Boy Meets Hamster

Boy Meets Hamster #1

by Birdie Milano

Fourteen-year-old Dylan Kershaw's idea of a dream holiday includes at least three things: beaches to bask on, cosmopolitan culture, and a chance for romance (or at least his first kiss) with another boy. Unluckily for Dylan, this year his mum's treating the family to the least dreamy holiday ever: a £9.50 break at Starcross Sands, Cornwall's Crummiest Caravan Park.

But Starcross Sands might not be so bad after all, especially if Dylan can win the heart of Jayden-Lee, the gorgeous boy in the caravan next-door. There's only one thing standing in true love’s way: the park's massive hamster mascot, Nibbles, who seems to have it in for both Dylan and his romantic chances. Dylan’s best friend, Kayla, claims that appearances can be deceptive: so is Jayden-Lee just as lovely beneath the surface, and what could be lurking under Nibbles' furry face?

Genres: LGBT, Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Middle Grade, Queer, Fiction

236 pages, Paperback

First published June 14, 2018

Reviews

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75* Boy Meets Hamster was an adorable, enjoyable and easy read, with a funny and accepting family dynamic, a heartwarming friendship, an adorable romance and a diverse cast of characters; with the main character being gay, his little brother having cerebral palsy, his best friend being a plus sized girl who is seemingly bi (although the word isn’t used on the page) and a POC love interest. For me, the writing style felt a little too simple at times and therefore somewhat infantilised the characters but other than that, this was a cute and lovely read I’d definitely recommend to younger teens looking for a read in a similar vein to Love, Simon.

TW: homophobia, ableism and body shaming

[M F]

This was a very quick read (<90 mins probably), and cute, too. While I think I might be a little older than the target audience, it was nice to read what is essentially a light-hearted gay romcom featuring fourteen year olds. Because the first book I ever read that featured a gay character had a big label on the back saying "parental advisory: adult content" or something to that effect, and I've never entirely got over that. I'm glad today's preteens and teens don't have to deal with that.

Anyway, let's talk about this book. I have to admit, I have immediately forgotten everybody's name, which makes reviewing it a little tricky. Why does that always happen?

Okay, so first up: Dylan, the protagonist. Still in the closet but not angsting about it particularly, just not sure if he wants to talk about it yet. Terrible taste in men, at least for the first half of the book -- despite his protective instincts towards his disabled younger brother, the horrendously ableist and homophobic behaviour of Jayden-Lee doesn't stop Dylan being overawed by his hotness. It takes him a while to figure out that attractive ≠ good person, but he gets there in the end. Not what you'd call "smooth".

Then there's his best friend, Kayla. She's got a birthmark and is described as plus-sized, but she's almost performatively confident -- at least about the latter, and she learns to stop hiding the former. She supports Dylan without taking his crap, and she's ready to get involved in his family's problems despite not having an easy situation at home.

Leo, Dylan's eventual love interest once he gets himself together a bit, is also pretty cool. A dancer, which is nice. I saw the reveal about his identity coming a mile off -- it wasn't exactly hard to guess -- but I still enjoyed the dramatic irony of waiting for the reveal.

As for the others... well, Jayden-Lee is a massive jerk, but you can't help but feel there's some backstory. There are hints about why he might feel the need to treat others so badly, and occasionally I bordered on feeling sorry for him. Mostly, though, I wanted to punch him in the face. As for Jude, Dylan's brother... Well, I honestly don't have a huge amount to say about him. Dylan loves him and is protective of him, which wears off on the reader too, but I'm so glad I don't have to interact with four year olds very often.

Overall, this was entertaining enough. I wasn't entirely sure how realistic it was (can you really get a caravan break for £9.50 in Cornwall in 2018?), and as I said, some of the plot reveals were extremely obvious, but that didn't make it unenjoyable. Mostly I'm just glad that cute books about socially awkward fourteen-year-olds exist for the queer readers to relate to. Especially books set in the UK.

