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Wade & Felix Forever
For fans of Booksmart, I Kissed Shara Wheeler, and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—if they were darker, Texas-flavored, and dialed the chaos up to infinity.
Seventeen-year-old Wade Mader dreams of running away to California with his best friend and secret crush, Felix. Stuck in a stuffy Texas suburb with his horrible aunt after the death of his parents, he and Felix pass the days by pranking their neighbors for internet fame.
When their school's controversial Peter Pan musical, Pansgender!, gets banned and puts Wade's LA dream at risk, he hatches a scheme to fund a new venue: scam conspiracy theorists into believing a gay Sasquatch is terrorizing their town. The hoax spirals into full-blown social chaos that his aunt and her boyfriend gleefully exploit for their podcast.
But the paranormal frenzy isn’t Wade’s only problem. Felix is falling for Roland, a homophobic classmate they targeted in a prank gone wrong. With his friendships fracturing and his schemes unraveling, Wade faces the one mess he can’t prank his way through: telling his best friend the truth.
Seventeen-year-old Wade Mader dreams of running away to California with his best friend and secret crush, Felix. Stuck in a stuffy Texas suburb with his horrible aunt after the death of his parents, he and Felix pass the days by pranking their neighbors for internet fame.
When their school's controversial Peter Pan musical, Pansgender!, gets banned and puts Wade's LA dream at risk, he hatches a scheme to fund a new venue: scam conspiracy theorists into believing a gay Sasquatch is terrorizing their town. The hoax spirals into full-blown social chaos that his aunt and her boyfriend gleefully exploit for their podcast.
But the paranormal frenzy isn’t Wade’s only problem. Felix is falling for Roland, a homophobic classmate they targeted in a prank gone wrong. With his friendships fracturing and his schemes unraveling, Wade faces the one mess he can’t prank his way through: telling his best friend the truth.
- GenresYoung AdultContemporary
494 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 9, 2026
About the author
Dalton Lyle
1 book3 followersDalton Lyle is a Texan who writes stories with high-octane absurdism, featuring hapless characters who acquire serious enlightenment in an unenlightened, unserious world. He's trekked across the Gobi desert on an excessively flatulent camel, tumbled dramatically down a hill at the Great Wall of China, been mugged by Tibetan macaques on a mountain, and seen his life flash before his eyes in Palermo traffic. Before focusing on writing professionally, he toiled in the North American gulag that is retail and the Kafkaesque hell that is teaching. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and his master’s from the University of Houston.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 8, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Dalton Lyle for my first ever eARC!
Before I begin, let me preface this by saying this was the most aggressively Texan, teenage boy, white trash novel I have ever read and I enjoyed it so much for that. The plot (and dialogue) just spirals and spirals in its insanity and stupidity. Wade just continuously digs himself into a hole.
This book encapsulates the sheer bullshit-ery of being a high schooler in Texas.
I will keep this review spoiler-free as I urgently want all of my friends to consume this book when it finally comes out, but this book was great. Wade is a character study in self-destruction and self-humiliation. Every single time I thought he could not get worse—he did. Much to my dismay. With a climax that I would describe as akin to the play scene in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, I do not think I have ever felt this much second-hand embarrassment from a fictional character before. However, with that egregious amount of teenager boy-like dialogue, some of Wade’s thoughts became a bit insensitive, as many teenage boys are. Being in Wade’s mind was probably the most humiliated I think I have ever felt while consuming a YA book.
I do not think this will be leaving my mind any time soon.
Before I begin, let me preface this by saying this was the most aggressively Texan, teenage boy, white trash novel I have ever read and I enjoyed it so much for that. The plot (and dialogue) just spirals and spirals in its insanity and stupidity. Wade just continuously digs himself into a hole.
This book encapsulates the sheer bullshit-ery of being a high schooler in Texas.
I will keep this review spoiler-free as I urgently want all of my friends to consume this book when it finally comes out, but this book was great. Wade is a character study in self-destruction and self-humiliation. Every single time I thought he could not get worse—he did. Much to my dismay. With a climax that I would describe as akin to the play scene in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, I do not think I have ever felt this much second-hand embarrassment from a fictional character before. However, with that egregious amount of teenager boy-like dialogue, some of Wade’s thoughts became a bit insensitive, as many teenage boys are. Being in Wade’s mind was probably the most humiliated I think I have ever felt while consuming a YA book.
