I'm king on torn right now because I enjoyed the book. The story was good, though I expected a little more. 7/10

I had been really excited for this book.
It sounded fantastic—a girl who loves filmmaking, cute romance, teenage dating! I was really excited.
And then I started reading, and there were some things that I was so-so about. So I put it down for about two months, and picked it back up again closer to the publishing date, and finished it.
There were things that I did like, but there were major elements that ultimately turned me away from this book and made it one of the rare books that I wouldn’t really recommend.
If you’re someone who needs content warnings, please check them out in the box below (highlight the text to read). I’ll be talking about the topics in my review, so please stay safe!
Content Warnings: acephobia (condoned), suicide, self-harm, people manipulating those with disabilities (not condoned)
But first, let’s start with the one positive:
Maeve was cool.
I know like 90% of reviews of this out there said they found Maeve annoying/some variation of “I didn’t like Maeve.”
To be honest, I thought she was fine. She was passionate, she had fun friends, she was full of life and definitely an engaging character.
And yes, Maeve is also super horny.
I do think this is a reason a lot of people didn’t like This Is Not a Love Scene—because Maeve does think about sex a lot. I didn’t mind much, except for when it started to become harmful. (More on this later.)
Let Maeve live. Let teen girls have feelings about sex. Stop making it so only boys can be like this and get rid of those standards.
I get it if you’re someone who doesn’t really want to read about teen girls thinking about sex, which in this case, you shouldn’t read this. That’s a reading preference. What isn’t a preference is looking down on girls who are exploring this. You’re able to not enjoy reading about girls thinking about sex without hating on girls who do.
I was cool with Maeve as a person & I didn’t really find her annoying.
However, sometimes Maeve’s line of thought became kind of problematic.
This is where I find an issue with Maeve. I think she’s a cool person, but she says these offhand comments from time to time that are kind of harmful, and sometimes her attitude is a little harmful.
Let me explain.
Maeve is curious about sex. I respect this. But sometimes, the way she acts towards Cole Stone comes off as a little bit of an…oversexualization of him? I’m not the best at describing it, but sometimes I felt like Maeve was kind of reducing Cole into a sex figure more so than like…a person. I’m not fully decided on this part.
(And also Cole Stone was kind of a humongous asshole and I very much did not like him. Maeve deserves better, too.)
The part that was very clearly harmful to me though, was the acephobia. Notably, this one quote:
“Tonight was different. Tonight, I felt normal. Healthy. Not asexual. Tonight, I felt like a person.”
It doesn’t explicitly hate on ace people. But the way the phrases are put together creates this implication that ace people are not people, healthy, or normal.
There was a general undertone that came up sometimes that not having sexual desires was wrong/unhealthy, etc. And I just wasn’t a fan of that. This is one of the main reasons why I wouldn’t recommend you read it or give it to someone to read, UNLESS they are fully aware of the faults of this mindset.
If you’re able to read it in a capacity where you can identify what’s wrong, go ahead. But if you’re, say, a young impressionable teen in a library who picks this up and then decides that being ace isn’t healthy, I feel like that’s not good.
I feel like it’s pretty harmful to give this message out when your audience is composed of teens. It’s like racism—you can have racism in a book, but you need to show that it’s wrong? You can’t write in a racist way, but you can show racism and not condone it. Same with this. I feel like This Is Not a Love Scene doesn’t not condone acephobia, and that’s the main reason why I wouldn’t recommend.
There were also a few other lines I found issue with that were a little bit brash and insensitive.
I also found issue with the way the book used a suicidal character.
There are content warnings at the beginning of this review, which you should definitely check out, and I don’t want to spoil too much of the story, but ultimately, it felt like This Is Not a Love Scene used a depressed and suicidal character in order to further Maeve’s character arc.
I don’t want to talk too much about this, but I definitely wasn’t expecting this storyline and felt uncomfortable with the way it was used. It felt like it was supposed to like…define Maeve’s character element and also further the plot, but I wanted more sensitivity regarding the actually character who was considering committing suicide.
It was surprising and just something that didn’t sit well with me.
Overall, This Is Not a Love Scene had a lot of potential.
This is #OwnVoices for muscular dystrophy, and although I personally can’t comment on the representation of this aspect, I think Maeve was a well-developed character and nothing stood out as hurtful with respect to muscular dystrophy or having a disability.
It’s just that some of the ways the story pushed to develop her were a bit…hurtful to other marginalized groups.
I can’t say that this book is Scum of the Earth—it drags Me Before You, it lets teen girls be sexual, and Maeve is A Character (in a good way, most of the time). But I think the problematic elements ultimately makes it un-fun and something I wouldn’t recommend be read unless you’re actively aware of the ways that this book is harmful.