[Anniek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very cute, funny middlegrade with lots of diversity! I loved the character growth as well, but I do think the absurdism was a little too strong in this one. The storyline seemed a little too far-fetched at times, and that took away from my suspension of disbelief a couple of times.

Update: something irked me about this book and I've finally managed to put my finger on it. Dylan is quite anxious about coming out to his parents, but when he does, they absolutely diminish his feelings and make it seem like it was silly of him to worry because obviously they wouldn't have a problem with him being gay. However, this is not at all obvious to Dylan as his parents have never spoken up about LGBTQ+ topics and Dylan has felt unsafe accompanying his father to the pub to watch football matches quite a few times (as football supporters tend to use slurs, for instance). And as it - unfortunately - isn't at all uncommon for parents to react badly to their child coming out, it's very valid that Dylan should feel apprehensive or even scared. However accepting the parents were, it did bother me that they invalidated Dylan's concerns by pretty much joking about them when it would have been better for them to say they were sorry to have made him feel like they would maybe not be supportive.

[Robin Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable teen love story about Dylan, the boy in the caravan next door and the hamster mascot who seems to want to thwart him at every turn. Like a British Love, Simon, this is a fun summer read. (12+)

*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. If you use it in any marketing material, online or anywhere on a published book without asking permission from me first, I will ask you to remove that use immediately. Thank you!*

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely, funny story about teenager Dylan going on a family holiday with his best friend Kayla to a caravan park, with all the second rate entertainment you could wish for, and only costing £9.50 with a newspaper deal. Included in this is a giant mascot Hamster, Nibbles, who is the highlight of the holiday for Dylan's five year old brother Jude (who doesn't really accept that Nibbles is really someone in a hamster suit), but becomes the bane of Dylan's life. Anyway, Dylan would far rather get to know Jayden-Lee, the boy from the caravan next door with his gorgeous blond hair and leather-effect jacket.

Having set the scene very quickly, the holiday leaps from one disaster to another, all the while giving hints that the outcome will not be at all to Dylan's expectations, but is nevertheless heartwarming and sweet. Dylan is a lovable central character and the rest are given good parts to play as the story progresses. All in all it is a thoroughly enjoyable comic (early) teen novel, with themes of friendship, family, difference, acceptance, romance and bad karaoke.

[Jay Bracknell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic read. Warmth, wit, and wry observations about love and family abound and the setting - a newspaper coupon holiday camp - was a refreshing change and deftly but affectionately skewered. Every character here is wonderfully drawn but I particularly enjoyed Jude and his enthusiasm for Nibbles, Kayla and her boldness, and Dylan’s dad and his Jurassic Parka. Would read a sequel about any of them and also would love more Dylan and Leo, who underpin the entire thing which such a lovely positivity and human decency that feels very rare.

Would recommend this to anyone, YA reader or not, for the peppering of profound insights, laugh out loud moments, and most of all for a snapshot of a life filled with people just trying their best. A really lovely book. I’ll be devouring anything else this author has written, too.

[Pavitra (For The Love of Fictional Worlds) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also Posted on For The Love of Fictional Worlds

Disclaimer: An ARC was provided via Pan Macmillan India in exchange for my honest review. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own.

The only feeling I had when I was reading this endearing contemporary coming of age book was “Aww interspaced with a whole lot of second hand embarrassment and blushing”. 

The Boy Meets Hamster ticks off all all my requirements for my happy place – and it did it absolutely brilliantly:

*Contemporary YA
*Cute Romance
*Characters who are awkwardly relatable
*LGBTQ Representation
*Writing that had me hooked me right from the start!

Boy Meets Hamster follows Dylan, a 14-year-old boy stuck in vacations from hell aka a 9.50 Pounds hell. The only saving graces for him are that he gets his best friend along for the ride; because he doesn’t need ride the hellish ride alone!

The hellish ride takes a turn for the better when he seemingly crashes into a boy who is definitely out of his league; but he is also definitely going to try and make the Adonis fall for him for his perfect summer holiday romance!

