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Whatever.: or how junior year became totally f$@ked
Hilarity ensues when a slacker teen boy discovers he's gay, in this unforgettably funny YA debut.
Mike Tate is a normal dude. He and his friends have a crappy band (an excuse to drink cheap beer and rock out to the Lemonheads) and hang out in parking lots doing stupid board tricks. But when Mike's girlfriend Lisa, who knows him better than he does, breaks up with him, he realizes he's about to have a major epiphany that will blow his mind. And worse--he gets elected to homecoming court.
It's like the apocalypse came, only instead of nuclear bombs and zombies, Mike gets school participation, gay thoughts, and mother-effin' cheerleaders.
With the free spirit of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the raw voice of Winger, and characters reminiscent of Freaks & Geeks, this debut YA offers a standout voice and a fresh, modern take on the coming-out story.
Mike Tate is a normal dude. He and his friends have a crappy band (an excuse to drink cheap beer and rock out to the Lemonheads) and hang out in parking lots doing stupid board tricks. But when Mike's girlfriend Lisa, who knows him better than he does, breaks up with him, he realizes he's about to have a major epiphany that will blow his mind. And worse--he gets elected to homecoming court.
It's like the apocalypse came, only instead of nuclear bombs and zombies, Mike gets school participation, gay thoughts, and mother-effin' cheerleaders.
With the free spirit of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the raw voice of Winger, and characters reminiscent of Freaks & Geeks, this debut YA offers a standout voice and a fresh, modern take on the coming-out story.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published August 2, 2016
90 people are currently reading
6094 people want to read
About the author
S.J. Goslee
2 books241 followersI write books about teenagers, fanfiction about werewolves, and have a not-so-secret love of commas, run-on sentences, alt rock, and dogs. I live outside Philadelphia, PA with my husband, two sons, and an ill-advised amount of animals.
I'm terrible at social media, PR and face-to-face encounters, so I apologize if we've ever met IRL. You can most likely find me hanging out (daily) on tumblr, and lurking only once a month or so on twitter.
More at sjgoslee.com, tumblr or facebook
I'm terrible at social media, PR and face-to-face encounters, so I apologize if we've ever met IRL. You can most likely find me hanging out (daily) on tumblr, and lurking only once a month or so on twitter.
More at sjgoslee.com, tumblr or facebook
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 501 reviews
April 5, 2017
I guess it was only a matter of time before the high school stoner comedy genre got a little more depth. S.J. Goslee's
Whatever.
is just like your favorite pothead—it makes you laugh and roll your eyes sometimes, you get a little frustrated, but in the end, you enjoy spending time with it, and even think it's pretty sweet.
Mike Tate is about to start his junior year of high school. He has a great group of friends, with whom he plays music in a crappy band, drinks beer, watches one of them attempt one crazy stunt after another, and spends a lot of time getting stoned. He's known his girlfriend, Lisa, for a long time, and she's more like his best friend than his girlfriend a lot of the time. (So what if he doesn't know what to do with her boobs?) But still, he's totally surprised when she breaks up with him and says they were never really dating anyway, and he's even more surprised when she tells him why she broke up with him.
Suddenly Mike finds himself in completely new territory. He's not sure about what he's feeling, or how his friends and family will react. Because Lisa has suckered him into running for vice president of his class, he's now in the midst of student government—and even worse, homecoming. He's even been nominated to the homecoming court. Why can't things just go back to normal. And more importantly, why is Rook Wallace, who terrorized him when they were younger, suddenly smiling at him all the time? Is he trying to subdue him so he can attack him when he least expects it?
Whatever. is about coming to terms with who you are for perhaps the first time in your life, which may feel uncomfortable or strange. It's about friendship, infatuation, confusion, man crushes, fear, and love, as well as a healthy dose of mischief and stupid stunts. And it's about saying the things you want to say even if you're afraid to, even if not everyone will like what you have to say.
I enjoyed this book a lot, and thought it was sweet and funny and thought-provoking. Although I liked Mike's character, and thought that he had a good heart, at times he frustrated me because of the things he didn't say (as well as some of the things he said and did), but I know so many of his actions were realistic. While there isn't much surprising in this book (there were a few things I thought might happen, but they didn't), it's still a tremendously appealing story, and it definitely took me back to my high school days, where fun, confusion, and insecurity reigned equally.
Goslee really captured the teenage voice well, particularly those of teenage boys. This book is just another example of how far YA fiction has come since I was young (there really wasn't any beyond The Hardy Boys back then), and how much the world has changed for the better.
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
Mike Tate is about to start his junior year of high school. He has a great group of friends, with whom he plays music in a crappy band, drinks beer, watches one of them attempt one crazy stunt after another, and spends a lot of time getting stoned. He's known his girlfriend, Lisa, for a long time, and she's more like his best friend than his girlfriend a lot of the time. (So what if he doesn't know what to do with her boobs?) But still, he's totally surprised when she breaks up with him and says they were never really dating anyway, and he's even more surprised when she tells him why she broke up with him.
Suddenly Mike finds himself in completely new territory. He's not sure about what he's feeling, or how his friends and family will react. Because Lisa has suckered him into running for vice president of his class, he's now in the midst of student government—and even worse, homecoming. He's even been nominated to the homecoming court. Why can't things just go back to normal. And more importantly, why is Rook Wallace, who terrorized him when they were younger, suddenly smiling at him all the time? Is he trying to subdue him so he can attack him when he least expects it?
Whatever. is about coming to terms with who you are for perhaps the first time in your life, which may feel uncomfortable or strange. It's about friendship, infatuation, confusion, man crushes, fear, and love, as well as a healthy dose of mischief and stupid stunts. And it's about saying the things you want to say even if you're afraid to, even if not everyone will like what you have to say.
I enjoyed this book a lot, and thought it was sweet and funny and thought-provoking. Although I liked Mike's character, and thought that he had a good heart, at times he frustrated me because of the things he didn't say (as well as some of the things he said and did), but I know so many of his actions were realistic. While there isn't much surprising in this book (there were a few things I thought might happen, but they didn't), it's still a tremendously appealing story, and it definitely took me back to my high school days, where fun, confusion, and insecurity reigned equally.
Goslee really captured the teenage voice well, particularly those of teenage boys. This book is just another example of how far YA fiction has come since I was young (there really wasn't any beyond The Hardy Boys back then), and how much the world has changed for the better.
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
July 4, 2017
This whole review will be filled with spoilers, and boy oh boy, do I have a lot to say. This book is extremely biphobic, homophobic and it's filled with girls fetishizing the main character and his love interest. That's not even my problem. The thing is, none of these things gets called out, ever. Instead of wasting my time explaining everything, let's just jump into some lines from the actual book, shall we?
This one is right from the beginning, where Lisa is quite aware Mike isn't straight, and continuously pushes him into coming out so it'll help her and her campaign when he's confused himself, and hasn't even stopped to think about his sexuality once.
This is from the very next page, where Mike tells her he is not gay and she keeps on pushing him, throwing on his face that he made out with a guy at a party when he was drunk. Needless to say how gross she is with her hazy eyes and lips-licking.
Isn't Lisa so funny?
I love this bisexuality erasure.
I could move past this scene, given that she is old and grew up with different values bla bla bla, but then, in the next page, she outs him to the entire family:
Because, according to her, and I quote: "You don’t decide to be gay without a boy, that’s just poor planning.” Later on, around the final chapters, we have yet two more scenes where girls fetishize over Mike and Wallace;
At this point, Lisa was just completely annoying. She's controlling of Mike in a way that she forces him to do anything he wants, and he does, and more than once he admits himself he lets her get away with it. But that's not what we're discussing here. Anyways, two pages later we have;
I don't even know what to say. I'm actually laughing. We have a bunch of girls pushing a bisexual character into sharing personal details of his life with the guy he's dating. As if it wasn't bad enough, we're talking about his sex life. And no, they don't ever get called out on their disgusting fetish. Neither does Lisa, as she is, in fact, one of Mike's best friends.
