gigi785's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The chapters are written off of one of the main character’s POV which makes it all very easy to get frustrated by the decisions they make😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Transphobia, Bullying, Deadnaming, and Homophobia
Moderate: Child death, Dysphoria, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Body shaming, and Sexual assault
Minor: Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
lulunyx's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Conflicted as I like the premise and themes of the book I just didn't like a lot about it:
- Really love the themes explored but some topics were brushed over and not handled well.
- The two leads are both dicks, and got worse. You can have unlikeable characters just don't try and pass them off as good.
- They also have zero chemistry. Toxic as hell.
- Writing style kind of bugged me
- Plot was predictable
On the plus side:
- Side characters are better than the leads
- The way Meehan, Philip and the world treat Jeremy really struck me (I still want to punch many people in the face, especially Connor).
- Really important topics (even if some of the topics brought up are not fully explored) and has good diversity of characters.
Media definitely needs more stories with trans, neurodivergent and non-white characters. The human race is diverse and amazing with so many views, media should reflect that. But this book, brushed over so many of the topics it brought up and didn't go into any real depth especially for Lukas' autism. My brother is trans and the way Jeremy is treated is realistic to what my brother has experienced, which made it difficult at times to read but also made me super mad at the reality the ignorance of some characters like Connor and Phillip shows. Overall, an important story to tell just wish it was done better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Transphobia
Moderate: Child death, Dysphoria, and Sexism
Minor: Racism and Sexual assault
rosage's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this book is absolutely amazing. every page kept me interested. the characters are hilarious, the character development is phenomenal, and the story is better than i could’ve imagined. as someone of the trans community it’s such a heartwarming thing to see trans characters not only represented in books but as fully fleshed out people with their own issues. i have never related more to a character than i did with Jeremy (as far as his experiences, not so much with the drama). this book was amazing!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Homophobia, and Transphobia
Moderate: Cursing, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Hate crime, and Homophobia
mals_library's review against another edition
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Dysphoria, Transphobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Bullying
Moderate: Deadnaming, Death, Alcohol, Child death, and Grief
reading_ray's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Alcohol, Bullying, Child death, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Deadnaming
stinky_stew's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I found a lot of the side characters to be obnoxious and for as slow of a burn the book is I had a hard time handling how long the focus was on them. The resolution seemed short. It was a very slow burn I wish more time was taken to relish in the end
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Sexism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Deadnaming and Emotional abuse
Minor: Antisemitism, Car accident, Child death, Cursing, and Sexual harassment
It is explained as exposition that Lukas’s older brother died in a car accident not long before the story beginsrachrreads's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Jeremy Harkiss has felt like there’s been something wrong with him his whole life. Trying to be the perfect “girl” everyone wanted him to be— popular, student body president, captain of the cheerleading team, beautiful. But during his senior year Jeremy finally gets to be himself. After dumping his ex and telling his mother he’s a boy, Jeremy is done pretending. He decides to run for homecoming king against his ex-boyfriend. It’s a challenge for him, as some in the school don’t see him for who he really is, but he’s not going to let that get in his way.
Lukas Rivers has been hiding something from everyone his whole life. Lukas is Autistic, but he doesn’t want anyone to know. Star player on the football team, head of the homecoming committee, and well-liked by the whole school, but only his family and his ex know his secret. Lukas is also struggling with the death of his “perfect” brother the prior summer. It doesn’t help that he was dumped by his best friend the day of the funeral, with no explanation why. His family is falling apart in front of his very eyes; Lukas needs to win Homecoming king— this will bring his family back together, or so he thinks. He’s got the crown in the bag, until his ex Jeremy announces his own run.
This is a fight for the crown. May the Best Man Win.
This book was super cute and I loved every minute of it. I would highly recommend if you’re looking to read something fluffy, but also serious. You really get to feel everything Lukas is going through in his body dysmorphia and self doubt. Also, lovers to enemies to lovers is always a serve!
Jeremy Harkiss has felt like there’s been something wrong with him his whole life. Trying to be the perfect “girl” everyone wanted him to be— popular, student body president, captain of the cheerleading team, beautiful. But during his senior year Jeremy finally gets to be himself. After dumping his ex and telling his mother he’s a boy, Jeremy is done pretending. He decides to run for homecoming king against his ex-boyfriend. It’s a challenge for him, as some in the school don’t see him for who he really is, but he’s not going to let that get in his way.
Lukas Rivers has been hiding something from everyone his whole life. Lukas is Autistic, but he doesn’t want anyone to know. Star player on the football team, head of the homecoming committee, and well-liked by the whole school, but only his family and his ex know his secret. Lukas is also struggling with the death of his “perfect” brother the prior summer. It doesn’t help that he was dumped by his best friend the day of the funeral, with no explanation why. His family is falling apart in front of his very eyes; Lukas needs to win Homecoming king— this will bring his family back together, or so he thinks. He’s got the crown in the bag, until his ex Jeremy announces his own run.