What starts next is a mis – adventure of Dylan trying to get his crush’s attention, but almost always gets thwarted by Nibbles, his arch nemesis and the giant hamster who becomes the bane of his existence right from the moment he meets him. This results in some amazingly hilarious embarrassing moments that had me cringing and chuckling in solidarity simultaneously!

Not to mention, while Nibbles makes sure that everything lights up in a blaze of uncomfortable fire; it is this cute Caravan’s employee that almost seems to find him in the most embarrassing situations possible.

Boy Meets Hamster is a cute contemporary young adult coming of age novel with a gay MC that I didn’t even know that I needed (think Simon vs Homo Sapiens vibes!)but this delightful book stands on its on charming stubby little feet long after I was done with this book!  

This is a book that you need in your life; especially considering that this PRIDE MONTH – but also because this book gives you virtual warm hugs without you even realizing it! 

10/10 would recommend to every single reader! <3



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[Clarabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pour Dylan, les vacances au camping avaient un goût d'échec (il rêvait de New York et débarque dans les Cornouailles). Mais c'était avant sa rencontre avec Jayden-Lee Slater qui occupe le mobil-home juste en face du sien. Un vrai coup de foudre.
Malheureusement rien ne se passe comme prévu : le garçon est aussi creux qu'une coquille vide mais Dylan est trop borné pour l'admettre malgré les avertissements de sa meilleure amie Kayla. De plus, il est chargé de s'occuper de son jeune frère en fauteuil roulant et croise à moult reprises la mascotte du club - Quenottes ou Mister Hamster - qu'il trouve ridicule et collant. Toujours à se mêler des affaires des autres !
Il faut dire aussi que Dylan n'a vraiment, vraiment pas de bol. Il fait tout pour briller et impressionner son beau gosse mais se tape à chaque fois la honte à cause d'enchaînements malheureux. Les cieux sont contre lui. Et toujours là pour le consoler - Mister Hamster ! Grr... ça commence à bien faire.

C'est donc un roman plein d'humour avec un narrateur qui ne manque clairement pas de dérision et qui affiche une mine désabusée face à ses nombreux déboires. Parfait pour une bonne tranche de rigolade. Mais ça n'enlève en rien le tourment qui l'anime, à vouloir assumer son homosexualité (même ses parents l'ignorent) et connaître pour la première fois le bonheur auprès d'un amoureux.
Mine de rien le roman aussi veut lutter contre les préjudices dans un monde trop lisse (le handicap de son frère ou la peau couverte d'angiomes de sa copine qu'elle couvre de fond de teint). Avec cette équipe de bras cassés en apparence, l'histoire montre que la révolution est en marche et qu'il ne faut jamais abandonner ses rêves.
En bref, ce premier roman est réjouissant de drôlerie et d'espoir ! Pour affronter l'adversité et rassembler les gens... franchement TOP.

[Steffi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, oh my! It was sweet and funny and full of twists and turns - a perfect summer read! Unlike Love, Simon the actual love mystery was a bit easy to pick up on, but then again it's aimed at a slightly younger audience I guess. Still, it's wonderful and an absolute page turner!

[Rishita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.75

[Sophie lit ça · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lien vers la critique complète : http://sophielit.ca/critique.php?id=2501

À la recherche de léger ? Ceci est pour vous ! Mister Hamster et moi est un roman sympathique qui inclut des réflexions pertinentes sur le handicap physique, la grossophobie, la parentalité (la mère de Jayden Lee et de Troy est fascinante) et l’acceptation de soi, un comingout forcé (mais qui ouvre la porte à une vraie discussion), beaucoup de quiproquos qui créent des éclats de rire, une suite de mauvaises décisions, des personnages d’ados crédibles (j’aime comment Dylan croit sans arrêt que c’est la fin du monde et qu’il invente des façons de passer le reste de sa vie sans devoir croiser d’autres êtres humains, comment Kayla est éveillée et comment elle évolue aussi dans son rapport à son corps), des personnages d’adultes un peu caricaturaux (mais, du coup, vraiment drôles) et, bien sûr, de la romaaaaance.

[Coenraad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel has everything: a charming 14-year-old hero who falls in love for the first time; a 5-year-old little brother with special needs and a sharp intellect (and NOBODY gets to be rude to him!); parents who are cool and uncool in more or less equal measure; a female best friend with her own issues, but enough attitude to last a few lifetimes; a holiday on the cheap at a caravan park in Cornwall; weird co-visitors with flamingoes and garden gnomes in front of their caravans; a park manager in stilettos hell-bent on winning the Park of the Year award for the fourth consecutive year; a park mascot who uses its orange furriness to be really annoying; an object of affection that surprises (not necessarily in a good way); and curveballs, embarrassments, surprises, incidents and dramas that keep the pace of the novel sparkling along to a satisfying end. What's not to like? Read immediately!

Birdie Milano skep 'n tuimeltreinstorie vol pret en grootword: die veertienjarige Dylan hou vakansie in Cornwall saam met sy gesin en raak verlief ... Die vakansie word 'n periode van grootword, maar die pret waarmee dit gepaard gaan, hou die storie knetterend en lig. Hoogs leesbaar.

[Stuart Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and surprisingly charming, Boy Meets Hamster is an easygoing, middle-grade gay romance full of silly hijinks and entertaining scenarios. I found it in a store cupboard at work (i don't have time to explain) and sort of had to find out what hamsters had to do with being gay. Turns out, a whole lot, actually! Best hamster mascot I've ever read. Best fight scene in a karaoke bar I've ever read. (No, I didn't think it'd be this good, either. It's actually plotted remarkably well.) Boy meets Hamster is perfect for 12 years olds, and for me.

[Chiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A copy of this novel was provided by Pan Macmillan Australia for review.

There were four main things I liked about Boy Meets Hamster and because I like writing reviews in list form, here they are:

1) The age of the protagonist

The main character in Boys Meets Hamster is fourteen, which is so rare in YA and even more rare in queer YA. There’s been a huge influx of YA books with 17/18 year old main characters and while that’s great and relatable for readers that are those ages, YA is actually meant for readers under 17, as well. Like 13, 14, 15, and 16. So when I found out that Boy Meets Hamster was a queer YA book with a fourteen year old protagonist, I was super excited. Because young queer teens need to see themselves in fiction just as much as older queer teens.

2) The whole premise

I guess that’s a pretty broad statement, to say that I enjoyed the whole premise of Boys Meets Hamster, but I did. It was, in a nutshell, a romantic comedy. Starring a young gay teen. And I was living for it. I wanted it to be a movie, to be honest, because it had so many of those quirky moments that show up in holiday rom-coms and I think a movie version of Boys Meets Hamster would be a hit. There was the cute family, the best friend, the not-meant-for-you boy, the totally-meant-for-you boy, children being terrible and causing mischief, and karaoke. But even though this book did centre around the shenanigans of the holiday park there were also a lot of deeper moments, as well. This book tackled bullying, ableism, and homophobia in ways that were really great for the target younger teen audience.

3) The love interest

The actual love interest – not the little shit Dylan had a crush on for most of the book – was so darn adorable. He was sweet, and kind, and Black!! But I also wish there had been more page time with him because I feel like the shitty love interest had a bigger role than he deserved, and that the book would have benefitted with more character development on his end and his relationship with Dylan. Because they were super cute together and I would have liked to see more of them being so cute instead of just at the end.

4) Character growth

Dylan is not your perfect protagonist but that makes a lot of sense because he’s still so young! He makes a few bad decisions, and focuses on himself way too much, but there were moments when he learned that his behaviour wasn’t always the greatest. And that you’ve got to listen to the people who care about you, and speak up for the people you care about. You’ve got to make time for your friends and ask how they’re doing when you’re telling them how you’re doing. There was no miraculous character change – Dylan was still the ecstatic kid he was when the book started but he did learn some things along the way, which was great.

