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Donick Walsh and the Reset-Button
Donick Walsh : king of the school bullies, secret dancer, closet-case. What's to be done when a football injury means he can never play again? Dance in the school musical, of course! Not like he has a choice. Fingers crossed his father doesn't find out!
Enter Michael Penrose : theatre-kid, and Donick's former best friend. For years Michael has been the object of Donick's ridicule simply because Michael is out and proud, and Donick is afraid.
Suddenly confronted with his old friend, Donick sinks under the weight of the guilt of his past. How can a bully make amends for all the hurt he's caused? How can a closeted ex-high school football player make peace with the very real crush he suddenly has on a boy? And what in the world can be done to hit the reset-button on an entire life? Donick Walsh and the Reset-Button examines the confusing nature of what it means to forgive, the discovery of living one's authentic self, and yes, even the joys and pains of first love .
Enter Michael Penrose : theatre-kid, and Donick's former best friend. For years Michael has been the object of Donick's ridicule simply because Michael is out and proud, and Donick is afraid.
Suddenly confronted with his old friend, Donick sinks under the weight of the guilt of his past. How can a bully make amends for all the hurt he's caused? How can a closeted ex-high school football player make peace with the very real crush he suddenly has on a boy? And what in the world can be done to hit the reset-button on an entire life? Donick Walsh and the Reset-Button examines the confusing nature of what it means to forgive, the discovery of living one's authentic self, and yes, even the joys and pains of first love .
502 pages, Paperback
First published December 6, 2021
8 people are currently reading
895 people want to read
About the author
Nathaniel Shea
2 books14 followersNathaniel Shea is the pen name of award winning audiobook narrator, Shea Taylor. With a background in musical theatre and English literature, Shea's first love has always been the written word. In addition to being an author and audiobook narrator, he directs and engineers audiobooks, and has both narrated and directed for such publishers as: Harper, Scholastic, Brilliance, Tantor, Recorded Books, Penguin Random House, and Macmillan. He has moonlighted as a high school librarian, a copy editor, and a theatre director/choreographer. "Donick Walsh and the Reset-Button" is his first published novel. He lives near Los Angeles with his family and eight chattering budgies.
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February 25, 2024
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Recibí un ARC por parte de NetGalley. Muchas gracias.
Lo que me hizo sentir esta historia es complicado. Hubo momentos en donde no pude parar de leer, otros en donde quería saltarme páginas y algunos en donde de plano quería abandonar el libro. Pero me gustó. Bastante, puedo decir.
Se nos cuenta la historia de Nick Walsh, quien hasta hace unos meses era un deportista de esos que nos muestran en TV estadounidense: idiota. Se metía con todo el mundo que fuera diferente, que no entrara en los cánones de belleza o comportamiento estipulados por la sociedad, totalmente un bully. Pero, luego de un accidente con su hombro y la imposibilidad de volver a jugar fútbol, tiene mucho tiempo para reflexionar y darse cuenta de que sus actitudes eran francamente horribles. De vuelta al colegio, intentará darle un nuevo aire a su vida, dejar atrás sus comportamientos tóxicos, disculparse con aquellos a los que hirió, dedicarse a su verdadera pasión y, lo más importante, intentar ganarse a su amigo de la infancia, Michael, quien en la actualidad lo odia por su comportamiento hacia él y los demás.
Lo más importante a aclarar, es que siento que esta es una historia que tiene muchos pequeños objetivos, pero que en realidad se centra en el camino de Nick y el cómo lidia con las personas y comportamientos que envuelven su vida diaria.
Entonces, por un lado, lo tenemos queriendo renovar su persona, ser más amable con los demás. Tratarlos como seres humanos, vamos.
Este arco me parece muy interesante. Primero, porque como latina que vive en un pueblito olvidado por dios y que en realidad pasaba su tiempo muerto en el colegio leyendo o viendo anime, se me hace una experiencia mitológica esto de que existan bullies tan duros… Por supuesto que conocía personas que se metían con la apariencia de otros de vez en cuando, ¿pero hasta el punto que Nick y sus amigos hacían? Dios, no. Me parece super fuerte si es que es algo que realmente pasa.
Al principio, estas disculpas constantes casi con las mismas palabras me aburrían un poco, porque la mitad del libro es exactamente eso. Siento que era un poco repetitivo y que perdió fuerza después de las primeras veces. Vuelve a tener sentido en la última disculpa a la chica; aunque después de conocer esa historia pensé que tal vez sería necesario para Nick ir al psicólogo. Digo, querer adaptarte tanto que se te olvida cualquier mínimo de empatía me parece peligroso. Estos chicos, los deportistas, me parecen peligrosos.
También me resulta inquietante cómo nadie se atreve a denunciarlos nunca. Estos chicos hicieron cosas horribles, físicas y psicológicamente. Tal vez no hay pruebas tangibles del daño psicológico día con día que puedan usarse contra ellos, pero sí están las pruebas físicas. Ni siquiera Nick los denuncia. ¿Y por qué? ¿Por qué siente pena de verse como débil? Me desentona un poco con el nuevo él que están intentando presentarnos.
De todas formas, siento que, si bien Donick se disculpa por estas acciones pasadas, no es como que su mentalidad haya cambiado mucho, de todas formas. Generalmente, cuando iba a disculparse con alguien, hacía una descripción de cómo era esta persona y las características de su cuerpo con las que se refería a ellos, se convertía casi en lo único importante de esa persona. Por ejemplo, una vez se fue a disculpar con un chico de nariz prominente, que era muy bueno corriendo.
La mente de Donick: su nariz, su nariz grande.
La boca de Donick: que bien corres, amigo. Me quería disculpar por hacerte bullying por tu nariz.
No sé cuál es la necesidad de recalcar tanto eso.
O sea, yo como ser humano me doy cuenta cuando las personas tienen una nariz grande, las cejas mal hechas, están gordas y ese tipo de cosas. Pero, además de un primer vistazo a esos aspectos físicos, dejo de pensar por completo en ello. No es relevante para nada, ¿por qué botarle tantos pensamientos?
No sé si la rara soy yo.
El otro arco en que se centra el libro es en la homosexualidad de Nick.
Porque sus amigos son homofóbicos, su padre es homofóbico y él mismo ha fingido ser homofóbico durante años desde que su padre lo encontró besándose con su mejor amigo.
Siento que el primer punto difícil es en realidad su padre, porque Nick depende en todos los sentidos de él, como dependemos todos los jóvenes de nuestros progenitores.
El segundo, es él mismo. Porque tiene homofobia internalizada. De hecho, parece que todos los personajes la tienen. Siempre hablan de lo que es normal en los gays y lo que no. Incluso, cuando Donick sale del armario con alguno de ellos, su respuesta es generalmente: “ah, eso explica lo del baile”. Como si querer dedicarse a bailar o ser bueno bailando fuera algo, si bien no exclusivo para los gays, por lo menos no normal para un hombre heterosexual.
Siento que se han sacado muchos estereotipos en este libro: los deportistas groseros, la lesbiana tomboy, los chicos gays que son afeminados. Y se usa todo esto como un estándar dentro de la escuela de Nick. Olvidándose de que el mismo prota es gay y el único estereotipo que llena es el de matón para ocultar su identidad. Pero, cuando finalmente sale, no es como que dejen de gustarle las cosas que antes le gustaban y de repente se tiña el pelo de rosa. Así que ¿por qué seguir diciendo cosas como “ah, eso explica lo del baile”? Somos lo que somos, no por nuestra sexualidad o género. Estas cosas no definen nuestra personalidad ni nuestros gustos.
Finalmente, está el romance.
Me gusta que se desarrolle lentamente, no quieren darles a estos dos chicos encuentros casuales que los hagan darse cuenta de sus sentimientos. De hecho, hasta la mitad del libro los dos apenas y se voltean a mirar. Hay mucha tensión por parte de Donick y un lío de odio por el lado de Michael, entonces creo que se da de manera bastante natural y por las etapas suficientes.
De todas formas, el romance no es lo principal. Muchas de sus interacciones no se narran, sino que a través de las conversaciones que tienen con otras personas quedan implícitas. Si bien no soy muy fan de este sistema cuando se refiere a desarrollar relaciones, por lo menos lo prefiero a que se nos diga simplemente que de un momento a otro ya se aman, cuando su interacción ha sido nula.
Sin embargo, dado que hay una conversación donde Nick le dice a Michael que el cambio lo está haciendo por él, tal vez me faltó un poco de interacción en pantalla. Si se quería dar importancia al romance relacionándolo con el cambio de actitud de Donick, debió ser de una forma mucho más natural.
Como ya dije, Michael se pasa más de la mitad del libro odiando a Nick. Y me resulta molesto, como la persona rencorosa que soy, que sus amigos y familiares quisieran hacer la vista gorda a sus sentimientos y su pasado con Donick. Porque si bien ellos lo perdonaron por su actitud, deben tener en cuenta que cada persona es un mundo diferente. Presionar y hacerle pasar tiempo con Nick cuando Michael no quería me parece una violación a los límites que él puso.
El punto de vista de Michael en la historia me sobra, porque la historia va sobre Donick y los primeros dos puntos que ya se hablaron.
Esto se demuestra cuando, a pesar de que el arco de Michael es esto de querer entrar a la Universidad y las cartas de rechazo que obtiene, al final nunca se llega a nada con eso. No se encuentra una solución alternativa, sucede y ya. Y, a pesar de que me gusta, porque da una perspectiva realista de la vida en la que no siempre obtenemos lo que queremos, en el gran esquema de los acontecimientos queda totalmente perdido.
Como dije, tengo una relación muy extraña con lo que leí y lo que me gusta de la historia y lo que no. Pero, finalmente, lo cierto es que disfruté muchísimo la historia.
Pd. Lo de Gil y Liam ¿? Alguien saque al pobre niño de ahí.
Pd2. Como amante de Yuri Plisetsky, me parece horrible que con una temática de Yuri!!! On Ice jamás se haya nombrado.
Perdón por las muy posibles faltas de ortografía.
...
What made me feel this story is complicated. There were moments where I could not stop reading, others where I wanted to skip pages and some where I wanted to leave the book. But I liked it.
The most important thing to clarify, is that I feel that this is a story that has many small objectives, but that actually focuses on the path of Nick and how he dealt with people and behaviors that wrap his daily life.
So, on the one hand, he wants to renew his person, be friendlier with others. Treat them as human beings, come on.
This arc seems very interesting to me. First, because as a Latin who lives in a town forgotten by God and that in reality spent his dead time at school reading or seeing anime, I make a mythological experience that there are so hard bullies ... Of course I knew people who were put the appearance of others from time to time, but to the point that Nick and his friends made? God no. It seems super hardcore if it is something that really happens.
At first, these constant apologies almost with the same words bored me a little, because half of the book is exactly that. I feel that it was a bit repetitive and lost strength after the first times. It makes sense again in the last apology to the girl; Although after knowing that story I thought it would be necessary to go to the psychologist. I mean, wanting to adapt so much that you forget any minimum of empathy seems dangerous to me. These guys, athletes, seem dangerous.
I also find it disturbing how nobody dares to never report them. These boys did horrible things, physical and psychologically. Perhaps there is no tangible evidence of psychological damage day by day that can be used against them, but there are physical evidence. Not even Nick complaints. And why? Why does it feel a penalty of seeing yourself as weak? I miss me a little with the new he who are trying to introduce us.
Anyway, I feel that, although Donick apologizes for these past actions, it is not like his mentality has changed a lot, anyway. Generally, when he was going to apologize to someone, he made a description of what this person was like and the characteristics of his body with which he referred to them, it became almost the only important thing of that person. For example, once he apologized with a prominent nose boy, who was very good running.
Donick's mind: his nose, his big nose.
Donick's mouth: how well runs, friend. I wanted to apologize for bullying for your nose.
I don't know what is the need to emphasize so much.
That is, I as a human being realize when people have a large nose, badly made eyebrows are fat and that kind of thing. But, in addition to a first look at those physical aspects, I stop thinking completely. It is not relevant at all, why throw so many thoughts?
