Date Me, Bryson Keller / Kevin van Whye

 

3/5

A fun, light read! Kevin van Whye's writing is smooth and easy to read, and I enjoyed Kai's character. Bryson is a male Mary Sue: a flawless golden boy who is incredibly similar to the love interests in Red, White & Royal Blue and Only Mostly Devastated. And of course, it draws ideas from the original gay YA novel, Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Some people are outed, some people come out, and these dreaded coming outs were actually dreaded for no reason and everyone accepts them warmly.

I could easily attack this novel for lack of originality, but a novel does not have to be original to be fun. Not every novel with representation needs to make some new statement. It is enough to be enjoyable fluff that incorporates characters that readers want to see. I would recommend Date Me, Bryson Keller to fans of the novels I mentioned above and those looking for a cute romance to brighten your day.

The Bucket List / Georgia Clark

 

2/5

I had high hopes for The Bucket List and I was definitely let down. I had expected a mature novel addressing the challenges of finding out you have a high risk of cancer at a young age. Instead, the only adult things in this novel were the sex scenes.

Our main character Lacey is a selfish liar who treats her only friends like trash. This is addressed in the novel but only at the end, when there are no scenes left to show growth or development. I had hoped this novel would be about self-discovery and about finally doing the things you've always wanted to do-- instead, this novel is about chasing men in a sad effort to feel validated and fulfilled. 

Seeing that Lacey has a high chance of breast cancer and must decide whether or not to have a mastectomy, I understand why Georgia Clark wrote Lacey's bucket list full of sex-related items and I was actually excited about that. Where I fundamentally disagree with Clark is Lacey's journey. I believe that Lacey should have grown as a person, her perspective on life should have shifted, and she should have learned to accept and love herself. Clark seemed to believe that Lacey just needed to chase after every man she laid eyes on until she found one that would tolerate and validate her after her planned mastectomy.

I did not see the development in Lacey's character that I had hoped for. In terms of emotional growth and themes, this book reads like a cheap YA paperback with a trashy sixteen-year-old lead. The only things keeping it from being labeled as such are the sex scenes, which although are hot, would have been much hotter if the emotions had been there. Two out of five because I finished it, but I would not recommend this to anyone. 

The Afterward / E.K. Johnston

 

4/5

The Afterward is about what happens to the characters after they've completed the exciting adventures that YA fantasy novels usually focus on. This is a concept that I haven't seen done before, which pushed me to pick up this novel, and I don't regret it at all. The three things I enjoyed the most about The Afterward were the alternating timelines, the normalcy of the leading characters, and the diversity. 

The Afterward alternates between the two leads', Kalanthe's and Olsa's, perspectives and between a year after the quest and the time of the quest. I really enjoyed the switching narratives because they slowly revealed more of each character and of what exactly happened during the quest. The two leads aren't the usual "stars" you'd see as protagonists in a YA novel; neither of them are the most respected or most skilled or most talented. Instead, the rest of the team on the quest fill those roles, and they make for a very exciting host of side characters. Yes, there are still the strong knights and the mysterious mages you find in plenty of other novels, but they are written in such a way that drew me towards them and made me eager to learn more. 

Each flip between storylines and perspectives unveiled more of every character's intriguing background. And overall, The Afterward was extremely diverse and open, particularly in terms of gender identity, sexuality, and race. These factors make The Afterward a lovely read that distinguishes itself from most other YA fantasy novels out there.

Looking back, the only flaws I can think of in The Afterward are that the present timeline never picks up speed to something high-stakes, and the story was too brief for me to bond with any character in depth. But I found so much more than that in this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed watching a variety of characters and past events unfold before me, and I would highly recommend this novel to those who are looking to meet new characters that one wouldn't usually find in YA.