✰ 3.25 stars ✰
“It’s just . . . interesting that you can never really know what’s going on in someone else’s mind... If someone chooses not to tell you something, how would you ever know it? You’d think you could guess, but . . .”
M or F? or Marcus or Frannie was a very quick and light read, complete with all the drama, all the angst, and all the pining of miscommunicated romance that make up a typical YA read. Did I enjoy it?? Ahhhh, it was - I don't particularly enjoy when characters impersonate the other in order to charm someone else, only to fall for said person themselves. It's a messy plot - and it always has the potential for people to get hurt - in this case brain twins, best of friends, Marcus and Frannie.
Both characters were very well-fleshed out - but it doesn't mean I liked them. Frannie had her own issues of insecurity and inability to voice her opinions and affections for the object of their attraction, Jeffrey. Sometimes I feel that girls like the idea of having a boyfriend rather than the boyfriend, himself. At times, she really did act a bit callous and uncaring in her behavior, but I guess, that's what being a teenage girl is all about.
“I really hate it when you try to share something with someone and they just stare at you like you’re nuts. That was part of what I loved about Marcus. You could say something like, “The way the afternoon light is shining on that trash can is really beautiful,” and he would know what you were talking ...”
Their friendship, despite being so perfect, so very well-in tune with each other - even agreeing to be the third wheel in a relationship was a setup for disaster. I know she realized in the end how hurtful and difficult it must have been for her gay best friend to be the one making the ones on the boy that she claimed to be attracted to - luckily, it all worked out well for everyone - but it still didn't make the process any messier and heavier than it was. 😔
“Anytime someone can take a bunch of different elements that no one else would think of putting together and then make them work in some unexpected way, I’m interested. To me, that’s art. It’s surprising. It’s strange. It’s inspiring. It’s all of the above.”
I enjoyed Marcus as a character - I liked how confident he was in what he liked and who he liked - the times that he even felt guilty about pretending to be Frannie as he chatted oh not-so-innocently with Jeffrey made my heart ache, because it was inevitable that this was a recipe for disaster. All with his Southern boy flair, his wry sense of humor, love for Indian musicals (this was a treat! name-dropping of Bollywood films I grew up with like Sholay and Kal Ho Na Ho did bring a smile to my face 😊), and his penchant for caving in to Frannie's whims - he may not look like he's flailing emotionally, but inside he really was struggling to find a way to express himself openly.
But, fortunately life has a way of working out for the best for all parties involved. With the many side characters that each added their own flavor to the mix - from Frannie's parents who were on the path to re-introduce themselves to romance in their lives, to Marcus' grandmother Patricia, who may have never acknowledged her grandson as gay, but had always supported him unknowingly, to Jeffrey, a genuinely great guy who really did care for Frannie and got caught in the crossfires, and Glenn, the perfect balance to Marcus with his kindness and charm that made him all the more likable in the end. ❤️ ❤️
If honestly, this had only been the story of Marcus, caught in the limbo of a love triangle between his best friend, his supposed love interest and his potential love interest, I really think it would have had the potential of being a much better and more enjoyable read. Sad to say that it wasn't the case. Still, it had enough twists and sweet but uncomfortable moments that reminded me how awkward and socially challenging being 'sweet sixteen' really was. ✨✨