The brilliant debut novel from author, presenter and LGBTQ+ advocate Calum McSwiggan!
Seventeen-year-old Max has always been out, proud and just a little spoiled. Frustrated by the lack of romantic options in his small-town high school, during an argument with his lifelong best friend Dean, Max lashes out and says he wishes he had never been born gay.
Max gets more than he bargained for when he wakes up to find his wish has come true - not only have his feelings for boys vanished, but so has Dean.
With his school life turned upside down and his relationship with his family in tatters, Max sets out on a journey of rediscovery to find a way back to the life he took for granted, and the romance he thought he'd never have.
A deliciously romantic YA debut that's What If It's Us and One Last Stop!
A fun take on the classic 'be careful what you wish for'. Max is having one of those days - nothing's going right, his crush doesn't even know he exists, and in a fit of hopelessness he wishes he was one of the straight kids. After all, everything is always so easy for them, right? They never have any problems!
If I have any complaints about this book - and this is such a petty thing I shouldn't even be saying it! - it's how slowly things happen; we're a fifth of the way in before Max even makes his wish. This is fine if you want the extra time to get to know the characters, but as they're all a bit different in the 'new' reality anyway, it felt odd to me. But that's absolutely a personal thing and shouldn't affect anyone else's enjoyment.
I loved the descriptions of the outfits Max puts together, and the shows - I wish my school had done that version of Little Shop of Horrors! There are some genuinely heartfelt moments in both realities too - I loved, although it's a tiny thing, the fact that Darius shows up without complaint to collect his more-than-slightly drunk daughter and doesn't seem upset about it, even checking with her boyfriend - whom he doesn't much like at the time - to make sure he's safe and doesn't want a lift home as well. That's great parenting, and it's treated as totally normal by everyone.
This is a great read that people are going to really enjoy.
Thanks for having me on the tour!
Book Info
Genre: Young Adult, Queer, LGBT, Contemporary
Length: 272 Pages
Publishing: 4th May 2023
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About the Author
Calum McSwiggan (born 21 May 1990) is a British YouTuber, blogger, and online radio presenter. McSwiggan creates video content on LGBT+ issues, mental health, and sex and relationships.[2][3][4] He began creating YouTube videos in 2013 and began hosting The Calum McSwiggan Show on Fubar Radio in 2017.
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