The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King

by Harry Trevaldwyn

Heartstopper meets Derry Girls in this wonderfully hilarious rom-com about finding your first love when your personality might be too big for the world around you.

Patch Simmons has decided that this is the year he will get a boyfriend, so it's goodbye to his French pen-pal Jean-Pierre and hello to the world!

Unfortunately, the only other "out" boys in his school year are dating each other, so finding a boyfriend isn't going to be easy... Until fate finally intervenes and two new mysterious boys join drama club: Peter, who’s just moved from New York (very chic) and his best friend, Sam.

Patch is confident that one of them (although either of them will do!) will be his first boyfriend. So armed with his single mum’s outdated self-help books, his over-supportive best friend Jean and an alarming level of self-confidence, Patch is confident that this mission will be a complete success. Whether or not they actually like boys or him is a problem for later.

The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King is a heartfelt, laugh-out-loud comedy from rising star Harry Trevaldwyn, a story about boldly being yourself, going for what you want, but never losing sight of who truly has your back.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary, Queer, Audiobook, Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2025

About the author

Harry Trevaldwyn is an author, screenwriter, actor and comedian who has been listed as a Screen International Star of Tomorrow.

Initially rising to fame through writing and starring in his own online skits, Harry has since been nominated for Best Debut Writer at the New Voice Awards 2023. He has projects in development with numerous leading production companies and has taken part in multiple writers’ rooms for both major domestic and international television projects. He has worked with the Soho Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and the Bloomsbury Theatre.

Harry made his screen debut in Netflix’s THE KING opposite Timothée Chalamet, and has since starred in THE BUBBLE and TEN PERCENT (the English language adaptation of CALL MY AGENT). He is currently starring in SWEET SUE, the comedy series SMOTHERED, and indie feature OR SOMETHING LIKE IT. Other credits include THE OUTLAWS and MY LADY JANE. Harry will spend the first half of 2024 filming a supporting lead role in a tentpole feature for a global studio.

THE ROMANTIC TRAGEDIES OF A DRAMA KING is Harry’s first novel and was acquired by Macmillan after a hotly contested 8-publisher auction. It is due to publish in Spring 2025 in the UK (MCB) and US (Wednesday Books). Bursting with hilarious misadventures and queer joy, THE ROMANTIC TRAGEDIES OF A DRAMA KING will be devoured by teenagers and adults who enjoy character-led romantic dilemmas in the tradition of Georgia Nicolson, Lottie Brooks and Bridget Jones. Set against the backdrop of a high school drama production where — of course — the most dramatic events happen off-stage; the story follows loveable Patrick ‘Patch’ Simmons who’s decided that this is the year he gets a boyfriend. Armed with his single mum’s outdated self-help books and an alarming level of self-confidence, Patch embarks on his mission with hilarious results. As exclusively announced in Variety, THE ROMANTIC TRAGEDIES OF A DRAMA KING has been optioned for TV by producers See-Saw, with Harry adapting the novel himself.

Reviews

[Rich ✧ ✭ ✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Teen Rom-Com gets 5-Stars for the amount of times it made me laugh out loud alone! A triumphant debut for Harry.

𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘑𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯.

𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘣𝘺𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘯-𝘱𝘢𝘭 𝘑𝘦𝘢𝘯-𝘗𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦, 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥!

𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳-𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳.

Patch reminded me of Simon Doonan in BBC’s comedy ‘Beautiful People’ for all the best reasons. He has high ideals of grandeur, a bit precocious, enormous wit & great determination!

Sometimes I feel YA stories portray teenage characters more mature than is usually the case. Harry has perfectly crafted Patch who is still maturing, has lots of innocence and much to learn in life. With that, he’s extremely likeable & fun to stick with throughout the story despite being flawed with an ego the size of London!

The comedy in this story is brilliant. I laughed out loud SO many times. His over-familiarity with his teachers was hilarious (lunch time gossips with biscuits) & his vain pretentiousness made me chuckle again & again. The one liners in the dialogue was excellent throughout.

It’s a relatively short cast - 5 main characters a few other recurring - so you get to know each of them well & each bring purpose & humour. The story arc is sweet, innocent & very relatable. Bravo Harry, this is absolutely superb.

Thank you FirstInk for my ARC.

[Mr.Rainbow.Pages]

Review coming soon!

[Amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

✰ 2.75 stars ✰

“I am on stage right now with a singular aim, and that aim is love.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ I think The Tragedies of a Drama King would have been a much more fitting title, rather than The Romantic Tragedies of Drama King was a bit of a stretch, considering that as much as it did start off with sixteen-year-old Patrick aka Patch, was eager to find a boyfriend before Prom, after a broken and duped heart, it did not seem as if the romance really got that all much attention, let alone developed enough for me to care. I get that this YA debut is aimed to be pretty much a silly romance, not to be taken too seriously, but rather just a warm and lighthearted time, but yeah... 🥺

“Drama is life. Life is drama.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Not to say that it was a disappointing read. For all the theatrical flair for drama that Patch possessed, I liked him and his no-filter vibe. Granted he was a bit of an overbearing, judgmental, impulsive, self-centered at times, highly dedicated to his craft, drama king at best - his feelings felt genuine and real, to me. 'Do I follow my career or my heart?' 🥹 The plot itself is so fast-paced that the characters whip in and out, just as quickly as Patch shepherds his way through the chaos that was his life. Obliterated friendships, complicated romantic liaisons, - What should have been the start of the best year of his life rather than an emotional battlefield of obliterated friendships, complicated feelings, and conflicting liaisons that culminate in a curtain call worthy of an encore. 👌🏻💫

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The writing did start off quite engaging. It was fresh and happening and I was endearing to Patch's eccentric sense of humor - a certain buoyancy to him that okay, I can see myself rooting for him to find his lost love. But, somehow along the way, the story kinda shifted into one not of a romance, but a friendship appreciation. 🫂 Nothing wrong with that! And truly, that is the message that his mother reminds him that love does come and go, but these are the relationships that will matter most. Even though it did then delve into more tell than show, which obviously bothers me. His friendship with Jean had a lot of heart and soul to it, even though I did feel that Jean was too good and understanding of Patch's whimsical nature.😔

“It’s not that boys don’t catch my eye. They very much do, almost constantly. The problem is I don’t catch theirs.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ But, still! Because of it, the romance did not develop well enough for me to enjoy. It was all moving so swiftly, and Patch was really just basing his attraction on limited bits of his intended soulmate, and while it was funny to read his thought process, it was hard to believe in it. 😕 It is interesting that despite how I guessed which direction Patch's interest would stir, that curveball revelation at the end, left me feeling wholly unsatisfied. Almost as if this was a precursor to more books related to this universe. I mean, we never even got a response from Jean-Pierre!??? Or was this the proverbial same person that it was directed to? If it had just delved a bit deeper into it, it would have really paid off in style. 😞

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ I did smile every now and then, and even hurt my heart once for how vulnerable and alone Patch felt at one time - even if he was behaving rather pettily -- actually, no, I think he deserved an explanation before one decides to behave like they do, so no. I enjoyed his conversations with Ms.Beckett, even his own flamboyant, but so observant self-pep talk was amusing AND uplifting! 😆 'You need to remember is that you are yourself and even though not everyone quite ‘gets you’, it doesn’t really matter.' You could see by his thoughts and actions how much he truly did love the stage and performing. It was a shame that we didn't get much into his life aside from the theatre, but I'll try not to be too critical and mind that it didn't - y'know, be a little more real in that sense. He's definitely a character who may be flawed, but oddly at times, if it wasn't all about how keen he was on finding the one - I think, he delivered some really relatable comments that made me empathize with him a bit more than intended. 😊

[Sheree | Keeping Up With The Penguins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The vibe falls squarely in the middle of the unusual Venn diagram between Adrian Mole and Bridget Jones (but very, very gay). I was quickly endeared to the ridiculous Patch, more than I could have anticipated. The predictable rom-com plot is given new life with Patch’s entertaining narration and a cast of amusing characters.

My full review of The Romantic Tragedies Of A Drama King is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.

[Bookworm Express Kwan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I love when the main character is main-charactering. Patch is the It boy, he is the MOMENT. Throw him them roses! Trust me when I say you’ll be INVESTED in all of his teen drama and romantic tragedies.

While he definitely deserves to be called a king, his rising star has not yet been acknowledged by the world around him. So Patrick takes matters at hand. He revamps his image, tries to convince everyone to call him Patch, and sets the goal to find himself a boyfriend. And lo and behold, not one, but TWO potential suitors show up at his drama classes. Oh my!

I loved how Patch was so young and self centered, dramatic and shallow, fabulous and flawed, but all in good nature. He genuinely dreams big and knows what he wants - or so he thinks. A romantic at heart. I’m convinced all readers can relate as we all have more or less gone through that phase at age sixteen, even though we tend to forget and try to pretend we’ve always been sensible and cool growing up.