This book has many other issues (bad writing, no plot, main character leaving his love interest so his homophobic friends wouldn't get hurt by seeing them together, etc), but, honestly, if they were the only ones, I'd never even bother with a review. But the constant homophobia, girls fetishizing the two boys without ever getting called out and the author herself fetishizing them in the more explicit scenes made me too uncomfortable to simply let it go. It sends a wrong message that it is okay for girls to do this very same thing, and it's not. Women fetishizing mlm content will never be okay, just as much as men fetishizing wlw never will either. It saddens me that this still needs to be said in 2017. It's 4am and I read this book in only 6 or 7 hours, and I'm sure this review is all over the place, but I'm disappointed to say the least.
Lisa says, “You need to be my running mate.” Mike laughs.
“You’re on crack, no way am I running for vice president,” he says.
“You have to!” she says. “We can sell you as gay, it’ll be edgy.”
This one is right from the beginning, where Lisa is quite aware Mike isn't straight, and continuously pushes him into coming out so it'll help her and her campaign when he's confused himself, and hasn't even stopped to think about his sexuality once.
“You and the little sausage man, remember?” She crosses her arms over her chest, smug. “Last month at Cam’s end of the summer blowout. Full-on making out, with tongues, and hands in private places.” Her eyes go hazy and she licks her lips. Gross.
This is from the very next page, where Mike tells her he is not gay and she keeps on pushing him, throwing on his face that he made out with a guy at a party when he was drunk. Needless to say how gross she is with her hazy eyes and lips-licking.
“I’m in the running for Homecoming King,” Mike says.
“Yeah, that’s a little weird.”
“You think?” Mike finally finds his bike, but it’s under a couple precariously perched boxes. He can’t remember the last time he’s used it.
Lisa says, “You could run for Queen, but I don’t think you’re ready for that.”
Isn't Lisa so funny?
“Why are we even friends?”
Mike knocks over what looks like pretty much every kitchen gadget in creation trying to unearth the bike. He kicks boxes aside in a huff; he’s going to be late for work.
“Because I let you see my boobs.”
“That’s a lie,” Mike says, walking his bike out into the dying afternoon light. Touch them, yes, but Mike has never ever been allowed to see Lisa’s boobs, even when they were dating.
“Oh, that’s right, because it would’ve been a waste.”
I love this bisexuality erasure.
“Your mother tells me you’re queer now.”
“She did not,” Mike says, horrified. He slumps back against the wall, palms catching at the slightly textured wallpaper. His knees feel weak.
“She used the term bisexual,” she narrows her eyes, “but no grandson of mine is going to be indecisive.”
“I don’t think that means I’m in—”
“Michael Allan Tate,” Nana says. Mike swallows hard. Maybe he shouldn’t be concentrating on terminology now, since his seventy-five-year-old grandmother is confronting him about his sexual preferences. He brings a shaky hand up to rub his dry lower lip. “Yes, ma’am?”
She clasps her hands in front of her chest and says, “Are you, or are you not gay?”
I could move past this scene, given that she is old and grew up with different values bla bla bla, but then, in the next page, she outs him to the entire family:
“Of course I’m not harassing Michael, Allison. He’s just being ridiculously closemouthed about his boyfriend.”
Because, according to her, and I quote: "You don’t decide to be gay without a boy, that’s just poor planning.” Later on, around the final chapters, we have yet two more scenes where girls fetishize over Mike and Wallace;
“We had sex in his car and then went for ice cream.” It’s still awesome in retrospect, but he can’t shake the feeling that if it hadn’t happened, maybe Omar would still be talking to him. Christ, he hates himself.
“You had—oh Jesus,” Lisa says. He can hear a hint of horrified amusement in her tone.
At this point, Lisa was just completely annoying. She's controlling of Mike in a way that she forces him to do anything he wants, and he does, and more than once he admits himself he lets her get away with it. But that's not what we're discussing here. Anyways, two pages later we have;
Dotty narrows her eyes. “Wait.”
Mo leans forward, hands gripping the edge of the table, and hisses, “You and Rook.”
“No way, seriously?” Lenny squeals. She sounds delighted. She sounds like all her dreams have come true, because she’s clearly demented.
Mike buries his head in his arms. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Too bad, you totally have to talk about it,” Lenny says.
“Or we could just ask Rook.”
Mike jerks upright. “No.”
Dotty grins evilly. He seriously hates cheerleaders.
I don't even know what to say. I'm actually laughing. We have a bunch of girls pushing a bisexual character into sharing personal details of his life with the guy he's dating. As if it wasn't bad enough, we're talking about his sex life. And no, they don't ever get called out on their disgusting fetish. Neither does Lisa, as she is, in fact, one of Mike's best friends.
This book has many other issues (bad writing, no plot, main character leaving his love interest so his homophobic friends wouldn't get hurt by seeing them together, etc), but, honestly, if they were the only ones, I'd never even bother with a review. But the constant homophobia, girls fetishizing the two boys without ever getting called out and the author herself fetishizing them in the more explicit scenes made me too uncomfortable to simply let it go. It sends a wrong message that it is okay for girls to do this very same thing, and it's not. Women fetishizing mlm content will never be okay, just as much as men fetishizing wlw never will either. It saddens me that this still needs to be said in 2017. It's 4am and I read this book in only 6 or 7 hours, and I'm sure this review is all over the place, but I'm disappointed to say the least.
March 6, 2017
This story felt a bit like a modern day interpretation of a John Hughes movie, but with the protagonist coming to terms with his feelings for guys. And, more specifically, with those surrounding his long-sworn enemy.
The constant humor of the story was off-the-charts epic; however, there is a *lot* of internal dialogue, which I found simultaneously charming and a bit tedious.
I didn't dare skip a word, because, for the most part, it all did actually add to the story, but just didn't flow along quite as quickly (or smoothly) as I'd have liked.
But Mike's character was written amazingly true-to-age, with tons of insecurities and confusion, which we've all experienced during our high school years.
I enjoyed the story immensely, mainly due to the funny situations and well-developed MC, but didn't really get more than a surface-deep sense of several of the side characters, including the secondary main character.
This was also not a sexy or overly romantic read, as those aspects mostly consisted of one short back seat groping session and lots of internal pining and processing feelings internally.
And even though the story ends with only the most tentative of HFN's, I'd still recommend the book pretty highly and rate it at 4 stars.
June 28, 2016
4.5 Stars
I can’t decide if I want to smack Mike Tate upside the head or hug him tight. Maybe both!
Mike’s school year is shaping up to be a real clusterf…. *cough*. Sorry. Let’s break it down. His girlfriend, Lisa, just dumped him, even though according to her, they weren’t really dating anyway. Ouch. Somehow he’s gotten himself roped into school politics, intramural baseball, and homecoming. Whatever. It’s junior year. OH, yeah. Mike might be into guys too. He might even be falling for his arch-nemesis! That’s the way Mike’s “cookies have been crumbling”. :D
I’m not sure how I fell for Mike, but I did. Hard! This knucklehead slacks off, stays out late, drinks until he blacks out, and is absolutely clueless most days. I mean the kind of clueless that calls a past hookup for advice before going on a date with another guy! *smacks* Mike upside the head* But he won me over. Mike’s voice is real, raw, and powerful. You’ll know this guy. He could sit next to you in homeroom. Walk by you in the halls. Or remind you of someone from your past. Mike says and does ridiculous things, but his heart is always beating away in the right place. He killed me! The time he shares with his little sister could be the most adorable, real life big brother moments in YA! Come on, Mike. You know you love building forts just as much as Rosie. Haha… And his friends! Mike's group of tight-knit friends felt like a family. You will feel it in every stupid stunt, shove, and word said or unsaid between them. I adored the whole gang!!!
Meckles, Cam, Omar, Jason, and Lisa formed a family. They’ve grown up together. Seen each other through good, hard, and embarrassing times. Their history is evident in everything they do. They move and talk with ease and humor. The jokes and sarcasm fly back and forth non-stop, but you can see the love and care underneath it all. Listen to how Mike describes Cam….“part of Cam’s special brand of charm is the screwed-up mystery meat that masquerades as his brain.” Their chemistry propelled this story along from school to band practices to parties. You feel included. In the gang, in the trouble, and in the laughs. From music debates to fanny packs! You never know where their shenanigans will take them. Then we have Rook Wallace…..