I don't know if the rare is me.
The other arc on which the book is centered is in Nick's homosexuality.
Because his friends are homophobic, his father is homophobic and he himself has pretended to be homophobic for years since his father found him kissing his best friend.
I feel that the first difficult point is actually his father, because Nick depends in every way of him, as all the young people of our parents depend.
The second is himself. Because he has internalized homophobia. In fact, it seems that all the characters have it. They always talk about what is normal in gays and what not. Even when Donick leaves the closet with one of them, their answer is generally: "Ah, that explains the dance." As if wanting to dedicate yourself to dance or be good dancing it was something, although not exclusive to gays, at least not normal for a heterosexual man.
I feel that many stereotypes have been drawn in this book: the rude athletes, the tomboy lesbian, the gay boys who are effeminate. And all this is used as a standard within Nick's school. Forgetting that the same prota is gay and the only stereotype that fills is the thug to hide his identity. But, when it finally comes out, it's not like he stopping to like the things he liked before and suddenly dyed his hair. So why keep saying things like "Ah, that explains the dance"? We are what we are, not for our sexuality or gender. These things do not define our personality or our tastes.
Finally, there is romance.
I like to develop slowly, do not want to give these two boys casual encounters to make them realize their feelings. In fact, half the book both barely and turn to look each other. There is a lot of tension on the part of Donick and a mess of hate on Michael's side, so I think it occurs quite naturally and because of enough stages.
Anyway, romance is not the main thing. Many of their interactions are not narrated, but through the conversations they have with other people are implicit. While I am not very fan of this system when it refers to developing relationships, at least I prefer it to simply tell us that from one moment to another they already love each other, when their interaction has been nil.
However, since there is a conversation where Nick tells Michael that he is making the change for Michael, maybe I lacked a little screen interaction. If you wanted to give importance to romance relating it to Donick's change in attitude, it must have been much more natural.
As I said, Michael spends more than half of the book hating Nick. And I find it annoying, like the grudding person I am, that his friends and family would like to turn his feelings and his past with Donick as if that did not matter. Because while they forgave him for his attitude, they must keep in mind that each person is a different world. Pressing and making him spend time with Nick when Michael did not want to do it, seems like a transgression of the limits he put.
I do not see necessary Michael's point of view in this history, because the story is about Donick and the first two points that I have already been talked about.
necessary
This is demonstrated when, despite the fact that Michael's arch is he wanting to enter the university and the rejection letters he obtains, in the end nothing is reached with that. There is no alternative solution, it only happens. And, although I like it, because it gives a realistic perspective of life in which we do not always get what we want, in the great scheme of events it doesn't matter..
As I said, I have a very strange relationship with what I read and what I like about this history and what I don't like. But, finally, the truth is that I really enjoyed this reading.
P.S. Gil and Liam? Someone helps the poor child ...
PD2. As a lover of Yuri Plisetsky, it seems horrible to me that with a Yuri!!! On Ice theme !!! he has never been named. Otayuri rights!
Sorry for grammage and spelling offenses, I am not a native speaker.
Recibí un ARC por parte de NetGalley. Muchas gracias.
Lo que me hizo sentir esta historia es complicado. Hubo momentos en donde no pude parar de leer, otros en donde quería saltarme páginas y algunos en donde de plano quería abandonar el libro. Pero me gustó. Bastante, puedo decir.
Se nos cuenta la historia de Nick Walsh, quien hasta hace unos meses era un deportista de esos que nos muestran en TV estadounidense: idiota. Se metía con todo el mundo que fuera diferente, que no entrara en los cánones de belleza o comportamiento estipulados por la sociedad, totalmente un bully. Pero, luego de un accidente con su hombro y la imposibilidad de volver a jugar fútbol, tiene mucho tiempo para reflexionar y darse cuenta de que sus actitudes eran francamente horribles. De vuelta al colegio, intentará darle un nuevo aire a su vida, dejar atrás sus comportamientos tóxicos, disculparse con aquellos a los que hirió, dedicarse a su verdadera pasión y, lo más importante, intentar ganarse a su amigo de la infancia, Michael, quien en la actualidad lo odia por su comportamiento hacia él y los demás.
Lo más importante a aclarar, es que siento que esta es una historia que tiene muchos pequeños objetivos, pero que en realidad se centra en el camino de Nick y el cómo lidia con las personas y comportamientos que envuelven su vida diaria.
Entonces, por un lado, lo tenemos queriendo renovar su persona, ser más amable con los demás. Tratarlos como seres humanos, vamos.
Este arco me parece muy interesante. Primero, porque como latina que vive en un pueblito olvidado por dios y que en realidad pasaba su tiempo muerto en el colegio leyendo o viendo anime, se me hace una experiencia mitológica esto de que existan bullies tan duros… Por supuesto que conocía personas que se metían con la apariencia de otros de vez en cuando, ¿pero hasta el punto que Nick y sus amigos hacían? Dios, no. Me parece super fuerte si es que es algo que realmente pasa.
Al principio, estas disculpas constantes casi con las mismas palabras me aburrían un poco, porque la mitad del libro es exactamente eso. Siento que era un poco repetitivo y que perdió fuerza después de las primeras veces. Vuelve a tener sentido en la última disculpa a la chica; aunque después de conocer esa historia pensé que tal vez sería necesario para Nick ir al psicólogo. Digo, querer adaptarte tanto que se te olvida cualquier mínimo de empatía me parece peligroso. Estos chicos, los deportistas, me parecen peligrosos.
También me resulta inquietante cómo nadie se atreve a denunciarlos nunca. Estos chicos hicieron cosas horribles, físicas y psicológicamente. Tal vez no hay pruebas tangibles del daño psicológico día con día que puedan usarse contra ellos, pero sí están las pruebas físicas. Ni siquiera Nick los denuncia. ¿Y por qué? ¿Por qué siente pena de verse como débil? Me desentona un poco con el nuevo él que están intentando presentarnos.
De todas formas, siento que, si bien Donick se disculpa por estas acciones pasadas, no es como que su mentalidad haya cambiado mucho, de todas formas. Generalmente, cuando iba a disculparse con alguien, hacía una descripción de cómo era esta persona y las características de su cuerpo con las que se refería a ellos, se convertía casi en lo único importante de esa persona. Por ejemplo, una vez se fue a disculpar con un chico de nariz prominente, que era muy bueno corriendo.
La mente de Donick: su nariz, su nariz grande.
La boca de Donick: que bien corres, amigo. Me quería disculpar por hacerte bullying por tu nariz.
No sé cuál es la necesidad de recalcar tanto eso.
O sea, yo como ser humano me doy cuenta cuando las personas tienen una nariz grande, las cejas mal hechas, están gordas y ese tipo de cosas. Pero, además de un primer vistazo a esos aspectos físicos, dejo de pensar por completo en ello. No es relevante para nada, ¿por qué botarle tantos pensamientos?
No sé si la rara soy yo.
El otro arco en que se centra el libro es en la homosexualidad de Nick.
Porque sus amigos son homofóbicos, su padre es homofóbico y él mismo ha fingido ser homofóbico durante años desde que su padre lo encontró besándose con su mejor amigo.
Siento que el primer punto difícil es en realidad su padre, porque Nick depende en todos los sentidos de él, como dependemos todos los jóvenes de nuestros progenitores.
El segundo, es él mismo. Porque tiene homofobia internalizada. De hecho, parece que todos los personajes la tienen. Siempre hablan de lo que es normal en los gays y lo que no. Incluso, cuando Donick sale del armario con alguno de ellos, su respuesta es generalmente: “ah, eso explica lo del baile”. Como si querer dedicarse a bailar o ser bueno bailando fuera algo, si bien no exclusivo para los gays, por lo menos no normal para un hombre heterosexual.
Siento que se han sacado muchos estereotipos en este libro: los deportistas groseros, la lesbiana tomboy, los chicos gays que son afeminados. Y se usa todo esto como un estándar dentro de la escuela de Nick. Olvidándose de que el mismo prota es gay y el único estereotipo que llena es el de matón para ocultar su identidad. Pero, cuando finalmente sale, no es como que dejen de gustarle las cosas que antes le gustaban y de repente se tiña el pelo de rosa. Así que ¿por qué seguir diciendo cosas como “ah, eso explica lo del baile”? Somos lo que somos, no por nuestra sexualidad o género. Estas cosas no definen nuestra personalidad ni nuestros gustos.
Finalmente, está el romance.
Me gusta que se desarrolle lentamente, no quieren darles a estos dos chicos encuentros casuales que los hagan darse cuenta de sus sentimientos. De hecho, hasta la mitad del libro los dos apenas y se voltean a mirar. Hay mucha tensión por parte de Donick y un lío de odio por el lado de Michael, entonces creo que se da de manera bastante natural y por las etapas suficientes.
De todas formas, el romance no es lo principal. Muchas de sus interacciones no se narran, sino que a través de las conversaciones que tienen con otras personas quedan implícitas. Si bien no soy muy fan de este sistema cuando se refiere a desarrollar relaciones, por lo menos lo prefiero a que se nos diga simplemente que de un momento a otro ya se aman, cuando su interacción ha sido nula.
Sin embargo, dado que hay una conversación donde Nick le dice a Michael que el cambio lo está haciendo por él, tal vez me faltó un poco de interacción en pantalla. Si se quería dar importancia al romance relacionándolo con el cambio de actitud de Donick, debió ser de una forma mucho más natural.
Como ya dije, Michael se pasa más de la mitad del libro odiando a Nick. Y me resulta molesto, como la persona rencorosa que soy, que sus amigos y familiares quisieran hacer la vista gorda a sus sentimientos y su pasado con Donick. Porque si bien ellos lo perdonaron por su actitud, deben tener en cuenta que cada persona es un mundo diferente. Presionar y hacerle pasar tiempo con Nick cuando Michael no quería me parece una violación a los límites que él puso.
El punto de vista de Michael en la historia me sobra, porque la historia va sobre Donick y los primeros dos puntos que ya se hablaron.
Esto se demuestra cuando, a pesar de que el arco de Michael es esto de querer entrar a la Universidad y las cartas de rechazo que obtiene, al final nunca se llega a nada con eso. No se encuentra una solución alternativa, sucede y ya. Y, a pesar de que me gusta, porque da una perspectiva realista de la vida en la que no siempre obtenemos lo que queremos, en el gran esquema de los acontecimientos queda totalmente perdido.
Como dije, tengo una relación muy extraña con lo que leí y lo que me gusta de la historia y lo que no. Pero, finalmente, lo cierto es que disfruté muchísimo la historia.
Pd. Lo de Gil y Liam ¿? Alguien saque al pobre niño de ahí.
Pd2. Como amante de Yuri Plisetsky, me parece horrible que con una temática de Yuri!!! On Ice jamás se haya nombrado.
Perdón por las muy posibles faltas de ortografía.
...
What made me feel this story is complicated. There were moments where I could not stop reading, others where I wanted to skip pages and some where I wanted to leave the book. But I liked it.
The most important thing to clarify, is that I feel that this is a story that has many small objectives, but that actually focuses on the path of Nick and how he dealt with people and behaviors that wrap his daily life.
So, on the one hand, he wants to renew his person, be friendlier with others. Treat them as human beings, come on.
This arc seems very interesting to me. First, because as a Latin who lives in a town forgotten by God and that in reality spent his dead time at school reading or seeing anime, I make a mythological experience that there are so hard bullies ... Of course I knew people who were put the appearance of others from time to time, but to the point that Nick and his friends made? God no. It seems super hardcore if it is something that really happens.
At first, these constant apologies almost with the same words bored me a little, because half of the book is exactly that. I feel that it was a bit repetitive and lost strength after the first times. It makes sense again in the last apology to the girl; Although after knowing that story I thought it would be necessary to go to the psychologist. I mean, wanting to adapt so much that you forget any minimum of empathy seems dangerous to me. These guys, athletes, seem dangerous.
I also find it disturbing how nobody dares to never report them. These boys did horrible things, physical and psychologically. Perhaps there is no tangible evidence of psychological damage day by day that can be used against them, but there are physical evidence. Not even Nick complaints. And why? Why does it feel a penalty of seeing yourself as weak? I miss me a little with the new he who are trying to introduce us.
