A review by leviofmichigan
A Very, Very Bad Thing by Jeffery Self

sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I’m gonna say it. This is a very very bad book. It just feels pointless. It’s like a version of Dear Evan Hansen, if you think about it. Kid dies, other kid lies about what happened. So of course that leaves you, the reader, hating pretty much everyone in the story. The book is far too short to flesh out all the complexities of the plot, not that the author would be capable of doing so in a meaningful way, anyway. Others have said this, and I’ll say it again: we just need some more books about gay people doing normal things and having generally happy lives. I’m so tired of reading stories where somebody gay dies. I’m fed up with the fact that Netflix will spend millions making a dramatic retelling of horrific stories of Jeffrey Dahmer, and that’s what people watch. I want to watch and read about gay people, and gay POC especially, living somewhat normal lives. I’m tired of the trauma. And especially annoyed by this book, twisting the trauma of the plot into a lame excuse for the main character to be an asshole. Okay. I’m done.