This is Not a Love Scene wasn’t my favorite but I did enjoy it. It took me quite a bit to get into it, but once I did, I was able to enjoy the characters quite a bit more.

This was an incredibly well-written story that tugged at my heart strings and made me laugh at times, and cry. Well worth the time!

Whenever there is a book dealing with disability, I jump all over it. As someone who has a disability (#ehlersdanlossyndrome), I always come in with high expectations because I feel like I’m going to really relate to the main characters. How did I relate with this book? Not so much. There was some immaturity with these characters... the teenage drama and angst was a little too much for me. That’s not always the case for young adult books so I was a bit shocked. I absolutely LOVED the idea of the book and the spotlight on muscular dystrophy, I just wish it would’ve been executed a little differently.

Oh, this book. I don't even know where to start with it. I have some major issues with the story, but I can also see what the author was going for, despite the less than perfect presentation. Maeve has muscular dystrophy and is confined to a motorized wheelchair for life. She tries to maintain her independence as much as possible, and I empathize with her situation - I can't imagine how trapped you must feel living like that. However, Maeve is...kind of the worst.

Maeve has very little respect for herself, which I understand for someone who is starting to explore her sexuality on a base level, but she craves male attention seemingly for the sake of it. She got a kick out of making men - older and otherwise - look at her in a sexual light when she had no intention of reciprocating those feelings. She would send them flirty messages and touch them in a way that made it seem like she was interested. It was pretty icky.

She's also presented as incredibly sexist. She prefers the attention and help of men over women and always compares how the two interactions would play out:

"IF SHE WERE A GUY: 'Yes, sir. Can you overnight express me to your bed by any chance?'
BECAUSE SHE'S NOT: 'I can do it myself, thanks.' She nodded and walked off. I can never tell how standoffish I sound. But it's her fault for not being a guy, right?"

Oof, this is problematic. I'm all for being guy crazy, but that doesn't mean you have to shaft all women - especially those who are trying to help you. It doesn't seem to be because she doesn't want the help in general, which I'm more inclined to understand, but solely due to the gender of the person doing the offering.

Speaking of help, there were a lot of times when Maeve needed it. Instead, she tries to handle everything on her own, which only made things more complicated and ultimately led to her hospitalization. I wish Maeve's parents had been more involved in her life. Sure, they take care of her, but they also drop her off at random locations at any hour of the day or night and drive off until she texts that she's ready to go. They ask very few questions about what she's doing, or who she's with. It was baffling. As someone without any medical limitations, my parents would have been up my butt with this behavior. I'm sure there's a hard balance to find when you have a child in a wheelchair, but Maeve was seemingly able to do whatever she wanted at any time, Again, it's baffling.

And then there's Cole Stone, ostensibly Maeve's love interest - he barely registers as a character. Cole would appear, Maeve would describe without any detail - other than "large" - how sexy he was, he would act completely uncomfortable, and then he'd speed away in his janky car. Oh, but he's a verbose sexter - and isn't that what we're all truly looking for? Their sexual interactions made me cringe. I could relate on some level to those first bumbling encounters where you're excited that ANYONE is showing interest, but Maeve never seemed to have a second of doubt or self-preservation. I wish she had wanted more for herself. She settled for the first person to show her any sort of interest if we can even call it that - it read more as Maeve forcing herself on Cole and him reciprocating for the notch on his bedpost. I'm all for Maeve exploring her sexuality, but I wish it had been with someone who actually expressed real interest and cared about her. And that there had been an iota of character growth by the end of the book. That ending is possibly the worst I've come across. I understand the fury of a cliffhanger or an unsatisfying ending for the greater good, but this was just trash.