Anyway, I feel that, although Donick apologizes for these past actions, it is not like his mentality has changed a lot, anyway. Generally, when he was going to apologize to someone, he made a description of what this person was like and the characteristics of his body with which he referred to them, it became almost the only important thing of that person. For example, once he apologized with a prominent nose boy, who was very good running.
Donick's mind: his nose, his big nose.
Donick's mouth: how well runs, friend. I wanted to apologize for bullying for your nose.
I don't know what is the need to emphasize so much.
That is, I as a human being realize when people have a large nose, badly made eyebrows are fat and that kind of thing. But, in addition to a first look at those physical aspects, I stop thinking completely. It is not relevant at all, why throw so many thoughts?
I don't know if the rare is me.
The other arc on which the book is centered is in Nick's homosexuality.
Because his friends are homophobic, his father is homophobic and he himself has pretended to be homophobic for years since his father found him kissing his best friend.
I feel that the first difficult point is actually his father, because Nick depends in every way of him, as all the young people of our parents depend.
The second is himself. Because he has internalized homophobia. In fact, it seems that all the characters have it. They always talk about what is normal in gays and what not. Even when Donick leaves the closet with one of them, their answer is generally: "Ah, that explains the dance." As if wanting to dedicate yourself to dance or be good dancing it was something, although not exclusive to gays, at least not normal for a heterosexual man.
I feel that many stereotypes have been drawn in this book: the rude athletes, the tomboy lesbian, the gay boys who are effeminate. And all this is used as a standard within Nick's school. Forgetting that the same prota is gay and the only stereotype that fills is the thug to hide his identity. But, when it finally comes out, it's not like he stopping to like the things he liked before and suddenly dyed his hair. So why keep saying things like "Ah, that explains the dance"? We are what we are, not for our sexuality or gender. These things do not define our personality or our tastes.
Finally, there is romance.
I like to develop slowly, do not want to give these two boys casual encounters to make them realize their feelings. In fact, half the book both barely and turn to look each other. There is a lot of tension on the part of Donick and a mess of hate on Michael's side, so I think it occurs quite naturally and because of enough stages.
Anyway, romance is not the main thing. Many of their interactions are not narrated, but through the conversations they have with other people are implicit. While I am not very fan of this system when it refers to developing relationships, at least I prefer it to simply tell us that from one moment to another they already love each other, when their interaction has been nil.
However, since there is a conversation where Nick tells Michael that he is making the change for Michael, maybe I lacked a little screen interaction. If you wanted to give importance to romance relating it to Donick's change in attitude, it must have been much more natural.
As I said, Michael spends more than half of the book hating Nick. And I find it annoying, like the grudding person I am, that his friends and family would like to turn his feelings and his past with Donick as if that did not matter. Because while they forgave him for his attitude, they must keep in mind that each person is a different world. Pressing and making him spend time with Nick when Michael did not want to do it, seems like a transgression of the limits he put.
I do not see necessary Michael's point of view in this history, because the story is about Donick and the first two points that I have already been talked about.
necessary
This is demonstrated when, despite the fact that Michael's arch is he wanting to enter the university and the rejection letters he obtains, in the end nothing is reached with that. There is no alternative solution, it only happens. And, although I like it, because it gives a realistic perspective of life in which we do not always get what we want, in the great scheme of events it doesn't matter..
As I said, I have a very strange relationship with what I read and what I like about this history and what I don't like. But, finally, the truth is that I really enjoyed this reading.
P.S. Gil and Liam? Someone helps the poor child ...
PD2. As a lover of Yuri Plisetsky, it seems horrible to me that with a Yuri!!! On Ice theme !!! he has never been named. Otayuri rights!
Sorry for grammage and spelling offenses, I am not a native speaker.
August 16, 2023
Round up 3.5. This was a good debut novel.
I stumbled on this book when it was on Kindle Vella (I had to go and check when I started reading it...and it was 2021, the 1st episode I read, and I believe, early 2023 when I reached episode 21, that was the last episode I purchased, and I realized it was pulled off.
I was sad because I didn't get to read the ending, but I'm glad the author decided to republish it on a different platform so others can enjoy it too.
So first, I'll list the things I liked:
I've enjoyed Nick's redemption journey of wanting to be a better person. I appreciate that Michael didn't forgive him immediately and made him really work for it and reconsider many things in his life, like his friendship, outlook, and views. I liked Michael's friends.
I enjoyed The teen angst aspect and the two finally accepting each other.
What I didn't like:
There were a lot of slurs, insults, and misogyny going on, and it really took my enjoyment from reading. The homophobia was a lot to handle.
There was the unnecessary description of things like the character's look/outfits that didn't relate to or impact a scene. The inner monologue was...long? Like I'll be spending a long time in the character's head that I forget what they were doing or what the scene was about.
It also felt like it dragged on when it could be a few pages shorter. It was past 50% when Michael finally started talking with Nick.
All in all I've enjoyed it apart from what I pointed out. I'm glad the author published it so others can discover it and enjoy reading it too.
This was a YA taking place in senior year of high school. It's 1st dual POV.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book through BookSirens.
I stumbled on this book when it was on Kindle Vella (I had to go and check when I started reading it...and it was 2021, the 1st episode I read, and I believe, early 2023 when I reached episode 21, that was the last episode I purchased, and I realized it was pulled off.
I was sad because I didn't get to read the ending, but I'm glad the author decided to republish it on a different platform so others can enjoy it too.
So first, I'll list the things I liked:
I've enjoyed Nick's redemption journey of wanting to be a better person. I appreciate that Michael didn't forgive him immediately and made him really work for it and reconsider many things in his life, like his friendship, outlook, and views. I liked Michael's friends.
I enjoyed The teen angst aspect and the two finally accepting each other.
What I didn't like:
There were a lot of slurs, insults, and misogyny going on, and it really took my enjoyment from reading. The homophobia was a lot to handle.
There was the unnecessary description of things like the character's look/outfits that didn't relate to or impact a scene. The inner monologue was...long? Like I'll be spending a long time in the character's head that I forget what they were doing or what the scene was about.
It also felt like it dragged on when it could be a few pages shorter. It was past 50% when Michael finally started talking with Nick.
All in all I've enjoyed it apart from what I pointed out. I'm glad the author published it so others can discover it and enjoy reading it too.
This was a YA taking place in senior year of high school. It's 1st dual POV.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book through BookSirens.
August 23, 2023
This is a beautifully written YA LGBT novel. Told from two characters' points of view you get to understand the reasoning behind what is occurring and how it is perceived. While it is frustrating at times, I just have to think back to what I was like at 17/18 years old. The books makes me wish I had been this open and self-aware at that age. Nick, Michael, and their friends are well developed and interesting characters you want to learn more about. The story also shows that changing who you are, growing, and making amends can be as hard for other people as it is for the person doing.
I read it as a Kindle Vella story and fell in love with it. Any books that makes me laugh out loud at times, cry, and want to shake some sense into a character is a 5 star. This one did all of those.
I read it as a Kindle Vella story and fell in love with it. Any books that makes me laugh out loud at times, cry, and want to shake some sense into a character is a 5 star. This one did all of those.
March 23, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this one. It ended up being a five start book in my opinion. The story focuses on a young man Donick who was a football star and that should have been his entire future but it was a future he did not want. He was good at football but he didn't have a love or passion for it. Donick recently suffered a severe injury that put his football career to rest. Donick has always been a huge bully at school. Along with his jerky football and stoner friends, he makes fun of people and has a complete lack of compassion for anyone. Most of this was to fit in with others but also because his dad has always had a bully-like relationship with him. Also, he likes boys. And it would be awful (He thinks) if anyone knew. His dad would definitely hate him. But after his surgery, Donick starts re-evaluating who he is both in his sexual identity and the kind of person he is. Now he is determined to make up for the bad things he did to his fellow students. Including his former best friend who he's shunned for years. He took dance classes to help with his football and now finds himself in the school show. Right along with his old friend. Will Donick be able to make amends and become the man he wants to be? No spoilers but this story was written extremely well. At first I was afraid there was no way Donick could make up for the stuff he did....really rotten stuff. And by the end of the book my only slight disappointment was that there wasn't enough time in the book to see Donick happy and shining. Great story!
April 12, 2023
I got a free e-arc through Netgalley, this in no way affected my review.
I really enjoyed this book! I loved how it was written in dual POV and how we could see the events through both Donick and Michael.
I had a bit of a rough start with liking Donick and I’m still not sure if I actually do. The main point of everything he’s doing is to redeem himself for all of the bullying he did when he was younger. And I can sort of get the reason for why he was doing it, but I still had a difficult time excusing his actions, even though he tried his hardest to make up for them. Might be my teen trauma speaking.
Michael was a delight and I totally understand why he was giving Donick the cold shoulder throughout a big part of the book. I liked how he made him work for his forgiveness and didn’t just hand it to him on a silver platter.
The show aspect of this book was amazing and hilarious and it gave me big HSM vibes, which I loveeee
I really enjoyed this book! I loved how it was written in dual POV and how we could see the events through both Donick and Michael.
I had a bit of a rough start with liking Donick and I’m still not sure if I actually do. The main point of everything he’s doing is to redeem himself for all of the bullying he did when he was younger. And I can sort of get the reason for why he was doing it, but I still had a difficult time excusing his actions, even though he tried his hardest to make up for them. Might be my teen trauma speaking.
Michael was a delight and I totally understand why he was giving Donick the cold shoulder throughout a big part of the book. I liked how he made him work for his forgiveness and didn’t just hand it to him on a silver platter.
The show aspect of this book was amazing and hilarious and it gave me big HSM vibes, which I loveeee
April 17, 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
This was definetly a read I was not expecting to like so much. Early on, I was thinking I was reading 2 different stories with how different Nick & Michael's personalities are like. But with how much trauma they both have, and what they were as kids, and now teenagers/young adults, everything started to piece together properly.
It was so interesting to see Nick own up to his past and try and accept how much hurt he has caused, while also changing as a person and proving to everyone that he is not the same person he was just a few months back. And I like how it was not just like one big goal that takes the entire book, It was more like a lot of smaller goals that lead you on in Nick's self-discovery journey.
And for Michael, I felt like he was going the opposite direction. He is a very nice and has a great personality, but hates Nick, and for good reason too. Holding a grudge from the past is hurting Michael more than helping him. Especially since there is always more to a person's inside that they do not show on the outside, and pushing them away instead of letting them in, is only gonna cause more harm in the end.
This book highlights a lot on eternalized homophobia, toxic masculinity, self-discovery, and accepting your sexuality.
Before you read this, I definitely would proceed with caution because of some topics like some of the ones above, as well as parental abandoment, homophobic slurs, parental abuse, and child abandoment.
I do think this is something people should check out when it gets released. You will love the characters, the plot, and how sometimes, the people you need are the ones who have been with you for a long time.
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was definetly a read I was not expecting to like so much. Early on, I was thinking I was reading 2 different stories with how different Nick & Michael's personalities are like. But with how much trauma they both have, and what they were as kids, and now teenagers/young adults, everything started to piece together properly.
It was so interesting to see Nick own up to his past and try and accept how much hurt he has caused, while also changing as a person and proving to everyone that he is not the same person he was just a few months back. And I like how it was not just like one big goal that takes the entire book, It was more like a lot of smaller goals that lead you on in Nick's self-discovery journey.
And for Michael, I felt like he was going the opposite direction. He is a very nice and has a great personality, but hates Nick, and for good reason too. Holding a grudge from the past is hurting Michael more than helping him. Especially since there is always more to a person's inside that they do not show on the outside, and pushing them away instead of letting them in, is only gonna cause more harm in the end.
This book highlights a lot on eternalized homophobia, toxic masculinity, self-discovery, and accepting your sexuality.
Before you read this, I definitely would proceed with caution because of some topics like some of the ones above, as well as parental abandoment, homophobic slurs, parental abuse, and child abandoment.