And like all superheroes, Patch has his own sidekick.
Patch’ best friend Jean is like Robin to Batman. Jean’s an ally, a wingwoman, someone who wouldn’t bat an eye to put herself in situations to save Patch from embarrassing himself (which was often). She was a much needed crisis manager, a moral support, and shoulder to cry on.

The cast consisted of many, many great characters - no matter their role in the story, you’ll fall in love with them, because they either help Patch in his pursuit of love or stress him out as a good nemesis (or older sister) befit.

The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King was a great book for its hilarious writing, the low stakes drama, and the details the author put into the characters. This might not be one of those life-changing books for me, but I’m sure Patch will inspire many readers.

[Henrique · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐

"Patrick, it's only bloody cake!"

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the pre-release copy. Below you'll find my honest review:

Not gonna lie, for the first 40% of this book or so, I found the main character absolutely insufferable. It dragged for me because I didn't like him enough to want to keep going. But the premise was intriguing enough, and the side characters/love interests were pretty good, so I pushed through. I'm glad I did, because eventually, the main character actually starts to GROW as a person and it was a joy to "watch" the process.

It was also really cute, and wasn't smutty at all. Just adorable high school nerdy gay kid finding himself and his first "love" while learning about life and relationships of all kinds. Quite a chaste book, but perfect for YA readers.

Definitely recommend. I'd read something else by the author in the future, for sure.

Four stars!

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Joa, irgendwie war es nicht meins. Ab und an ein bisschen lustig

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much fun. The characters were adorable and hilarious and the story is perfectly paced. Highly recommend for fans of YA, you'll be smiling throughout. A must read for fans of Simon James Green. I can't wait to read more from this author and I'd happily read more about these characters in future books.

*ARC provided by NetGalley

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book honestly had me laughing out loud.

Patrick (Patch) was a monstrous lad who really has no concept of the real world (or the world outside his sphere). Luckily, he has Jean, his best friend, to keep him grounded, well, her and his sister (who loves to give him a dead arm or two!!)

So when two new arrivals to drama club catch his eye, it's the end of days until Patch has snared one of them as his boyfriend and secured his first kiss.... but we all know the path of true love never did run smooth....

Brilliant writing, a very witty plot, and dare I say it a lead character I could relate to far too easily...

Thanks to Netgalley as always and to MacMillan for my copy.

[Hannah Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5✨ (I’ve decided to do decimal ratings this year)
good reads giveaway!
elective month + wild card weekend = I finished this book in one day
all in all I enjoyed this book. very cringy (on purpose). still iffy on the concept of ya in my late twenties. but it was cute. I’ll be real, the plot twist I did not see coming. like…yeah Patch is a cutie and whatnot but he’s obnoxious and incredibly self centered. like as an eldest child I have never related to a character less. I do not understand why everyone else let him back into their lives so easily. his redemption arc was necessary but I wouldn’t’ve forgiven him. but holding grudges is also a forte of mine. Jean is an icon. Peter, I don’t understand who he was supposed to be bc especially with the end, idk, odd. Sam, cutie, loved him, no complaints. SPOILER RIGHT NOW!!! the second we’re introduced to Peter and Sam I immediately was like, yeah it’s Sam. duh! they balance each other out. irl tho, I don’t think they’d last through junior year. but this is fiction so they can walk into the sunset together lol. but yeah. I almost dnf’d bc it was so cringy about halfway through, but in the end I did really enjoy it, so I’m glad I stuck it out. swag.

[Jason Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Campy. Outlandish. Over-the-top. Eyeroll-inducing. All in the absolute best ways possible. This was so much fun. Patch's inner monologue is unique and absurd, and it works. The story never takes itself too seriously -- and all the while, there's a level of self-awareness that makes the entire book so endearing.

If you were a theater kid™ in high school, this book has your name written all over it.

[Sherwood Smith]

It was very hard to get into this book because the narrator was so frenzied, the voice trying so hard to be clever it made me tired and anxious--not what I was looking for in tired and anxious times. However once he started growing up a bit, and found a boyfriend, the book became a delight. I suspect I might have enjoyed it a lot more in a lighter humor when I was reading.