This is a fight for the crown. May the Best Man Win.
This book was super cute and I loved every minute of it. I would highly recommend if you’re looking to read something fluffy, but also serious. You really get to feel everything Lukas is going through in his body dysmorphia and self doubt. Also, lovers to enemies to lovers is always a serve!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Transphobia, Sexism, Misogyny, Homophobia, Hate crime, Deadnaming, and Bullying
Moderate: Blood, Biphobia, Car accident, Child death, Grief, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault
perpetualpages's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
CWs: sibling death; ableism and internal ableism; misgendering, deadnaming, and transphobia; homophobia; bullying; racism; references to sexual harassment/assault; references to abusive parents and divorce; underage drinking; infidelity; graphic physical assault
This book is not a rom-com. It's a story about two hurt, twisted, angry rivals projecting all of their pain, rage, and deep-seated need for affirmation onto their school's race for homecoming king. It's intense, and the stakes are higher than I've ever seen in a story like this. If You Should See Me in a Crown had an evil twin on the polar opposite side of the emotional spectrum and then had a baby with The Witch King, you would have this book.
I think this is a really important addition to the YA contemporary canon, especially as a piece of trans fiction, but I can already tell that it's going to be polarizing and get a bad rap for having "unlikeable" characters. It's definitely one of those narrative car crashes you can't look away from, and I think I kind of loved it. With that said, I'm still processing what that means.
As I said, May the Best Man Win is a story that centers two angry, grieving, messy teenagers who don't know where to place their rage and their frustration when it feels like the world is taking away their control, and so they project all of that onto each other, especially when they already have a challenging history as exes. Each of them knows the other person "can take" their ugliness and their anger, so they pour all of it into this homecoming race. Is it healthy? No. Does it set a "good example"? No. But it does make sense.
And when I say that they're truly battling it out for Homecoming King, I don't mean some light sabotage, spying, or shenanigans. I mean they are actively trying to hurt one another and hurt each other's chances, and they do things that could potentially harm themselves and other people, both physically and emotionally. There are times when they definitely cross the moral line, and it's purely because there is so much at stake for each of them. It is an ugly battle between two ruthless, unforgiving exes, and truth be told, that take-no-prisoners approach was one of the biggest draws of the story for me, because the book is not attempting to romanticize or sanctify either character, which is something we rarely see especially in queer YA fiction.
Jeremy is a really fascinating character to me, because he is so terrified and isolated, and a lot of his fear and anger stems from the fact that he's afraid no one will truly love him while seeing him for his transness. He's also grieving, in a way, because he's mourning the life he was never allowed to have until coming out and transitioning, and also the femininity and feminine spaces that he's had to give up in the process of transitioning. Above all, the story does such job of commenting on how transmasc people, specifically, are in danger of adopting toxic masculinity as a means to shield ourselves and "successfully" pass, if our goal is to pass.
The story really looks at how Jeremy has had to distance himself from all things "feminine"—not just clothing and make-up, but even "feminine" behaviors and attitudes such as softness, empathy, generosity, and openness—just to be awarded the badge of "manhood" on cis men's terms. And it's not that he necessarily wants to disconnect himself from those things, but he feels like he's not allowed to have them or express them, because that opens the door to people invalidating his identity. And no, that shouldn't be the case, but that's the way it is. So he adopts a lot of aggression and even violence because he thinks if he can't get people to see him as a man, maybe he can get them to fear him as a man, because he thinks fear is a shortcut to respect.
So there's a lot tied up for him in this competition, because he sees winning the crown as getting his classmates and the school administration to not only see him as a man, but like him as a man enough to vote for him, and to see him as a man who deserves to *win* and not merely exist. There's equally as much tied up in the homecoming race for Lukas, who is grieving the loss of his brother and wanting to prove to his family that he can secure a future for himself as a queer Autistic person, since winning Homecoming King pretty much guarantees an acceptance to an Ivy League school. Not only that, but his family is falling apart because of his brother's death, and his parents are on the verge of divorce. So he's also trying to prove that he can be a source of pride and happiness for him just like his brother was.
When you take all of those layers into consideration, you realize it's a lot. It's dark, it's fucked up, and it's not right to put all that on the shoulders of two teenage boys. And yet, that is exactly what the world does. This story understands that we don't simply arrive at realizations, we come into to them, we bring our baggage into them along the way, and how we come into the decisions we make is just as important as the decisions themselves. And, in truth, the process of coming into ourselves and our choices is not always palatable, neat, or clear-cut, and that's okay.
