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Nate Plus One
Boy plus boy. Two weeks in Johannesburg. A summer of music, adventure, self-discovery . . . and definitely not love. What could go wrong?
Nate needs a date to his cousin’s wedding. Jai is Nate’s best friend and secret crush. Could Jai be Nate’s plus-one—and only?
Nate Hargraves is a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. That’s why he dreams of being a songwriter instead of a singer. But things change the summer after junior year as Nate gets ready to fly to South Africa for his cousin’s lavish destination wedding. The trip is bound to be epic. Except—Nate just found out that his ex-boyfriend will be at the reception. Ugh. He does not want to face this one solo.
Jai Patel, Nate’s best friend (and secret crush), has his own problems. The lead singer of Jai’s band, Infinite Sorrow, quit weeks before a contest that promised to be their big break. But Nate rocks Jai’s world when he agrees to sing with the band. Even though Nate’s not one for the spotlight, he knows this is the kind of stuff you do for . . . friends. In return, Jai volunteers to be Nate’s travel buddy around South Africa, a buffer against his ex, and his plus-one at the wedding.
Maybe this summer will be epic after all. Now that Nate’s crush is on board, will love crash the party? Fall in love with this joyful, swoon-worthy rom-com by the author of Date Me, Bryson Keller.
Nate needs a date to his cousin’s wedding. Jai is Nate’s best friend and secret crush. Could Jai be Nate’s plus-one—and only?
Nate Hargraves is a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. That’s why he dreams of being a songwriter instead of a singer. But things change the summer after junior year as Nate gets ready to fly to South Africa for his cousin’s lavish destination wedding. The trip is bound to be epic. Except—Nate just found out that his ex-boyfriend will be at the reception. Ugh. He does not want to face this one solo.
Jai Patel, Nate’s best friend (and secret crush), has his own problems. The lead singer of Jai’s band, Infinite Sorrow, quit weeks before a contest that promised to be their big break. But Nate rocks Jai’s world when he agrees to sing with the band. Even though Nate’s not one for the spotlight, he knows this is the kind of stuff you do for . . . friends. In return, Jai volunteers to be Nate’s travel buddy around South Africa, a buffer against his ex, and his plus-one at the wedding.
Maybe this summer will be epic after all. Now that Nate’s crush is on board, will love crash the party? Fall in love with this joyful, swoon-worthy rom-com by the author of Date Me, Bryson Keller.
256 pages, Library Binding
First published May 12, 2022
44 people are currently reading
5100 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 353 reviews
May 10, 2022
Actual rating 3.5 stars.
Nate Plus One is a sweet and cute feel-good story for all of us who need some hours of distraction and love a best friends to lovers trope.
When I started reading Nate Plus One, I was confused. Simply because I read the blurb wrong. For those of you who might do the same thing, this story is about Nate, who has a crush on his best friend Jai, and at the same time, he still needs closure with his ex-boyfriend. I thought Jai was the ex-boyfriend … I thought Jai was in one band and Nate in the other … Wrong, so wrong.
Nate Plus One is very easily readable and a book to read in one or a few sittings. The writing is engaging, and those two boys were adorable together. It was palpable that they liked each other a lot from the first moment, and I rooted for them to kiss finally.
Whereas I misunderstood the blurb, it’s also a bit misleading, in my opinion. It talks of two boys. Two bands. Two worlds colliding. Yes, there are two boys. And somewhere far, far in the background, two bands are competing. But two worlds colliding? This probably points to the differences between Nate’s life in the US and his family’s life in South Africa. Kevin van Whye shows us his love for his home country, and I genuinely appreciate that. I loved reading about the South African way of life and how Kevin interwove apartheid into this story. Really well done! But somewhere in my mind, something kept gnawing. Because next to the chapter about apartheid, we only get to look at the richer part of the people. The very rich part! I think it’s a missed opportunity not to show us other aspects, the rougher, poorer parts, the high HIV infection grade.
I also wanted to know more about Jai. I’d have loved to read his point of view, too, because I think his character is a bit underdeveloped and too one-dimensional. He’s sweet, he’s nice, and that’s about it.