[Therese Sedin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and heartfelt. I laughed a lot, one time out loud on the bus 😅

[zolarex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kiedy zaczęłam czytać, od razu zostałam zaintrygowana listem, od którego zaczyna się cała historia. Jest on owiany wielką tajemnicą i zapowiedzią tego, co najprawdopodobniej będziemy mogli odkryć w przyszłości.
Niestety bardzo szybko zostałam sprowadzona na ziemię, a moje pozytywne nastawienie zaczęło maleć przez zachowanie głównego bohatera.
W pewnym momencie zaczęłam nabierać wrażenia, że cała akcja z każda chciała zaczęła nabierać zastraszająco tempa, przez co brakowało mi tutaj jakichś szczegółów, czy głębszych refleksji, które motywowałyby Patricka.
Wydaje mi się również, że jestem nieodpowiednim targetem tej książki, bo to, co teoretycznie powinno mnie śmieszyć budziło raczej moja irytację, czy politowanie.
Cały tekst pełen jest nic nieznaczących opisów tego co chłopak ubiera, czy jaki chciałby mieć pokój, ale jaki tak naprawdę ma i jak bardzo to nie ma sensu.
Czytanie tej historii było naprawdę męczące, bo mam wrażenie, że ciągle czytałam o jednym i tym samym. Te historie można by zamknąć w dosłownie dwóch zdaniach, a została rozwleczoną do tego stopnia, że po pierwszych 50 stronach naprawdę nie miałam ochoty kontynuować tej przygody.
Dosłownie nie działo się tutaj nic, co utrzymałoby moją uwagę i kazało mi czytać dalej. Zdaję sobie sprawę, że jest to książka dla młodszych czytelników, ale biorąc pod uwagę fakt, że aktualnie wszyscy mają problemy z koncentrację i potrzebują jakiegoś intrygującego punktu zaczepienia, który utrzyma ich uwagę, wydaje mi się, że młodzież zupełnie nie odnalazłaby w tej książce nic ciekawego.
Jest to po prostu kolejna nudna historia napisana tylko po to, żeby była napisana.
Strasznie irytowało mnie to, że autor postanowił ziścić główną fantazje Patricka dając mu dwóch męskich bohaterów, którzy walczą o jego względy. To można było ograć w naprawdę fajny sposób, a przez to wszystko stało się to bardzo sztampowe i nudne. Zupełnie nie zostałam zaskoczona żadnym epizodem i strasznie się wynudziłam podczas czytania.
Najgorsze jest jednak to, że bardzo wiele wątków zaraz po tym, jak się pojawiło było porzucanych. Może nie były one jakoś szczególnie intrygujące, ale mam wrażenie, że kiedy zaczynamy jakąś myśl dobrze byłoby ja jednak skończyć, bo bez tego jest już tylko gorzej.

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of Patch and his quest to find a prom date. Can he find someone that will like him back? This has been done before but I do enjoy a quest for love. Honestly, I need to like the main character to love the book. Unfortunately, I didn’t like Patch. I found him overbearing, silly, and a bit grandiose. And I’m aware some actors might have those qualities but to read the whole book with those qualities was a bit tedious. The love interest was not flushed out so no clue what made him special. The other supporting friends were not standouts. I wasn’t really rooting for anyone. They were some funny bits. I enjoyed his teacher that was too honest in her quest to finding her own love. Though if you love the theatre and finding a date to the prom this might be one for you. Overall, it was a bit meh for me. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rather precious book with a very dramatic protagonist, but Patrick "Patch" does a pretty good job of winning you over.

He's over-the-top and melodramatic, but that's just his way. Patch is a teen, learning to be a gay teen, a better friend, and a good person. And--most importantly to him--he's on a quest to get his first boyfriend. With the help of his best friend, Jean, he's looking at two options from his Drama Club: quiet and shy Sam and Sam's American friend, Patrick.

As Patrick and the club work on putting together a production of Sweeney Todd, Patch and Jean rankle at the fact that their friend turned nemesis, Tessa, is back in the club too--and catching Patrick's eye. Patch's way of approaching the world is filled with confidence and drama, with the writing almost coming across as satire at times. It makes you laugh though and shines with humor and realism.

It's great to read a YA book filled with queer teens (and allies, as Jean would be quick to point out). It's a sweet story, with plenty of teen theatrics--both literal and emotional. There's a full cast of side characters, including Patch's aggrieved English teacher who must listen to his rants, and Jean deserves her own book. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Wednesday Books in return for an unbiased review.

[Julicke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had deze nogal random opgepakt, maar dit was verassend vermakelijk. Een teen drama zoals die hoort te zijn: cheesy, cringey en hilarisch.

