2 stars
This review is based on an ARC ebook received for free from NetGalley. I am not being paid to review this book and what I write here is my own opinion. My rating scale is below.
brief summary
Reluctant cheerleader and unapologetic non-dater Dallas has a chance encounter with her school's irresistible star quarterback and soon he is pushing her boundaries and making her senior year unforgettable.
full review
In 2018 The QB Bad Boy and Me was the most-read book on Wattpad, and that is undoubtedly why it was selected for publication. There is a lot to like about the book, content-wise, as well as a lot to raise eyebrows, but author Tay Marley's writing still comes across as unpolished in many places, with lines like, "My sentence was halted and the perpetrator was his warm mouth." Another round of editing focusing on tightening the language would have been a real benefit here, or else a little more reading of established authors in the genre, to get a slightly better feel for the sort of word choice and structure that keeps a book moving forward without jolting readers out of the story to marvel at awkward phrases.
Editorial concerns aside, there were a number of issues that cropped up throughout the text regarding the main characters' attitudes and behaviors.
One that stood out instantly to me as a former dancer was Dallas's belief that being a cheerleader would mean much to a college dance program, particularly when she refused to take classes in ballet or tap to get a foundation which would absolutely be required for someone hoping to pursue collegiate dance. If Dallas just wanted to start auditioning for dance troupes or music videos straight out of high school, it would not matter whether she had any formal training, but in order to succeed in a college dance program, one cannot simply have a good sense of movement. There is theory to be learned, history, and a strong foundation in ballet or at least modern dance would be essential. Dallas's ignorance is made really apparent when she objects to doing the same steps in a different order, which is exactly what dance is. There is a large repertoire of steps that are arranged in different orders to convey different things. Like the alphabet. We just keep using those same boring letters over and over again. So it is absolutely not a surprise when the "bitter" instructor at Dallas's local dance school didn't want to let a teenager who seems not to have any formal training who wouldn't take classes teach classes at her studio.
Bad dance representation is a pet peeve of mine, though, and so I'll move on to the truly worrisome behavior Drayton exhibits early on in the book. He pretends to assault Dallas leaving a club to demonstrate how unsafe it is for her to walk home, and then when he's driving her home and learns her brother isn't there, he takes her to his own house instead, despite her protests, claiming, "I'm not kidnapping you, I'm looking after you." When she calls him on it, he offers a dreadful apology and later that night pretends to pin her down in his bed because, "I just thought I'd show you that if I wanted you, I could have you." It is unclear whether he means he could have wooed her or raped here, but the whole thing is just incredibly awful and Dallas seems way too okay with it.
But let's pause here and point out some good things surrounding this early portion of the book. First, it includes a really good depiction of safe behaviors for going out, such as arranging rides ahead of time, consuming alcohol in safe environments, and checking in with friends and family upon leaving the event. The fact that Dallas later goes on to ignore these things to have the aforementioned solo walk/fake assault scene is unfortunate, but the example of how it could be done remains. There is also a strongly sex-positive message throughout the book in that no one shames Dallas or Gabby for being sexually active as teenagers or having sex outside a committed relationship. The book is also casually inclusive, with offhand mentions of coming out parties, a lesbian cheerleader, female dj's, and nontraditional family structures. These are all good things.
The story turns worrisome again around Homecoming, when a guy Dallas met while on an impromptu, suspension-spurred college visit with Drayton shows up on her doorstep to take her to homecoming. Everyone around Dallas points out that this is stalker behavior, and she does not blow them off, which is great, but the fact that he was allowed to stay in her home was still worrisome. Fortunately, he turned out not to be a crazy stalker, just a sad guy with a lost love he's trying to get over. He more or less exists to give Dallas and Drayton the impetus to rekindle their relationship, although that is immediately complicated by Dallas's cheer captain rival whose characterization is two-dimensional for most of the book, and when further depth is added, it comes in the form of an incredibly unhealthy student-teacher relationship that Dallas uncovers, uses as blackmail material, and nobody takes any further action on. That student-teacher relationship was another worrisome plot point, as was Dallas's reaction to it. Prior to that, however, the cheer captain's obsession with keeping Dallas and Drayton apart makes her character seem shallow and far-fetched, even for a high school girl deeply in crush.
There is also a side story involving the protagonists' best friends which is interesting to follow, although predictable. It feels like Marley never quite got a handle on those two, as far as their personalities, although we are reminded time and again that Gabby is beautiful as well as very good at school. Ultimately there is a happily ever after that seems believable despite some eye-rolling moments that make a reader wonder why rich dudes always have to buy vehicles for their less wealthy girlfriends. It's worth reading a library copy, but probably not purchasing.
rating scale
1 star - I was barely able to finish it. I didn't like it.
2 stars - It was okay. I didn't dislike it.
3 stars - It was interesting. I liked it.
4 stars - It was excellent. I really liked it.
5 stars - It was extraordinary. I really hope the author wrote more things