Rook! What a name. Isn’t it the perfect arch-nemesis name?! :D Wallace and Mike have a sorted past. Wallace used to beat Mike up after baseball every chance he got when they were kids. Mike hates Rook! Or does he? Wallace’s smile, confidence, broad shoulders, and curls begin to make Mike nervous, sweaty, and…. Wait. Is Mike gay? Bi? He’s suddenly freaking out! Confused and scared! How can he be attracted to his arch-nemesis? Ms. Goslee balances this coming out story with humor and heart perfectly. Tears to laughs to attraction!
“Wallace leans in again, tilts their foreheads together and breaths; Mike can feel the rapid trip-skip of Wallace’s pulse against his thumb.”
“Trip-skip”! I love that. Wallace and Mike have heat! Serious heat! Ms. Goslee knows how to capture tension on the page. I love her tone and style. She puts a lot in this little book. We have realistic guy/dude talk, obvious bonds of friendship and history, humor, and a sweet possible romance brewing away. Her words and voices are simple, sincere, and beautiful in a real world way. Like this description of a snowstorm—“hushed pings of snowflakes on snowflakes as they fill up the ground” or this very distinctive odor of “weed and broken hobo dreams”. LOL! This book introduces a voice that will make your heart remember, smile, and ache. The emotion sneaks right up on you. One minute you’re calling Mike a doofus and the next you’re rooting for him to open up his heart and go for it.
Whatever is a winner! A read with huge heart and characters you’ll want more of. I wonder what Mike and the crew are up to tonight. Is it too soon to beg for a senior year?
Recommended read.
***Quotes taken from ARC***
August 3, 2016
4.5 stars
So much quirky good fun - I adored this!! If you like your MCs quirky and kinda clueless, you're going to love Mike. I was smiling through most of this - following along with him as he comes to terms with the fact that he's bi, deals with a myriad of odd friendships, comes out and realizes on an unlikely crush. This is YA but on the older end of YA where the characters are doing things like drinking, smoking pot and being horny a lot of the time. Kinda like I remember high school. At the same time, the romance was really quite sweet. I just had one little issue on the romance side, other than that it was pretty perfect.
I recommend to anyone who loves YA M/M romance, especially when it falls on the older and quirkier side of things.
So much quirky good fun - I adored this!! If you like your MCs quirky and kinda clueless, you're going to love Mike. I was smiling through most of this - following along with him as he comes to terms with the fact that he's bi, deals with a myriad of odd friendships, comes out and realizes on an unlikely crush. This is YA but on the older end of YA where the characters are doing things like drinking, smoking pot and being horny a lot of the time. Kinda like I remember high school. At the same time, the romance was really quite sweet. I just had one little issue on the romance side, other than that it was pretty perfect.
I recommend to anyone who loves YA M/M romance, especially when it falls on the older and quirkier side of things.
September 15, 2017
Bahahaha, seriously; this book!
Great humor! Great characters! And great story!
Mike is not the quintessential 16 yo (soon 17). Yes, he spends time with his friends, and yes he does A LOT of stupid things. But he also spends a lot of time with his baby-sister (Rosie) and he is actually sort of thoughtful.
Mike has been dating Lisa for quite some time, he's in a band with his best friends and he has an archenemy, who used to beat him up after baseball.
Mike works at his uncle's cheese shop, and is trying to be in school with the least amount of work. He is not stupid, but he is lazy and all-over the place.
Mike's mother is an author of children's books and she gives Mike and Rosie a lot of leeway, but is there for Mike when he fucks up.
Then Lisa breaks up with him, but they stay friends. And when Lisa decides she needs to be a more well-rounded character for college applications, she 'blackmails' Mike into running along with her. Her blackmail-material: Mike had a PROPER snogging-episode with J.J., a guy from another school.
What follows is Mike's awakening, both in regards to himself, but also in regards to friends and family.
I can't imagine coming out is easy, but this book takes great care with the subject. Yes, Mike is totally confused and yes he should have opened his mouth in a few situations, but he is a 16-17 yo guy, who drinks and smokes too much weed.
And even though there are things he doesn't care about, there are things he cares a great deal about; like his friends, who have been there his whole life.
Rook was a great character, I thought he did the whole 'jock'-deal and in the closet/but not-thing great justice. Also he was FREAKING adorable at times.
I was laughing and snorting and chuckling throughout this book! It was so SO funny, and I adored ALL of the characters (most were batshit CRAZY)! If I could change two things it would be a proper apology from Rook, for the shit he pulled years back AND an epilogue 15 years from now, telling me that Mike and Rook were going strong...
I know, I know, they're young and blah-blah-blah... But I had a friend in 9th grade who's still with her boyfriend from then, so let me have my dreams!
A definite re-read for me!
Great humor! Great characters! And great story!
Mike is not the quintessential 16 yo (soon 17). Yes, he spends time with his friends, and yes he does A LOT of stupid things. But he also spends a lot of time with his baby-sister (Rosie) and he is actually sort of thoughtful.
Mike has been dating Lisa for quite some time, he's in a band with his best friends and he has an archenemy, who used to beat him up after baseball.
Mike works at his uncle's cheese shop, and is trying to be in school with the least amount of work. He is not stupid, but he is lazy and all-over the place.
Mike's mother is an author of children's books and she gives Mike and Rosie a lot of leeway, but is there for Mike when he fucks up.
Then Lisa breaks up with him, but they stay friends. And when Lisa decides she needs to be a more well-rounded character for college applications, she 'blackmails' Mike into running along with her. Her blackmail-material: Mike had a PROPER snogging-episode with J.J., a guy from another school.
What follows is Mike's awakening, both in regards to himself, but also in regards to friends and family.
I can't imagine coming out is easy, but this book takes great care with the subject. Yes, Mike is totally confused and yes he should have opened his mouth in a few situations, but he is a 16-17 yo guy, who drinks and smokes too much weed.
And even though there are things he doesn't care about, there are things he cares a great deal about; like his friends, who have been there his whole life.
Rook was a great character, I thought he did the whole 'jock'-deal and in the closet/but not-thing great justice. Also he was FREAKING adorable at times.
I was laughing and snorting and chuckling throughout this book! It was so SO funny, and I adored ALL of the characters (most were batshit CRAZY)! If I could change two things it would be a proper apology from Rook, for the shit he pulled years back AND an epilogue 15 years from now, telling me that Mike and Rook were going strong...
I know, I know, they're young and blah-blah-blah... But I had a friend in 9th grade who's still with her boyfriend from then, so let me have my dreams!
A definite re-read for me!
September 16, 2016
Whatever by S.J. Goslee is a hilarious and honest YA coming out story and it’s in many ways unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It’s not a romance by any usual standards, but it can be painfully romantic and endearing at times. It’s a heart-warming story with so many laugh-out-loud moments and unparalleled honesty in dealing with subjects like self-discovery, bisexuality and coming of age.
Our protagonist Mike Tate is so easy to fall in love with, despite (or because of) his many shortcomings. He drinks, he smokes weed, he challenges his friends to do insane things. He is really a fairly typical and pretty obnoxious 16-year-old boy with wild hormones and plenty of time on his hands. At the same time, though, we see him caring for his 6-year-old sister, being secretly (and sort of reluctantly) kind to his friends and putting himself into danger to save a younger boy from a sure beating. Even when he’s being insufferable (which is often), there is such potential shining in Mike that it’s easy to imagine him becoming a wonderful adult.
That being said, teenage Mike is often kind of an idiot, prone to lashing out when he’s hurt or when he’s feeling insecure. Even though this isn’t a romance, there is a clear romantic interest, albeit one that Mike has a hard time processing. Through Mike’s relationship with Wallace, Goslee shows us that we never know what happens inside a person. The relationship was built realistically and brilliantly, which can also be said about other relationships in this book.
This is a story that teaches us, first and foremost, about the process of coming out and how intensely personal it is for everyone. Even when someone isn’t exposed to homophobia, even when judgment from friends and family isn’t forthcoming, they have a right to choose their own pace and come out (or not come out) when and how they see fit. Mike uncovers his own sexual identity slowly and reluctantly, preferring to not make waves. His mom is completely accepting, his hilarious grandmother has her own way of dealing with things, his friends are mostly open, but Mike just isn’t ready to face things. It should also be said that homophobia sometimes comes from completely unexpected directions. Preparing yourself for this careful and slow process isn’t a small matter at all. We follow Mike as he learns new things about himself and slowly finds his footing. His journey is poignant, honest and funny, painful at times, but so worth it in the end.