This story touches on so many valid issues and dangers that transmasculine people face, more than I can possibly address in this review. But it's also about what comes next after the breaking point, why it can feel so scary and impossible to ask for love, and how to use anger and action in productive ways. The main thing I took issue with is the pace of the romance, because that switch from rivalry to second chance romance felt a bit underdeveloped in the space given. And, by extension, I wasn't fully satisfied with the ending note either, which felt a little incongruous with the tone of the story and the characters.
With that said, I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I finished it, and I think it's going to be such a gift and a necessary offering to young trans readers.
This book is not a rom-com. It's a story about two hurt, twisted, angry rivals projecting all of their pain, rage, and deep-seated need for affirmation onto their school's race for homecoming king. It's intense, and the stakes are higher than I've ever seen in a story like this. If You Should See Me in a Crown had an evil twin on the polar opposite side of the emotional spectrum and then had a baby with The Witch King, you would have this book.
I think this is a really important addition to the YA contemporary canon, especially as a piece of trans fiction, but I can already tell that it's going to be polarizing and get a bad rap for having "unlikeable" characters. It's definitely one of those narrative car crashes you can't look away from, and I think I kind of loved it. With that said, I'm still processing what that means.
As I said, May the Best Man Win is a story that centers two angry, grieving, messy teenagers who don't know where to place their rage and their frustration when it feels like the world is taking away their control, and so they project all of that onto each other, especially when they already have a challenging history as exes. Each of them knows the other person "can take" their ugliness and their anger, so they pour all of it into this homecoming race. Is it healthy? No. Does it set a "good example"? No. But it does make sense.
And when I say that they're truly battling it out for Homecoming King, I don't mean some light sabotage, spying, or shenanigans. I mean they are actively trying to hurt one another and hurt each other's chances, and they do things that could potentially harm themselves and other people, both physically and emotionally. There are times when they definitely cross the moral line, and it's purely because there is so much at stake for each of them. It is an ugly battle between two ruthless, unforgiving exes, and truth be told, that take-no-prisoners approach was one of the biggest draws of the story for me, because the book is not attempting to romanticize or sanctify either character, which is something we rarely see especially in queer YA fiction.
Jeremy is a really fascinating character to me, because he is so terrified and isolated, and a lot of his fear and anger stems from the fact that he's afraid no one will truly love him while seeing him for his transness. He's also grieving, in a way, because he's mourning the life he was never allowed to have until coming out and transitioning, and also the femininity and feminine spaces that he's had to give up in the process of transitioning. Above all, the story does such job of commenting on how transmasc people, specifically, are in danger of adopting toxic masculinity as a means to shield ourselves and "successfully" pass, if our goal is to pass.
The story really looks at how Jeremy has had to distance himself from all things "feminine"—not just clothing and make-up, but even "feminine" behaviors and attitudes such as softness, empathy, generosity, and openness—just to be awarded the badge of "manhood" on cis men's terms. And it's not that he necessarily wants to disconnect himself from those things, but he feels like he's not allowed to have them or express them, because that opens the door to people invalidating his identity. And no, that shouldn't be the case, but that's the way it is. So he adopts a lot of aggression and even violence because he thinks if he can't get people to see him as a man, maybe he can get them to fear him as a man, because he thinks fear is a shortcut to respect.
So there's a lot tied up for him in this competition, because he sees winning the crown as getting his classmates and the school administration to not only see him as a man, but like him as a man enough to vote for him, and to see him as a man who deserves to *win* and not merely exist. There's equally as much tied up in the homecoming race for Lukas, who is grieving the loss of his brother and wanting to prove to his family that he can secure a future for himself as a queer Autistic person, since winning Homecoming King pretty much guarantees an acceptance to an Ivy League school. Not only that, but his family is falling apart because of his brother's death, and his parents are on the verge of divorce. So he's also trying to prove that he can be a source of pride and happiness for him just like his brother was.
When you take all of those layers into consideration, you realize it's a lot. It's dark, it's fucked up, and it's not right to put all that on the shoulders of two teenage boys. And yet, that is exactly what the world does. This story understands that we don't simply arrive at realizations, we come into to them, we bring our baggage into them along the way, and how we come into the decisions we make is just as important as the decisions themselves. And, in truth, the process of coming into ourselves and our choices is not always palatable, neat, or clear-cut, and that's okay.
This story touches on so many valid issues and dangers that transmasculine people face, more than I can possibly address in this review. But it's also about what comes next after the breaking point, why it can feel so scary and impossible to ask for love, and how to use anger and action in productive ways. The main thing I took issue with is the pace of the romance, because that switch from rivalry to second chance romance felt a bit underdeveloped in the space given. And, by extension, I wasn't fully satisfied with the ending note either, which felt a little incongruous with the tone of the story and the characters.
With that said, I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I finished it, and I think it's going to be such a gift and a necessary offering to young trans readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Deadnaming, Grief, and Infidelity
Minor: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault
More...