I do think this is something people should check out when it gets released. You will love the characters, the plot, and how sometimes, the people you need are the ones who have been with you for a long time.
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2023
He shared his first kiss with his best friend Michael Penrose, Donick was eleven, and Michael was twelve.
You have to know Donick’s dad is a homophobic bully, all for masculinity.
It was the end of a friendship.
After a bad injury, Donick will never play football again. His whole life his father pushed him, and even now the man asked if maybe he could play. No! Never, and Donick is happy about it. To play better in the field, he had to take dance classes at school, now he dances for himself.
While recovering Donick made up his mind to do better and stop bullying.
What he really wants is dancing, his dad can never find out.
So, this story is about Donick, as a teen/young adult, where he comes from, what formed him, and why he acts as he does, or did. Why he wants to change. And to be honest, without a doubt, it’s necessary because he was an awful bully.
We also get Michael’s view to complete the picture, my heart hurt for him.
All those aspects together were the fundament of the story.
“You have a lot of people to win over, Nick,”
The relationship with Michael was most part of the book frozen, Donick had to work hard for redemption.
While the story is about his redemption, for me, it felt like Donick got too much positive attention, I know it’s his story and it sounds contradictional. But oops, maybe I’m just revengeful.
It was entertaining and widely written, there are so many things to view it’s impossible to pick some and write about. There were parts I was glued to the pages, parts I scrolled through, parts my attention got less, parts where I had doubts, and parts I was sitting straight up because it demanded my attention.
Overall a solidly written, nicely flowing and paced, emotional, and entertaining story.
You have to know Donick’s dad is a homophobic bully, all for masculinity.
It was the end of a friendship.
After a bad injury, Donick will never play football again. His whole life his father pushed him, and even now the man asked if maybe he could play. No! Never, and Donick is happy about it. To play better in the field, he had to take dance classes at school, now he dances for himself.
While recovering Donick made up his mind to do better and stop bullying.
What he really wants is dancing, his dad can never find out.
So, this story is about Donick, as a teen/young adult, where he comes from, what formed him, and why he acts as he does, or did. Why he wants to change. And to be honest, without a doubt, it’s necessary because he was an awful bully.
We also get Michael’s view to complete the picture, my heart hurt for him.
All those aspects together were the fundament of the story.
“You have a lot of people to win over, Nick,”
The relationship with Michael was most part of the book frozen, Donick had to work hard for redemption.
While the story is about his redemption, for me, it felt like Donick got too much positive attention, I know it’s his story and it sounds contradictional. But oops, maybe I’m just revengeful.
It was entertaining and widely written, there are so many things to view it’s impossible to pick some and write about. There were parts I was glued to the pages, parts I scrolled through, parts my attention got less, parts where I had doubts, and parts I was sitting straight up because it demanded my attention.
Overall a solidly written, nicely flowing and paced, emotional, and entertaining story.
May 21, 2024
I really enjoyed the book overall, and as I was listening to it on audio I kept being disappointed when I had an opportunity to read a book instead of listening to. So it engaged me. I liked the way the author dealt with the complexity of bullying and trying to reform after doing bad things to others. I appreciated being in Nick’s perspective. The problem I had was with Michael. He irritated me by the end. It seemed like he had no empathy for Nick. He had never tried to think through how their shared traumatic experience would have affected Nick, or how the father’s behavior influenced Nick’s actions. That I can maybe buy but it made him seem like an unsympathetic character. But then, It really bothered me when Nick felt cast out of his home and no one tried to talk to the school authorities about it, and when Michael finds out about him being the secret admirer, Nick feels like he has to leave again. Michael and his parents have a responsibility to care for Nick after taking him in. Nick’s situation at that point is heartbreaking to me, but no one tries to intervene. Michael and fam seem totally passive when he leaves. Hello, this kid is homeless! I can’t rate the book lower as I thought it was well done, but after that I didn’t want the two to end up together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2023
This book was addictive to read. It was nothing to read ten chapters in one sitting. Reading what would happen next and trying to figure out how it will come together in the end. It was fantastic.
The characters were lovable, the friendships were wholesome and had a found family vibe that worked perfectly for them.
I loved seeing Nick change for the better. All the bad things he did, he realized his mistakes and while nothing can change the past he tried his best to be better to apologize to those he could, not to feel better about himself but so they knew he was sorry, that it was wrong and something they didn’t deserve.
Michael’s parents were so amazing. So nice, funny, and kind. I’ve never read about a high school party happening while the parents were there and it be perfectly normal. I absolutely loved it.
I loved the pacing of the story, the hurt/comfort that brought the plot into full color. It was just a great book with a lovely message.
The way things worked, the way Nick found his self confidence and was able to be authentic to himself, the friendships made, were done so well. The ending was beautiful and I’m so happy to have read this. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Switching POV
Second Chances
Friends to Lovers
Good Friendships
Angst with a Happy Ending
(First Person POV)
The characters were lovable, the friendships were wholesome and had a found family vibe that worked perfectly for them.
I loved seeing Nick change for the better. All the bad things he did, he realized his mistakes and while nothing can change the past he tried his best to be better to apologize to those he could, not to feel better about himself but so they knew he was sorry, that it was wrong and something they didn’t deserve.
Michael’s parents were so amazing. So nice, funny, and kind. I’ve never read about a high school party happening while the parents were there and it be perfectly normal. I absolutely loved it.
I loved the pacing of the story, the hurt/comfort that brought the plot into full color. It was just a great book with a lovely message.
The way things worked, the way Nick found his self confidence and was able to be authentic to himself, the friendships made, were done so well. The ending was beautiful and I’m so happy to have read this. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Switching POV
Second Chances
Friends to Lovers
Good Friendships
Angst with a Happy Ending
(First Person POV)
March 24, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book, which I have voluntarily reviewed.
Honestly a really phenomenal book! I enjoyed the overall message of the story and I also feel like it wasn't overly saturated with the message. The writing style definitely kept me pulled in, turning pages, and not wanting to put the book down. I feel like, although YA, the book didn't have the typical cliche and corniness of most other YA LGBT+ romance books. Honestly, the entire book really gave off the vibe of being like a Y2k movie with aspects that reminded me of the movie Clueless - which was referenced in the book, A Cinderella Story, High School Musical, and many more of my favorite 2000s movies.
[May contain spoilers below]
This stemmed from one of the main characters injuring himself - Donick "Donny, Nicky" Walsh - and deciding to use that injury as a way to reinvent himself into the better person he wishes he was. Bear with me because this part's a little cliche. No longer having to do the sport he hated and being able to pursue his love for dance, he begins to try to find and apologize to the people he bullied when he was an uber-popular jock. This becomes a task that he is trying to achieve throughout the book which is not easy because some of the things that he has done seem kinda unforgivable. However, Donny knows this as well and says many times that those he is apologizing to do not need to give him forgiveness, and it's more about owning up to his actions and trying to be a better person. All the while dancing and singing in the school revue - a kind of showcase - and trying to become friends with his ex-best friend that he bullied - read: get him to fall in love with him. As I said seems cliche but the book is well-paced enough that it doesn't reach the point of being so platitudinous.
Now for the other main character and love interest - Michael "Mikey" Penrose. Mikey is Donny's ex-best friend whom Donny is trying to become a better person for essentially. However, while Donny becomes a better person, Mikey becomes more and more bitter by this - to the point that everyone calls him out for it - while simultaneously falling for his secret admirer who has been leaving him notes. The actual romance between the two main characters is fleshed out so well and it takes a decent amount of time for anything to happen which is believable for this situation.
Overall, definitely a new favorite of mine that will most definitely be on my shelf in print as soon as it can be and read time and time again for the foreseeable future. Great for a read you won't put down that has you smiling all the way through.
Honestly a really phenomenal book! I enjoyed the overall message of the story and I also feel like it wasn't overly saturated with the message. The writing style definitely kept me pulled in, turning pages, and not wanting to put the book down. I feel like, although YA, the book didn't have the typical cliche and corniness of most other YA LGBT+ romance books. Honestly, the entire book really gave off the vibe of being like a Y2k movie with aspects that reminded me of the movie Clueless - which was referenced in the book, A Cinderella Story, High School Musical, and many more of my favorite 2000s movies.
[May contain spoilers below]
This stemmed from one of the main characters injuring himself - Donick "Donny, Nicky" Walsh - and deciding to use that injury as a way to reinvent himself into the better person he wishes he was. Bear with me because this part's a little cliche. No longer having to do the sport he hated and being able to pursue his love for dance, he begins to try to find and apologize to the people he bullied when he was an uber-popular jock. This becomes a task that he is trying to achieve throughout the book which is not easy because some of the things that he has done seem kinda unforgivable. However, Donny knows this as well and says many times that those he is apologizing to do not need to give him forgiveness, and it's more about owning up to his actions and trying to be a better person. All the while dancing and singing in the school revue - a kind of showcase - and trying to become friends with his ex-best friend that he bullied - read: get him to fall in love with him. As I said seems cliche but the book is well-paced enough that it doesn't reach the point of being so platitudinous.
Now for the other main character and love interest - Michael "Mikey" Penrose. Mikey is Donny's ex-best friend whom Donny is trying to become a better person for essentially. However, while Donny becomes a better person, Mikey becomes more and more bitter by this - to the point that everyone calls him out for it - while simultaneously falling for his secret admirer who has been leaving him notes. The actual romance between the two main characters is fleshed out so well and it takes a decent amount of time for anything to happen which is believable for this situation.
Overall, definitely a new favorite of mine that will most definitely be on my shelf in print as soon as it can be and read time and time again for the foreseeable future. Great for a read you won't put down that has you smiling all the way through.
July 27, 2023
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange of an honest review. I wanna thank the author and netgalley for this copy:
This book gave me so many emotions. It's definitely 4,5 stars. Being diferent in this society still isn't easy but there are people who will be there for us. Nick for some time wasn't a very good person but he understood that and tried to make ammends. Most of his "victims" forgave him but there were some that didn't and I totally understand, he apologized yes but that doesn't erase what he did. I liked this redemption story, you could see Nick wasn't a bad person, it really was the circunstances and the people he called friends that influenced him, his dad too was horrible to him. I liked Nick and I loved when people saw him beyond that fake person to the person underneath. Michael was the hardest one to convice seeing as he was the one that was most hurt with Nick's attitudes. It took some time but he finally saw that Nick was really a good person and genuinely remorseful about the things he did and said. They as a couple was just perfect
This book gave me so many emotions. It's definitely 4,5 stars. Being diferent in this society still isn't easy but there are people who will be there for us. Nick for some time wasn't a very good person but he understood that and tried to make ammends. Most of his "victims" forgave him but there were some that didn't and I totally understand, he apologized yes but that doesn't erase what he did. I liked this redemption story, you could see Nick wasn't a bad person, it really was the circunstances and the people he called friends that influenced him, his dad too was horrible to him. I liked Nick and I loved when people saw him beyond that fake person to the person underneath. Michael was the hardest one to convice seeing as he was the one that was most hurt with Nick's attitudes. It took some time but he finally saw that Nick was really a good person and genuinely remorseful about the things he did and said. They as a couple was just perfect
February 9, 2023
What a great book! I'm not usually a YA reader, but I enjoyed this one from start to finish. The characters were so much more complex and nuanced than most YA authors typically dare to be. I love that the whole story centers around forgiveness and growth - even when forgiveness isn't granted or growth isn't easily achieved.
Donick is such a great character. He wants to be better but has to overcome so much internalized hatred and, frankly, his own well-earned past reputation. I love that his past behavior was actually bad, not in a sanitized way, but in a way that actually is hard to forgive even if it's understandable. His journey toward healing and moving on into the life he's chosen for himself was so well paced throughout the book that it felt believable and earned rather than coming across like a Disney channel movie.
Our love interest Michael, by contrast, is sort of regressing through the book. As Nick becomes a better version of himself, Michael is consumed by his bitterness toward his old friend. This was an awesome way to show how refusing to confront the past can be toxic without giving some saccharine message about forgiveness being the right choice in all scenarios. It was more that not confronting his past with Nick was actually bad for Michael. The progression of their relationship was so interesting, and it never unfolded exactly how I expected!