~

All in all, Boys Meets Hamster is the perfect queer rom-com for younger teen readers, but I recommend it to anyone wanting something silly and laugh-out-loud funny to read on these long summer days.

© 2018, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.

trigger warning: ableism, use of ableist language, homophobia, bullying, reference to animal cruelty, building fire

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this fantastic debut that I`ve heard described as the UK`s answer to Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda (an accolade it lives up to), we`re introduced to Dylan, who is on holiday in a caravan park, as he decides he likes Jayden-Lee from the caravan next door and sets out to win his heart, despite the hamster mascot of the park foiling him at every turn and the fact that his best friend Kayla does not approve of Jayden-Lee at all. I entirely agreed with Kayla that Jayden-Lee is pretty horrible and does some unacceptable things, but with the exception of him I could not have loved the cast of this book any more, particularly as they were so diverse. Dylan was such a fantastic narrator and he made me laugh so much, Kayla was so supportive (both in the sense of encouraging Dylan and helping him achieve his goals, but also trying to steer him towards better decisions when he was being naïve or selfish), as well as a great character who carries some important messages for readers in her own right, especially because of how body positive, and Dylan`s family were fantastic. His little brother Jude was so sweet, and it was super clear how much his mum and dad adored their children. I also loved Leo, though I don`t want to say too much about him as it spoils a piece of the plot. The romance of the book was absolutely lovely and possibly a new favourite book relationship of mine, and I shipped them so much because the chemistry between them in scenes was perfect. 4.5/5

[Karen Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky story, that will have you laughing out loud and (probably) falling in love with a giant orange hamster.
Dylan is used to being dragged on rubbish holidays with his parents and younger brother. This summer he’s taken to a caravan park in Cornwall, and the only consolation is he can take his best friend Kayla. Nothing much happens at this park, but in his quest to have the holiday of a lifetime Dylan ends up causing chaos.
Upon arriving at their holiday home, Dylan develops an enormous crush on the boy in the van next-door. Unfortunately, this crush causes him untold pain...not helped by the fact that everywhere he goes he’s accosted by the park mascot, hamster Nibbles.
Of course, things don’t quite go to plan. There’s enough awful things happen to Dylan to leave him traumatised for life, but he bounces back from them all. He even ends up finding the boy of his dreams-though not where he was expecting!
Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advance of publication.

[Lydia Hephzibah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for a cute cover and an LGBT+ protagonist, and I happily read above and below my age range, so Boy Meets Hamster was a no-brainer. All Dylan wants is a good holiday, whether that means going somewhere exotic (definitely not) or having his first kiss – or at least having someone like him back (more likely).

First of all, I want to give this book credit for its diversity, which feels realistic rather than forced or shoe-horned in. Dylan is gay and comfortable in his own skin, though he is only out to his best friend, Kayla. Kayla is a size sixteen, half-Filipino, and a make-up genius thanks to her port wine stain – a large birthmark on her face. Dylan’s little brother, Jude, has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair.

None of these things are just thrown in for the sake of diversity: Jude’s disability plays a big role in the story, and Kayla’s insecurity surrounding her birthmark is addressed very well. It’s quite refreshing to see a plus-sized character whose major hang-up isn’t their weight: Kayla is very body-confident, except when it comes to her birthmark.

The book also tackles the discrimination that the characters face, from Kayla standing up to bullies picking on Dylan for being gay, to Dylan defending his brother, though there were times that I wanted to give Dylan a good shake. He’s lusting after the boy next door, Jayden-Lee, even when Jayden-Lee calls Jude retarded, and pokes fun at dancing for being “the gayest thing” he’s ever seen.

I struggled to believe that Dylan would still have any interest in this guy after the things he says, as well as clearly showing no interesting in Dylan whatsoever despite the occasional smirk/grimace, so it got irritating when he kept pursuing him. Unfortunately, Dylan did fall into some first-person cliches such as being totally blind to what is painfully obvious to the reader for a good three quarters of the book.