I loved every second of this book and I was so very grateful for its honesty and its authentic voice. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for Goslee’s next novel.
Our protagonist Mike Tate is so easy to fall in love with, despite (or because of) his many shortcomings. He drinks, he smokes weed, he challenges his friends to do insane things. He is really a fairly typical and pretty obnoxious 16-year-old boy with wild hormones and plenty of time on his hands. At the same time, though, we see him caring for his 6-year-old sister, being secretly (and sort of reluctantly) kind to his friends and putting himself into danger to save a younger boy from a sure beating. Even when he’s being insufferable (which is often), there is such potential shining in Mike that it’s easy to imagine him becoming a wonderful adult.
That being said, teenage Mike is often kind of an idiot, prone to lashing out when he’s hurt or when he’s feeling insecure. Even though this isn’t a romance, there is a clear romantic interest, albeit one that Mike has a hard time processing. Through Mike’s relationship with Wallace, Goslee shows us that we never know what happens inside a person. The relationship was built realistically and brilliantly, which can also be said about other relationships in this book.
This is a story that teaches us, first and foremost, about the process of coming out and how intensely personal it is for everyone. Even when someone isn’t exposed to homophobia, even when judgment from friends and family isn’t forthcoming, they have a right to choose their own pace and come out (or not come out) when and how they see fit. Mike uncovers his own sexual identity slowly and reluctantly, preferring to not make waves. His mom is completely accepting, his hilarious grandmother has her own way of dealing with things, his friends are mostly open, but Mike just isn’t ready to face things. It should also be said that homophobia sometimes comes from completely unexpected directions. Preparing yourself for this careful and slow process isn’t a small matter at all. We follow Mike as he learns new things about himself and slowly finds his footing. His journey is poignant, honest and funny, painful at times, but so worth it in the end.
I loved every second of this book and I was so very grateful for its honesty and its authentic voice. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for Goslee’s next novel.
April 9, 2017
Short version: I loved this. It's adorable, heartfelt, laugh-out-loud funny, and frighteningly relatable. The internal and external conflicts the MC faces with regard to coming out were beautifully and accurately rendered, and the romance depicted is swoony and so, so shippable. (And the MAKEOUTS. The makeouts are...[fans self]) Totally recommended.
November 15, 2016
I absolutely love it when books surprise me. This is a book that definitely surprised me in the best possible way. Admittedly, when I first started reading, I had my doubts. We’re first introduced to Mike as he’s coming out of a stoned stupor after partying with his bros. He had that dude voice that, while authentic, drives me completely nuts and I was ready to give up right then and there. But I decided to keep going and I am so glad that I did. Mike never really loses his dude voice, but for some reason he makes it wildly endearing. In addition to this, the relationships he has with his mom, his little sister, his friends, his ex-girlfriend and the burgeoning attraction between him and the love interest [no spoilers!] are extraordinary and so wholly real that each interaction while seemingly laid back oozes with meaning and authenticity. I also loved the way that Goslee handles Mike’s discovery of his sexuality. There is a lot of confusion, emotion and frustration but at the same time it doesn’t feel overly dramatic but rather quite funny as Mike provides hilarious asides as he justifies his appreciative eye for the male form. Additionally, Goslee is never insensitive in her depiction of Mike’s self-discovery, but rather she provides an excellent balance of humor AND heart making this a great choice for teens who may have questions of their own. I can definitely continue to sing the praises of this delightful debut, but one of the most important things that stuck me about this book is that it is an absolutely spectacular dude book, and there really aren’t enough spectacular dude books out there. Can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next!
March 7, 2018
4.5 stars
*screams because this was probably the cutest thing i've ever read and i'm pretty sure i smiled the whole way through*
there was just so much i loved about this- mike, cam, wallace, serge, jason, j.j etc and yes, i did just name pretty much every character in the book, but what the hell, i adored them all. the writing was great, the plot was entertaining, it was funny in all the right places and i had so much fun reading this one.
it's definitely not perfect (there's some bisexual erasure and i didn't like how the author wrote lisa and her attitude towards mike + mike's relationships) buuuut i did love it a whole lot anyway, once i got past those two things.
1st read: october 2016
2nd read: march 2017
*screams because this was probably the cutest thing i've ever read and i'm pretty sure i smiled the whole way through*
there was just so much i loved about this- mike, cam, wallace, serge, jason, j.j etc and yes, i did just name pretty much every character in the book, but what the hell, i adored them all. the writing was great, the plot was entertaining, it was funny in all the right places and i had so much fun reading this one.
it's definitely not perfect (there's some bisexual erasure and i didn't like how the author wrote lisa and her attitude towards mike + mike's relationships) buuuut i did love it a whole lot anyway, once i got past those two things.
1st read: october 2016
2nd read: march 2017
Read
February 4, 2017Awesomeness. Love it! Funny, honest YA, with a bit of a clueless dude MC.
Self discovery. Great friends. Sweet first time romance on the side.
Self discovery. Great friends. Sweet first time romance on the side.
May 18, 2020
rep: bi mc, gay li, Latina side character
tw: outing (brief scene, no real bad outcome), biphobia, fetishising of mlm characters
very cute with lots of pining & the mc has a cool voice and it's impossible not to love him
some things tho:
- rly weird how obsessed his ex-gf is with his love life and him being bi
- rly weird how obsessed all the girls he's friends with are with him being bi, actually
- not a fan of constantly using 'girl' as some kind of a cute little insult; i get this is abt a teen boy but i don't need this casual misogyny
- his grandma outing him to the whole family & absolutely refusing to acknowledge he's bi and not gay was gross
- could definitely use an actual apology from wallace for being a bully at 12; i know we needed a reason for them to be 'enemies' but come on, at least explore that later on
tw: outing (brief scene, no real bad outcome), biphobia, fetishising of mlm characters
very cute with lots of pining & the mc has a cool voice and it's impossible not to love him
some things tho:
- rly weird how obsessed his ex-gf is with his love life and him being bi
- rly weird how obsessed all the girls he's friends with are with him being bi, actually
- not a fan of constantly using 'girl' as some kind of a cute little insult; i get this is abt a teen boy but i don't need this casual misogyny
- his grandma outing him to the whole family & absolutely refusing to acknowledge he's bi and not gay was gross
- could definitely use an actual apology from wallace for being a bully at 12; i know we needed a reason for them to be 'enemies' but come on, at least explore that later on
Read
March 22, 2017After a slightly bumpy start I ended up liking this one a lot, and am super excited to have a fun bi boy Contemp YA to recommend, especially one with such a heavy emphasis on friendship. Some great cuteness, hotness, a great coming-out that totally melted me, on-page action... definitely for fans of Simon and The Great American Whatever. A super happy surprise.
September 1, 2016
Objectively this might be a 4 star book, but it just exuded happiness the whole time I was reading it, and I enjoyed it so much that I'm giving it 5 stars anyway. I really enjoy the author's breezy writing style, which managed to be fast-paced even though this is written in third-person present pov, and I usually find that emotionally fraught. The author handles some tough issues (coming out, bullying, acceptance of differences, learning who you are) with a light touch. Mike is a super likable, pot-smoking, binge-drinking teenage slacker with a really good heart who's going through something of an identity crises. He's so easy-going that his friends get him to do all sorts of things, and so gentle that it seems nobody can get angry with him, but he's kind of a confused mess inside. Which is probably an accurate description of a lot of teenage boys. I enjoyed this thoroughly, and it wasn't so much with bated breath about the romance, as just enjoying spending time with Mike and his crazy friends and family.
May 23, 2019
invented ya literature, invented gays, invented this ass
September 11, 2016
There is something really arrogant about having the audacity to title your book "Whatever." Although I suppose it's fitting because whatever accurately reflects the pointlessness of this story.
What was the point, can anyone tell me? What was it about? Some guy who's a jerk to basically everyone around him coming to grips with the fact that he's bi even though everyone is rooting him on? The entire book told instead of showed and the dialogue was mostly people telling Mike he was acting weird and then it's like ta-da i'm gay what no i'm not because dicks are scary hmm wait but i don't like boobs so i must like guys oh okay sounds good but i'm still going to be an asshole about it for 200 pages lol. THAT'S THE BOOK. The only conflict in this was the fact that the main character screwed everything up for himself all the time by being a wishy-washy prick who never thought about anyone but himself.