I do not think this will be leaving my mind any time soon.
March 24, 2026
Thank you #NetGalley for my arc of this book!
You know when you’re watching a comedy and you hide your face behind your hands because it’s hilarious and cringy? That’s this book.
The story follows Wade, our bad-decision making main character who has a constant snowball effect following him through all his bad choices. He’s a prankster alongside his best friend (and crush) Felix, and you get to witness all of the cringe scenes of a teenager figuring himself out.
One thing about this book is that Wade is not a good guy, but give him his props he does try and reverse his bad decision making.
No spoilers so I won’t say much, but I really enjoyed the comedy aspect of this book and all of the quirky, over the top characters that came with it.
3/5⭐️! I loved the plot of the book, and whilst it does seem a bit all over the place it does fit Wades rapid (and awful) decision making process.
The story does seem long in parts, but it does pick up and you start to get into the flow of it quickly.
Overall a very funny book, certainly not a forgettable read. I look forward to seeing any future books from this author!
You know when you’re watching a comedy and you hide your face behind your hands because it’s hilarious and cringy? That’s this book.
The story follows Wade, our bad-decision making main character who has a constant snowball effect following him through all his bad choices. He’s a prankster alongside his best friend (and crush) Felix, and you get to witness all of the cringe scenes of a teenager figuring himself out.
One thing about this book is that Wade is not a good guy, but give him his props he does try and reverse his bad decision making.
No spoilers so I won’t say much, but I really enjoyed the comedy aspect of this book and all of the quirky, over the top characters that came with it.
3/5⭐️! I loved the plot of the book, and whilst it does seem a bit all over the place it does fit Wades rapid (and awful) decision making process.
The story does seem long in parts, but it does pick up and you start to get into the flow of it quickly.
Overall a very funny book, certainly not a forgettable read. I look forward to seeing any future books from this author!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This book is a cartoon. It’s larger than life, so over the top, and yet it’s not ridiculous. The author threads the delicate needle of making everything feel almost plausible while still being perfectly preposterous; the plot is made of dominoes, growing larger and larger, each more absurd than the last and spends the whole book leaving you waiting for them to fall … and then they do.
If you’ve ever seen Jem and the Hollograms, the old 80’s cartoon, you’ll have a better idea about the vibe of this book. In the cartoon series you have the villains, the Misfits, trying to run people over with cars, shoot people with guns, commit crimes, and it’s all seen as … just hijinx. They didn’t know cars could kill people because they live in a cartoon; just so with Wade, who doesn’t know real people can get hurt, because he lives in a satire.
Until someone does.
The moments of sincerity between Wade and Roland are part of what makes the rest of this book work, for me. Because Wade isn’t a perfect victim. He’s guilty of causing real, measurable damage, and able to see that — in this, at least — how badly he fucked up. In other events he can blame being blackmailed, bullied, or blind. But the actions he took hurt someone, and his efforts to atone (but not apologize) signal the start of the catastrophic collapse of all those dominoes.
While Wade is a hard character to like (I didn’t like him, but I do think I understood him), the story is so easy to enjoy. Like Pratchett, there’s a lack of cruelty to this book. While it has an edge, and a very sharp one, it’s not out to make fun of or ridicule people being hurt. Every snap of its teeth is aimed firmly at those institutions working so hard to cause deliberate malicious and calculated harm at others: PragerU, bigotry, racism, incel culture, closeted would-be kings who assault people and get away with it due to money and power.
Wade’s aunt, more thoughtlessly cruel than deliberately cruel, is — like Wade — both a victim and not, and I found her ending to be perfect. I also like how the book treated Wade at the end; there’s no easy way to undo all the harm he’s caused, and after all the harm he’s caused it would be disingenuous for a simple “I’m sorry” to fix things. Because it doesn’t. But it doesn’t mean the words don’t need to be said.