However, that aside, I enjoyed the story, especially for the friendship and family aspect. It’s getting increasingly rare to read a book with a happy parent unit, but Dylan’s parents are happily married and act like a couple of teenagers in love sometimes, which I liked.

All in all, this was a sweet read ideal for a middle-grade / young teen audience. It’s a cute little romance with great diversity.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much fun! This book is laugh-out-loud amusing, sweet and has some really great messages. What if you’re so busy pretending to be someone you’re not that you miss out on the person who would have liked you for who you really are?

Dylan is a bit clumsy, doesn’t always make the best decisions but he loves his little brother and his best friend.

His crush on the cute neighbour kid at the campground is adorable. And he gets into some hilarious situations while trying to figure out his life.

There’s a brawl at a karaoke party that might be one of the funniest things I have ever read!

Loved it!!

[Clemence · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute read, perfect to end the summer.
Lovely and positive message delivered. All of the characters in their own way were important and cleverly pictured. Also, very good representation !
The writing was also a big plus.
Would definitely recommend this book !

[JulieB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une lecture mignonne, même si tout est prévisible. C'est vraiment pour un public jeune. Mais la force de cette histoire, c'est la diversité de ses personnages et les messages forts véhiculés.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hiding behind the cute and quirky title Boy Meets Hamster is the ultimate coming-of-age novel that everyone, teens and parents alike, needs to read, whatever their sexual orientation. The parents are brilliant role-models for how to navigate the tricky teen years as parents, and 14-year-old Dylan and his best friend Kayla are the perfectly imperfect heroes of the tale - never giving up when life gets tough, always staying true to their values and never letting the bullies get to them (not for long anyway).


full review on my blog : https://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspo...

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this book in Waterstones and, after a quick read of the back, really had to read it.
It's a relatively short read, and as others have suggested, the plot twists were fairly obvious, but the whole thing is so charmingly written I couldn't help but fall in love with it. I particularly liked how the characters were handled, whilst Dylan is quite frustrating for the first half with his crush, he's still always likable. His best friend Kayla is the sort of best friend everyone should have and served really well to tell Dylan what the reader will be screaming at him. Even the 'bad guy' isn't totally unlikeable, he says stupid things but there never seems to be much malice behind them, more plain ignorance. I was also pleased to see him help out at the end rather than being one of the 2D villains/Bullies that are so often in these kind of stories.
Whilst I don't think a full on sequel is really required, I would love to see the author revisit these characters at some point, and really look forward to reading more.

[Rakie Keig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming and funny teenage story, possibly a bit predictable for adults (who could possibly be hiding in the giant hamster costume??) but so much fun to read that you can forgive it most things. Also manages to tackle a bunch of complicated issues without once making it feel like you're being lectured.

[Damian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awww, adorable, lighthearted, everything I need of a chill read.

[Ed.Mowgli.Rei.Riley.River.Crow.Jelly.Cheddar.Remus.Becky.Whatever.RJ.Edward.Edwin.Edmund · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how he didn't end up with the asshole character. Dylan and Leo are cute. Also love how none of them are stereotypically gay and flaming. Refreshing. Kayla is a mood, I love her!

[Lisa Super]

Boy Meets Hamster is a rom com of pure delight. Every sentence cackles with wit, and I love how self-deprecating Dylan is. This book is perfect for anyone wanting a fluffy romance. And, even though the mystery romance is very fun, my favorite part of the book is the relationship that Birdie Milano creates between Dylan and his younger brother, Jude. Jude is physically disabled, but there is no ableism here, no inspiration porn. He's just an annoying little brother. Highly recommend this debut. It will leave you smiling.