Numerous criticisms aside, I was glad to read a story about a character with MD. Besides her physical limitations, Maeve is much like any other teenager. It would have been much more effective if she was a somewhat likable character. Having a disability shouldn't mean you can treat people however you want, and Maeve does exactly that. Her quest for normalcy is understandable but naive. Normal doesn't exist. I hope this book resonates with others because it fell quite flat for me. I wish that wasn't the case, but such is reading.

This is Not a Love Scene was such a fun romance and I absolutely loved the main character, Maeve. This book was filled with humor, smart dialogue and a story that absolutely touched my heart. Maeve and Cole had great chemistry together and I loved how these two characters had their own challenges while navigating through this thing called love. Ms. Megale did a wonderful job with this story and I know that this story will stay with me for quite some time.

I was initially very excited to receive and read this book, but as I started reading I was immediately disappointed.. There are poorly developed characters, inappropriate relationships, parents who aren't parenting, incorporate jokes about sexuality, sex, and disabilities. While I am a fully able bodied person, and cannot fully comment on the reality of the disabled community and character, this just felt wrong.

I was super excited when I got offered an eARC for this book as I had never read a book about a main character with Muscular Dystrophy before and knowing that it was an #OwnVoices book I was even more excited.
Unfortunately, I ended up not really enjoying the book.

My first problem was the main character, Maeve. She was an absolutely horrible person and I hated her so much! She was extremely self-absorbed and she constantly acted like a child even if she didn't want to be treated like one. Sorry but if you don't want to be treated like a child, then maybe don't act like a freaking 5-year-old! I also hated how Maeve was constantly sexualizing men! I get that this is a book about first love but Maeve made me so uncomfortable. There was barely a single guy she saw who she didn't sexualize and it was disgusting.

Furthermore, she treated almost all women (except her mother and her friend) with hostility. There was so much girl hate, it was ridiculous! I wish authors would stop using girl hate in their books for absolutely no reason at all! Maeve even says herself that she would treat these women differently if they were male!

For me personally, I also felt no connection or chemistry between Maeve and Cole, the love interest. They didn't make me feel anything and Cole was an absolute asshole who, in my opinion, didn't care at all about Maeve. Instead, he just seemed to have wanted to get into her pants. He also had no personality at all except for maybe being a douche.

At last, I also felt that some sensitive topics (like depression and self-harming) weren't treated respectfully and that they have been executed poorly. It also felt more like a plot device. I have no personal experience, but to me, it did seem harmful.

Title: This is Not a Love Scene
Author: S.C. Megale
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

Maeve and all her friends are obsessed with their senior film project and their portfolios to get into film school. Maeve would be, too, but having MS means her options are different than her friends. Maeve loves filmmaking. And guys. Especially the guy starring in their senior project: Cole. But leading men don’t go for girls in wheelchairs, right?

But the chemistry between Maeve and the always-in-motion Cole is intense, and suddenly Maeve is dealing with typical dating mishaps and juggling the film project and her disease. Maeve is so used to being rejected, that she’s just not sure she can trust Cole, who seems far too good to be true. But Maeve will have to deal with her own fears if she’s ever to find out the truth about Cole’s feelings for her.

Maeve is an incredibly strong character, but she does have some issues that made her a little hard for me to read. I loved seeing how she viewed the world and her experiences in a life with MS, but she can be quite awkward and a little needy. She also comes across as very selfish, to the point where she completely ignores the sometimes-major problems her friends are having in favor of obsessing about her own issues. I didn’t find her all that likable, but she is a very strong character.

S.C. Megale is a writer, a filmmaker, and a philanthropist. This is Not a Love Scene is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Maeve has a rare form of muscular dystrophy and trying to live a normal life. Honestly, I don’t like Maeve. I tried understanding her, to logic with her. But failed. She acts opposite of what she wants. Maeve does not want to be treated differently, do not want special attention because of her condition. However, she gets mad when people do not give her special treatment. Plus, I really think it is very weird to be friends with old men. I’m unsure if she feels comfort with them but I really think it is weird and scary. Maeve also bluntly flirts with married men. Another weird thing and inappropriate act for someone.

Cole, Maeve love interest, tall, good looking and bearded. However, I don’t feel the chemistry. There is no chemistry. It is disappointing that Maeve seems like insist herself to Cole so she could have him as her boyfriend. She sounds very desperate.

On the other hand, I admire Maeve’s parents dedication to take care of her. They devote their time and exert all effort. But, Maeve does not want it. It’s disappointing that she acts like a child.