The messaging in this book is simple, but necessary: We need one another. Wade is alone and an easy target for those who would hurt him, use him, and take advantage of him. It would be easy for him to follow his aunt down the alt-Right pipeline, but at key moments he manages to have just enough friends, just enough support to be true to himself. When he loses that support, mostly due to his own actions, those are the times he’s at his most vulnerable and at his worst.
April 5, 2026
***Review of Advanced Copy received from Fire Rabbit Books through Net Galley.***
Just when you think you have this book figured out, it turns around and does something completely insane. I didn’t think going into this book that it was gonna be a satirical piece, but boy was it. Almost everything in this book is a heavy handed criticism of conservatism and homophobia. While I understand the authors point, I did feel like some arguments could’ve been a lot more subtle. Even for a satire a lot of things were very on the nose. This book is clearly written for an older YA audience based on the content so I think Lyle could’ve put a little more trust in the intelligence of his audience.
There were parts of this book that made me laugh out loud but also parts that went on way too long. Overall I felt like there were some pretty rough patches when it came to pacing, and the story certainly dragged on a lot during the end. Some scenes passed by so fast I got whiplash and some made me feel like I was watching a bad SNL skit.
The humor in this book is also an acquired taste. I’ve already seen other reviewers compare it to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and I feel as if *Wade & Felix Forever* is Wimpy Kid on steroids. It’s definitely more raunchier than the average YA novel, with a lot of edge. Bouncing off what I said about the pacing, some jokes not only went on too long, but too far as well. (And I say that as an avid South Park fan.) There were parts of this book that made be feel like I was reading fetish content. I don’t think that’s what Lyle intended, but I assume you typically don’t want that though crossing readers’ minds especially in a YA book.
Also for a book titled “*Wade & Felix Forever”* I felt as if I got very little interaction between throughout the books entirety. I think that most of the character relationships in this book felt half baked because there were so many of them and they were constantly being pushed aside in favor of focusing on Wade’s many antics. As funny as all the crazy plot points in this book are, I wish there was a larger focus on the characters’ relationships. At the very least maybe alter the title.
Overall, this book was at the very least entertaining and I certainly won’t forget about it.
Just when you think you have this book figured out, it turns around and does something completely insane. I didn’t think going into this book that it was gonna be a satirical piece, but boy was it. Almost everything in this book is a heavy handed criticism of conservatism and homophobia. While I understand the authors point, I did feel like some arguments could’ve been a lot more subtle. Even for a satire a lot of things were very on the nose. This book is clearly written for an older YA audience based on the content so I think Lyle could’ve put a little more trust in the intelligence of his audience.
There were parts of this book that made me laugh out loud but also parts that went on way too long. Overall I felt like there were some pretty rough patches when it came to pacing, and the story certainly dragged on a lot during the end. Some scenes passed by so fast I got whiplash and some made me feel like I was watching a bad SNL skit.
The humor in this book is also an acquired taste. I’ve already seen other reviewers compare it to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and I feel as if *Wade & Felix Forever* is Wimpy Kid on steroids. It’s definitely more raunchier than the average YA novel, with a lot of edge. Bouncing off what I said about the pacing, some jokes not only went on too long, but too far as well. (And I say that as an avid South Park fan.) There were parts of this book that made be feel like I was reading fetish content. I don’t think that’s what Lyle intended, but I assume you typically don’t want that though crossing readers’ minds especially in a YA book.
Also for a book titled “*Wade & Felix Forever”* I felt as if I got very little interaction between throughout the books entirety. I think that most of the character relationships in this book felt half baked because there were so many of them and they were constantly being pushed aside in favor of focusing on Wade’s many antics. As funny as all the crazy plot points in this book are, I wish there was a larger focus on the characters’ relationships. At the very least maybe alter the title.