Despite my criticism, I really enjoyed this book, and that’s why I rounded my rating up instead of down. Like I said, this is a feel-good story, above all. Read it when you want to relax with the sun on your face.
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Nate Plus One is a sweet and cute feel-good story for all of us who need some hours of distraction and love a best friends to lovers trope.
When I started reading Nate Plus One, I was confused. Simply because I read the blurb wrong. For those of you who might do the same thing, this story is about Nate, who has a crush on his best friend Jai, and at the same time, he still needs closure with his ex-boyfriend. I thought Jai was the ex-boyfriend … I thought Jai was in one band and Nate in the other … Wrong, so wrong.
Nate Plus One is very easily readable and a book to read in one or a few sittings. The writing is engaging, and those two boys were adorable together. It was palpable that they liked each other a lot from the first moment, and I rooted for them to kiss finally.
Whereas I misunderstood the blurb, it’s also a bit misleading, in my opinion. It talks of two boys. Two bands. Two worlds colliding. Yes, there are two boys. And somewhere far, far in the background, two bands are competing. But two worlds colliding? This probably points to the differences between Nate’s life in the US and his family’s life in South Africa. Kevin van Whye shows us his love for his home country, and I genuinely appreciate that. I loved reading about the South African way of life and how Kevin interwove apartheid into this story. Really well done! But somewhere in my mind, something kept gnawing. Because next to the chapter about apartheid, we only get to look at the richer part of the people. The very rich part! I think it’s a missed opportunity not to show us other aspects, the rougher, poorer parts, the high HIV infection grade.
I also wanted to know more about Jai. I’d have loved to read his point of view, too, because I think his character is a bit underdeveloped and too one-dimensional. He’s sweet, he’s nice, and that’s about it.
Despite my criticism, I really enjoyed this book, and that’s why I rounded my rating up instead of down. Like I said, this is a feel-good story, above all. Read it when you want to relax with the sun on your face.
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August 23, 2020
Is this one gonna be a stolen novel also?
May 15, 2022
ARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes my rating or review.
3 RELATABLE STARS
Three Minute Thoughts:
This wasn’t as well-written as I expected. The romance was quite sweet, and I liked the individual characters and the brief flirty banter between them, but sections of the book felt quite stilted or disjointed, and the book seemed to dip between showing and telling. Some of the story seemed quite realitic in the stupidity of the teenagers, but other sections seemed a little too ridiculous, and I wasn’t fully captivated by this.
The Extended, Long, and Very-Possibly-Messy Review:
Good things first! Nate Plus One did have some really cute romance, and I did enjoy the relationship that built up between the mains – it was flirty and over the top and romantic and adorable. They were both reasonably well fleshed-out characters, and they had some top-notch flirting that made me giggle, plus who doesn’t love the blatant head-in-sand attitude of a teenager refusing to believe their love may be requited?
“And the more I think about it, even liking Jai Patel was totally accidental. It was totally unavoidable too.”
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)
There were also a couple side characters who I loved with all my heart and soul – I can’t help but wish we got more of Gemma and Meghan!
“Gemma nudges me with an elbow. ‘That’s what best friends are for. We’re here to inflate egos and bash the competition. Two things I do very well.'”
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)
Now the less-good things. The writing style seemed to vary between being extremely childish and well-suited to the mind of a teenage boy, and being mature and adult. I feel that if the author had simply stuck to one style or mood it would’ve been much improved – both were perfectly decent styles, I simply didn’t enjoy the constant changes and variation running through the book. I also felt that the timing in the book was a little strange, as there would be long (possibly too long) sections leading up to some important event or other, and then the event would happen incredibly quickly and be over in a whirlwind, which me left scrambling behind, trying to catch up and work out what was going on. All round, I simply felt this book was hasty, and not particularly captivating because of that.
Nonetheless, I definitely did enjoy some aspects of Nate Plus One, and I thank the author, publisher and TBR & Beyond Tours for providing me with a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
3 RELATABLE STARS
Three Minute Thoughts:
This wasn’t as well-written as I expected. The romance was quite sweet, and I liked the individual characters and the brief flirty banter between them, but sections of the book felt quite stilted or disjointed, and the book seemed to dip between showing and telling. Some of the story seemed quite realitic in the stupidity of the teenagers, but other sections seemed a little too ridiculous, and I wasn’t fully captivated by this.
