A review by tristatereader
As You Walk on By by Julian Winters

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • 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

4.5

I finished As You Walk On By yesterday and had to marinate on it for 24 hours because I had so many feelings. I requested this book from my library like 2 months ago and was so excited when it finally came in. I absolutely loved Right Where I Left You and after AYWOB, Julian has officially solidified himself as one of my must read authors.

As You Walk On By introduces readers to star athlete and golden boy, Theo Wright. Theo and his dad have spent all of his high school years adhering to “The Plan”, which ideally culminates in Theo attending Duke for college. But one night, one party, changes the course of The Plan and prompts Theo on a journey of self-discovery and love. In reflecting on this book, I identified The Plan as a metaphor for life; full of curveballs and the need to remain adaptable. 

The description of this book being The Breakfast Club meets Can’t Hardly Wait is spot on as Julian artfully masters the “one day/night can change everything” trope. There are so many things I loved about this book, starting with the unconventional way Theo was brought into this world. I loved the complexity and sometimes messiness of all of the characters; so raw and relatable. I loved that while Theo gets his HEA, not everything in his life is tied up into a perfect bow, and he finds peace with that.  

This was the perfect February read to celebrate Black History Month. I absolutely love reading Julian’s books because of the abundance of positive BIPOC and QBIPOC representation. Julian’s words are captivating, mesmerizing, and heartbreaking all at the same time. His writing is so important and elicits so much awareness. 
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