They Hate Each Other by Amanda Woody
This was such a fun read that had a lot of depth. Getting the balance of cute romance and serious situations right is extremely difficult and the fact that this book did that as a debut is brilliant. I’d say it takes a while to get into, at least it did for me, but it’s worth pushing through. I just wasn’t a fan of the needless fighting between the main characters to begin with. They work things out fairly quickly though and I enjoyed the snarky banter once they’d started fake dating.
They Hate Each Other also has amazing queer representation. I especially loved that an asexual character has been in a long term relationship and not a single person questions their identity. Reading a queer book with no homophobia or transphobia is so refreshing. I hate when authors use them as a plot device.
The fake dating is also incredible. I love it when the people fake dating don’t entirely like each other. It really raises the stakes and makes the whole situation kinda funny. You wonder if their constant bickering or lack of knowledge about each other will give away the ruse. Ah, so good!
Synopsis: Jonah and Dylan get along like oil and water. Until a fake dating ploy gives them new perspective, and they realize that “falling for your enemy” isn’t as impossible as it seems.
There are plenty of words Jonah Collins could use to describe Dylan Ramírez. “Arrogant,” “spoiled,” and “golden boy” to name a few. Likewise, Dylan thinks he has Jonah accurately labeled as an attention-seeking asshat who never shuts his filthy mouth. Their friends are convinced Jonah’s and Dylan’s disdain for one another is just thinly veiled lust—a rumor that surges like wildfire when the two wake up in one bed after homecoming.
Mutually horrified, Dylan and Jonah agree to use the faux pas to their advantage by fake dating. If they can stay convincing long enough to end their “relationship” in a massive staged fight, they can prove their incompatibility to their friends once and for all. But the more time they spend together, the more their plan begins to fall apart—and the closer they come to seeing each other clearly for the first time.
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is such a quick, fun and easy read. I flew through this book and it’s one of the rare ones that I found myself constantly reaching for. It has such feel-good vibes, despite the gross homophobia (which yes, I just complained about for another book but this book is about sexual identity so it makes sense) and I loved the anonymous messaging. The mystery element is so fun and this is definitely my favourite Becky Albertalli book I’ve read so far. The characters are great and I also loved the film adaptation.
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.
With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.
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