On top of that, the language in the book felt casually homophobic and misogynistic to me - how many times did Mike call himself or someone around him a girl when they were being emotional or weak? You could make a drinking game out of how often "girl" was used as an insult in this. And the gay jokes really did not sit right with me. It seemed to me that there was meanness and a lack of empathy throughout and I didn't like the language that she used because it didn't feel like it was being used in the right environment.
This just seemed really amateur and clearly written by a female fetishizing gay males with zero empathy or purpose for it. Out of all the wonderful fanfic writers out there this is the one that gets a book deal? Mind-blowing.
What was the point, can anyone tell me? What was it about? Some guy who's a jerk to basically everyone around him coming to grips with the fact that he's bi even though everyone is rooting him on? The entire book told instead of showed and the dialogue was mostly people telling Mike he was acting weird and then it's like ta-da i'm gay what no i'm not because dicks are scary hmm wait but i don't like boobs so i must like guys oh okay sounds good but i'm still going to be an asshole about it for 200 pages lol. THAT'S THE BOOK. The only conflict in this was the fact that the main character screwed everything up for himself all the time by being a wishy-washy prick who never thought about anyone but himself.
On top of that, the language in the book felt casually homophobic and misogynistic to me - how many times did Mike call himself or someone around him a girl when they were being emotional or weak? You could make a drinking game out of how often "girl" was used as an insult in this. And the gay jokes really did not sit right with me. It seemed to me that there was meanness and a lack of empathy throughout and I didn't like the language that she used because it didn't feel like it was being used in the right environment.
This just seemed really amateur and clearly written by a female fetishizing gay males with zero empathy or purpose for it. Out of all the wonderful fanfic writers out there this is the one that gets a book deal? Mind-blowing.
Want to read
June 6, 2016UH, YES PLEASE?
October 8, 2019
Mike Tate is a cool guy. There's no denying that - he plays in a band, hangs out with other cool dudes and has an awesome girlfriend, or does he? When said girlfriend points out to him that he is, actually, gay, Mike’s world starts falling apart. He finds himself forced to deal with a part of him that he's not quite ready to acknowledge and he even has to juggle his confused feelings for his archenemy, Rook Wallace.
S.J. Goslee’s Whatever is a totally delightful ride through the (few) ups and (many) downs of adolescence. We’ve all been there one way or another and I bet we all remember only too clearly how difficult it is to come to terms with one’s own identity, straight, gay or anything in between, when you're constantly surrounded by people who may be meaning well but all they're actually doing is to interfere and give out unnecessary advice.
Mike’s search for a new way to deal with his life is funny, heartfelt and at times melancholic. It's simply impossible not to fall in love with his clumsiness and social awkwardness and the cast of characters, from Wallace to Cam and all the others, enrich this novel with a wide range of quirky and lovable personalities.
The author’s writing style is rich and deeply enjoyable and I had a fantastic time reading this novel. It also made me think - perhaps not too fondly there - of the total jerks I had the misfortune of going to school with. And that's when I felt a little twinge of envy for Mike and his bunch of awesome friends. As he would say, though, whatever. Things turned out pretty alright after all.
I totally recommend this book!
S.J. Goslee’s Whatever is a totally delightful ride through the (few) ups and (many) downs of adolescence. We’ve all been there one way or another and I bet we all remember only too clearly how difficult it is to come to terms with one’s own identity, straight, gay or anything in between, when you're constantly surrounded by people who may be meaning well but all they're actually doing is to interfere and give out unnecessary advice.
Mike’s search for a new way to deal with his life is funny, heartfelt and at times melancholic. It's simply impossible not to fall in love with his clumsiness and social awkwardness and the cast of characters, from Wallace to Cam and all the others, enrich this novel with a wide range of quirky and lovable personalities.
The author’s writing style is rich and deeply enjoyable and I had a fantastic time reading this novel. It also made me think - perhaps not too fondly there - of the total jerks I had the misfortune of going to school with. And that's when I felt a little twinge of envy for Mike and his bunch of awesome friends. As he would say, though, whatever. Things turned out pretty alright after all.
I totally recommend this book!
February 17, 2019
Good lord, what a let down this book was. Soooo many faults. This book is full of casual homophobia, bi-erasure, fetishizing homosexuality. The whole story has no actual plot, just stumbling from one day to the next. There’s no real advancement of the characters, no holding anyone accountable for the shit things they say and do. And where are all the fucking adults? Like, maybe I’m too old for this story, but where are the parents during the rampant drug and alcohol use?? I remember my high school years, if I was so hungover at school that a friend had to carry me from one class to the next, the principal would have been on the phone with my folks before my ass made it into my seat in my next class. This whole book was beyond relatable or believable. Disappointing.
March 31, 2020
An über awesome book about coming out as bi, teenage angst and being yourself. It's way too early to post a review of this badboy, but know that it's incredibly good and humorous in a laugh out loud to the point where everyone in your vicinity thinks you're nuts kind of way.
July 29, 2016
Disclaimer: won an unproofed copy on Goodreads giveaway.
I heard about this book on a list of must-read queer YA novels for 2016. I was excited because Mike, the main character is bisexual, and too often bisexual narratives get swept under the "gay now" rug.
Unfortunately, this book was a letdown. The opening was shakey with a lot of characters being introduced in a high schooler's life. It was hard to keep track of them, and there was an excessive about of exposition and telling, not showing.
While a book about teen boys, which I'd give some allowances to, there was excessive casual sexism and ablism. It felt especially off as the author seemed so careful never to use a homophobic slur.
Well, until grandma showed up with some biphobia and insisting that Mike is just gay and needs a boyfriend. Grandma's so progressive that she even talks to Mike about condoms later. The narration never deals with grandma's biphobia or even has Mike dwell on it and actually deal with it. If anything, the narration comes off as if she's right and when he's more comfortable with his sexuality, Mike will just be gay.
This book would've been much better if those elements weren't there and there'd been more focus on developing Mike's romance with Wallace. Or even ironing out his friendships. If I have one compliment for the book, it's that it does well at portraying the friendships of teenager boys.
I heard about this book on a list of must-read queer YA novels for 2016. I was excited because Mike, the main character is bisexual, and too often bisexual narratives get swept under the "gay now" rug.
Unfortunately, this book was a letdown. The opening was shakey with a lot of characters being introduced in a high schooler's life. It was hard to keep track of them, and there was an excessive about of exposition and telling, not showing.
While a book about teen boys, which I'd give some allowances to, there was excessive casual sexism and ablism. It felt especially off as the author seemed so careful never to use a homophobic slur.
Well, until grandma showed up with some biphobia and insisting that Mike is just gay and needs a boyfriend. Grandma's so progressive that she even talks to Mike about condoms later. The narration never deals with grandma's biphobia or even has Mike dwell on it and actually deal with it. If anything, the narration comes off as if she's right and when he's more comfortable with his sexuality, Mike will just be gay.
This book would've been much better if those elements weren't there and there'd been more focus on developing Mike's romance with Wallace. Or even ironing out his friendships. If I have one compliment for the book, it's that it does well at portraying the friendships of teenager boys.
July 26, 2021
This was the book, I got sent by HollyWouldStudios as a Blind date book! It was my first time doing this sort of experience, so hopefully, I like the book!
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/HollyWou...
This book is an easy read. It's quite short so I read it in one sitting. I found that there wasn't much plot which might be because of how short the book is. I also found it problematic that the author decides to make the main character fall in love with their ex-bully. Because that's totally not toxic behavior. Especially when the excuse is I was in denial of my feelings for you! Yeah, it's not a valid excuse.
There were also many comments from the female characters in the story that weren't necessary some were even borderline fetishizing.
I did enjoy the character of Mike. It's a chill guy that is willing is to accept his sexuality pretty quickly and is fun to read his thoughts. It was a very nice portrayal of a teen guy. I do think he should have been older than the 16-year-old age the author gave him.
Overall, it's a short story with a fun main character but a toxic relationship and comments that were borderline fetishizing.
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/HollyWou...