The side characters in the story were all delightful and contribute to the overall theme. Plus, the entire theater setting was so delightful. If you love broadway, anime, or really anything "nerdy", this book will read like one big hug. It was great to read something from an author who clearly enjoys and understands the subject they're writing about!
All in all, super highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a complex, queer coming of age story!
Donick is such a great character. He wants to be better but has to overcome so much internalized hatred and, frankly, his own well-earned past reputation. I love that his past behavior was actually bad, not in a sanitized way, but in a way that actually is hard to forgive even if it's understandable. His journey toward healing and moving on into the life he's chosen for himself was so well paced throughout the book that it felt believable and earned rather than coming across like a Disney channel movie.
Our love interest Michael, by contrast, is sort of regressing through the book. As Nick becomes a better version of himself, Michael is consumed by his bitterness toward his old friend. This was an awesome way to show how refusing to confront the past can be toxic without giving some saccharine message about forgiveness being the right choice in all scenarios. It was more that not confronting his past with Nick was actually bad for Michael. The progression of their relationship was so interesting, and it never unfolded exactly how I expected!
The side characters in the story were all delightful and contribute to the overall theme. Plus, the entire theater setting was so delightful. If you love broadway, anime, or really anything "nerdy", this book will read like one big hug. It was great to read something from an author who clearly enjoys and understands the subject they're writing about!
All in all, super highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a complex, queer coming of age story!
August 17, 2023
*ARC review*
This book has one of the best character redemption arcs I've seen, in any genre. All too often, a character will act apologetic and make a determined speech about changing their behavior, and then they say one 'I'm sorry' and all is forgiven. In this book, however, Nick is actually doing the tough work of righting his wrongs - apologies for specific people for specific actions, accepting that no one is required to forgive him, no longer associating with people who continue to engage in those behaviors, etc etc. I feel like a lot of characters (and real life people, tbh) could take some notes from him.
I have to say that the book was longer than I expected when I picked it up, especially for the Young Adult genre, but there is quite a lot going on in the story. The length of the book allowed for real character growth to happen, and for different characters to develop friendships that only deepen as the story continues. The book is dual POV, which I did enjoy, but there were a couple of instances of the same incident being told from both characters perspective that felt a bit repetitive.
The characters were enjoyable, and there were quite a few that I got pretty attached to. I like that there were a lot of representations of positive, accepting, loving characters - Micheal's dad calling his family 'his roses' hit me in the feels every time! Of course, there are others who are simply awful, and aren't redeemed in any way. But honestly, that felt accurate to the setting and the genre - high school can truly be a horrible time and place for some people.
There were definitely some instances that I think a trigger warning could be useful for - specifically for slurs and hate speech targeting members of the LGBTQ community. There are also some comments throughout the book that made me cringe a bit - specifically the repeated referring to Nick's talent for dance as an indicator that he was gay - which I think was meant to be a joke, but fell flat to me.
However, overall this was a surprising, fun, sweet read that felt...true, in the best way.
This book has one of the best character redemption arcs I've seen, in any genre. All too often, a character will act apologetic and make a determined speech about changing their behavior, and then they say one 'I'm sorry' and all is forgiven. In this book, however, Nick is actually doing the tough work of righting his wrongs - apologies for specific people for specific actions, accepting that no one is required to forgive him, no longer associating with people who continue to engage in those behaviors, etc etc. I feel like a lot of characters (and real life people, tbh) could take some notes from him.
I have to say that the book was longer than I expected when I picked it up, especially for the Young Adult genre, but there is quite a lot going on in the story. The length of the book allowed for real character growth to happen, and for different characters to develop friendships that only deepen as the story continues. The book is dual POV, which I did enjoy, but there were a couple of instances of the same incident being told from both characters perspective that felt a bit repetitive.
The characters were enjoyable, and there were quite a few that I got pretty attached to. I like that there were a lot of representations of positive, accepting, loving characters - Micheal's dad calling his family 'his roses' hit me in the feels every time! Of course, there are others who are simply awful, and aren't redeemed in any way. But honestly, that felt accurate to the setting and the genre - high school can truly be a horrible time and place for some people.
There were definitely some instances that I think a trigger warning could be useful for - specifically for slurs and hate speech targeting members of the LGBTQ community. There are also some comments throughout the book that made me cringe a bit - specifically the repeated referring to Nick's talent for dance as an indicator that he was gay - which I think was meant to be a joke, but fell flat to me.
However, overall this was a surprising, fun, sweet read that felt...true, in the best way.
June 3, 2023
I feel really bad because I dnf'd at 82%
This book just wasn't for me. I didn't really connect with the characters. This book is a dual POV. One of Michael and one of Donnick. Donnick (or nick) is made out to be the asshole who turns better. We. didn't really get to read much of the asshole part because that happend in the past. Nick's POV was a bit annoying to read. We constantly read his thoughts which is only about how mean he was to Michael in the past. And when he speaks to him he constantly says the same annoying apology.
Which brings me to my next point. The dialogue felt really unnatural. No real person would talk the way the people in this book talk. It felt a little like a movie script which I personally don't like in books.
The whole book was also a bit repetitive for me which is the main reason I dnf'd.
What I did like were the supportive parents of Michael and Liam as a character. Also the cover is beautiful. I believe this is the authors first book and I definitely see a lot of potential.
I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this opportunity!
This book just wasn't for me. I didn't really connect with the characters. This book is a dual POV. One of Michael and one of Donnick. Donnick (or nick) is made out to be the asshole who turns better. We. didn't really get to read much of the asshole part because that happend in the past. Nick's POV was a bit annoying to read. We constantly read his thoughts which is only about how mean he was to Michael in the past. And when he speaks to him he constantly says the same annoying apology.
Which brings me to my next point. The dialogue felt really unnatural. No real person would talk the way the people in this book talk. It felt a little like a movie script which I personally don't like in books.
The whole book was also a bit repetitive for me which is the main reason I dnf'd.
What I did like were the supportive parents of Michael and Liam as a character. Also the cover is beautiful. I believe this is the authors first book and I definitely see a lot of potential.
I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this opportunity!
July 6, 2023
I got this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.
I loved elements of this book so much! The dual perspective is something I love to see in books, never as fun when you're trying to guess what everyone else is thinking! The vibe the book have off was hilarious, fun and reminded me of the Disney channel at times! The cover gripped me and made me want to read it.
Spoilers......
There was one thing I couldn't shake off and that's why I gave this a four star. Donick Walsh, former bully and quite frankly a moron. His "quest" is to redeem himself but was he trying? I don't know, I couldn't really connect with him like I did with others in the book and that took the "I need to read this book" away a little bit.
I did really like the charcter development, the storyline behind each of them and how their story was told throughout the book. It's a recommended read that's for sure.
All opinions are my own.
I loved elements of this book so much! The dual perspective is something I love to see in books, never as fun when you're trying to guess what everyone else is thinking! The vibe the book have off was hilarious, fun and reminded me of the Disney channel at times! The cover gripped me and made me want to read it.
Spoilers......
There was one thing I couldn't shake off and that's why I gave this a four star. Donick Walsh, former bully and quite frankly a moron. His "quest" is to redeem himself but was he trying? I don't know, I couldn't really connect with him like I did with others in the book and that took the "I need to read this book" away a little bit.
I did really like the charcter development, the storyline behind each of them and how their story was told throughout the book. It's a recommended read that's for sure.
All opinions are my own.
March 21, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and Scribbles Press for providing me with an early copy. The book comes out on December 6th 2023.
Am I giving this book bonus points for all the YOI references? Maybe.
Okay so this starts from a point were I didn't see many „bully“ stories start and that is already after Donick, our bully, had a change of heart and now he is trying to make up for all the wrongdoings. Throughout the book we follow two POVS, one is from Donick and the other one from his ex best friend Michael. Donick I trying to make it up to people he hurt over the years, one of them being Michael, who is not so fast to forgive him as some other kids in their school are.
Okay so overall I really did enjoy this. I think characters were well developed and I can tell author really cared about them. I’m really glad that the book addressed that just because you’re sorry about what you did it doesn’t mean that the other people have to forgive you. And while that goes, I was also able to relate to Donick and his struggles and wanted things to turn out well for him too. The family aspects were nice addition. I’m glad that the relationship between Donick and his dad ended on a positive note. I liked the contrast between Donick’s (ex)friends and Michael’s friends. I also liked the romantic relationship which can also be tricky when you do the whole bully thing but it was well done and it was developed slowly so the characters were given some time to reconnect before it started really going down the romantic route.
It’s not really a five star for me due two main reasons. One being that I think that some parts of this book could benefit from stronger editing. Since we have dual POVS some scenes that happened in the book were described twice from each POV which I found unnecessary or at least it would be better to tell don’t show in that case because sometimes both POV then lead to the same thing. So it was a bit repetitive, especially with things like text messages that got repeated two chapters in a row. I did also found some elements a bit cheesy and I didn’t really like how those secret letters sounded in a sense that it made me feel as if someone younger was writing them rather than the actual character that did. But that didn’t affect my rating that much.
The second reason could be totally me and maybe I just didn’t interpret it right especially because I don’t think that the book was trying to do that at all but I didn’t like how some queer elements were done especially some discussions on queer community and sexuality and just how these kids tended to talk about it. But I also understand the characters are teenagers and sometimes they think like that. I was just waiting for them to have like a “character development” moment where they realized that maybe the way they think about some things isn’t the best but that never came.
Other than that I really found this book fun and enjoyable. It’s a bit longer but I feel like I read it quite fast because it was hard to put down.
Am I giving this book bonus points for all the YOI references? Maybe.
Okay so this starts from a point were I didn't see many „bully“ stories start and that is already after Donick, our bully, had a change of heart and now he is trying to make up for all the wrongdoings. Throughout the book we follow two POVS, one is from Donick and the other one from his ex best friend Michael. Donick I trying to make it up to people he hurt over the years, one of them being Michael, who is not so fast to forgive him as some other kids in their school are.
Okay so overall I really did enjoy this. I think characters were well developed and I can tell author really cared about them. I’m really glad that the book addressed that just because you’re sorry about what you did it doesn’t mean that the other people have to forgive you. And while that goes, I was also able to relate to Donick and his struggles and wanted things to turn out well for him too. The family aspects were nice addition. I’m glad that the relationship between Donick and his dad ended on a positive note. I liked the contrast between Donick’s (ex)friends and Michael’s friends. I also liked the romantic relationship which can also be tricky when you do the whole bully thing but it was well done and it was developed slowly so the characters were given some time to reconnect before it started really going down the romantic route.
It’s not really a five star for me due two main reasons. One being that I think that some parts of this book could benefit from stronger editing. Since we have dual POVS some scenes that happened in the book were described twice from each POV which I found unnecessary or at least it would be better to tell don’t show in that case because sometimes both POV then lead to the same thing. So it was a bit repetitive, especially with things like text messages that got repeated two chapters in a row. I did also found some elements a bit cheesy and I didn’t really like how those secret letters sounded in a sense that it made me feel as if someone younger was writing them rather than the actual character that did. But that didn’t affect my rating that much.
The second reason could be totally me and maybe I just didn’t interpret it right especially because I don’t think that the book was trying to do that at all but I didn’t like how some queer elements were done especially some discussions on queer community and sexuality and just how these kids tended to talk about it. But I also understand the characters are teenagers and sometimes they think like that. I was just waiting for them to have like a “character development” moment where they realized that maybe the way they think about some things isn’t the best but that never came.
Other than that I really found this book fun and enjoyable. It’s a bit longer but I feel like I read it quite fast because it was hard to put down.