Overall, this book was at the very least entertaining and I certainly won’t forget about it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is an absurdist picaresque novel in YA trappings that is very much reflective of the current political moment. Parts of it are genuinely funny, but the ongoing selfishness of the MC (Wade) and his genuinely horrifying aunt became exhausting after a time. Indeed there was a point somewhere around the 300 page mark where I found myself wishing the book would just end simply so I could stop spending time with these almost universally awful & ridiculous people. That being said, the last few chapters did win me back so, at least for me, it was more of an issue of pushing the joke too long rather than not finding a way to wrap up an often bizarre tale, Many other ARC reviewers noted a similarity between this book and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series which I sort of get, but personally I was instead strongly reminded of Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces
As an note, I'm not entirely sure why the publisher is marketing this as a YA novel. Yes, the primary characters are teenagers and, yes, it is set in a high school, but most of the satire requires an awareness of US national and international politics for the past five years that I don't think most 14-18 year olds are going to have (no shade to the young people, it's just some of the target audience will have been as young as 9 when the real-world events that are lampooned occurred). Occasional surprisingly crude language will also, unfortunately, keep it off the shelves of many school libraries. It's also just far more literary than the mass market style cover would suggest, which makes me worry the the folks who would really like this work won't pick it up while those who do so will not really be able to understand the full merit and cleverness of the novel.
As an note, I'm not entirely sure why the publisher is marketing this as a YA novel. Yes, the primary characters are teenagers and, yes, it is set in a high school, but most of the satire requires an awareness of US national and international politics for the past five years that I don't think most 14-18 year olds are going to have (no shade to the young people, it's just some of the target audience will have been as young as 9 when the real-world events that are lampooned occurred). Occasional surprisingly crude language will also, unfortunately, keep it off the shelves of many school libraries. It's also just far more literary than the mass market style cover would suggest, which makes me worry the the folks who would really like this work won't pick it up while those who do so will not really be able to understand the full merit and cleverness of the novel.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley and Dalton Lyle for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book feels like a coming-of-age comedy, a queer teenage disaster story, and a small-town satire all got thrown into a blender and somehow came out genuinely heartfelt. Wade & Felix Forever is chaotic in the best way possible: ridiculous schemes, terrible decisions, internet-fuelled nonsense, and underneath all of that, a surprisingly emotional story about friendship, loneliness, and growing up in a place that doesn’t always make room for you.
Wade is deeply frustrating at times, but intentionally so. He’s impulsive, selfish, funny, insecure, and painfully believable as a teenage boy trying to control everything around him while avoiding being honest about what he actually wants. The “gay Sasquatch” plotline sounds completely absurd at first, but somehow the book commits to it so fully that it works.
What really surprised me was how much heart the story had underneath the satire. I also appreciated that the book didn’t try to make its characters perfect or overly polished. Everyone feels messy and immature in a way that fits the age group.
The reason this wasn’t quite a 5-star read for me is that the pacing and some of the humour definitely won’t land for everyone. But overall, this was one of the funniest and most unique YA books I’ve read in a while.
If you like queer coming-of-age stories with dark humour, internet culture insanity, and characters making catastrophically bad decisions with full confidence, this is absolutely worth picking up.
This book feels like a coming-of-age comedy, a queer teenage disaster story, and a small-town satire all got thrown into a blender and somehow came out genuinely heartfelt. Wade & Felix Forever is chaotic in the best way possible: ridiculous schemes, terrible decisions, internet-fuelled nonsense, and underneath all of that, a surprisingly emotional story about friendship, loneliness, and growing up in a place that doesn’t always make room for you.
Wade is deeply frustrating at times, but intentionally so. He’s impulsive, selfish, funny, insecure, and painfully believable as a teenage boy trying to control everything around him while avoiding being honest about what he actually wants. The “gay Sasquatch” plotline sounds completely absurd at first, but somehow the book commits to it so fully that it works.
What really surprised me was how much heart the story had underneath the satire. I also appreciated that the book didn’t try to make its characters perfect or overly polished. Everyone feels messy and immature in a way that fits the age group.
The reason this wasn’t quite a 5-star read for me is that the pacing and some of the humour definitely won’t land for everyone. But overall, this was one of the funniest and most unique YA books I’ve read in a while.
If you like queer coming-of-age stories with dark humour, internet culture insanity, and characters making catastrophically bad decisions with full confidence, this is absolutely worth picking up.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks #NetGalley for the arc. This was an enjoyable read and am glad I got to get it early.
The author effectively uses humor and satire to address heavy topics and how people who are marginalized have to come of age in this world and the US specifically, a very conservative section of the US.
I think without the humorous take it would have been a really hard read to get through, realizing all the crap so many different groups of people have to go through.
The writing was quick and it was an easy read. Some parts flowed more easily than others and some did drag a little as others have pointed out. But I was able to read it fairly quickly and didnt feel bogged down and unable to get through it.
I think the characters were relatable and their pasts definitely influenced their behaviors in ways that in the context of this world made sense. The main character wasnt the nicest guy but having spent more time around teenagers as my own gets older, definitely believable haha. I did think that Wade And Felix would have both been more main characters or alt view points but its really Wades book and his growth and journey towards adulthood.
He isnt the nicest character but overall means well for those he cares about and tries to constantly make things better, often with the opposite results!
I think this was a good start for this author and interested in future works by them.
The author effectively uses humor and satire to address heavy topics and how people who are marginalized have to come of age in this world and the US specifically, a very conservative section of the US.
I think without the humorous take it would have been a really hard read to get through, realizing all the crap so many different groups of people have to go through.
The writing was quick and it was an easy read. Some parts flowed more easily than others and some did drag a little as others have pointed out. But I was able to read it fairly quickly and didnt feel bogged down and unable to get through it.
I think the characters were relatable and their pasts definitely influenced their behaviors in ways that in the context of this world made sense. The main character wasnt the nicest guy but having spent more time around teenagers as my own gets older, definitely believable haha. I did think that Wade And Felix would have both been more main characters or alt view points but its really Wades book and his growth and journey towards adulthood.
He isnt the nicest character but overall means well for those he cares about and tries to constantly make things better, often with the opposite results!
I think this was a good start for this author and interested in future works by them.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Wade & Felix Forever by Dalton Lyle is a chaotic ride.
I have mixed feelings about this title. On one hand there are some genuinely laugh out loud moments, but I also feel like finding the right person to recommend this title to would be difficult. The humor often trends older, and in my experiences recommending YA titles, I don't know how successful all of the material would run with the full YA spectrum.
The book itself is very satirical and dunks on the current state of U.S. politics, but at times in a very millennial-coded way. This furthers my difficulty in who to recommend this title to within my library. It feels like something older individuals would read to get a laugh, but I am curious to see how younger readers react.
One other aspect I want to point out is the pacing of the novel. There are stretches in this novel that feel like they have gone on for entirely too long. There is also a tendency to things being repeated thematically if not scene by scene.
Overall, I would say this book would be great for older audiences that want a nostalgic feeling YA novel. Mileage may vary with actual YA audiences on how this title is received.
Thanks to NetGalley and Fire Rabbit Books for the eArc. #WadeAndFelixForever #NetGalley
I have mixed feelings about this title. On one hand there are some genuinely laugh out loud moments, but I also feel like finding the right person to recommend this title to would be difficult. The humor often trends older, and in my experiences recommending YA titles, I don't know how successful all of the material would run with the full YA spectrum.
The book itself is very satirical and dunks on the current state of U.S. politics, but at times in a very millennial-coded way. This furthers my difficulty in who to recommend this title to within my library. It feels like something older individuals would read to get a laugh, but I am curious to see how younger readers react.
One other aspect I want to point out is the pacing of the novel. There are stretches in this novel that feel like they have gone on for entirely too long. There is also a tendency to things being repeated thematically if not scene by scene.
Overall, I would say this book would be great for older audiences that want a nostalgic feeling YA novel. Mileage may vary with actual YA audiences on how this title is received.
Thanks to NetGalley and Fire Rabbit Books for the eArc. #WadeAndFelixForever #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley, Dalton Lyle, and Fire Rabbit Books for this ARC.
This is one part coming-of-age story, one part satire of capitalist conservatism in public education, and many parts angsty train wreck which follows Wade, a Texas high school senior, who has a crush on best friend Felix. For me, an adult, it was a bit difficult to stick with Wade as he makes bad decision after bad decision; most of the time he was self-centered and pretty unlikeable. Most of the adults in the story -- Wade's conspiracy-theorist aunt and her not-very-bright boyfriend chief among them-- are also unlikeable as they try various get rich quick schemes. The only sympathetic character is Felix who seems to be doing his best to remain a decent person in spite of absurd situations. Wade does experience a kind of redemption arc but it felt like it took an inordinately long time for him to start considering the lives and feelings of others. Some of the humor lands -- a KISS-themed casket being used as a coffee table -- but the excerpts from the school musical, a queer reimagining of Peter Pan, just went on too long.
