Hello loves!
Summary
Seventeen-year-old Max has always been out, proud and just a little spoiled. Frustrated by the lack of romantic options in his small-town high school, during an argument with his lifelong best friend Dean, Max lashes out and says he wishes he had never been born gay.
Max gets more than he bargained for when he wakes up to find his wish has come true – not only have his feelings for boys vanished, but so has Dean.
With his school life turned upside down and his relationship with his family in tatters, Max sets out on a journey of rediscovery to find a way back to the life he took for granted, and the romance he thought he’d never have.
Rating
ESCAPE score: 45
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thoughts
The characters in this book went on quite a wild ride throughout the course of this book. Max, Dean and Alicia made up a wonderful trio of friends who all had their own issues and arcs across the story that was wonderful to see. Especially because the overall message of the book was that it is important to be yourself and follow your passions. They all came to life off of the page. Plus, the supporting cast of the book was also all complex and that is something that I always appreciated in a contemporary story.
At the beginning, I was unsure about this story, however, after reading it all and being able to reflect back I really enjoyed this book and how everything came together at the end because it was really satisfying. The ending was very cute and happy and everything that I want out of a queer YA contemporary book, it warmed my heart so much. I will not talk too much as I do not wish to give away any spoilers (because you should see what you think of it for yourself)!
The writing was easy to read and I think that despite the brief hiccup at the beginning, did deal with the issues in this book in a good and respectful way. It felt classic YA contemporary with a queer and modern twist that meant it was fresh and relevant for today.
Author bio
CALUM MCSWIGGAN is an author, presenter, and LGBTQ+ advocate. He’s worked
for Attitude magazine, written for the Metro, Gay Times and PinkNews, and was
recently placed in the Guardian’s list of the 50 most influential LGBTQ+ figures.
Putting LGBTQ+ stories at the heart of everything he does, he’s produced award-
winning films that have been showcased at film festivals around the world and
racked up over 10 million views on his online videos.
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