The Extended, Long, and Very-Possibly-Messy Review:
Good things first! Nate Plus One did have some really cute romance, and I did enjoy the relationship that built up between the mains – it was flirty and over the top and romantic and adorable. They were both reasonably well fleshed-out characters, and they had some top-notch flirting that made me giggle, plus who doesn’t love the blatant head-in-sand attitude of a teenager refusing to believe their love may be requited?
“And the more I think about it, even liking Jai Patel was totally accidental. It was totally unavoidable too.”
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)
There were also a couple side characters who I loved with all my heart and soul – I can’t help but wish we got more of Gemma and Meghan!
“Gemma nudges me with an elbow. ‘That’s what best friends are for. We’re here to inflate egos and bash the competition. Two things I do very well.'”
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)
Now the less-good things. The writing style seemed to vary between being extremely childish and well-suited to the mind of a teenage boy, and being mature and adult. I feel that if the author had simply stuck to one style or mood it would’ve been much improved – both were perfectly decent styles, I simply didn’t enjoy the constant changes and variation running through the book. I also felt that the timing in the book was a little strange, as there would be long (possibly too long) sections leading up to some important event or other, and then the event would happen incredibly quickly and be over in a whirlwind, which me left scrambling behind, trying to catch up and work out what was going on. All round, I simply felt this book was hasty, and not particularly captivating because of that.
Nonetheless, I definitely did enjoy some aspects of Nate Plus One, and I thank the author, publisher and TBR & Beyond Tours for providing me with a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
dnf
June 5, 2022After enjoying the author's previous book, Date Me, Bryson Keller, I was looking forward to reading more by him. So I was surprised to find this one not to my taste at all. It doesn't seem like it was written by the same person.
Two things about the style combined to drive me away. First, there's too much telling. Unnecessary telling. Infodumping, basically, of stuff that strikes me as filler rather than necessary to the story. Second, the 1st-person narrative does not sound like the voice of a teenager. I don't remember either of those being a problem in the first book.
Here's a chunk of text illustrating both:
I'm not saying this kind of writing is bad. I'm not saying you shouldn't read it. I'm simply saying that it did not work for me. At all. So, DNF @ 18% (before much of anything has actually happened, so I guess I can add being slow off the mark to the list of things I found problematic). I hope this finds its audience, but sadly that audience does not include me.
Two things about the style combined to drive me away. First, there's too much telling. Unnecessary telling. Infodumping, basically, of stuff that strikes me as filler rather than necessary to the story. Second, the 1st-person narrative does not sound like the voice of a teenager. I don't remember either of those being a problem in the first book.
Here's a chunk of text illustrating both:
We head downstairs to find the women of the Patel house already seated at the table. Even with her busy schedule, Ms. Patel makes sure to have at least one family dinner each week, most times on a Friday.
I slide in between Jai and his younger sister. Kamala, with her dark brown skin and curly black hair, looks the most like her mom. She’s reading A Game of Magic and Mayhem, the first book in a popular fantasy series. Kamala may be thirteen, but she’s dead set on becoming a writer.
I'm not saying this kind of writing is bad. I'm not saying you shouldn't read it. I'm simply saying that it did not work for me. At all. So, DNF @ 18% (before much of anything has actually happened, so I guess I can add being slow off the mark to the list of things I found problematic). I hope this finds its audience, but sadly that audience does not include me.
Want to read
May 11, 2020after adoring date me, bryson keller, i'm very excited to hear more about this one
July 26, 2022
This book was terrible. I am so happy it’s over. I feel really bad rating a book with queer poc main characters this low but jesus christ this was a pain in the ass. The romance as boring and flat, the “humor” sucked, the plot was VERY predictable and the characters were all very very very hollow. the second half of the book was a bit better but still.
