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A review by jdk_andes
Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith
2.0
Though this book has some important representation, it falters in nearly every other way. This is a standard contemporary YA book, complete with the same recycled plots, characters, and mediocre prose which has come to define the genre. Nothing in this story is particularly new, following well-trodden clichés without subversion or self-awareness. It ticks all the boxes: new kid in school, artsy kid who can't choose between their passions, star-crossed crushes in different cliques, older siblings living in the "big city," older mentor who has nothing to do with the rest of the plot, tearful confession at the prom, and a convenient ending which perfunctorily resolves all the conflicts.
McSmith sticks to the "tell don't show" rule, instead of doing the work of building the world and characters. And this book indulges in over-explaining everything from character identities to pop-culture references to the functions of an iPhone. This book will likely mean a lot to some people, thanks to its representation. But for anyone who has read a YA novel before, this will feel derivative.
McSmith sticks to the "tell don't show" rule, instead of doing the work of building the world and characters. And this book indulges in over-explaining everything from character identities to pop-culture references to the functions of an iPhone. This book will likely mean a lot to some people, thanks to its representation. But for anyone who has read a YA novel before, this will feel derivative.