This is Not a Love Scene could be good or better if some sensitive topics where addressed properly. The concept is great but because of terrible MC it became problematic.

I didn't actually enjoy this all too much. While, two stars might be a touch harsh for my feelings about it, I didn't like it as much as another book I recently read that I rated three stars, thus the lower number.

It was neat to read a story from the perspective of muscular dystrophy, and there were even some moments that made me laugh out loud, but I found just as many moments and themes problematic. My largest issue came with the main character's obsession with much older men. Yes, she's 18, but I found it to be rather creepy and pretty dangerous. I get feeling like you have to oversell yourself almost with a disease that's so debilitating as MD, as she mentions at one point, but this went over the top and just generally made me uncomfortable. I really wish the author had instead played up the relationship and unrequited love with KC.

Speaking of KC, I didn't like how his SPOILER [potential suicide] was handled at all. I felt like it was taken way too lightly and merely thrown in there to add another level of drama to the story. SPOILER [Suicide] is a major situation, and I feel like it wasn't taken seriously enough in this story, not necessarily in the way KC's friends reacted but in how it was portrayed and resolved as a whole.

Finally, the whole subplot with Patricia from the disabled kids camp was just weird and felt so out of place. We do get a reason for her actions at the end, but I didn't feel like it was strong enough to make it such a big deal. It added another conflict that the story didn't need and that only took away more from the larger, more important issues already established.

Overall, I could see the potential there for a good story—the wit was definitely there and a great relief to uncomfortable situations—but it wasn't quite there yet thanks to those number of issues that I found problematic.

So when I first started reading I wasn’t sure if I would continue reading. I had a very hard time connecting to Maeve. I felt her personality was lacking but as I kept reading she grew on me and I wanted nothing but the best. I loved her family and her friends who supported her throughout this story. Maeve spoke about several struggles that comes with her condition and I couldn’t imagine dealing with that when I was her age. I must say I wasn’t sold on Cole and I wanted more for Maeve. For a debut novel this story was well written, refreshing plot and I can’t wait to see what the author will write next.

This was the first book I've read from this author and I enjoyed it very much. It was very well written and the characters were well thought out.

I received an eARC from Wednesday Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was, unfortunately, not a book I enjoyed very much. I can appreciate that the author is young and already accomplished in publishing, but she still needs a lot of practice before she writes something that isn't egregiously problematic. My full review can be found via the link below.

ARC received from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I went into this book with an open mind; after all, I requested it! Based on the title, synopsis and cover it looked promising.

Well, joke is on me. This book is a big 'ol NOPE.

This is definitely geared more toward a teenage audience, but I honestly wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Could Maeve be any more self-absorbed? Gosh. I respect and admire her character for living with a disability, but she either wants to deal with being treated as-such or get mad for not being treated "normal." She can't have it both ways! As a reader, it was somewhat annoying to read/follow along with. I also thought it was hurtful that she didn't want to be friends with other people with a similar disability ... what? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Oh, and the guy is not into her at all yet she puts him on a pedestal. Again, I'm so lost.

The story and plot had potential, but unfortunately the author missed the mark on this.

I honestly don't know where to start with this one. I have some major issues with the story, but I can also see what the author was trying to convey, even though I don't agree with how it was presented. Maeve has muscular dystrophy and is confined to a wheelchair, but she tries to be as independent as possible. However, Maeve was not a likeable person.

First of all, I don't feel like Maeve respected herself or others, and she craved male attention. Even between her parents, she preferred her father's help over her mother's. They seemed to have a better relationship, but I thought she unfairly judged her mother's actions. It was clear her mother cared, just not in the way Maeve wanted. She also sought out older men and made connections with them. She referred to them as her OMFs (Old Male Friends), and would send them flirty messages and touch them in a way that made it seem like she was interested. She got a kick out of making older men smile at her, want her even, when she had no intention of reciprocating those feelings. Also, a lot of these interactions happened before she was eighteen, which makes them highly inappropriate.

Secondly, Maeve was very sexist. She preferred the attention and help of men over women, and always compared how the two interactions would vary. "IF SHE WERE A GUY: 'Yes, sir. Can you overnight express me to your bed by any chance?' BECAUSE SHE'S NOT: 'I can do it myself, thanks.' She nodded and walked off. I can never tell how standoffish I sound. But it's her fault for not being a guy, right?" She does this the entire book, especially when a female tries to help her in any capacity. She would brush off their good intentions, and think about how a male would have been better or more helpful.