This is one part coming-of-age story, one part satire of capitalist conservatism in public education, and many parts angsty train wreck which follows Wade, a Texas high school senior, who has a crush on best friend Felix. For me, an adult, it was a bit difficult to stick with Wade as he makes bad decision after bad decision; most of the time he was self-centered and pretty unlikeable. Most of the adults in the story -- Wade's conspiracy-theorist aunt and her not-very-bright boyfriend chief among them-- are also unlikeable as they try various get rich quick schemes. The only sympathetic character is Felix who seems to be doing his best to remain a decent person in spite of absurd situations. Wade does experience a kind of redemption arc but it felt like it took an inordinately long time for him to start considering the lives and feelings of others. Some of the humor lands -- a KISS-themed casket being used as a coffee table -- but the excerpts from the school musical, a queer reimagining of Peter Pan, just went on too long.
June 10, 2026
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
This is a book that is going to be either hit or miss for many readers, I think. On the one hand, you have a character with a relatively weak voice — in part, I think, because he’s meant to be more of an everyman (young, foolish, thoughtless, unprepared, reactionary, bullied, and browbeaten) — while also dealing with and doing some truly terrible and shitty things. Wade is not likable. He’s not someone to feel pity for; he’s equal parts malicious cruelty and childish stupidity, with a dash of preemptive and reactionary lashing out, and the things he does, whether by accident or design, always hurt someone else. It’s hard to read this book and like Wade, but that’s exactly what I think the book is asking you to do.
As a satire, it’s an excellent book. As a coming-of-age story, it’s solid. As a cringe humor compilation, it’s quite the story. This won’t be for everyone, and I’m not certain it was entirely for me, but it’s still a five-star read.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
5 stars
This is a book that is going to be either hit or miss for many readers, I think. On the one hand, you have a character with a relatively weak voice — in part, I think, because he’s meant to be more of an everyman (young, foolish, thoughtless, unprepared, reactionary, bullied, and browbeaten) — while also dealing with and doing some truly terrible and shitty things. Wade is not likable. He’s not someone to feel pity for; he’s equal parts malicious cruelty and childish stupidity, with a dash of preemptive and reactionary lashing out, and the things he does, whether by accident or design, always hurt someone else. It’s hard to read this book and like Wade, but that’s exactly what I think the book is asking you to do.
As a satire, it’s an excellent book. As a coming-of-age story, it’s solid. As a cringe humor compilation, it’s quite the story. This won’t be for everyone, and I’m not certain it was entirely for me, but it’s still a five-star read.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Fire Rabbit Books for the advanced copy of this book. What a wild ride! A solid 3.5 for me.
If you made a pie chart of how it feels to read this book the segments would include cringe-behind-pillow, what-is-happening, shouting-stop, can’t-look, nervous-laughing! All in a good way!
The characters aren’t wholly likeable and this actually makes them a great read! Some of the situations they create themselves are totally teenage boy possibilities! Honestly, it’s a riot!
There was a slight pace issue, some sections took away while and there was some repetitive narrative. The characters didn’t spend as much time together in the book as the title might suggest.
If I was age rating this book I would put at older YA as some of the content would not be suitable for younger teens - but I might be seeing that through an adult-reader lens.
I will certainly read more by Dalton Lyle.
If you made a pie chart of how it feels to read this book the segments would include cringe-behind-pillow, what-is-happening, shouting-stop, can’t-look, nervous-laughing! All in a good way!
The characters aren’t wholly likeable and this actually makes them a great read! Some of the situations they create themselves are totally teenage boy possibilities! Honestly, it’s a riot!
There was a slight pace issue, some sections took away while and there was some repetitive narrative. The characters didn’t spend as much time together in the book as the title might suggest.
If I was age rating this book I would put at older YA as some of the content would not be suitable for younger teens - but I might be seeing that through an adult-reader lens.
I will certainly read more by Dalton Lyle.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
wade and felix forever is kinda like if the diary of a wimpy kid books were gay and written for a teen audience.
i haven't laughed this hard reading a book in a long time. the comedy was great and wade was an entertaining protagonist to say the least. just when you think things have gotten bad, wade somehow does something to make things significantly worse. every single time.
i do think the title and cover is quite misleading though. without getting into spoilers, this book is very much about wade and his own coming of age and less about felix than the title implies. their friendship isn't as central as i expected.
the plot also was just very all over the place, which i guess makes sense for wade, but i did feel like the story dragged a bit during certain parts.
overall, this was a fun time and excited to read future releases from this author!
i haven't laughed this hard reading a book in a long time. the comedy was great and wade was an entertaining protagonist to say the least. just when you think things have gotten bad, wade somehow does something to make things significantly worse. every single time.
i do think the title and cover is quite misleading though. without getting into spoilers, this book is very much about wade and his own coming of age and less about felix than the title implies. their friendship isn't as central as i expected.
the plot also was just very all over the place, which i guess makes sense for wade, but i did feel like the story dragged a bit during certain parts.
overall, this was a fun time and excited to read future releases from this author!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It started well, with engaging writing and a humorous protagonist. But the main issue was that Wade does a really bad thing, and, although there is some focus on him trying to make reparations, he keeps getting sidetracked by various other selfish motivations, so he's very hard to root for, and his redemption didn't feel earned.
One thing the author did do well was the more serious element of Wade confronting his past, but there wasn't much of that. Rather, the plot degenerated into a farce, becoming so outrageously unbelievable that after a while it stopped even being funny.
I get the themes that the author was aiming for, but I feel like this missed satire and sailed into telenovela.
One thing the author did do well was the more serious element of Wade confronting his past, but there wasn't much of that. Rather, the plot degenerated into a farce, becoming so outrageously unbelievable that after a while it stopped even being funny.
I get the themes that the author was aiming for, but I feel like this missed satire and sailed into telenovela.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy!
This book was so heartwarming and funny.
The story follows two boys named Wade and Felix who live in a small town in Texas. They love pranking people getting into many crazy adventures. Wade has a very small secret though... he has a crush on Felix. Wade has to navigate the chaotic political standpoint of his hometown, school issues, and family chaos.
I personally loved the aspects of this book and would give it about 4 stars. I did end up getting annoyed at the main character owards the end off the book... But I won't give to much away. I ain't spoiling.
I highly recommend this book!
This book was so heartwarming and funny.
The story follows two boys named Wade and Felix who live in a small town in Texas. They love pranking people getting into many crazy adventures. Wade has a very small secret though... he has a crush on Felix. Wade has to navigate the chaotic political standpoint of his hometown, school issues, and family chaos.
I personally loved the aspects of this book and would give it about 4 stars. I did end up getting annoyed at the main character owards the end off the book... But I won't give to much away. I ain't spoiling.
I highly recommend this book!
June 28, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley and Fire Rabbit Books for the e-ARC
This book is a chaotic and funny ride through MC Wade's senior year in a small town in Texas. While there are darker topics (like Wade healing from the tragedy that claimed his parents), everything is treated with a humorous lens so it never becomes too heavy.
Lots of the humour is aimed at the right-wing shenanigans going on in the USA, and is quirky in it's execution. I think that if the humour hits, you'll enjoy it.
I could see my teenage self loving this, and I think it really captured Wade being a gay loser (lol).
This book is a chaotic and funny ride through MC Wade's senior year in a small town in Texas. While there are darker topics (like Wade healing from the tragedy that claimed his parents), everything is treated with a humorous lens so it never becomes too heavy.
Lots of the humour is aimed at the right-wing shenanigans going on in the USA, and is quirky in it's execution. I think that if the humour hits, you'll enjoy it.
I could see my teenage self loving this, and I think it really captured Wade being a gay loser (lol).
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wade and Felix Forever is really chaotic but in a fun way. It follows Wade, who keeps making questionable decisions, which can be a little frustrating, but also kind of the point of his character.
There were definitely some funny moments, even if the humor was a bit cringe at times. The whole plot is pretty ridiculous, but it kept things entertaining.