[Lukas Harley-Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just chanced across this story whilst taking other books out of the library. Decided to download this but didn't read for a few weeks. When I did I read it in one sitting! Short and sweet, some parts were very cute, some very cringeworthy but I needed to find out more! The characters were diverse, interesting and human. I loved that this was a story from the point of view of a younger teenage gay guy. It felt a lot fresher than some of the over-sexual gay love stories geared towards an older audience. This just shows that gay love (and any love) is becoming more widely acceptable to all audiences.

[Pers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book. It's funny, charming, and satisfyingly real.

14 year old Dylan just wants a nice holiday with beaches for sunbathing, some cosmopolitan culture, and a holiday romance - or at least a chance to kiss a boy he likes. But his mother, whom he loves dearly but who can be a bit embarrassing at times (though possibly not as embarrassing as his dad!), gets them a terribly cheap holiday at a caravan park in Cornwall, and while Starcross Sands has won the Park of the Year award three times, he can't see the attraction himself.

And then he does. The boy-next-door, Jayden-Lee, who's like a living, breathing Greek God with his halo of blond hair and chiselled cheekbones. But who, it turns out, is an ableist, homophobic jerk. Dylan, with terrible optimism, believes he can make Jayden-Lee into a better person - but he really can't! (It was nice to see this trope given to a boy since we see girls/women who are literally conditioned into accepting this is their role in life.)

To make matters worse, he's plagued by the attentions of Nibbles, the hamster-costumed mascot of Starcross Sands, who seems to keep turning up at all the wrong moments.

Along with Kayla, his not-so-svelte best friend (who is into girls, but has never told Dylan, although she's (initially) the only one to whom he's out), and Jude, his four year old wheelchair using brother (Jude has cerebral palsy), Dylan struggles through his holiday, staggering from one incident to another until, eventually, he discovers that another boy, Leo, whom he meets but doesn't see face to face during several of their encounters, is the man behind the mascot, and he finally gets his first kiss and although it's not a crush, it's so much better.

I loved this book. I loved it's diversity: the gay teenage protagonist; the plus-sized best girl friend who's not only a lesbian but has a port-wine birthmark on her face, which she eventually decides she's no longer going to hide with makeup; the smart four year old who's very into both Nibbles and Tinsel the train; the parents who're happily married paramedics who behave like teenagers in love more often than Dylan's totally comfortable with; and the gay teenage boy who's a dancer when he's not a hamster.

I laughed quite a lot - but sympathetically - and I even cried a little bit, but mostly I grinned a lot while reading this utterly brilliant book. Highly recommended.

[Sophie Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this fun, hilarious story about a 14-year-old boy's first summer romance at a holiday camp in Cornwall. The writing is brilliant, the characters so vivid and likeable - even Margaret, who makes an excellent villain - and it made me laugh out loud several times. It's very diverse, including POC and disabled representation as well as gay and bi characters, and it was really refreshing to see LGBTQ+ themes (such as coming out, being outed and assumptions) tackled within the context of a light, fun read. While it sits at the younger end of YA, I'm sure it'll appeal to lots of older readers too - I think it's a must for fans of Noah Can't Even or Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda. A really enjoyable book, and I can't wait to read what Birdie Milano writes next.

[Camila · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story focuses around Dylan, who is on a cheap holiday with his family and has brought a best friend along for the ride, and who realizes he is falling for the literal boy next door (he's in the caravan parked next to theirs).

However, the wrench in this is a Hamster mascot named Nibbles, whose greatest joy in life seems to be showing up and making Dylan's pursuit a mess.

This is a story really reminiscent of "Simon vs." and "Noah Can't Even", but I'd say it has more heart and warmth than either. The cast of characters is lovely, built of people who all feel genuine and real, who have wants and needs beyond furthering the plot. That said, it's a tightly written piece and you don't feel like you're wandering from place to place. The characters are diverse - that was clearly very important to feature.

The story goes from event to event, but has a lot of heart and breathes well. There's so much compassion for all the characters, even Dylan, as he stumbles through this holiday. And most importantly, it's funny and readable - I was laughing so hard sometimes I had to stop - and compulsively entertaining. This would be a great romantic comedy for any young reader.