I can’t believe that this book is written by the person who wrote “date me bryson keller”. This book literally proves that “date me bryson keller” was plagiarised lmao it was a bit TOO good compared to this. I know its unfair to compare books by the same author but I don’t care it was bad.
I can’t believe that this book is written by the person who wrote “date me bryson keller”. This book literally proves that “date me bryson keller” was plagiarised lmao it was a bit TOO good compared to this. I know its unfair to compare books by the same author but I don’t care it was bad.
February 6, 2023
would be good of it was a first draft you threw all your ideas down into before going in and tightening here and fleshing out there but this is a “finished” book so
Read
November 10, 2024cute!!
*gets icebreaker flashbacks*
*gets icebreaker flashbacks*
August 21, 2023
3.5/5 ⭐️
- This was such a sweet story and I immediately purchased another book from this author because I loved this one so much! I feel like this story has so much happening which kept me engaged the entire time - the wedding in South Africa, the ex boyfriend drama, the battle of the bands… it was really easy to stay engaged with the story!!
- The romance in this book was so cute. I fell in love with their love story and you could really feel how much they cared about each other through the writing. I found myself smiling during so many of their moments together.
- Would have loved to see dual pov on this one and to have the ending be a little longer, but overall it was such a cute happy & fluffy story!
- This was such a sweet story and I immediately purchased another book from this author because I loved this one so much! I feel like this story has so much happening which kept me engaged the entire time - the wedding in South Africa, the ex boyfriend drama, the battle of the bands… it was really easy to stay engaged with the story!!
- The romance in this book was so cute. I fell in love with their love story and you could really feel how much they cared about each other through the writing. I found myself smiling during so many of their moments together.
- Would have loved to see dual pov on this one and to have the ending be a little longer, but overall it was such a cute happy & fluffy story!
February 28, 2022
Needed a distraction from my anxiety, and this was a good fit. It was a very quick read, with a cute romance, and I loved seeing Nate go on a trip to South-Africa, to see his father's family. I was however hoping that music would play a bigger part in this book - it mostly took a backseat when the synopsis suggested otherwise. Also, I felt like the story was a little underdeveloped and I would have liked it to be fleshed out more.
June 11, 2022
There's a lot going on in this book. A music band in need of a singer, also in need of a new song, two best friends crushing on each other, but both afraid to take the next step, a shitty ex, a family wedding, South African history, South African culture, South African food, the clash of rich and poor… a lot. Probably too much, because we're just rushed through it all, always on the surface, never going deeper. Also it's mostly telling instead of showing. So this book feels more like nonfiction instead of a novel. Sometimes it even feels like a travel guide or a history book. That's not really a bad thing, but it's not the heartfelt rom-com I'd expected it to be.
It is cute and entertaining. But also very predictable. If you're looking for a comfort-read, something soothing, then this book's for you. A good and solid read.
It is cute and entertaining. But also very predictable. If you're looking for a comfort-read, something soothing, then this book's for you. A good and solid read.
Want to read
August 3, 2020From the author's website:
"High school senior Nate Hargreaves is not looking forward to his wealthy aunt's wedding retreat in South Africa - until his crush Jai Patel, an indie rock musician, volunteers to be his plus-one. This gay love story, pitched as What if It's Us meets Crazy Rich Asians, is set in the author's home country of South Africa."
"High school senior Nate Hargreaves is not looking forward to his wealthy aunt's wedding retreat in South Africa - until his crush Jai Patel, an indie rock musician, volunteers to be his plus-one. This gay love story, pitched as What if It's Us meets Crazy Rich Asians, is set in the author's home country of South Africa."
March 30, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up
This was very cute gay friends to lovers romance! And a TRUE YA romance, not just a contemporary with a romantic subplot! (which is surprisingly hard to find)
Nate is a talented singer with stage-fright who is excited to attend his cousin's glamorous wedding in South Africa. But this will be the first time he sees that side of his family since coming out as gay. And then he finds out that his secret ex-boyfriend will be there too.
Jai is part of a successful indie rock band and Nate's best friend. When their lead singer bails right before a big competition, Nate offers to fill in and Jai offers to come to the wedding as a plus one to provide buffer with the ex. But Nate is secretly crushing on Jai and the feeling just might be mutual...