I did expect a bit more focus on Wade and Felix’s relationship, but I still enjoyed the story overall. This is such a fun read, and I’d still recommend it.
There were definitely some funny moments, even if the humor was a bit cringe at times. The whole plot is pretty ridiculous, but it kept things entertaining.
I did expect a bit more focus on Wade and Felix’s relationship, but I still enjoyed the story overall. This is such a fun read, and I’d still recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This is one of the funniest books I have read so far. It's a satire on high school based in Texas. It has everything you can expect from a satire based in Texas like unnecessary hate on the gays, especially from the closeted gays. Then there is the curious case of conservatives sprouting values of "individualism" and yet don't want anyone to have a single independent thought.
This is one of the funniest books I have read so far. It's a satire on high school based in Texas. It has everything you can expect from a satire based in Texas like unnecessary hate on the gays, especially from the closeted gays. Then there is the curious case of conservatives sprouting values of "individualism" and yet don't want anyone to have a single independent thought.
May 5, 2026
This was a silly but entertaining ride. Just non stop chaos with characters I wish weren’t realistic but unfortunately are. Heavily inspired by millennial pop culture. Immediately felt it vibed with movies like Juno, Saved (a favorite of mine) and Whip It (mostly the Texas thing). I thoroughly enjoyed it although then ending did end up feeling a bit rushed.
Review of advance copy
THIS BOOK IS SO FUNNYYYYYY oh my heavens I love it so much its just so silly. "its not gay to dress garden gnomes in drag" HAD ME ROLLING ON THE FLOOR!!! also, the characters are amazing and the plot is so fun! 10/10 will force all my friends to read.
June 19, 2026
I really have no clue what I just read LMAO it was funny tho
Thank you NetGalley for the arc
Thank you NetGalley for the arc
June 24, 2026
Such a fun read! It felt like a very honest rapport of people.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
[big thanks to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the e-arc!!]
this was the most absurd and nonsensical book i've ever read, in the best way possible.
please, experience this story without expectations; you will be surprised at every chapter, every page—every line, even. wade is possibly the worst person that's ever been written and i kind of hate him (/pos, somehow?). you may have the urge to tear your hair out from how genuinely stupid he and every character is (except maybe felix, he's that one token normal friend)
so, basically, everything that happens and every word that is said keeps getting more and more idiotic and seemingly unserious; but on the other hand, considering the state of the world at the moment, some of the stuff in there truly hits home. i'm mostly thinking of all the queerphobic and xenophobic commentary, the normalised use of ai and the rise of fascism, among other things. the author manages to implement these very real issues into a very surreal environment, and so make fun of them in a very serious way. it's this sort of novel that makes you want to laugh but you just can't because the sad reality of it is overwhelming.
to be honest, i'm a little confused as to how i feel right now because i keep trying to make sense of it all, find a beginning to the chaos and a logical chain of events, but i'm realising i can't and have no idea what the hell i've just read??? and i kind of love it????
anyway, i hope the author will get hype for his debut novel because that was quite an Experience. in byron's (spoiler-ey) words:
this was the most absurd and nonsensical book i've ever read, in the best way possible.
please, experience this story without expectations; you will be surprised at every chapter, every page—every line, even. wade is possibly the worst person that's ever been written and i kind of hate him (/pos, somehow?). you may have the urge to tear your hair out from how genuinely stupid he and every character is (except maybe felix, he's that one token normal friend)
so, basically, everything that happens and every word that is said keeps getting more and more idiotic and seemingly unserious; but on the other hand, considering the state of the world at the moment, some of the stuff in there truly hits home. i'm mostly thinking of all the queerphobic and xenophobic commentary, the normalised use of ai and the rise of fascism, among other things. the author manages to implement these very real issues into a very surreal environment, and so make fun of them in a very serious way. it's this sort of novel that makes you want to laugh but you just can't because the sad reality of it is overwhelming.
to be honest, i'm a little confused as to how i feel right now because i keep trying to make sense of it all, find a beginning to the chaos and a logical chain of events, but i'm realising i can't and have no idea what the hell i've just read??? and i kind of love it????
anyway, i hope the author will get hype for his debut novel because that was quite an Experience. in byron's (spoiler-ey) words:
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