This book is an easy read. It's quite short so I read it in one sitting. I found that there wasn't much plot which might be because of how short the book is. I also found it problematic that the author decides to make the main character fall in love with their ex-bully. Because that's totally not toxic behavior. Especially when the excuse is I was in denial of my feelings for you! Yeah, it's not a valid excuse.
There were also many comments from the female characters in the story that weren't necessary some were even borderline fetishizing.
I did enjoy the character of Mike. It's a chill guy that is willing is to accept his sexuality pretty quickly and is fun to read his thoughts. It was a very nice portrayal of a teen guy. I do think he should have been older than the 16-year-old age the author gave him.
Overall, it's a short story with a fun main character but a toxic relationship and comments that were borderline fetishizing.
August 14, 2019
I found this in my local library today and I may or may not have accidentally read it in one sitting, oops. I was hoping I would love it, but alas, there was barely anything good about it.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
EDIT: I first gave this book 3 stars and thought about lowering it to 2.5 stars, but after thumbing through the book again and looking through my notes, I'm not sure why I thought it deserved that rating.
1.5 stars
Honestly, I don't even know where to start. Maybe let's first talk about the fetishizing .
In 'Whatever', Mike has a handful of friends - one of which is his ex-girlfriend Lisa -, and he's also kind of, sort of friends with two cheerleaders called Dotty and Lenny. I'm usually all for platonic friendships of girls and boys, but the way Lisa, Dotty and Lenny - especially Lisa! - treated Mike's homosexuality made my stomach turn over. At the beginning of the story, Mike isn't even aware that he likes guys - but then Lisa tells him about how he hooked up with this other boy at a party. Here's the actual quote from the book:
"You and the little sausage man, remember?” She crosses her arms over her chest, smug. “Last month at Cam’s end of the summer blowout. Full-on making out, with tongues, and hands in private places.” Her eyes go hazy and she licks her lips. Gross.
It made me want to throw up.
Mike was overwhelmed and tried to come to terms with his feelings, and instead of supporting him the way a friend should, Lisa kept forcing him to talk about boys and his love life and what that made him feel. It clearly made him uncomfortable to talk about it out loud, but did that interest Lisa? Noope. She was just so ecstatic to have a gay best friend and fetishized his love for other boys to no end.
And Dotty and Lenny weren't better. They treated him like a piece of meat they could lust for.
It was more than obvious that this book was written by a straight woman. In my opinion, if you're a straight woman who wants to write about two boys in love you have to be twice as careful about what you're saying. A lot of authors have no problems writing the cutest love stories in existence without getting gross or treating their protagonists like some sort of exotic pets - Becky Albertalli, for example, is amazing at it -, but S.J. Goslee really didn't get the memo. I oftentimes found myself wanting to take a break or skip a paragraph just to get away from the way Mike was treated.
Additionally, the book contains a lot of biphobia and homophobia . Mike's grandmother, for example, was the most biphobic piece of shit I ever had the misfortune to read about. She basically told Mike he couldn't be bisexual because 'no grandson of hers would be so indecisive'. As if being bisexual meant you simply haven't decided which gender you preferred.
And that's not everything. She then proceeded to ask him who he was dating - and there had to be a boy, because 'no one decides to be gay without there being a boy involved'. Um, grandma, that's ... not how that works. You can be gay without ever having been in a relationship. I mean, I've never dated anyone either, yet I'm still a lesbian. And you know why? Because I'm a girl who's attracted to other girls.
Wow, mind-blowing, isn't it.
Now, you might argue that she's like seventy-five and old people have traditional views and everything. But here's the thing: No one calls her out on her bullshit. Even though she ends up outing Mike to some of his friends just because she can. But hey, Mike's despair is funny, isn't it? Let's just all make fun of it.
In another instance, Mike said that being a bisexual guy meant that you only hooked up with girls, but let them have their fantasies about having sex with two guys at once. Because clearly, bisexuals have threesomes all the time.
Moreover, I hated how Goslee kept switching between Mike being gay and Mike being bi. Mike kept repeating that he was pretty sure he wasn't interested in girls and they weren't as appealing to him as he always thought they were. But despite that, he still came out to his friends as bi - and you know why? Because 'there's always the chance he could like girls'. Even though he already clearly stated he could spend the rest of his life without ever going on a date with a girl again.
It makes zero sense!
Apart from the uncomfortable way Goslee handled the LGBTQ+-elements, I also had trouble with the friendships . First of all, I could never remember who was who. I kept forgetting who was the crazy one and who was the uncool one and who was afraid of girls, and that's a problem I definitely never had to face before. They were all just so interchangeable .
Furthermore, I did not like the way their friendships worked in the first place. They were mean to each other, were superficial and focused on how 'cool' they were, and Mike kept making fun of his friend Meckles' panic attacks. Because nothing's funnier than a guy having a panic attack, right? (Spoiler alert: It isn't.)
Speaking of friends, have I mentioned precious little Lisa who suggested Mike hooked up with another girl from his class even though she knew he was gay? .
The romance could be cute at times, but there was one thing that bothered me: Mike and Wallace had history (), and because of that Mike hated Wallace's guts. Wallace explained to him at some point why he did what he did, except it didn't make a whole lot of sense and Mike just - accepted it? And they never talked about it ever again? I'm sorry, but if what happened to Mike had happened to me, I would have demanded an actual explanation.
Yeah, so overall there was barely anything good about the story. It was occasionally funny and the romance was more or less cute - but that's about it. The rest of it was horrible and bi-/homophobic and disgusting. There need to be like a dozen trigger warnings for this book, jfc.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
EDIT: I first gave this book 3 stars and thought about lowering it to 2.5 stars, but after thumbing through the book again and looking through my notes, I'm not sure why I thought it deserved that rating.
1.5 stars
Honestly, I don't even know where to start. Maybe let's first talk about the fetishizing .
In 'Whatever', Mike has a handful of friends - one of which is his ex-girlfriend Lisa -, and he's also kind of, sort of friends with two cheerleaders called Dotty and Lenny. I'm usually all for platonic friendships of girls and boys, but the way Lisa, Dotty and Lenny - especially Lisa! - treated Mike's homosexuality made my stomach turn over. At the beginning of the story, Mike isn't even aware that he likes guys - but then Lisa tells him about how he hooked up with this other boy at a party. Here's the actual quote from the book:
"You and the little sausage man, remember?” She crosses her arms over her chest, smug. “Last month at Cam’s end of the summer blowout. Full-on making out, with tongues, and hands in private places.” Her eyes go hazy and she licks her lips. Gross.
It made me want to throw up.
Mike was overwhelmed and tried to come to terms with his feelings, and instead of supporting him the way a friend should, Lisa kept forcing him to talk about boys and his love life and what that made him feel. It clearly made him uncomfortable to talk about it out loud, but did that interest Lisa? Noope. She was just so ecstatic to have a gay best friend and fetishized his love for other boys to no end.
And Dotty and Lenny weren't better. They treated him like a piece of meat they could lust for.
It was more than obvious that this book was written by a straight woman. In my opinion, if you're a straight woman who wants to write about two boys in love you have to be twice as careful about what you're saying. A lot of authors have no problems writing the cutest love stories in existence without getting gross or treating their protagonists like some sort of exotic pets - Becky Albertalli, for example, is amazing at it -, but S.J. Goslee really didn't get the memo. I oftentimes found myself wanting to take a break or skip a paragraph just to get away from the way Mike was treated.
Additionally, the book contains a lot of biphobia and homophobia . Mike's grandmother, for example, was the most biphobic piece of shit I ever had the misfortune to read about. She basically told Mike he couldn't be bisexual because 'no grandson of hers would be so indecisive'. As if being bisexual meant you simply haven't decided which gender you preferred.
And that's not everything. She then proceeded to ask him who he was dating - and there had to be a boy, because 'no one decides to be gay without there being a boy involved'. Um, grandma, that's ... not how that works. You can be gay without ever having been in a relationship. I mean, I've never dated anyone either, yet I'm still a lesbian. And you know why? Because I'm a girl who's attracted to other girls.
Wow, mind-blowing, isn't it.
Now, you might argue that she's like seventy-five and old people have traditional views and everything. But here's the thing: No one calls her out on her bullshit. Even though she ends up outing Mike to some of his friends just because she can. But hey, Mike's despair is funny, isn't it? Let's just all make fun of it.