I really enjoyed this and loved how much it got into South African culture and history as well. The author is a biracial gay man from South Africa and you can see how that experience is woven into the story. The book touches on apartheid and how recent it really is among other things. There are some instances of homophobia though most of Nate's family is supportive and accepting of who he is. The book is also very sex-positive. While anything beyond kissing happens off page, it is clearly stated that condoms were used. Overall a great book! Definitely would recommend. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
This was very cute gay friends to lovers romance! And a TRUE YA romance, not just a contemporary with a romantic subplot! (which is surprisingly hard to find)
Nate is a talented singer with stage-fright who is excited to attend his cousin's glamorous wedding in South Africa. But this will be the first time he sees that side of his family since coming out as gay. And then he finds out that his secret ex-boyfriend will be there too.
Jai is part of a successful indie rock band and Nate's best friend. When their lead singer bails right before a big competition, Nate offers to fill in and Jai offers to come to the wedding as a plus one to provide buffer with the ex. But Nate is secretly crushing on Jai and the feeling just might be mutual...
I really enjoyed this and loved how much it got into South African culture and history as well. The author is a biracial gay man from South Africa and you can see how that experience is woven into the story. The book touches on apartheid and how recent it really is among other things. There are some instances of homophobia though most of Nate's family is supportive and accepting of who he is. The book is also very sex-positive. While anything beyond kissing happens off page, it is clearly stated that condoms were used. Overall a great book! Definitely would recommend. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
May 20, 2022
Can we please get more LGBTQ+ books with Black leads please? I feel like most of the books I read with gay characters are white and I'd love to see more diversity. I also appreciated that since this book partly takes place in South Africa, the history of apartheid is addressed and explained pretty well.
This is a cute story, featuring best friends to lovers, a band competition, and a super fancy and fun wedding. I liked the awkward flirting between Nate and Jai and that their relationship had history backing it up. There's the requisite drama scene, but it doesn't go on for too long and leads into a nice happy ending.
There were some parts of this that seemed to happen quickly and we just got a couple sentences explaining what happened instead of seeing things unfold. I would have liked to have this be a bit longer so we could see things play out more. I also thought we didn't know much about the characters and wanted to see their development go deeper.
I thought this was an easy read and got through it pretty quickly. There are fun and sweet moments and I'm always up for a lighthearted story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the copy.
This is a cute story, featuring best friends to lovers, a band competition, and a super fancy and fun wedding. I liked the awkward flirting between Nate and Jai and that their relationship had history backing it up. There's the requisite drama scene, but it doesn't go on for too long and leads into a nice happy ending.
There were some parts of this that seemed to happen quickly and we just got a couple sentences explaining what happened instead of seeing things unfold. I would have liked to have this be a bit longer so we could see things play out more. I also thought we didn't know much about the characters and wanted to see their development go deeper.
I thought this was an easy read and got through it pretty quickly. There are fun and sweet moments and I'm always up for a lighthearted story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the copy.
June 9, 2023
This was a sweet contemporary ya. Nothing spectacular, it could have used a lot more depth, but it was easy to read. The best part about it was the exploration of South African culture.
Rep: gay mixed race South African-American mc, bi Indian American love interest, South African side characters
Rep: gay mixed race South African-American mc, bi Indian American love interest, South African side characters
November 12, 2022
3.5 stars
Looking for a sweet, friends-to lovers rom-com? What about Nate Plus One ?
Nate was a fan of Jai’s band before he knew who Jai was. Now they’re best friends, and Jai helped Nate through heartbreak when his boyfriend ghosted him.
But lately, Nate can’t seem to get Jai out of his mind. He finds himself thinking about what it would be like to date him, but he’s afraid telling Jai how he feels might ruin their friendship. So when Jai’s band loses its lead singer as they’re prepping for a huge competition, Nate agrees to sing for the band, even though stage fright has kept him more behind the scenes than in the spotlight.