Patch is op papier een moeilijk irritante hoofdpersoon: zelfingenomen, impulsief, overdramatisch en controlerend. Maar al die dingen kon ik hem min of meer vergeven, want ten eerste, hij is een tiener (en wie was er nou niet irritant als tiener), en ten tweede, hij is (soms onbedoeld) hilarisch. Dit boek had een beetje de chaotische cringe energie en humor van 'Derry Girls' en 'Bottoms' en ik at het helemaal op.

Tuurlijk, het is clichè en cheesy als wat. Het eindigt nota bene met een gala en er zijn meerdere grote romantische/platonische gebaren. De side characters waren een beetje plat en het plot was soms gehaast (Patch' crushes leken nogal uit de lucht te vallen). Maar, at the end of the day heb ik meermaals hardop gelachen en dit in een paar dagen uitgelezen dus ik klaag niet.

[Evelyn Evertsen-Romp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and cute. I love how Patch is exactly the right amount of self absorbed, and exactly the right amount of being a good friend. This is a fine line to balance. In most books I simply don't understand why anyone would want to be friends with a main character that only talks about themselves, and it seems Trevaldwyn shares this opinion.
I laughed out loud quite some times and I heartily recommend listening to the audiobook.

[Wouter van Noort · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this was hella cute! It’s so well written, and all the characters are awesome. The flow is great, and I swear I was smiling like an idiot the whole time. The pacing makes it really hard to put down and I had such an amazing time reading this one. Let’s hope Harry keeps writing more adorable stories!

[Tilly Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5.

Well this one definitely has to be a top audiobook recommendation for the month - I had so much FUN listening to this! The narration by the author is absolutely spot on and I couldn’t get enough 🙌

You know immediately from the opening chapter that Patch is a bit over the top (clue is in the title), and honestly his dramatics had me in absolute stitches. Whilst it’s pretty easy to work out early on who will end up being Patch’s first boyfriend, it’s still a riot getting there, and I loved the focus on his friendships as well as the love story. It’s just a total romp of a story, with some seriously sharp and hilarious observations and dialogue, and I’d highly recommend to anyone in need of a good giggle - I loved it!

[Joanna Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Romantic Tragedies Of A Drama King is a funny, romantic read that will make you glad you’re not a teenage any more.

Firstly I thought the main character Patrick, or Patch as he likes to be called now, was a very unique character who I enjoyed following throughout the book as he tries to find himself his first boyfriend. It took a little while for me to warm to him as I initially found him to be quite self absorbed which definitely had me cringing for him at times. He grew on me as the story continues and there were some very touching, emotional moments which made me warm to him as I realised he wasn’t as annoying as I initially thought.

I thought the book had a great pace to it and there always seemed to be some drama happening that kept me reading. This book definitely made me re-live my awkward teenage years as we follow Patch through friendship problems, family feuds and first crushes. There were some moments that made me laugh out loud and some that made me want to hug Patch as he learns a few difficult lessons. There were some wonderful secondary characters which made me smile including his lovely best friend and the teachers he interact with who need a medal for their patience when dealing with Patch. I half read this, half listened on audiobook and the narrator for the audiobook was absolutely brilliant and very fitting for Patch’s character.

This is the author’s debut novel and I’d definitely be interested in reading more from him in the future.

[Ariane Carrara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️ Hilarious, energetic, the author narrates this story brilliantly!

[Juliane magisches_buecherregal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es ist komplett drüber aber zwischendurch hatte es mich doch ziemlich gut unterhalten. 😆

[aguadecoco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, the internal dialogue of a teenager... I missed that.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok the ending felt abrupt (& I really want to see the messy aftermath) but this was still so much fun and laugh out loud funny. Such a good time I couldnt stop reading and the audiobook was fantastic and so well done by the author!

Patch is a whole lot but that’s purposeful and I was surprised he was less eye roll worthy and more laugh out loud funny and charming, he really grew on me. If you want a book that feels truly truly YA but very lighthearted and joyful, this is for you. If you cannot fathom how we ever survived our own melodrama as teens, and now view the youth with grumpiness, then best to skip this.

[Bethany Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King is a YA romantic comedy that perfectly captures the chaos, awkwardness, and emotional highs and lows of being 16.

The story follows Patrick, or “Patch,” an endearingly awkward drama kid whose dream is to have a boyfriend by prom. The problem? The only out boys at school are dating each other. Enter Sam and Peter, two new students who join the school musical - Sweeney Todd - alongside Patch, his ride-or-die best friend Jean, and his estranged ex-best friend Tessa. Cue an unforgettable mix of teenage drama, musical theatre chaos, and Patch’s romantic misadventures. Will he finally snag the boy of his dreams?

