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A review by brookeisbusyreading
Blaine for the Win by Robbie Couch
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Realism. Quirky, flawed, ridiculously relatable characters. A slow-burning and beautifully-paced plot.
From the get-go, Blaine is a wonderfully creative, emotional guy with an insanely big heart and a knack for making real mistakes. Then there’s his group of equally big-hearted and queer friends (dare I say a second family?).
I love all the characters - even the ones I hate! Every one, from the main and side characters to ones barely mentioned once, has something different about them. This builds up a nice balance of representation for a school that’s as big as Wicker West is supposed to be. On top of that, I love any inclusion of culture in books and bringing in Danny/Bao’s Vietnamese culture in the form of food was really satisfying! (And definitely made me hungry!)
Although I’ve mentioned specific things about the book, it does still follow a somewhat familiar plotline - high school drama sparks a stubborn determination/emotional decision that leads to an internal and external awakening while challenging norms.
BUT, one thing Blaine for the Win has that no other book does - an Aunt Starr. She’s a wild ride of impulses, compassion, and a spectrum of things she’s interested in. Plus, the aunt-nephew relationship is something I haven’t seen before and I’m so freaking here for it!
Overall, as you can tell from how much I’ve raved about it so far, I just love everything about this book! It’s a bit refreshing too because it’s not a ‘fangirling/squealing kind of excitement where all logic and manner of speaking elude me’ thing. I feel like Blaine for the Win has taken me on this slow burn of a journey that has the perfect pacing and is packed with so many little goodies (i.e. cringey mistakes, public speaking gone wrong, the right kind of romance, a supportive LGBTQ+ community, etc).
I’ve only recently begun to dive into the world of LGBTQ+ books, especially romances, but Blaine for the Win is sitting pretty at the top of my I Can’t Believe These Perfect Books Exist list and I’m so excited to read more of Robbie’s work!
From the get-go, Blaine is a wonderfully creative, emotional guy with an insanely big heart and a knack for making real mistakes. Then there’s his group of equally big-hearted and queer friends (dare I say a second family?).
I love all the characters - even the ones I hate! Every one, from the main and side characters to ones barely mentioned once, has something different about them. This builds up a nice balance of representation for a school that’s as big as Wicker West is supposed to be. On top of that, I love any inclusion of culture in books and bringing in Danny/Bao’s Vietnamese culture in the form of food was really satisfying! (And definitely made me hungry!)
Although I’ve mentioned specific things about the book, it does still follow a somewhat familiar plotline - high school drama sparks a stubborn determination/emotional decision that leads to an internal and external awakening while challenging norms.
BUT, one thing Blaine for the Win has that no other book does - an Aunt Starr. She’s a wild ride of impulses, compassion, and a spectrum of things she’s interested in. Plus, the aunt-nephew relationship is something I haven’t seen before and I’m so freaking here for it!
Overall, as you can tell from how much I’ve raved about it so far, I just love everything about this book! It’s a bit refreshing too because it’s not a ‘fangirling/squealing kind of excitement where all logic and manner of speaking elude me’ thing. I feel like Blaine for the Win has taken me on this slow burn of a journey that has the perfect pacing and is packed with so many little goodies (i.e. cringey mistakes, public speaking gone wrong, the right kind of romance, a supportive LGBTQ+ community, etc).
I’ve only recently begun to dive into the world of LGBTQ+ books, especially romances, but Blaine for the Win is sitting pretty at the top of my I Can’t Believe These Perfect Books Exist list and I’m so excited to read more of Robbie’s work!