Nate is getting ready to go to South Africa for his cousin’s wedding. He’s excited to spend time where his late father grew up. But when he finds out that his ex-boyfriend is going to be at the wedding, he doesn’t think he can handle that alone, so Jai agrees to be his plus-one.
South Africa is amazing, and Nate and Jai keep getting closer and closer. Should Nate tell Jai how he feels and risk their friendship? And will Nate’s ex complicate things further?
I really enjoyed this. It was great to have main characters of color where there wasn’t crazy crises or racism, and South Africa was a terrific setting. Sure, it was predictable, but that was part of its charm!
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.
Looking for a sweet, friends-to lovers rom-com? What about Nate Plus One ?
Nate was a fan of Jai’s band before he knew who Jai was. Now they’re best friends, and Jai helped Nate through heartbreak when his boyfriend ghosted him.
But lately, Nate can’t seem to get Jai out of his mind. He finds himself thinking about what it would be like to date him, but he’s afraid telling Jai how he feels might ruin their friendship. So when Jai’s band loses its lead singer as they’re prepping for a huge competition, Nate agrees to sing for the band, even though stage fright has kept him more behind the scenes than in the spotlight.
Nate is getting ready to go to South Africa for his cousin’s wedding. He’s excited to spend time where his late father grew up. But when he finds out that his ex-boyfriend is going to be at the wedding, he doesn’t think he can handle that alone, so Jai agrees to be his plus-one.
South Africa is amazing, and Nate and Jai keep getting closer and closer. Should Nate tell Jai how he feels and risk their friendship? And will Nate’s ex complicate things further?
I really enjoyed this. It was great to have main characters of color where there wasn’t crazy crises or racism, and South Africa was a terrific setting. Sure, it was predictable, but that was part of its charm!
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.
February 1, 2023
Nate Plus One follows a high school student named Ben (just kidding it's about a kid named Nate). He is getting over a breakup with his new boyfriend and has a crush on his friend/bandmate hottie, Jai. When Nate goes to South Africa for a wedding and to visit his late father's family, Jai agrees to come with him. But uh oh, his ex is going to be there as well!! What will happen??
I thought this book looked cute and like a fun summer romance read. I was interested in the South Africa aspect as I haven't read any books set in South Africa. Unfortunately, this book felt like a Frankenstein of a queer YA romance, a South African tourism pamphlet, a finding yourself as an artist story, and a chess strategy book.
I say the chess strategy because oh my god did this book just feel like descriptions of what people were doing. "I went to the cabinet. I took out a glass. I filled it with water. I put it to my lips. It felt cold. Then Jai came over and said, 'the water is cold, huh?' I nodded as I felt the cold water slide down my throat." 95% of the prose was just about where characters were and what they were doing. Very much tell and not show. I have no idea how any of the characters felt by the end of the book. And then sections were slammed with South African food and culture, which was fun but felt so "they did this which is done in South Africa" and "they ate this which is a traditional food of South Africa" that it felt like it was for South African tourism and not a cute YA book. And that's not even including the romance or the band subplots! Which were fine. I guess.
I liked the representation and some of the parts about South Africa but this book felt so all over the place that I finished it feeling confused. If any of what I wrote above sounds exciting to you, I would give it a try. 2.25 stars from me rounded down to 2. Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
I thought this book looked cute and like a fun summer romance read. I was interested in the South Africa aspect as I haven't read any books set in South Africa. Unfortunately, this book felt like a Frankenstein of a queer YA romance, a South African tourism pamphlet, a finding yourself as an artist story, and a chess strategy book.
I say the chess strategy because oh my god did this book just feel like descriptions of what people were doing. "I went to the cabinet. I took out a glass. I filled it with water. I put it to my lips. It felt cold. Then Jai came over and said, 'the water is cold, huh?' I nodded as I felt the cold water slide down my throat." 95% of the prose was just about where characters were and what they were doing. Very much tell and not show. I have no idea how any of the characters felt by the end of the book. And then sections were slammed with South African food and culture, which was fun but felt so "they did this which is done in South Africa" and "they ate this which is a traditional food of South Africa" that it felt like it was for South African tourism and not a cute YA book. And that's not even including the romance or the band subplots! Which were fine. I guess.
I liked the representation and some of the parts about South Africa but this book felt so all over the place that I finished it feeling confused. If any of what I wrote above sounds exciting to you, I would give it a try. 2.25 stars from me rounded down to 2. Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
March 20, 2022
This was basically the plot of any Disney channel movie about bands BUT make it queer - great premise, but the storytelling was super clinical which I just didn't mesh with, sadly.
June 12, 2022
I have been wanting to read Nate Plus One since I saw that Kevin Van Whye was writing a new book. I enjoyed Date Me, Bryson Keller immensely and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one.
Nate has been secretly crushing on Jai, one of his best friends, since he walked into his life a couple years ago. He’s still broken from his first boyfriend, Tommy, who moved away to college and ghosted him. That relationship really shaped how he reacts to everything else.
When Jai’s band mate suddenly quits before the competition that could get them their big break, Nate steps up to take his place so that they won’t have to back out. Only problem is… his horrible stage fright. So I guess that means a lot of one on one practices…. Right?
So I really enjoyed this book, but I felt there was a little disconnect from the beginning, middle, and end. I think either we needed more with the band at the end of the book or the whole entire battle of the bands removed, because there could have been a lot of different reasons for Jai and Nate to be spending time together. They liked each other and are best friends. That was the ONLY reason this wasn’t a 5.
I REALLY enjoyed the characters, the South African trip, all of the culture and familial relationships (minus one person), the adorable relationship that Nate & Jai had going… there was so much going for this book. OHHHH!! And I finished it in one sitting. That is exactly what I needed right now.
Nate has been secretly crushing on Jai, one of his best friends, since he walked into his life a couple years ago. He’s still broken from his first boyfriend, Tommy, who moved away to college and ghosted him. That relationship really shaped how he reacts to everything else.
When Jai’s band mate suddenly quits before the competition that could get them their big break, Nate steps up to take his place so that they won’t have to back out. Only problem is… his horrible stage fright. So I guess that means a lot of one on one practices…. Right?
So I really enjoyed this book, but I felt there was a little disconnect from the beginning, middle, and end. I think either we needed more with the band at the end of the book or the whole entire battle of the bands removed, because there could have been a lot of different reasons for Jai and Nate to be spending time together. They liked each other and are best friends. That was the ONLY reason this wasn’t a 5.
I REALLY enjoyed the characters, the South African trip, all of the culture and familial relationships (minus one person), the adorable relationship that Nate & Jai had going… there was so much going for this book. OHHHH!! And I finished it in one sitting. That is exactly what I needed right now.
July 7, 2024
Średniak, słabo zredagowany i pełny błędów średniak. Mimo wszystko docenić trzeba osadzenie fabuły książki w RPA oraz pokazanie wielu elektów tamtejszej kultury.
June 16, 2023
4.5⭐️ Nie wiem jak autor to robi, ale zrobił to po raz kolejny. Tak jak to było w przypadku "Date me Bryson Keller", gdzie byłem w stanie utożsamić się w wielu kwestiach z Kai'em, tak i tym razem doświadczenia Nate'a pokrywały się w pewnym stopniu z moimi. I to jest dla mnie największa siła tych książek - możliwość odnalezienia w nich cząstki nas samych.
Żałuję, że nie było takich historii tych naście lat temu, gdy próbowałem zrozumieć siebie, albo raczej wyprzeć i zmienić, by dopasować się do czyjegoś wyobrażenia o mnie. Myślę, że gdybym trafił na tego typu książki wcześniej, wiele sytuacji w moim życiu mogłoby się potoczyć zupełnie inaczej. Niemniej, cieszę się i rozpiera mnie duma, że dzisiaj mogę nadrobić to, czego nie dane było mi doznać wtedy. Bo też dzięki temu jeszcze bardziej doceniam to gdzie jestem obecnie.