I had such a great time with this book -it brought me right back to the Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging days, and my inner teenager was thriving! What stood out most to me was that this wasn’t just about romance; it’s also a heartfelt story about forgiveness, navigating tough situations, and the messy beauty of friendships.

The characters are so well written. Special shoutout to Jean, the absolute MVP - I adored her dynamic with Patch, and honestly, I wish I’d had a friend like her growing up. While Patch is definitely problematic (and dramatic) at times, watching him grow and mature emotionally was a joy to read.

This is the perfect rom-com for YA readers, filled with friendship, forgiveness, and a healthy dose of teenage drama.

[Eshen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever laughed out loud at a book as much as I did reading this one. This was a fast and enjoyable read with just enough tension and character development that it kept me interested.

I knew from the first page that I was going to enjoy this book. Patch had such a clear voice and personality from the very beginning and it stayed consistent throughout, even as he matured a little bit. You know right from the start exactly who he is, and he is oblivious and endearing in the best way. Over the course of this story I enjoyed how Patch’s more formidable character flaws were addressed but the root of his personality stayed the same. I also appreciated the supporting characters just as much as I did Patch, and found myself empathizing with them quite often. The entertaining and unique characters are what made this book stand out to me and I really liked it.

This was one of my most delightful reads of the year and thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[lav · Rating 2 out of 5]

maybe i'm just too old and world weary for this one but i could not standdddd patch. i know he's supposed to be an endearing fumbling theatre kid but guys i think i just hate theatre kids

glad he had his little redemption arc but my god what an insufferable narrator. it was to the point that i had a hard time believing someone would have a crush on him, much less two of the most eligible bachelors in drama club. maybe some outside perspective could make it clear he comes off as a little less unhinged without the internal monologue?

that being said. an extra star for "it's not very bi of him to have two girlfriends" i'll admit that made me cackle

[Kj · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

This was a grand f*cking time that I recommend for everyone. Definitely the funniest book I've read in recent memory.

I'm rarely an out-loud laugher while reading; I was "HA"ing from page 1 until the end. The tone was pitch perfect and the joyfully, naively, unjustifiably confident narrator IS the story. Yes, there's some nice little bits about friendship, but it is all backstage to the DRAMA THAT IS THIS 16-YEAR-OLD DRAMA KING. I was dying at his delusions of maturity and sophistication about everything from coffee drinking to career paths. Patrick "Patch" is the most extravagantly ridiculous, obliviously uninformed, sweetheartedly selfish, master of his own destiny; following his hyperbolic efforts toward achieving his goals is the most fun I've had in a long time.

I love that despite technically being a "rom-com" this is 100% actual comedy. The elements that qualify as romance are cute little wisps of infatuation, and even those are just there— appropriately—to showcase the wonders of Patch's inner workings and outer behaviors. As much as I delight in a good swoon, that is not where the real show is here, and the real show is an ingeniously clever depiction of foolhardy, shallow, hopeful, harmless, unstoppable teenage ambition. It's big-hearted and smart while being entirely silly. I also enjoyed the light way in which the novel illustrates the difference between self-help and self-knowledge.


[Utterly infectiously hilarious and adorable audiobook narration by author Harry Trevaldwyn. I 1000% recommend the audiobook]


*Note: (and this is purely an expression of how onboard I was for more of everything here) I was a little bummed that the central setting of teenagers doing a production Sweeney Todd never really came into play. Except for Patch's bespoke research process involving barbers, the show could have been anything. Also, given that the director has a line about making generous cuts to original material, what community youth production of Sweeney Todd is keeping Judge Turpin's self-flagellation number? And with that, HOW does Patch playing a lecherous old Victorian never merit comment other than that his character is a judge? I was so ready for his commentary on how he would approach getting into THAT character, but it went by essentially without notice. Also would have loved some more engagement with Sam being a first time actor who starts by playing Sweeney Todd, one of this trickiest roles to act and sing in all of musical theatre. I wanted more about how Sam was onstage and during rehearsal (and about the fact that Sam would have repeatedly killed Patch onstage—feels like that 100% would have been comment-worthy to Patch). Basically, in any novel where teenagers do a musical, I ALWAYS want more about the show itself and how the rehearsals play out. That's a me preference and is no weakness in the book—just something I would have happily read 75 more pages about :)