Everyone knows about the dare: Each week, Bryson Keller must date someone new–the first person to ask him out on Monday morning. Few think Bryson can do it. He may be the king of Fairvale Academy, but he’s never really dated before.

Until a boy asks him out, and everything changes.

Kai Sheridan didn’t expect Bryson to say yes. So when Bryson agrees to secretly go out with him, Kai is thrown for a loop. But as the days go by, he discovers there’s more to Bryson beneath the surface, and dating him begins to feel less like an act and more like the real thing. Kai knows how the story of a gay boy liking someone straight ends. With his heart on the line, he’s awkwardly trying to navigate senior year at school, at home, and in the closet, all while grappling with the fact that this “relationship” will last only five days. After all, Bryson Keller is popular, good-looking, and straight . . . right?

How was it?

This book is great, a breath of fresh air. I love how it touches on what it’s like being mixed race, how it feels to be closeted the uncertainty of how your sexuality would be received. The author captures that angst well, you feel how moving away for college can be an opportunity, a saving grace for a closeted teen terrified of being found out. It’s also obvious in the parents’ casual interactions how the heterosexuality of their kids is not even an option and highlights the implicit disappointment it would be if they found out Kai is gay. It gets deep and funny. 

The book has strong themes but they’re not heavy-handed or soapboxy. It makes the story memorable and profoundly honest. The blatant moral messages challenge the readers and help them learn. The author pours out his most passionate beliefs and deepest convictions about his characters’ experiences. If you’re queer you might recognize yourself in this. I could totally see this becoming a movie.

If you want to support this site, help by getting me a coffee from the link below: