Publisher: St. Martins Griffin
Page Count: 250
I got this book because I won it at a giveaway (my FIRST giveaway win!) from Aila who is blogging at One Way or an Author AND Happy Indulgence. She’s currently on hiatus, but I still cannot thank her enough for hosting the giveaway and letting me choose this amazing book! THANK YOU!
I don’t know if you remember, but a while back there was this TTT topic of author duos you wish were real, and I totally called for a Levithan-LaCour-pairing AND IT HAPPENED! Not because I said it, since they were already working on You Know Me Well by then, but I didn’t know that … so, I like to pretend my wishful thinking made it come true! I just knew that combined, they would make a beautiful LGBT+ novel and I was right! It would have been the perfect read for Pride month, but you should celebrate pride all year round, so I am not that disappointed I didn’t get to it in June.
This is not a book about teens coming out (although there may or may not be a character in the story who still needs to come to terms with his sexuality), but rather it is about finding that one person you feel comfortable with. Where you are not afraid to be yourself around and who you are ready to be there for and share everything with – a true friend. Kate and Mark have been in school with each other for years but they weren’t among the same group of people, until one fateful night brings them together. I definitely don’t believe in insta-love, but I do think that insta-friendship can be real.
Sometimes you just click with a person and that’s what happened here and it’s 100% platonic and there is no indication of romancing between Kate and Mark whatsoever, which is just perfect (and the way it should be since they both aren’t into the other gender). They were comfortable with their sexuality and so were their surroundings. I am not saying that they didn’t have to face problems in their life because of it at some point, but I was so happy to see them in an accepting environment, that simply took it all as a given.
As much as it was about friendship, it was also about changing relationships, heartbreak, wrong expectations, fear of the future and the fact that everyone needs to figure out their path all by themselves at some point in their life. I loved that, because I could relate to so much of it. But first and foremost, I adored how good it made me feel. I was on the verge of crying and it wasn’t because it made me sad, but because it was so precious.
Lastly, I remain of the opinion that Levithan does his best work when he is having a co-author to par with and I am glad this one worked out so well. It all took place during the course of a week, but I didn’t even need 24 hours to finish it, which means it was way too short for me. I could read about the adventures of Mark and Kate forever!
Fazit: 5/5 rainbows! Light, beautiful and really fun! Perfect (but not only) for Pride month!
Have you read You Know Me Well? What do you think? Do you want to read it?
Life and Other Disasters 
Ahhh!!! I LOVE YOUR REVIEW! I was sort of on the fence about adding it to my TBR but you’ve piqued my interest. Thank you 😊💕
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I am so happy to hear that!
It may not have been perfect in terms of plot, but it gave me all the right feels and I am just a little in love with all the people! (well, almost all of them)
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😀 you’re making me want to read this book ASAP! 😀
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That’s what it should feel like! I really loved it!
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yay 😀
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So glad you enjoyed this one Kat, I read it myself and really liked it. I liked how it featured these two characters coming together trying to find out who they really are as people. I wasn’t a fan of Katies bestfriend. I understood that she might of been hurt in moments but when she said ‘don’t ruin our night because you’ve ruined yours’ it sort of made me angry at her. I was thinking – Hey she’s your bestfriend surely you would be more supportive.
Still really enjoyed it though 🙂
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Legit no one could condone Lehna’s behaviour! She was terrible to Katie. However, I do get starting to resent someone close to you after a while. I just found a lot of things very relatable in that book!
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So glad I wasn’t the only one who thought that then! I actually really enjoyed David Levitan’s writing, I attempted to read Everyday a little while ago and really struggled with that so I was nervous to read this but I thought it was fab!
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Every Day is unique, but I don’t think it is his best work so far. He created something special with A, but he focused SO much on the romance and then when the exciting stuff happened in the end, it just stopped. And it wasn’t even supposed to get a sequel, although he might write one.
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Definitely definitely adding this to my tbr NOOOOW
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YAAAS! 😀 So happy to hear it! (It may have flaws in terms of plot, but it is amazing in terms of how it makes you feel)
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Feeeeels, feels are what matters !! (Okay the plot matters too 😂)
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Hahaha yeah … there doesn’t happen THAT much, but I could overlook it.
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I’ve always been curious over Levithan’s books. I see them practically everywhere and I think I could enjoy them if ever I need a fluffy romance to read. I don’t know why I haven’t read any of them hahaha
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One of my favourites is Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares (which is perfect for Christmas), but it might have been topped by this one.
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I love this review. And I need to add that one to my TBR. I believe in insta-friendship just as well, I think you can click instantly with another person, and I just love love LOVE that feeling 🙂
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I’m so glad you enjoyed this one! My experience with Levithan has been the opposite – I like him best when he’s writing alone, haha, such as with The Lover’s Dictionary (one of my favourite books tbh). I’ve read his works with Cohn and didn’t like them, but I wonder if this one would have a different feel? Maybe with a different co-author I’ll like it more, and this does sound quite interesting. 🙂
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Hahaha really? I haven’t read The Lover’s Dictionary, but I do have my issues with Every Day and Wide Awake, whereas I love Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares for example. It’s funny how we are all different.
This one isn’t very plot driven. I just loved how it made me feel though! I did, however, see a lot of mediocre reviews, so I don’t want to push you to read it.
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I haven’t read either of those things! I’ve read Dash and Lily but I thought while it started out really cute, it dragged on and I just liked them less and less as time passes, haha. 😂
The Lover’s Dictionary though is more adult, I think – just very elegant snippets of a romantic relationship between two people. 🙂
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Oh really? I am sorry to hear that. I adored Dash and Lily, they were so cute and snarky and I am super happy they are getting a sequel this year.
Have you read The Realm of Possibility? It’s solely written in poetry.
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I don’t think I have, but the title rings a bell and it’s entirely possible I’ve read it but forgot about it. I’ll be checking it out! 😂
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Sounds like a great book- well done on the giveaway win!!! That’s awesome!!
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I was so happy I finally won something!
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I definitely think this book had its flaws in plot, but I LOVED IT SO MUCH TOO! I, coincidentally, was walking by a bookstore on release day, and it was advertised in the front, and I got it! It was such a lovely book, and I live right in the Bay Area, so I loved that it talked about San Francisco! Mark & Kate are a beautiful pair of friends.
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That’s true, it wasn’t flawless, especially in terms of plot, but it did all the right things to my feels. I just loved Mark & Kate together SO MUCH!
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