pierrereads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
tyleeb's review
5.0
I SHIP. love love love. so frickin cute. A sequel, Bill Konigsberg, is what we need!
xiati's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
sarful's review
4.0
This is really well done YA story of two boys trying to navigate life, family, friends and ultimately their own insecurities. Max is a jock who is not in the closet to his friends, is never the less not out to his teammates. Jordan spends all his time with his two best friends, his wives, and thinks very little of himself. Max is struck by Jordan’s way of being, and Jordan believes no one that looks like Max would ever think he’d be attractive.
After finding out his mother doesn’t have the back mortgage on their house, Jordan and his mom bring out their dad’s food truck. Jordan’s mother is a hot mess and randomly Max shows up and watches the embarrassing breakdown of Jordan’s mother. The two embark on a food truck venture to gain the money needed. And of course their partnership turns friendship turn more.
The two affect each other in a positive way. They change each other for the better. It’s a beautiful relationship.
The end was kind of quick however with no solution. It was a happy for now YA. I’m not sure how I felt about Jordan’s mom and how all that went down. It seems very very unresolved. And Max’s dad. That was very unresolved. I mean it’s very realistic and all, but I felt a bit left hanging. I guess so do the two heroes.
After finding out his mother doesn’t have the back mortgage on their house, Jordan and his mom bring out their dad’s food truck. Jordan’s mother is a hot mess and randomly Max shows up and watches the embarrassing breakdown of Jordan’s mother. The two embark on a food truck venture to gain the money needed. And of course their partnership turns friendship turn more.
The two affect each other in a positive way. They change each other for the better. It’s a beautiful relationship.
The end was kind of quick however with no solution. It was a happy for now YA. I’m not sure how I felt about Jordan’s mom and how all that went down. It seems very very unresolved. And Max’s dad. That was very unresolved. I mean it’s very realistic and all, but I felt a bit left hanging. I guess so do the two heroes.
king_justin's review
5.0
This book made me feel a lot of emotions. Happy, sad, embarrassed (cause I'm vulnerable to second hand embarrassment), anger. I've listened to the audio books for Konigsberg's Openly Straight and Honestly Ben, but having read this I think I might go read them now. I felt things listening to those books but nothing as strong as this. I'm planning on recommending this book to my friends. It's not often a book makes me tear up.
feiticeira's review
emotional
hopeful
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
lolasreviews's review
For some reason this book just wasn't gripping me, so I am DNF'ing it for now. maybe I'll try again later. Something about the writing style wasn't fully working for me. I liked Max well enough and it feels like he has gone through something bad and I am sad about the whole warrior up thing he goes through, but didn't really get a good feel for Jordan yet and his two friends just seemed a bit annoying. And what was up with the often use of the word dude-bro?
dlberglund's review
4.0
Alternating viewpoints between Max, super confident baseball player who plays video games with his bros and happens to be gay, and Jordan, insecure and less generally motivated, who hangs out watching reality tv with his “wives”. They are thrown together because of a minor crisis, and the book is both sweet and uplifting, and also pretty heavy. The boys grow closer as they have to deal with the hard realities in their own lives.