March 30, 2023
Can a bully ever redeem himself and not only discover his true dancing self but even come out? That's the question posed in Nathaniel Shea's wonderful YA novel. Told from the dual perspectives of a side-lined football jock who once kissed his best friend and his former chum who's now a frenemy and nursing both an emotional and physical scar as a result., Shea's novel ventures beyond standard YA fare. It takes its time to show how Donick (or Nick) truly wants to change and eventually become whole by shedding the shackles of his homophobic father's expectations and reconnect with his musically inclined former friend, Michael. Shea has a knack to tap into the emotions and deep-seeded feelings and resentments of both guys. All of the characters, though, leap off the page and demand separate novels unto themselves. I do wish "Donick Walsh and the Reset-Button" would have been tightened up since it seemed to go on just a little too long. That said, a narrative like this takes time and a too-abrupt resolution would have seemed fake and disingenuous. This is a most welcome, much-needed addition to YA literature and is particularly resonant for anyone who is struggling or has struggled with coming out and leading a more complete and fulfilling life. It's a fantastic debut that celebrates our human ability to change. (I received this book as a NetGalley reader)
June 4, 2023
We get it, Donick. You're an asshole.
I really wanted to like this book, but it was not for me at all. Some of the side characters kept me reading further (Liam was nice) but it felt like the two main characters were very shallow, just stuck in their past and I couldn't get anything out of them.
Also the homophobia throughout the book got too heavy for me to enjoy any other element that I might have found enjoyable.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.
I really wanted to like this book, but it was not for me at all. Some of the side characters kept me reading further (Liam was nice) but it felt like the two main characters were very shallow, just stuck in their past and I couldn't get anything out of them.
Also the homophobia throughout the book got too heavy for me to enjoy any other element that I might have found enjoyable.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.
March 25, 2023
I want to thank the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my review I really wanted to like this book. But between the choppy sentences, missing letters (no fault to the author), and the dislike of the bullies, it was not my kind of book. I really enjoyed the character of Liam though. The others were just okay. And the ending felt abrupt.
August 25, 2023
хотіла почитати щось романтично-милашне, отримала останні 10 сторінок з 370, дякую 🥲 як завжди, у мене багато питань, а хлопцю, якому зраджував його хлопець, навіть ніхто не повідомив це, мило 🤩
April 17, 2023
Redemption? Check
High School Musical? Check
Frenemies? Check
Forgiveness? Maybe
Donick Walsh and the Reset Button will take you on a rollercoaster ride of feelings, from self-doubt to heartbreak to happiness and back again.
Donick's path will not be easy, and the stories behind his past are often deplorable, but he'll find support he hadn't anticipated and a future he couldn't have dreamed of.
My biggest struggle with the book was having a stopping place to sleep! From page one, you're captured in Donick's story and need to know how the story ends. Don't be like me and start the book after dinner, or you're gonna be reaching for the caffeine the next day.
High School Musical? Check
Frenemies? Check
Forgiveness? Maybe
Donick Walsh and the Reset Button will take you on a rollercoaster ride of feelings, from self-doubt to heartbreak to happiness and back again.
Donick's path will not be easy, and the stories behind his past are often deplorable, but he'll find support he hadn't anticipated and a future he couldn't have dreamed of.
My biggest struggle with the book was having a stopping place to sleep! From page one, you're captured in Donick's story and need to know how the story ends. Don't be like me and start the book after dinner, or you're gonna be reaching for the caffeine the next day.
June 6, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC!
It took a little longer for me to finish this, primarily because of life and other stories I wanted to read.
Donick Walsh had a chance to reset his high school life, which seems like a "typical" high school plot, but given the fact that Nick was the football star and needed to do a theater recital in order to pass and graduate on time threw him into a loop that kind of "forced" him to change. And by "forced", I mean, would the story still be the same if he didn't injure his shoulder?
I love the fact that the readers go through the motions of understanding, adjusting, and accepting because it's not always sunshine and rainbows. The added fall-out story with Michael at the start gave the journey to accepting who he is an interesting twist.
The only comment I would make is that it would be nice to have a bit more story of how Nick got to his injured shoulder, like a precursor of the before and now the after.
It took a little longer for me to finish this, primarily because of life and other stories I wanted to read.
Donick Walsh had a chance to reset his high school life, which seems like a "typical" high school plot, but given the fact that Nick was the football star and needed to do a theater recital in order to pass and graduate on time threw him into a loop that kind of "forced" him to change. And by "forced", I mean, would the story still be the same if he didn't injure his shoulder?
I love the fact that the readers go through the motions of understanding, adjusting, and accepting because it's not always sunshine and rainbows. The added fall-out story with Michael at the start gave the journey to accepting who he is an interesting twist.
The only comment I would make is that it would be nice to have a bit more story of how Nick got to his injured shoulder, like a precursor of the before and now the after.
February 28, 2023
What do you get if you cross My Name Is Earl, High School Musical and Simon Verses? Donik Walsh And The Reset Button. A story of reinvention that felt cathartic and earned, and left me rooting for Nick at every turn. His fight for acceptance and the strong themes of authenticity and nature vs nurture inevitably left me reflecting on myself and the things that make me happy. (Fortunately one of those things is Queer YA fiction)
The characters in the book are very believable, almost to a fault. They read like real teenagers, making all the mistakes you’d expect and struggling to share their feelings like any teenage boy I’ve ever met. Michael is probably the most realistic anime fan I’ve read (and I’m not just saying that because he suggested History Maker for the revue). Nathaniel Shea clearly knows what he’s talking about when it comes to pop culture, music and dance!
It always takes me a moment to adjust when I start a book written in the present tense. (Just not my preference) This book however, took a little extra adjustment. Donik’s chapters are written in the present tense whereas Michael’s are written in the past tense. An unusual but intriguing choice that almost makes it feel like Nick is catching up to his new friends, making new discoveries about himself and this new world, and we’re along for the ride. It works somehow.
I absolutely loved this book. I can’t wait for everyone I know to read it so I can talk to them about it. I cancelled plans so I could keep reading it - I’m not even kidding.
“Everybody tries to be different, and do we ever succeed, I wonder?”
The characters in the book are very believable, almost to a fault. They read like real teenagers, making all the mistakes you’d expect and struggling to share their feelings like any teenage boy I’ve ever met. Michael is probably the most realistic anime fan I’ve read (and I’m not just saying that because he suggested History Maker for the revue). Nathaniel Shea clearly knows what he’s talking about when it comes to pop culture, music and dance!
It always takes me a moment to adjust when I start a book written in the present tense. (Just not my preference) This book however, took a little extra adjustment. Donik’s chapters are written in the present tense whereas Michael’s are written in the past tense. An unusual but intriguing choice that almost makes it feel like Nick is catching up to his new friends, making new discoveries about himself and this new world, and we’re along for the ride. It works somehow.
I absolutely loved this book. I can’t wait for everyone I know to read it so I can talk to them about it. I cancelled plans so I could keep reading it - I’m not even kidding.
“Everybody tries to be different, and do we ever succeed, I wonder?”
February 22, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was sweet to the core. It has a diverse cast and a great message: rebuilding your life and atoning for your past mistakes. With beautiful imagery, the emotional beats were perfection, and the pop culture references were excellent.
I found myself racing between which MC I was rooting for more in their development--a healthy balance of face palms when they were wrong and pure excitement when they were right.
It had an adorable moment of a crush realization, expertly described. The conflict moments in act three were chef's kiss, along with a twist that made me take off my glasses and pace around the room twice before returning.
I felt like I could have done with a few trigger warnings before reading this book. It features intense homophobic language, reference to a past suicide attempt, and occasional ableist terms. However, at the end, it left me wanting more of Nick and Michael's world.
This book was sweet to the core. It has a diverse cast and a great message: rebuilding your life and atoning for your past mistakes. With beautiful imagery, the emotional beats were perfection, and the pop culture references were excellent.
I found myself racing between which MC I was rooting for more in their development--a healthy balance of face palms when they were wrong and pure excitement when they were right.
It had an adorable moment of a crush realization, expertly described. The conflict moments in act three were chef's kiss, along with a twist that made me take off my glasses and pace around the room twice before returning.
I felt like I could have done with a few trigger warnings before reading this book. It features intense homophobic language, reference to a past suicide attempt, and occasional ableist terms. However, at the end, it left me wanting more of Nick and Michael's world.
July 9, 2024
This had a very nice setup and a great and charismatic protagonist.
The other one… not so much.
Seriously though, I do wonder how much better this would have worked as a single POV, because I really didn’t enjoy Michael’s narration at all. He came across as self-centered, whinny, and unable to see things that are right in front of him, unless they are exactly as he wishes. By the end I was actually rooting for Donick to end up with Liam, they had a much nicer and cuter relationship.
Speaking of ending, where is it? The ending is completely sudden and the resolutions come out of nowhere just for the sake of it. I was really disappointed.
The other one… not so much.
Seriously though, I do wonder how much better this would have worked as a single POV, because I really didn’t enjoy Michael’s narration at all. He came across as self-centered, whinny, and unable to see things that are right in front of him, unless they are exactly as he wishes. By the end I was actually rooting for Donick to end up with Liam, they had a much nicer and cuter relationship.
Speaking of ending, where is it? The ending is completely sudden and the resolutions come out of nowhere just for the sake of it. I was really disappointed.
June 20, 2024
This book was so good! Highly recommend!
It was a roller coaster ride of emotions. I felt for both characters!
It was a roller coaster ride of emotions. I felt for both characters!
September 21, 2023
3.5* - bumping it up to 4* because I cannot choose 3.5* on here.
So, this is a gorgeous little story, about the way in which we as individuals are always able to change, to grow, and to be better people. It is a gorgeous story about forgiveness to ourselves, to be able to be accountable for our actions, of first love, of friendships - good and bad, and of the perseverance and determination of one young man to be a better person than he was.
I really loved this story; I though that the characters were quite fab: I really cared for Donick Walsh as I was able to see parts of myself in him, as well as recognise people like him who I went to school with (sidenote: one of my high school bullies called me after we graduated and apologised to me for a bunch of stuff; I said it was too little too late but appreciated his need to reach out. We never spoke again.)
Donick deserves better; and I'm glad he was able to do better for himself and work towards his goals. I do not think that he deserved to be forgiven so easily by some of the people he hurt - the way in which Dinah reacted to him shows the true consequences of his actions, and I rooted and cheered for Dinah, she did what I wanted one of Donny's 'victims' to do to him from the beginning of the book.
Michael is cute, he's angry and upset and that's fair - I can relate. He does come across as sheltered and spoiled a bit, IMO, but it seems like by the end he really understands that sometimes things don't go the way we wish they would, and that life can be messy, which I think for a 18yr old is a big life lesson to learn.
The story was great - I loved it, and some of the side-characters were camp and hilarious. The track list for the
HOWEVER
This is why i'm taking off 1.5 stars:
- why was the ONLY Latin-American character saying "guey" and "ese" in EVERY OTHER GODDAMN SENTENCE LIKE A GODDAMN STEREOTYPE?! And to make him the most homophobic and violent individual in the book did NOT sit right with me; it seems as if the author specifically chose to make the one Mexican character [I assume Mexican because I genuinely cannot remember if he was introduced as such, and i'm assuming by the slang he uses] the most violent and aggresive one of the bunch just gave me the massive ick. It smells of stereotyping aggressive POC/Immigrant men to me.
- Ipod and Iphones but also CD's and its set in 2020's?! WHO EVEN HAS AN IPOD ANYMORE?! Like, what, why, how, who, when, where?! Some of these choices reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally took me out of the fantasy and just made me feel like there was a glitch in the matrix. And some of the language that these 'teens' used feels like the writer was writing this book was set in 2008, when it's meant to be set in 2022? IDK. Not the one, my dude.
- The usage of 'that's so gay' by the one main sapphic character in the book, especially whenever one of the other characters did anything stereotypically considered gay/mlm was giving homophobia. It wasn't funny nor was it cute. We left that shit behind in the 00's when hillary Duff did a PSA advert about how "That's So Gay" is NOT A GODDAMN APPROPRIATE WAY TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING YOU DO NOT LIKE! Someone needs to show the author that video. This was completely unnecessary.
- There was A LOT of misogyny, homophobia, and slurs used in the book; which, yeah, does happen in high-school settings, but I feel that it was the singular characters that these things were coming from where it felt a bit pointed and not ideal: either this needed to be seriously toned down in parts or needed some re-adjusting.
