First, if nothing else, this book had me laughing constantly. The writing is so well done, reminiscent of high school and all of the drama that entails. I chuckled, I guffawed, I all out cackled. It was that funny and hit every mark at the right moment. I loved Nolan, he was self deprecating, a loner, and an artist. He has a hard time taking criticism, but he also is often pushed outside his comfort zone by others. He has adoptive parents that adore him and an altogether too involved older sister. But the family dynamic is so lovely, the high pressure games, the support, the need to see each other excel. It can come off as too much, but it is also endearing how much this family just roots for each other. There are parts I found annoying and possibly problematic. Especially everyone using and blaming Nolan for everything. In particular his sister, her inability to allow Nolan to live his own life, her meddling and then anger when he pushes back. And his parents never really stepped in to intervene when they saw how she was behaving, they kind of left them to work out their issues. When, in fact, the issue was she was angry when she lost her ability to control him, or when he lied because she was trying to control him. I was also quite frustrated with the lack of communication as a major plot device. Nolan cannot read minds, so how is he to blame when he cannot figure out Bern's thoughts and emotions? Why is he automatically at fault for misunderstanding situations he has never been involved in before, or situations in which he himself was hurt because he thought the actions meant something different than they truly did. I thought he deserved more from all those around him. There are also a lot of characters to keep track of, some who are completely unnecessary to the plot. Some I understood were helpful to character growth/development, but too many made it hard to keep track of what was happening, with whom, and why. I would have loved more Nolan and Bern interactions, because they are adorable together. From the beginning, even with apparent animosity on Bern's part, there was a spark. Bern is loyal, caring, thoughtful and a decent friend, he really just needs to be more honest about his emotions. Nolan is fun, creative, honest, and adorkable, but he is also completely oblivious at times. Though, as this was his first relationship (even is 'fake'), it was on Bern to actually relay status and commitment (real vs. fake). Overall this book was cute and charming and it had me in stitches. So, while some things were frustrating, in the end it was a quick, lovely read about two boys falling in love.
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