In another instance, Mike said that being a bisexual guy meant that you only hooked up with girls, but let them have their fantasies about having sex with two guys at once. Because clearly, bisexuals have threesomes all the time.
Moreover, I hated how Goslee kept switching between Mike being gay and Mike being bi. Mike kept repeating that he was pretty sure he wasn't interested in girls and they weren't as appealing to him as he always thought they were. But despite that, he still came out to his friends as bi - and you know why? Because 'there's always the chance he could like girls'. Even though he already clearly stated he could spend the rest of his life without ever going on a date with a girl again.
It makes zero sense!
Apart from the uncomfortable way Goslee handled the LGBTQ+-elements, I also had trouble with the friendships . First of all, I could never remember who was who. I kept forgetting who was the crazy one and who was the uncool one and who was afraid of girls, and that's a problem I definitely never had to face before. They were all just so interchangeable .
Furthermore, I did not like the way their friendships worked in the first place. They were mean to each other, were superficial and focused on how 'cool' they were, and Mike kept making fun of his friend Meckles' panic attacks. Because nothing's funnier than a guy having a panic attack, right? (Spoiler alert: It isn't.)
Speaking of friends, have I mentioned precious little Lisa who suggested Mike hooked up with another girl from his class even though she knew he was gay? .
The romance could be cute at times, but there was one thing that bothered me: Mike and Wallace had history (), and because of that Mike hated Wallace's guts. Wallace explained to him at some point why he did what he did, except it didn't make a whole lot of sense and Mike just - accepted it? And they never talked about it ever again? I'm sorry, but if what happened to Mike had happened to me, I would have demanded an actual explanation.
Yeah, so overall there was barely anything good about the story. It was occasionally funny and the romance was more or less cute - but that's about it. The rest of it was horrible and bi-/homophobic and disgusting. There need to be like a dozen trigger warnings for this book, jfc.
July 2, 2018
I had great expectations for this book. Sadly, they weren't met.
I had to seriously push through the first half or so, I just found the narrator incredibly annoying and I was discouraged by the fact that literally nothing was happening: he and his friends just hang out and drank or got high and then for some reason everything spiraled out of control in Mike's life when Lisa- his girlfriend who suddenly decided they weren't really dating- breaks up with him anyway. And she decides to hand his sexual identity crisis on silver platter for him. It was overall ridiculous and made no sense to me, even in the comedic environment of the story where, admittedly, very little was meant to make sense anyways.
I couldn't warm up, not really, to any of the characters; although I will concede that Mike had a pretty awesome group of friends overall, and that his family (messy as it was) was okay as well. Credit where credit is due.
The whole arc regarding Wallace was sloppy at best: it was never really clear what had truly transpired between them in the past, and if Mike's words (he is a very unreliable narrator) were to be trusted, his attitude in the present made little sense for the most part as well: true, it was somehow explained at some point or the other, but the explanation was still as sketchy as the actual arc had been. Also there was the very ridiculous on-page excuse of Wallace beating Mike up in the past "as an excuse to get his hands on him" because of this huge crush he'd had on Mike forever. I almost gagged at that one. But somehow everything is made okay in the present, cause Wallace is suddenly a sweetheart and of course Mike forgets about his resentment and practically falls for Wallace regardless. Sidenote: I'm not actually criticising Wallace here: merely the crappy writing. In all honestly, Wallace ended up one of the characters I grew closer to maybe caring for. Him and his little brother were sort of the saving grace for this shitshow of a story.
I think this was definitely not a match made in heaven: me and this story. I was definitely not the target audience (which doesn't usually strike me as a problem cause I've enjoyed plenty of stories in the past that could also fall in this category). But I'm also holding the story itself responsible for this: the characters could have had a bit more depth , there could have been a lot less of the expressions "like a girl", "such a pussy" and the like. I get it, teenagers do speak like that, cringe-worthy as it may seem (hell, even some adults speak like that, and not all of them men, let's be real). But a much smaller dose might just have driven the point home anyways. True, there was still the clever, insightful and uncharacteristically mature way that sexuality is dealt with (with the exception of the moments where people want to tell Mike what his sexuality is, instead of, you know, listening to him on how he feels about it- which I found relatable on some level: Mike spends a lot of time trying to make people understand he's bisexual, not gay: I can sort of get the feeling; as a demisexual interested exclusively in guys, but who sometimes has to give up the fight when people say I'm straight cause, yeah, okay, whatever).
A strange complain I have to make (and this one comes from my Marvelite heart, I can't help it): it was oddly bewildering to me how at one point there's a discussion about hot men, and Tobey McGuire is brought up, with the argument "he's Spider-Man!" And nobody, literally not one of the participants in the discussion point out that Andrew Garfield was actually Spider-Man as of 2012, and Tom Holland took over from Andrew in 2015, making his first official appearance in the role in early 2016 (the book is from 2016). Call me petty for being bothered by something so small.
2.5 maybe, because while I didn't enjoy *all* of this, it wasn't exactly what I'd call terrible. But it's still not enough to make it a 3.
I had to seriously push through the first half or so, I just found the narrator incredibly annoying and I was discouraged by the fact that literally nothing was happening: he and his friends just hang out and drank or got high and then for some reason everything spiraled out of control in Mike's life when Lisa- his girlfriend who suddenly decided they weren't really dating- breaks up with him anyway. And she decides to hand his sexual identity crisis on silver platter for him. It was overall ridiculous and made no sense to me, even in the comedic environment of the story where, admittedly, very little was meant to make sense anyways.
I couldn't warm up, not really, to any of the characters; although I will concede that Mike had a pretty awesome group of friends overall, and that his family (messy as it was) was okay as well. Credit where credit is due.
The whole arc regarding Wallace was sloppy at best: it was never really clear what had truly transpired between them in the past, and if Mike's words (he is a very unreliable narrator) were to be trusted, his attitude in the present made little sense for the most part as well: true, it was somehow explained at some point or the other, but the explanation was still as sketchy as the actual arc had been. Also there was the very ridiculous on-page excuse of Wallace beating Mike up in the past "as an excuse to get his hands on him" because of this huge crush he'd had on Mike forever. I almost gagged at that one. But somehow everything is made okay in the present, cause Wallace is suddenly a sweetheart and of course Mike forgets about his resentment and practically falls for Wallace regardless. Sidenote: I'm not actually criticising Wallace here: merely the crappy writing. In all honestly, Wallace ended up one of the characters I grew closer to maybe caring for. Him and his little brother were sort of the saving grace for this shitshow of a story.
I think this was definitely not a match made in heaven: me and this story. I was definitely not the target audience (which doesn't usually strike me as a problem cause I've enjoyed plenty of stories in the past that could also fall in this category). But I'm also holding the story itself responsible for this: the characters could have had a bit more depth , there could have been a lot less of the expressions "like a girl", "such a pussy" and the like. I get it, teenagers do speak like that, cringe-worthy as it may seem (hell, even some adults speak like that, and not all of them men, let's be real). But a much smaller dose might just have driven the point home anyways. True, there was still the clever, insightful and uncharacteristically mature way that sexuality is dealt with (with the exception of the moments where people want to tell Mike what his sexuality is, instead of, you know, listening to him on how he feels about it- which I found relatable on some level: Mike spends a lot of time trying to make people understand he's bisexual, not gay: I can sort of get the feeling; as a demisexual interested exclusively in guys, but who sometimes has to give up the fight when people say I'm straight cause, yeah, okay, whatever).
A strange complain I have to make (and this one comes from my Marvelite heart, I can't help it): it was oddly bewildering to me how at one point there's a discussion about hot men, and Tobey McGuire is brought up, with the argument "he's Spider-Man!" And nobody, literally not one of the participants in the discussion point out that Andrew Garfield was actually Spider-Man as of 2012, and Tom Holland took over from Andrew in 2015, making his first official appearance in the role in early 2016 (the book is from 2016). Call me petty for being bothered by something so small.
2.5 maybe, because while I didn't enjoy *all* of this, it wasn't exactly what I'd call terrible. But it's still not enough to make it a 3.