Thirdly, Maeve was a shitty friend. She often comments on how frequently her friend Mags has to turn down male advances, and even admits to being jealous of the attention. It's obvious Mags doesn't like being hit on by random dudes, and it's something that really bothers her. Maeve is oblivious and really insensitive when it comes to her friend's feelings. Mags made a comment about a man creepily rubbing her back, and Maeve just thinks about how much she likes back rubs.

The love interest was barely a character. Cole would saunter in somewhere, act completely uncomfortable around Maeve, and then he'd leave. He seemed to be more communicative when they sexted, because that's pretty much all they did, and would barely speak when they were together. I'll admit that he was helpful when they played putt-putt, but that was also one of the few times they met without him rubbing one out. Most of their interactions were for the benefit of his penis. I'm all for Maeve exploring her sexuality, and really appreciate sex-positive books, but I wish it had been with someone who actually cared about her. Instead, this douche canoe that can't look at her, jerks off on her wheelchair while his other hand in her pants. He can barely look at her, but he's okay with touching? Maeve was a consenting adult, and she made it clear that she wanted to do these things with him, but the interactions really bothered me. She should have wanted more for herself. She settled for the first person to show her interest, even though his interest was mostly for selfish and sexual reasons. At one point he said, "I don't know how to like you." Seriously? He couldn't even care enough to remember that she had MD or what that meant.

KC is a random side character. They've supposedly been friends since kindergarten, and no one thought it was weird that they'd never been to his house. He's always shady about where he gets things (costumes, bowling shoes, etc.) and no one really questions it. Suddenly, he confesses feelings for Maeve, and they all learn he's in a dark place. It didn't fit into the rest of the story, and his depression should have been discussed more. Also, once they realized things were bad, they should have involved an adult.

Speaking of involving an adult, there were a lot of situations where one was needed. Instead, Maeve tries to handle everything on her own, which only made things more complicated. She should have told her parents when her photograph was used without her permission, and she should have told them about KC. I wish Maeve's parents had been way more involved in her life. Yes, they take care of her, but they also drop her off at a park in the middle of the night and tell her to call them when she's ready to go home. They ask very few questions about what she's doing, or who she's doing them with. Yes, Maeve is an adult, but she's still in high school. She also has medical needs that not everyone is equipped to deal with.

Everything, and I mean everything was a dirty joke or thought to Maeve. Nothing was safe, not even her food. "...sauerkraut with social anxiety and sausages that couldn't quiet get it up." She was crude and careless. There's a difference between letting someone know what you want, and being sexually aggressive.

I was happy the author wanted to write about a character with MD, and show that she was capable of living her life just like everyone else. Maeve had dreams and goals she wanted to achieve, but she wasn't a nice or likable character. Having a disability didn't mean she could treat people however she wanted, but she took advantage of their kindness and thought the world was happy helping her.

As you can see, I have a lot of issues with This Is Not a Love Scene, and I'm not even going to touch the ending. Yes, sure, it's what Maeve wanted, but ugh. She deserved so much better than that. Cole admitted that he couldn't give her what she wanted (the future part, because he was happy to share his dick in various ways), and she was totally okay with that. I'm not sure Maeve understands what love is, because it definitely wasn't what she had with Cole.

I think Maeve's character is an insult to women everywhere, and should not be seen as an example to follow.

This Is Not a Love Scene is one of the cute stories I've read so far. The story was simple and straightforward. I enjoyed reading this book as well, curious on what will actually happen to Maeve being the lady-in-the-wheelchair and what are her adventures in this book.

I could say that the book is inspirational for every reader. Despite Maeve's situation she knows what she wants, she pursue her dreams and she actually get what she likes. She's fighting with fate and dictating her own path. She's amazing in her own way and she actually didn't let anyone pull her down. Some things might be difficult for her but she thinks positively and her friends and family help her achieve what she loves. What's a little off for me is that, she likes someone so much that I feel like it was one sided. To me, Cole was the type of person who is hard to read. His actions, the way he talks, it was mysterious. Cole to me is like the complete opposite of Maeve, that's not a bad thing though, it's cute.

