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thatjournalistwhoreads 's review for:
And They Were Roommates
by Page Powars
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
Oh what a lovely, healing, beautiful romance.
I am not always the biggest fan of second chance romance. But this story won me over.
Charlie is looking to survive his first year at the Valentine Academy for Boys—keep his head down, don't make a fuss, and don't let anyone know he's trans. That's it. He is not looking for friends and is definitely not looking for romance. But you know what they say: love finds you when you're not looking. Enter, Jasper Grimes: the sexiest young poet, the principal's nephew, and Charlie's first kiss from before he transitioned. Is it love finding Charlie, or trouble? Because he's starting to think they might be the same, and they're both named Jasper Freaking Grimes.
Reading about Charlie chasing his dream—which is simultaneously his mother's, his grandparents' and his own—reminded me of being in high school, and doing anything it took to succeed. I found myself wishing I could take Charlie's hand and tell him he was good enough without being the top of his class, and I cried when his friends made sure to tell him that exact sentiment. His friends all looked out for me and were an integral part of making Charlie's Valentine Academy dreams his own. I know this is a romance between Charlie and Jasper, but the love presented with Charlie and his friends made my heart soar, too.
And They Were Roommates deeply explores the fears, the triumphs and the in-between of being a kid, particularly a kid who feels so different from the world around him. It shares what it's like for his community, too: readers can see Delilah and Charlie's mom's fears and emotions tied up in Charlie's identity alongside Charlie's own hang ups about his identity. I truly appreciated that Page Powars told a full and complete love story, showing love of self, love of friends, love of family, and love of a partner. That's what makes love stories so beautiful, in my opinion. They are life stories. And this is one of the best ones.
I am not always the biggest fan of second chance romance. But this story won me over.
Charlie is looking to survive his first year at the Valentine Academy for Boys—keep his head down, don't make a fuss, and don't let anyone know he's trans. That's it. He is not looking for friends and is definitely not looking for romance. But you know what they say: love finds you when you're not looking. Enter, Jasper Grimes: the sexiest young poet, the principal's nephew, and Charlie's first kiss from before he transitioned. Is it love finding Charlie, or trouble? Because he's starting to think they might be the same, and they're both named Jasper Freaking Grimes.
Reading about Charlie chasing his dream—which is simultaneously his mother's, his grandparents' and his own—reminded me of being in high school, and doing anything it took to succeed. I found myself wishing I could take Charlie's hand and tell him he was good enough without being the top of his class, and I cried when his friends made sure to tell him that exact sentiment. His friends all looked out for me and were an integral part of making Charlie's Valentine Academy dreams his own. I know this is a romance between Charlie and Jasper, but the love presented with Charlie and his friends made my heart soar, too.
And They Were Roommates deeply explores the fears, the triumphs and the in-between of being a kid, particularly a kid who feels so different from the world around him. It shares what it's like for his community, too: readers can see Delilah and Charlie's mom's fears and emotions tied up in Charlie's identity alongside Charlie's own hang ups about his identity. I truly appreciated that Page Powars told a full and complete love story, showing love of self, love of friends, love of family, and love of a partner. That's what makes love stories so beautiful, in my opinion. They are life stories. And this is one of the best ones.