- Donick's father. He needed to just not, and that 180' he did was so unrealistic. My dad was basically THE SAME as Donick's dad, and it took him YEARS to work thru his homophobia, not a matter of DAYS. He got off too easy, and I think it could have been a stronger message by showing that sometimes we need to walk away from toxic and horrible family members, rather than stay in situations that harm us [tbf, the book is meant to b about forgiveness, so I can understand why this was used as a plot point in the end, but I hated that it was. My own opinions based on a very similar experience with my own father].
- At times, there was too many characters: we didn't need the wrestler, w/e his name was - or at least his own internalised homophobia, as an out gay jock, could have been explored more. Most of the people who were part of the revue were so unceserrary, I think there could have been more of a focus on Donick's victims and on closer characters. Also, get rid of Michael's sister - she was just horrendous. Ew.
Overall, it was an addictive book - I could not put it down and really enjoyed speeding thru it! But the above points would take the joy out of the story at times, and I couldn't help but speed-read thru those sections in order to avoid getting too annoyed.
I loved Donny's redemption, and I wish more people were able to take a leaf out of his story. Here's hoping for the future.
Ps: I still think his dad is a b*stard, and Donny deserves better than Michael. IMO.
So, this is a gorgeous little story, about the way in which we as individuals are always able to change, to grow, and to be better people. It is a gorgeous story about forgiveness to ourselves, to be able to be accountable for our actions, of first love, of friendships - good and bad, and of the perseverance and determination of one young man to be a better person than he was.
I really loved this story; I though that the characters were quite fab: I really cared for Donick Walsh as I was able to see parts of myself in him, as well as recognise people like him who I went to school with (sidenote: one of my high school bullies called me after we graduated and apologised to me for a bunch of stuff; I said it was too little too late but appreciated his need to reach out. We never spoke again.)
Donick deserves better; and I'm glad he was able to do better for himself and work towards his goals. I do not think that he deserved to be forgiven so easily by some of the people he hurt - the way in which Dinah reacted to him shows the true consequences of his actions, and I rooted and cheered for Dinah, she did what I wanted one of Donny's 'victims' to do to him from the beginning of the book.
Michael is cute, he's angry and upset and that's fair - I can relate. He does come across as sheltered and spoiled a bit, IMO, but it seems like by the end he really understands that sometimes things don't go the way we wish they would, and that life can be messy, which I think for a 18yr old is a big life lesson to learn.
The story was great - I loved it, and some of the side-characters were camp and hilarious. The track list for the
HOWEVER
This is why i'm taking off 1.5 stars:
- why was the ONLY Latin-American character saying "guey" and "ese" in EVERY OTHER GODDAMN SENTENCE LIKE A GODDAMN STEREOTYPE?! And to make him the most homophobic and violent individual in the book did NOT sit right with me; it seems as if the author specifically chose to make the one Mexican character [I assume Mexican because I genuinely cannot remember if he was introduced as such, and i'm assuming by the slang he uses] the most violent and aggresive one of the bunch just gave me the massive ick. It smells of stereotyping aggressive POC/Immigrant men to me.
- Ipod and Iphones but also CD's and its set in 2020's?! WHO EVEN HAS AN IPOD ANYMORE?! Like, what, why, how, who, when, where?! Some of these choices reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally took me out of the fantasy and just made me feel like there was a glitch in the matrix. And some of the language that these 'teens' used feels like the writer was writing this book was set in 2008, when it's meant to be set in 2022? IDK. Not the one, my dude.
- The usage of 'that's so gay' by the one main sapphic character in the book, especially whenever one of the other characters did anything stereotypically considered gay/mlm was giving homophobia. It wasn't funny nor was it cute. We left that shit behind in the 00's when hillary Duff did a PSA advert about how "That's So Gay" is NOT A GODDAMN APPROPRIATE WAY TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING YOU DO NOT LIKE! Someone needs to show the author that video. This was completely unnecessary.
- There was A LOT of misogyny, homophobia, and slurs used in the book; which, yeah, does happen in high-school settings, but I feel that it was the singular characters that these things were coming from where it felt a bit pointed and not ideal: either this needed to be seriously toned down in parts or needed some re-adjusting.
- Donick's father. He needed to just not, and that 180' he did was so unrealistic. My dad was basically THE SAME as Donick's dad, and it took him YEARS to work thru his homophobia, not a matter of DAYS. He got off too easy, and I think it could have been a stronger message by showing that sometimes we need to walk away from toxic and horrible family members, rather than stay in situations that harm us [tbf, the book is meant to b about forgiveness, so I can understand why this was used as a plot point in the end, but I hated that it was. My own opinions based on a very similar experience with my own father].
- At times, there was too many characters: we didn't need the wrestler, w/e his name was - or at least his own internalised homophobia, as an out gay jock, could have been explored more. Most of the people who were part of the revue were so unceserrary, I think there could have been more of a focus on Donick's victims and on closer characters. Also, get rid of Michael's sister - she was just horrendous. Ew.
Overall, it was an addictive book - I could not put it down and really enjoyed speeding thru it! But the above points would take the joy out of the story at times, and I couldn't help but speed-read thru those sections in order to avoid getting too annoyed.
I loved Donny's redemption, and I wish more people were able to take a leaf out of his story. Here's hoping for the future.
Ps: I still think his dad is a b*stard, and Donny deserves better than Michael. IMO.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2023
[2.75⭐️]
Thank-you to NetGalley, Scribbles Press, and Nathaniel Shae (AKA Shea Taylor) for the eARC.
Folks I'm very much conflicted on this one. By all intents and purposes this should be right up my alley. A queer YA novel that heavily features musical theatre songs and an overall love for theatre production? Say less. And, while there WERE several things I really liked, there we some some aspects of this book that just didn't really sit well with me.
Let's start with the things I liked:
* I really love the cover.
* The overall premise was one I quite enjoyed. I liked that the MC realized what a terrible person he was and truly worked towards rectifying that.
* In conjunction with my previous point, I appreciated the fact that not every person Donick apologized to accepted said apology. Some of the things he did in the past were horrendous, and I'm glad that those he affected had the opportunity to absolutely go off on him as well as him expecting and understanding those reactions.
* As mentioned, I loved the theatre components in the novel. I will forever and always be an annoying theatre kid at heart.
* Liam Hidalgo spin-off WHEN. My favourite character. Wish there'd been more of him.
* Listen at the end of the day I'll always be a a sucker for a happy ending LMAO I'm glad Donick and Michael got a nice HFN.
* I actually found Mr. Walsh's reaction and subsequent actions to be quite realistic and am glad to see a parent who reacted absolutely terrible at first and then work to accept and understand their child as well as do some learning and unlearning of the way they've been due to the way they grew up.
* The music choices are all certified bangers LMAO I made a playlist of every song mentioned in the book (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4yn...) as well as the senior showcase revue set list as described by the author (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2EJ...).
Now on to the things I did not like:
* For a book that was so unnecessarily long (I looked it up and the paperback is set to be FIVE HUNDRED pages?!?!?!) there sure were a lot of things left unfinished. What's happening with Liam and Gil? That felt really unfinished and unsatisfying to me because my sweet boy deserves so much better and I wanted to see him go off LMAO. Additionally, we're just not gonna come up with a plan for Michael since he didn't get into ANY schools he auditioned for??? We spent so much time on how insanely talented he is and just left it at that??? Girl at least give us a little epilogue a few months down the road and wrap up some of these things for me PLEASE.
* I found a lot of the characters quite static, one-dimensional, and very negatively stereotypical. Most of the gay boys were portrayed as promiscuous and it was all very……… genital-based. IDK like being gay was very much centred around liking dick as opposed to liking men and it was very uncomfy for me. ADDITIONALLY, the single lesbian character straight-up saying she's not interested in dating until college so she can swoop up all the "straight girls wanting to experiment"? gross.
* Michael's sister accusing Michael of "turning" Donick gay was……… icky. It was brief and not meant in a malicious manner (just a pre-teen girl moping over having a slight crush on someone who turned out to be gay), but still. Didn't sit well.
* This was very briefly mentioned and not really relevant to the book or important to the plot but a character was described as having Asperger's and, for a book coming out in the year of our Lord 2023, that just felt really out of place and, once again, icky.
I think that, if this book had come out 10 - 15 years ago, when I was in junior high/high school, I would've been able to overlook a lot of the things I didn't like because we didn't have as much queer rep as we do now, and a lot of it WAS kind of superficial and stereotypical. But, since that was all we had, we ate it up. However, things have definitely improved since then and, as mentioned, for a book being published in 2023, a lot of these aspects are just wholly unnecessary. There are plenty of other queer YA books with much better representation than this one.
Thank-you to NetGalley, Scribbles Press, and Nathaniel Shae (AKA Shea Taylor) for the eARC.
Folks I'm very much conflicted on this one. By all intents and purposes this should be right up my alley. A queer YA novel that heavily features musical theatre songs and an overall love for theatre production? Say less. And, while there WERE several things I really liked, there we some some aspects of this book that just didn't really sit well with me.
Let's start with the things I liked:
* I really love the cover.
* The overall premise was one I quite enjoyed. I liked that the MC realized what a terrible person he was and truly worked towards rectifying that.
* In conjunction with my previous point, I appreciated the fact that not every person Donick apologized to accepted said apology. Some of the things he did in the past were horrendous, and I'm glad that those he affected had the opportunity to absolutely go off on him as well as him expecting and understanding those reactions.
* As mentioned, I loved the theatre components in the novel. I will forever and always be an annoying theatre kid at heart.
* Liam Hidalgo spin-off WHEN. My favourite character. Wish there'd been more of him.
* Listen at the end of the day I'll always be a a sucker for a happy ending LMAO I'm glad Donick and Michael got a nice HFN.
* I actually found Mr. Walsh's reaction and subsequent actions to be quite realistic and am glad to see a parent who reacted absolutely terrible at first and then work to accept and understand their child as well as do some learning and unlearning of the way they've been due to the way they grew up.
* The music choices are all certified bangers LMAO I made a playlist of every song mentioned in the book (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4yn...) as well as the senior showcase revue set list as described by the author (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2EJ...).
Now on to the things I did not like:
* For a book that was so unnecessarily long (I looked it up and the paperback is set to be FIVE HUNDRED pages?!?!?!) there sure were a lot of things left unfinished. What's happening with Liam and Gil? That felt really unfinished and unsatisfying to me because my sweet boy deserves so much better and I wanted to see him go off LMAO. Additionally, we're just not gonna come up with a plan for Michael since he didn't get into ANY schools he auditioned for??? We spent so much time on how insanely talented he is and just left it at that??? Girl at least give us a little epilogue a few months down the road and wrap up some of these things for me PLEASE.
* I found a lot of the characters quite static, one-dimensional, and very negatively stereotypical. Most of the gay boys were portrayed as promiscuous and it was all very……… genital-based. IDK like being gay was very much centred around liking dick as opposed to liking men and it was very uncomfy for me. ADDITIONALLY, the single lesbian character straight-up saying she's not interested in dating until college so she can swoop up all the "straight girls wanting to experiment"? gross.
* Michael's sister accusing Michael of "turning" Donick gay was……… icky. It was brief and not meant in a malicious manner (just a pre-teen girl moping over having a slight crush on someone who turned out to be gay), but still. Didn't sit well.
* This was very briefly mentioned and not really relevant to the book or important to the plot but a character was described as having Asperger's and, for a book coming out in the year of our Lord 2023, that just felt really out of place and, once again, icky.
