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stephmcoakley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Abandonment and Sexual content
torikate7's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual content
Minor: Self harm
thewellreadmrs's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Stick with what she knows and spend the summer with her Dad and friends in NYC while chasing after a mysterious red headed girl or..
Spend the summer with her absentee mother in Los Angeles and maybe make a connection with the aloof intern Adam.
The author does a great job of alternating each chapter based on if Natalya had chosen the NYC path or the Los Angeles path.
Either decision sometimes leads to the same outcomes while also sometimes opening new opportunities, friendships and life experiences.
I enjoyed immensely getting to see both plot lines play out and being equally invested in both outcomes.
I would say this is more YA Romance however as I didn’t really find the comedy in it. Just an enjoyable, cute and sometimes steamy bisexual multicoast adventure.
Moderate: Abandonment
Natalya Fox has big decisions to make. Stick with what she knows and spend the summer with her Dad and friends in NYC while chasing after a mysterious red headed girl or.. Spend the summer with her absentee mother in Los Angeles and maybe make a connection with the aloof intern Adam. The author does a great job of alternating each chapter based on if Natalya had chosen the NYC path or the Los Angeles path. Either decision sometimes leads to the same outcomes while also sometimes opening new opportunities, friendships and life experiences. I enjoyed immensely getting to see both plot lines play out and being equally invested in both outcomes. I would say this is more YA Romance however as I didn’t really find the comedy in it. Just an enjoyable, cute and sometimes steamy bisexual multicoast adventure.brittanylee0302's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Minor: Abandonment and Self harm
the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I will say that Natalya is an incredibly privileged main character. At times, she is aware of her massive wealth but often (such as when she spends time with her very wealthy New York friends), it flies completely under the radar. While I liked Natalya's personality, I found it hard to relate to those elements.
This being said, it's a really fun read and something lighthearted if you're looking for a queer romance (especially if you're looking for two-in-one!).
Graphic: Alcohol and Cursing
Moderate: Abandonment and Sexual content
Minor: Self harm
tinysierra's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I mean, two love stories in one book? How fun is that? The alternate timelines had some overlapping events but it never felt too repetitive for me. I enjoyed the romances in both sides of the story.
I loved that this wasn’t a coming out novel and there was no bisexual discourse. There were other queer side characters and relationships as well.
Natalya is Jewish, and so are her friends, so we get to see her having Shabbat dinner. I’m not Jewish so it was really nice to learn more about Judaism! There’s a part where she talks about how her religion and her sexuality coexist, which I thought was really cool.
I enjoyed Going BiCoastal more than Dahlia Adler’s Cool for the Summer. But I still liked that we got to see Lara and Jasmine in this book as side characters. I believe there’s also a reference to Home Field Advantage although I haven’t read that one yet.
Minor: Self harm, Abandonment, and Alcohol
jourdanicus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
To me, there was not nearly enough tension or conflict in the plot... Yeah, I do want stories where queer characters are happy, but I think that's possible even with a little drama.
Maybe my problem is that I'm an adult reading YA... I think this would be a good one for younger people who simply want some lighthearted representation on the page. There's just nothing intellectually challenging here.
Minor: Abandonment, Self harm, and Sexual content
zombiezami's review
4.25
Moderate: Sexual content and Cursing
Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, Self harm, and Abandonment
amberleila's review against another edition
- 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
**Trigger Warnings**
Familial Estrangement, Separation/Divorce
Going Bicoastal follows Natalya in a dual reality timeline, as she navigates her summer and the changes and challenges that come along with it. Natalya’s side-by-side timeline let’s you see how her summer would play out if she chose to stay in New York with her dad,versus going to California to spend time with her mother–with whom she doesn’t have the strongest relationship.
In New York, her father gives her some rules: talk to your mother more often, find a job, and take some more chances. In California, her mother has an internship waiting for her upon arrival at the advertising company she works for. As implied by our adorable title, each timeline comes with a romantic love interest, of multiple genders. In New York, the elusive, Redhead, Elly, whom Nat has ogled every time they’ve crossed paths and in Cali, a grumpy boy named Adam, which who she has to share a desk/work space with at her mother’s internship.
This is such a cute, feel-good, YA story about discovering yourself and taking risks. I’m delighted that it debuted during Pride Month, and I can’t wait for this to be added to my collection. 4 stars, without a doubt and I can’t wait to grab my physical copy!!
Moderate: Abandonment
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
- 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
Since Natalya can't choose, both timelines play out in a choose your own adventure kind of style book. We get to see what happens in LA and in NY, both with different romances and different options for her future. And at the end, you get to decide: which way did Natalya go?
Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday books for an advanced copy of Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler to review! Always a fan of Dahlia Adler, so I was excited to pick this one up! And I am happy to say that I wasn't dissapointed.
I would like to note, I didn't notice the part about both timelines playing out and I was a bit confused at the beginning. But once I got into the groove, it was smooth sailing. This book is a bit like getting two books in one, both with adorable romances to boot. Nat's summer in NY is all about music, and her summer in LA is all about food. What isn't to like about that?
Even though it is two separate stories, they both feel evenly developed, in that I didn't feel like one story suffered at the expense of the other. Both had great side characters, and we get to see Nat's character development in different (but also kind of similar ways). It's actually a good example of excellent writing! And really, I'd recommend it just for that.
If you're looking for a fun, different YA queer romance to read this summer, I'd definitely recommend checking this one out.
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Abandonment and Sexual content
Minor: Self harm and Alcohol