WardenRed reviewed Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye
None
4 stars
On this Friday night, we are just two boys kissing because we want to, because we like each other.
And there is nothing at all wrong with that.
For the most part, this was a really cute book with a lot of heart. It's not the kind of read that's going to stick with me for a long time, but it's a nice gay romcom that has a lot of cute moments, a diverse cast, and a very likable and relatable main character. Some parts of the book were downright cheesy, but, you know, in a good way.
A lot of conflicts here are simplified: now and then, especially in the second half of the book, the author builds up something big and dramatic: forced outing via a school newspaper, a religious parent refusing to accept their gay child because it goes against their world view, etc. But then those …
On this Friday night, we are just two boys kissing because we want to, because we like each other.
And there is nothing at all wrong with that.
For the most part, this was a really cute book with a lot of heart. It's not the kind of read that's going to stick with me for a long time, but it's a nice gay romcom that has a lot of cute moments, a diverse cast, and a very likable and relatable main character. Some parts of the book were downright cheesy, but, you know, in a good way.
A lot of conflicts here are simplified: now and then, especially in the second half of the book, the author builds up something big and dramatic: forced outing via a school newspaper, a religious parent refusing to accept their gay child because it goes against their world view, etc. But then those conflicts quickly rushed toward happy resolution, skipping most to all of the painful in-between development. That's something that can even be expected from the lighthearted genre, I suppose, but I admit I think that perhaps, if you're writing a lighthearted romcom and don't want to truly delve into exploring the possible painful aspects of the situation... then maybe there's no point in even introducing them. I do get why the author made these decisions, though.
Overall, not anywhere near my favorite reads of the year, but a nice one, and I'm glad books like that exist.
