought Max was a really interesting character, but the stuff with Jordan and the food truck really dragged his whole story down. I think the food truck story would have been better if it had been closer to a side story, and the whole book would have been a lot better if it had all just been through Max's POV.
alwhitener's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
jbalkovec's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
thefantasticalworldofsara's review against another edition
4.0
This is the exact book I needed right now! While it deals with some heavy topics it’s still incredibly hopeful and cute and DANG DID I DEVOUR IT!!!
I’m not always impressed with love stories but I was with this one!! Both Max and Jordan learn and grow from each other which was awesome to see. The mutual respect, support, and trust (even when shit was hitting the fan) was wonderful because it meant they both brought out the best in each other.
Overall a really good read!
Ps. I was lucky enough to have found this ARC in my staff room :)
Pps. The views expressed in this review are my own and do not reflect the views of Indigo Books & Music Inc. or any of it's subsidiaries.
I’m not always impressed with love stories but I was with this one!! Both Max and Jordan learn and grow from each other which was awesome to see. The mutual respect, support, and trust (even when shit was hitting the fan) was wonderful because it meant they both brought out the best in each other.
Overall a really good read!
Ps. I was lucky enough to have found this ARC in my staff room :)
Pps. The views expressed in this review are my own and do not reflect the views of Indigo Books & Music Inc. or any of it's subsidiaries.