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kittykitcat's review
5.0
You know a writer’s talented when they can pen stuff like the infamous screwdriver scene, and then also pen a charming tale about the struggles of growing up queer in an unwelcoming environment.
I got my signed copy by joining the author’s Patreon, and while yes, I wanted the excuse to mention it, I mostly say this in hopes some of you may jump on the chance to join and get yourselves something nice while you support him and his husband.
I got my signed copy by joining the author’s Patreon, and while yes, I wanted the excuse to mention it, I mostly say this in hopes some of you may jump on the chance to join and get yourselves something nice while you support him and his husband.
mrobison576's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-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
4.0
Must know if Poppy Brite is watching The Bear
canibefictionaltoo's review against another edition
3.5
I picked this one up on an absolute whim, but I actually flew through it much faster than I was expecting. I really like Rickey and G-man's characters.
I wouldn't exactly call this a romance but it's more like you're just following 2 boys fall in love and i know it sounds like it's a romance, but it's definitely written in a different way that makes it feels more like a contemporary coming of age story.
I wouldn't exactly call this a romance but it's more like you're just following 2 boys fall in love and i know it sounds like it's a romance, but it's definitely written in a different way that makes it feels more like a contemporary coming of age story.
essjay's review against another edition
4.0
A sweet and angsty story of queer first love. I read this when it first came out, but had forgotten the details.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
queerreadsandzines's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
mavenbooks's review against another edition
4.0
The book that started the series, this was a quick but enjoyable read. I will definitely be reading the third book in the series. Just good all around.
writerlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good. I liked reading about young G-Man and Rickey. I loved Liquor and Prime and really liked The Value of X.
jrhartauthor's review against another edition
4.0
Despite this book being the first in Rickey and G-man's story, it wasn't actually necessary to read in the grand scheme of the greater story. Unlike Prime or Soul Kitchen, which need Liquor for a good backstory, this is sort of an extra bonus, not plot-essential but deliciously sweet and angsty.
If you love Rickey and G-man, you'll enjoy this taste of them during their teen years. I highly recommend reading it directly before or directly after Prime, because of the characters that come back into Rickey's life in that one from this story specifically. I read this one immediately following Prime, and knowing where the story in this was headed made it so much better than had I read it alone.
The story was sweet and a little angst-filled, and it certainly left me wanting more. In many ways, I felt like for a book about Rickey and G-man, there wasn't much of the two of them together. However, the time they spent apart — something readers of the series are very familiar with — is a wonderful look at young love surviving the test of distance, time, and family opposition. For me, it required many, many tissues.
Where Liquor fails to tell their relationship in detail — and left many readers confused until late in the game that they were committed to each other in every way, not just as business partners and roommates — The Value of X picks up that story from the beginning of their want for each other, back when Gary was Gary and not G-man, or even just G.
You see the beginning of their life in the kitchen, their first times in the kitchen, and it becomes a beautiful introduction to their world.
The true beauty of this book is that it's a standalone in more than one way. You don't have to read the rest of the series to appreciate the story told here, nor do you need to read this story to appreciate the rest of the series (most of what happens in this appears in other books in bits and pieces of summary backstory). That said, it's beautiful and touching. If you love these characters, you'll want to read this one for sure.
As the first book in a series? I'd recommend skipping to Liquor and coming back to read this one after Prime, unless you want this as a standalone story.
If you love Rickey and G-man, you'll enjoy this taste of them during their teen years. I highly recommend reading it directly before or directly after Prime, because of the characters that come back into Rickey's life in that one from this story specifically. I read this one immediately following Prime, and knowing where the story in this was headed made it so much better than had I read it alone.
The story was sweet and a little angst-filled, and it certainly left me wanting more. In many ways, I felt like for a book about Rickey and G-man, there wasn't much of the two of them together. However, the time they spent apart — something readers of the series are very familiar with — is a wonderful look at young love surviving the test of distance, time, and family opposition. For me, it required many, many tissues.
Where Liquor fails to tell their relationship in detail — and left many readers confused until late in the game that they were committed to each other in every way, not just as business partners and roommates — The Value of X picks up that story from the beginning of their want for each other, back when Gary was Gary and not G-man, or even just G.
You see the beginning of their life in the kitchen, their first times in the kitchen, and it becomes a beautiful introduction to their world.
The true beauty of this book is that it's a standalone in more than one way. You don't have to read the rest of the series to appreciate the story told here, nor do you need to read this story to appreciate the rest of the series (most of what happens in this appears in other books in bits and pieces of summary backstory). That said, it's beautiful and touching. If you love these characters, you'll want to read this one for sure.
As the first book in a series? I'd recommend skipping to Liquor and coming back to read this one after Prime, unless you want this as a standalone story.
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