Historia choć prosta jest bardzo angażująca. Autor ponownie udowodnił, że nieskomplikowana fabuła potrafi dostarczyć równie mocnych wrażeń i emocji. Bo znajdziemy tutaj i humor, który trafia w punkt (scena ucieczki przed gęsiami powala na łopatki), relacje z rodziną po coming out'cie, przedstawienie innej kultury, ich problemów i systemowego ras*zmu, jakiego doświadczali przez dziesiątki lat oraz fantastycznie poprowadzoną i zbudowaną relację między nastoletnimi chłopakami. Ta historia bazuje na motywie przyjaźni i dosłownie odmienia go przez wszystkie przypadki.
I to co muszę dodać - jestem ogromnym fanem zakończenia!
Żałuję, że nie było takich historii tych naście lat temu, gdy próbowałem zrozumieć siebie, albo raczej wyprzeć i zmienić, by dopasować się do czyjegoś wyobrażenia o mnie. Myślę, że gdybym trafił na tego typu książki wcześniej, wiele sytuacji w moim życiu mogłoby się potoczyć zupełnie inaczej. Niemniej, cieszę się i rozpiera mnie duma, że dzisiaj mogę nadrobić to, czego nie dane było mi doznać wtedy. Bo też dzięki temu jeszcze bardziej doceniam to gdzie jestem obecnie.
Historia choć prosta jest bardzo angażująca. Autor ponownie udowodnił, że nieskomplikowana fabuła potrafi dostarczyć równie mocnych wrażeń i emocji. Bo znajdziemy tutaj i humor, który trafia w punkt (scena ucieczki przed gęsiami powala na łopatki), relacje z rodziną po coming out'cie, przedstawienie innej kultury, ich problemów i systemowego ras*zmu, jakiego doświadczali przez dziesiątki lat oraz fantastycznie poprowadzoną i zbudowaną relację między nastoletnimi chłopakami. Ta historia bazuje na motywie przyjaźni i dosłownie odmienia go przez wszystkie przypadki.
I to co muszę dodać - jestem ogromnym fanem zakończenia!
July 17, 2023
To było szybkie, takie 3,5/3,75 ⭐️
June 12, 2022
That was adorable. The slow building tension was amazing, and there's only a little bit of conflict at the end. The rest is just the two falling, and the will-they won't-they, as Nate explores his roots and spends time with his family in South Africa. There's nothing particularly heavy (the homophobia isn't extreme, but it's definitely present and confronting), it's mostly just a story about two boys who fall in love and try to write a song together. The building attraction and tension and flirting between Nate and Jai is amazing and what made me love this book so much. So damn chunky you can carve it.
2022
June 7, 2020I am not a big reader of contemporary but I loved "Date me, Bryson Keller" so much that I had to instantly add this to my most anticipated releases of 2022, even though the only thing I know about this book is its title <3
August 1, 2022
This is a funny and sweet read.
I loved to read the parts about South Africa, the culture, the history and the food.
Nate and Jai are enjoyable characters.
All in all it lacked a bit depth for me. And the conflict at the end felt kinda cliché tbh. The book didn't need that in my opinion.
I loved to read the parts about South Africa, the culture, the history and the food.
Nate and Jai are enjoyable characters.
All in all it lacked a bit depth for me. And the conflict at the end felt kinda cliché tbh. The book didn't need that in my opinion.
June 16, 2022
I love reading romance books about friends to lovers and this one was a short and sweet one. Let’s just Jai is totally husband material.
June 22, 2022
Cute romcom. I love a good best friends to lovers.
Read
September 25, 2023Unfortunately, can't recommend this book. Story was cute, but it read like a first draft and as if like 100 pages where missing.
December 5, 2024
this was so shit but two stars for rich people activities
July 6, 2022
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
This was cute! I didn’t love it as much as DMBK but this one was good in other way.
It definitely dealt with more powerful topics like racism and homophobia, especially from close family members. But Jai and Nate were adorable together and their friendship and relationship was 🥰
But the ending UGH. It gave me Icebreaker vibes and I hate that 😂
This was cute! I didn’t love it as much as DMBK but this one was good in other way.
It definitely dealt with more powerful topics like racism and homophobia, especially from close family members. But Jai and Nate were adorable together and their friendship and relationship was 🥰
But the ending UGH. It gave me Icebreaker vibes and I hate that 😂
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