I think that, if this book had come out 10 - 15 years ago, when I was in junior high/high school, I would've been able to overlook a lot of the things I didn't like because we didn't have as much queer rep as we do now, and a lot of it WAS kind of superficial and stereotypical. But, since that was all we had, we ate it up. However, things have definitely improved since then and, as mentioned, for a book being published in 2023, a lot of these aspects are just wholly unnecessary. There are plenty of other queer YA books with much better representation than this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2023
dnf @ 50%
i received an arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
a lot of this book was cute and an important story, so i will put my review of the rest of what i read below. however, there was one thing that made me not finish this book, and it was the constant refusal to use singular 'they'. anytime one of the main characters (aka a queer teenager) was talking about someone whose gender they didn't know, the character would say "he or she". this happened enough times that it had to be deliberate. the singular they pronoun for someone whose gender you don't know isn't new. also, a queer book should know better and be inclusive of people who aren't men or women. i expected better. the fact that it happened over and over was also disheartening. so many people who could read this book could feel excluded because of this. i couldn't continue to read a book that was being purposefully transphobic when it should absolutely know better. and i do believe that it is intentional because this book came out in 2021, it is a queer story, and anyone writing queer stories in this decade should have absolutely been exposed to the idea of non-binary people before.
anyways. some parts of this book were good, and i will put those here.
- i liked how donick was self aware and trying to change. he understood what he had done wrong and how it affected people. he felt bad about it, and had to grapple with how to move on.
- i liked how different people forgave donick in different ways, either by becoming friends or just letting go of anger, and how he didn't expect people to suddenly love him because he said he was sorry.
ok actually that's basically all i liked i just thought it was pretty compelling.
now all the non-dnf-worthy stuff i didn't like
- how michael's family was obviously supposed to be the perfect nuclear family, and how they all had special nicknames and how michael's little siblings were his whole world and all that. it made me want to vomit. it was so clearly a move to make everything about him seem perfect in comparison to donick, who has an abusive asshole father and a dead mom (of course his mom is dead). kill me.
- the weird equivalising of gay = likes dick. not gay = attracted to men. nope, had to be dick. this actually really fits with the transphobic tendencies i noted above and it was really uncomfy.
- that time michael called a girl who was his friend "a fantastic little actress" like ew no. also my dude is literally trying to go to theater school he has no ground to stand on.
- calling it Craig's List instead of Craigslist was dumb and made me laugh.
- too many exclamation points! it made it read like a young ya, even though the characters are 17-18 and it is clearly meant to be an older ya. ruined the power of a lot of sentences because reading "damn i miss my friends!" is not fucking compelling lol.
- the kids these days are absolutely not on facebook my dude.
- too many ya authors, this one included, have never met a single teenager.
- hops around in time in a confusing way. basically, poorly written alternating pov so you'll get a scene from one character's pov and then the next chapter in the other character's pov starts before that scene. super confusing.
- the idea that just because it is a costume means it doesn't, and even shouldn't, be comfortable.
- tons of stereotyping and cliches.
- why does donick have an ipod and a phone? music goes on the phone? again, this came out in 2021 so it doesn't make any sense.
- lots of harry potter references (omg even more transphobia)
- finally a plot thing. i'm not spoilering this because people should know that it is part of the text because it is stupid and bad. so basically donick gets an old phone and is texting michael from it as a "secret admirer" even though michael doesn't want to talk to him or be his friend. BAD BEHAVIOUR. also even old phones need a sim card and a plan? but yeah donick is forcing himself through michael's boundaries and i do not support it
anyways that's all i can think of right now. don't read this book.
i received an arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
a lot of this book was cute and an important story, so i will put my review of the rest of what i read below. however, there was one thing that made me not finish this book, and it was the constant refusal to use singular 'they'. anytime one of the main characters (aka a queer teenager) was talking about someone whose gender they didn't know, the character would say "he or she". this happened enough times that it had to be deliberate. the singular they pronoun for someone whose gender you don't know isn't new. also, a queer book should know better and be inclusive of people who aren't men or women. i expected better. the fact that it happened over and over was also disheartening. so many people who could read this book could feel excluded because of this. i couldn't continue to read a book that was being purposefully transphobic when it should absolutely know better. and i do believe that it is intentional because this book came out in 2021, it is a queer story, and anyone writing queer stories in this decade should have absolutely been exposed to the idea of non-binary people before.
anyways. some parts of this book were good, and i will put those here.
- i liked how donick was self aware and trying to change. he understood what he had done wrong and how it affected people. he felt bad about it, and had to grapple with how to move on.
- i liked how different people forgave donick in different ways, either by becoming friends or just letting go of anger, and how he didn't expect people to suddenly love him because he said he was sorry.
ok actually that's basically all i liked i just thought it was pretty compelling.
now all the non-dnf-worthy stuff i didn't like
- how michael's family was obviously supposed to be the perfect nuclear family, and how they all had special nicknames and how michael's little siblings were his whole world and all that. it made me want to vomit. it was so clearly a move to make everything about him seem perfect in comparison to donick, who has an abusive asshole father and a dead mom (of course his mom is dead). kill me.
- the weird equivalising of gay = likes dick. not gay = attracted to men. nope, had to be dick. this actually really fits with the transphobic tendencies i noted above and it was really uncomfy.
- that time michael called a girl who was his friend "a fantastic little actress" like ew no. also my dude is literally trying to go to theater school he has no ground to stand on.
- calling it Craig's List instead of Craigslist was dumb and made me laugh.
- too many exclamation points! it made it read like a young ya, even though the characters are 17-18 and it is clearly meant to be an older ya. ruined the power of a lot of sentences because reading "damn i miss my friends!" is not fucking compelling lol.
- the kids these days are absolutely not on facebook my dude.
- too many ya authors, this one included, have never met a single teenager.
- hops around in time in a confusing way. basically, poorly written alternating pov so you'll get a scene from one character's pov and then the next chapter in the other character's pov starts before that scene. super confusing.
- the idea that just because it is a costume means it doesn't, and even shouldn't, be comfortable.
- tons of stereotyping and cliches.
- why does donick have an ipod and a phone? music goes on the phone? again, this came out in 2021 so it doesn't make any sense.
- lots of harry potter references (omg even more transphobia)
- finally a plot thing. i'm not spoilering this because people should know that it is part of the text because it is stupid and bad. so basically donick gets an old phone and is texting michael from it as a "secret admirer" even though michael doesn't want to talk to him or be his friend. BAD BEHAVIOUR. also even old phones need a sim card and a plan? but yeah donick is forcing himself through michael's boundaries and i do not support it
anyways that's all i can think of right now. don't read this book.
August 14, 2023
4.5/5
Donick, or simply Nick, has been 'forced' to quit football after his incident last year. To make up for credits he has been offered to audition in the senior revue, a show for the dramatic-art-kids. Something which he isn't particularly opposed to since he enjoys it more than football, which has been forced by his macho-dad. His dad wasn't opposed to dancing if it helped Nick become better in football, therefore he allowed it. Otherwise he would have forbidden his son from dancing. Nick doesn't expect to see the Muskequeers, including his former best-friend Mikey, Michael Penrose. With whom he had break his friendship, after his extremeley homophobic dad caught him kissing Michael when they were eleven. Pushed by his dad to pursue a football career, he hung out with the wrong people, selfisch, mean and homophobic jocks and got a bad reputation for bullying. When Nick gets chosen for the dance, and sing-department, he's forced to spend more time with Michael. Nick finally sees his wrongdoings over the past years as a jock and starts trying to make amends. But his biggest challenge of redemption is Michael, whom he has hurt a lot over the past years. Michael never had a chance to close the wound with Nick which lead to him being hateful towards Nick and gives him a hard time. Which was obvious righteous. When Nick gets the chance to talk to Michael, as a secret admirer, and gets to know him again he and Michael gradually grow closer together. But when the cat comes out of the bag and Nick's feelings become more clear to him and confesses to Michael, everything goes to hell, including Nick's already strained relationship with his Pop. At that point it's difficult to see whether Michael would ever forgive Nick for this deception, or will he hold that grudge against him as well? Guess you've got to read that to find out.
TW:
- mentions of Suic1de attempt
- homophobia, namely homophobic slurs
Tropes:
- bully x victim
- friends- to-enemies to friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
- secret admirer
I really loved this story. The writer really showed the struggles of the MC Nick with being in the closet for a long time and fear of people bullying you because of your sexuality. All this fear stems from his homophobic dad. The dad was in this story a very big part in the person Nick got shaped in, namely a reputation of a homophobe. The dad shows that the people around you, shape you in the person you become. This however is no excuse for bullying others, but it does make you understand a bit more, why Nick was who he was. I hated Nick's dad, but his redemption at the end, made me forget just a little bit.
Although I understood Michael's anger towards the way Nick treated him, I found him sometimes really rude. Even though his anger was justified, he didn't look behind the reasons why Nick bullied. He was harsh to him, saying he'd never change, when that's exactly what Nick had been trying to do, within a few words he dissolved Nick's accomplishments over the past weeks, which I found below the belt. I do understand of course Michael's hostility towards Nick. But at some points he wasn't any better than Nick.
The scene that hurt me the most was the confession of Nick to Michael, and mostly Michael's reaction. I never cry with a book, but this particular scene almost made me shed a tear.
Donick Walsh and the reset-button is a wonderful story about daring to come out, even though with homophobic people around you. It's about acknowledging your past mistakes, owning up to them and apologize for them. It's a story about growth as a person and Nick finally finding out who he is, against all odds. I totally recommend this book and I will for sure look out for the next book of the author.
PS I love the musical-song references and the entire showcase revue. It was very entertaining!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Donick, or simply Nick, has been 'forced' to quit football after his incident last year. To make up for credits he has been offered to audition in the senior revue, a show for the dramatic-art-kids. Something which he isn't particularly opposed to since he enjoys it more than football, which has been forced by his macho-dad. His dad wasn't opposed to dancing if it helped Nick become better in football, therefore he allowed it. Otherwise he would have forbidden his son from dancing. Nick doesn't expect to see the Muskequeers, including his former best-friend Mikey, Michael Penrose. With whom he had break his friendship, after his extremeley homophobic dad caught him kissing Michael when they were eleven. Pushed by his dad to pursue a football career, he hung out with the wrong people, selfisch, mean and homophobic jocks and got a bad reputation for bullying. When Nick gets chosen for the dance, and sing-department, he's forced to spend more time with Michael. Nick finally sees his wrongdoings over the past years as a jock and starts trying to make amends. But his biggest challenge of redemption is Michael, whom he has hurt a lot over the past years. Michael never had a chance to close the wound with Nick which lead to him being hateful towards Nick and gives him a hard time. Which was obvious righteous. When Nick gets the chance to talk to Michael, as a secret admirer, and gets to know him again he and Michael gradually grow closer together. But when the cat comes out of the bag and Nick's feelings become more clear to him and confesses to Michael, everything goes to hell, including Nick's already strained relationship with his Pop. At that point it's difficult to see whether Michael would ever forgive Nick for this deception, or will he hold that grudge against him as well? Guess you've got to read that to find out.
TW:
- mentions of Suic1de attempt
- homophobia, namely homophobic slurs
Tropes:
- bully x victim
- friends- to-enemies to friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
- secret admirer
I really loved this story. The writer really showed the struggles of the MC Nick with being in the closet for a long time and fear of people bullying you because of your sexuality. All this fear stems from his homophobic dad. The dad was in this story a very big part in the person Nick got shaped in, namely a reputation of a homophobe. The dad shows that the people around you, shape you in the person you become. This however is no excuse for bullying others, but it does make you understand a bit more, why Nick was who he was. I hated Nick's dad, but his redemption at the end, made me forget just a little bit.
Although I understood Michael's anger towards the way Nick treated him, I found him sometimes really rude. Even though his anger was justified, he didn't look behind the reasons why Nick bullied. He was harsh to him, saying he'd never change, when that's exactly what Nick had been trying to do, within a few words he dissolved Nick's accomplishments over the past weeks, which I found below the belt. I do understand of course Michael's hostility towards Nick. But at some points he wasn't any better than Nick.
The scene that hurt me the most was the confession of Nick to Michael, and mostly Michael's reaction. I never cry with a book, but this particular scene almost made me shed a tear.
Donick Walsh and the reset-button is a wonderful story about daring to come out, even though with homophobic people around you. It's about acknowledging your past mistakes, owning up to them and apologize for them. It's a story about growth as a person and Nick finally finding out who he is, against all odds. I totally recommend this book and I will for sure look out for the next book of the author.
PS I love the musical-song references and the entire showcase revue. It was very entertaining!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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