January 14, 2019
I’ve been wanting to read this book for 3 years, i finally got it and Ive never been more disappointed. The author is clearly a straight woman who has never met a bi person, ever. There was no point and I don’t know why it is so high rated. Please never write a LGBT book again. This isn’t bi representation and this book has absolutely no sense to it and I regret buying it.
Edit: I realized i hadn't added examples, i already unhauled the book, but as a bi person this is how I felt: no bi person is 24/7 thinking about being bisexual, and ugh the whole romance was based on lack of consent and ugh I don't think I should even review this bc of how angry it makes me.
Edit: I realized i hadn't added examples, i already unhauled the book, but as a bi person this is how I felt: no bi person is 24/7 thinking about being bisexual, and ugh the whole romance was based on lack of consent and ugh I don't think I should even review this bc of how angry it makes me.
January 23, 2018
update 8/5/17: rereading because this is just super entertaining and a fun read during a busy week
this book is just topping off some of the great books i've read this week, and i think it may be my favourite. i smiled the entire way through this, i loved all the characters so much and they were so entertaining. mike is so oblivious sometimes i relate to him so much. i also loved the relationship, even though i did want to smack mike's head near the end! anyway y'all need to read this
this book is just topping off some of the great books i've read this week, and i think it may be my favourite. i smiled the entire way through this, i loved all the characters so much and they were so entertaining. mike is so oblivious sometimes i relate to him so much. i also loved the relationship, even though i did want to smack mike's head near the end! anyway y'all need to read this
August 5, 2016
Rating: 4.5/5
God damn, I loved it. Every bit of it. I only wish it was longer. There are a few other factors to why I'm rating this a 4.5 instead of a solid 5, which I'll probably get into when I write a longer review later, but here's why you should read this book.
Things I really liked about the book:
-the voice/narration. It takes a bit to get used to at first, but it really gives the authentic feeling of a teen with the amount of swearing, uncertainty, and bonding with friends.
-the humour. The book is totally hilarious, but also has the perfect amount of seriousness at times when it comes to Mike's confusion about his sexuality.
-the romance. It was pretty sweet, and like, I totally wish there was more kissing. Also wish there was more getting to know each other bits.
-the friendship. Mike and his friends are so fucking cool, I wish I was his friend. And I love the conversations with him and Lisa.
-the family. Mike is like, the best older brother ever?? And his mom is Totally Cool.
Go read this book.
_____
So like, I read the excerpt online, and the narration took a few pages to get used to. But oh man do I already love it. Can't wait to get my hands on this book next month!!
God damn, I loved it. Every bit of it. I only wish it was longer. There are a few other factors to why I'm rating this a 4.5 instead of a solid 5, which I'll probably get into when I write a longer review later, but here's why you should read this book.
Things I really liked about the book:
-the voice/narration. It takes a bit to get used to at first, but it really gives the authentic feeling of a teen with the amount of swearing, uncertainty, and bonding with friends.
-the humour. The book is totally hilarious, but also has the perfect amount of seriousness at times when it comes to Mike's confusion about his sexuality.
-the romance. It was pretty sweet, and like, I totally wish there was more kissing. Also wish there was more getting to know each other bits.
-the friendship. Mike and his friends are so fucking cool, I wish I was his friend. And I love the conversations with him and Lisa.
-the family. Mike is like, the best older brother ever?? And his mom is Totally Cool.
Go read this book.
_____
So like, I read the excerpt online, and the narration took a few pages to get used to. But oh man do I already love it. Can't wait to get my hands on this book next month!!
March 25, 2016
It was really funny, and very Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda-esque.
Except the main character is kind of a douche? And I desperately wish it were written in first person (which is rare for me). I'll have to check it out once the finished copies are available to see if any changes were made.
Big thanks to Roaring Brook Press for an advance copy!
Except the main character is kind of a douche? And I desperately wish it were written in first person (which is rare for me). I'll have to check it out once the finished copies are available to see if any changes were made.
Big thanks to Roaring Brook Press for an advance copy!
Want to read
April 2, 20194/1/19 Currently on sale for $2.99 via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AGIOE3O/...
September 3, 2016
Whatever follows Mike who thinks he has everything sorted. His life is fine and he has great friends and a girlfriend. But his girlfriend isn't his girlfriend and also really thinks he's gay. Bombshell dropped and Mike's world changes.
Okay this was pretty fun. Like overall that is the world I'd use to describe this book. Fun. It didn't take itself too seriously which was good because it was hard to with a title like that. I'm not begrudging it, it's memorable and a good chuckle. I'll admit the story was a bit predictable and the whole love interest was pretty obvious I thought but it was still fun. It also touched on some important subjects about coming to terms with your sexuality and what it means for relationships. That whole idea of not being certain of what to do and how to proceed, especially when Mike's going through all this turmoil, was possibly the best part of the book. I think Goslee did a good job with handling it and the themes it presented.
Character wise I thought Lisa was an underused gem. She was the voice of reason and the perfect balance to Mike's misery. Mike overall was a complicated character just because of the mess he's feeling. He is so lost when Lisa thinks he's gay. Like the power of suggestion to reveal a denial is intense from this book. But him working through it is interesting, because he lashes out, he's a little reckless, he does the denial and eventual acceptance. It's a quick journey but a clear one so I can't say anything against it. Wallace was intriguing because he was such an easy character to read about. He was just fun and bounced well off Mike especially as things got flirty. I didn't particularly like how Mike treated Wallace at points but that was more down to Mike being so indecisive and struggling so much. It was valid but still a bit of a dick move.
The whole host of friends all kind of give a little more for Mike to work with. Quirky Cam and nervous Meckles are interesting but of course Omar provides the shock of the book. Mike comes out and he walks off. Turns out he's religious and struggles with it. But Goslee didn't seem to explore that as much as possible. Instead we get to see Omar making an effort which I thought was refreshing too see.
Key scenes I loved: the date, the second date, the Halloween party, the snow scene and the Lisa drops the bomb. They were all so well done. The first bunch were especially cute and heartwarming. Each kind of presented it's own issues but it was all in good fun. Lisa dropping the bombshell is just so brilliant. It's unrestrained and just to the point. You can kind of see Mike falling apart at that point. And of course he does but there is so much more to it than that by the end. Acceptance at the end is just so wonderful. It is tasteful and artfully done so I applaud Goslee on that.
Okay this was pretty fun. Like overall that is the world I'd use to describe this book. Fun. It didn't take itself too seriously which was good because it was hard to with a title like that. I'm not begrudging it, it's memorable and a good chuckle. I'll admit the story was a bit predictable and the whole love interest was pretty obvious I thought but it was still fun. It also touched on some important subjects about coming to terms with your sexuality and what it means for relationships. That whole idea of not being certain of what to do and how to proceed, especially when Mike's going through all this turmoil, was possibly the best part of the book. I think Goslee did a good job with handling it and the themes it presented.
Character wise I thought Lisa was an underused gem. She was the voice of reason and the perfect balance to Mike's misery. Mike overall was a complicated character just because of the mess he's feeling. He is so lost when Lisa thinks he's gay. Like the power of suggestion to reveal a denial is intense from this book. But him working through it is interesting, because he lashes out, he's a little reckless, he does the denial and eventual acceptance. It's a quick journey but a clear one so I can't say anything against it. Wallace was intriguing because he was such an easy character to read about. He was just fun and bounced well off Mike especially as things got flirty. I didn't particularly like how Mike treated Wallace at points but that was more down to Mike being so indecisive and struggling so much. It was valid but still a bit of a dick move.
The whole host of friends all kind of give a little more for Mike to work with. Quirky Cam and nervous Meckles are interesting but of course Omar provides the shock of the book. Mike comes out and he walks off. Turns out he's religious and struggles with it. But Goslee didn't seem to explore that as much as possible. Instead we get to see Omar making an effort which I thought was refreshing too see.
Key scenes I loved: the date, the second date, the Halloween party, the snow scene and the Lisa drops the bomb. They were all so well done. The first bunch were especially cute and heartwarming. Each kind of presented it's own issues but it was all in good fun. Lisa dropping the bombshell is just so brilliant. It's unrestrained and just to the point. You can kind of see Mike falling apart at that point. And of course he does but there is so much more to it than that by the end. Acceptance at the end is just so wonderful. It is tasteful and artfully done so I applaud Goslee on that.
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