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A review by nickartrip102
And They Were Roommates by Page Powars
3.0
I requested and received an eARC of And They Were Roommates by Page Powars via NetGalley. On his first day at Valentine Academy for Bos, Charlie’s plan to conceal his identity is set into motion. Unfortunately, there’s one thing in his way: Jasper Grimes. Charlie requested a single room, but has been forced to share a room with the same boy who broke his heart the year before he transitioned. Jasper agrees to speak with his aunt, who happens to be the principal of their school, on the condition that Charlie join him in writing love letters to be sent back and forth between their classmates and the students at the neighboring girl’s school.
Jasper is a bit of a tool from the start and I certainly understood Charlie’s frustration with his character. I liked that I was kept in suspense about what actually occurred between Jasper and Charlie during that summer for a good portion of the book. This absolutely helped to maintain my interest in the story. I also think that Charlie and Jasper make particularly interesting characters to share space with because of the lingering tension between the pair, that Jasper seems almost oblivious to. There’s some level of jealousy that Charlie feels toward Jasper that I could identify with. Seeing someone so confident and at home within themselves can truly be difficult when you struggle with those things. I’ve grappled with that feeling many times, so it really helped me to foster a sense of kinship with Charlie.
I wasn’t totally sold on the school’s rules and the terms of Charlie’s scholarship, but I really enjoyed reading about his experiences as a student at Valentine and meeting the friends he makes along the way. Xavier, Luis, and Blaze all felt fully realized and I couldn’t help but wish that Delilah and Charlie’s mother had been given a bit more depth. Charlie and Jasper seem to be experiencing very serious feelings, so I think maybe a bit more background with their history would have been helpful in making the book feel more even. I found And They Were Roommates to be a sweet and fun read that will definitely work well for some readers!
Jasper is a bit of a tool from the start and I certainly understood Charlie’s frustration with his character. I liked that I was kept in suspense about what actually occurred between Jasper and Charlie during that summer for a good portion of the book. This absolutely helped to maintain my interest in the story. I also think that Charlie and Jasper make particularly interesting characters to share space with because of the lingering tension between the pair, that Jasper seems almost oblivious to. There’s some level of jealousy that Charlie feels toward Jasper that I could identify with. Seeing someone so confident and at home within themselves can truly be difficult when you struggle with those things. I’ve grappled with that feeling many times, so it really helped me to foster a sense of kinship with Charlie.
I wasn’t totally sold on the school’s rules and the terms of Charlie’s scholarship, but I really enjoyed reading about his experiences as a student at Valentine and meeting the friends he makes along the way. Xavier, Luis, and Blaze all felt fully realized and I couldn’t help but wish that Delilah and Charlie’s mother had been given a bit more depth. Charlie and Jasper seem to be experiencing very serious feelings, so I think maybe a bit more background with their history would have been helpful in making the book feel more even. I found And They Were Roommates to be a sweet and fun read that will definitely work well for some readers!