The story focuses on how Maeve overcome all her trials, high school life, friends, love life and family. It is actually worth reading. I got hooked on it. If I see a physical copy here I'd definitely get one. I the book cover is simple too. I like how it was designed plus it is blue! That's one of my favorite color. LOL.

Also, I would like to add before I end my review, I do LOVE the concept of the book. I think this is the first book I've read that focuses on filmmaking. I totally enjoyed how Maeve directs her characters. In my head, it's like watching a movie about some play.

I'm looking forward to more S.C. Megale books and thank you for letting me be part of this blog tour. I really enjoy everything.

"The thing was, to notice something, you need to at least look at it."

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Maeve was determined to not "die a virgin", but had, so far, been unlucky in love. Enter Cole, a strapping young man, who was strong enough to easily maneuver her chair, and more importantly, seemed to share some chemistry with Maeve. But, as Cole's interest ran hot-and-cold, Maeve had to decide if Cole was the "one" for her.

Maeve captured my interest, and my heart, from the very first chapter. I found her to have a wicked sense of humor, which always scores points with me. But, she wasn't just the funny girl in the wheelchair. She had a passion for filmmaking, was open to new experiences, and was not afraid to ask for what she wanted. She was 18, and what she wanted now was a little more freedom and be seen as a sexual being.

I have read adult novels, which took on the topic of sex from the perspective of a person with a disability, but I cannot recall reading any YA books, which did so. This was new territory for me, and I appreciated that Megale just dove in and took on the topic in a candid way.

One of the reasons I wanted to read this book was because it sounded like it would be quite funny, and it was, but another reason was because I love reading #OwnVoices books. Well researched fiction is fine, but there is a nuance and a perspective that can only come from someone, who had experienced it first hand. I will admit my knowledge of MD was limited to what I learned watching the MDA Jerry's Kids telethons. Therefore, there was a lot of new information presented to me, and I really enjoyed enhancing my knowledge of neuromuscular diseases and the everyday challenges it presents. Megale did an incredible job opening that window for me to look into, and I wholly appreciated what she shared with me.

The plot moved along nicely, due largely in part to Maeve's wonderful narration. I enjoyed accompanying her on her many outings, being part of her movie making, and even getting to sit in on her doctor's appointments. The beauty for me was in some of the little moments, though, and one character, who stole my heart was Maeve's dad. Her mother was a fierce and feared tiger-mom, but her dad was this lovely, tender-hearted man, and there were a few moments with him, where I thought my heart might explode. I was really proud of all the progress Maeve made with her parents, as well, with respect to her autonomy. Sum total, they were just wonderful A+ parents.

This book was a solid 4-stars for me, and then the ending. Ugh! I had this love-hate thing going with it. Part of it had me wanting to stand up and cheer, but another part of it frustrated me. I know this was because the story didn't go in the direction I wanted it to go, and I need to accept that it wasn't my story to tell. But, the alternate ending I wrote in my head was so much more satisfying for me.

There were a few things I wished Megale had done or handled differently in this book, but I still enjoyed the time I spent getting to know Maeve and to better understand what it was like being a teenager with a disability.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review

First line: I liked being ridden, and offered the chance to pretty much every guy in Video II

Me: Wait... what am I reading? ( checks Goodreads and NetGalley quickly)

Despite that jolt of electricity, I can assure potential readers that This is Not a Love Scene is targeted for a teen audience. Eighteen year old Maeve is an enthusiastic filmmaker, looking for romance and trying to get her parents to quit their hovering and let her be a normal teenager. As a protagonist, Maeve is a wise cracking mischief maker that doesn't let her muscular dystrophy stand in her way.

Novelist Shea Megale, born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy II, presents a very realistic portrait and heartwarming story that certainly is bound to attract a bit of buzz upon its release. I really liked Maeve as a character and she did remind me a bit of different people I have encountered in my lifetime. Because so many of my fellow reviewers have mentioned it, I would like to address something. Part of Maeve's storyline is about being physically attracted to a boy in her class and wondering if a girl in a wheelchair can get the boy. The boy in question is the tall, handsome and mysterious, Cole Stone; whom Maeve begins to see as the one she wants to be her first. Now while Cole might not be written as the type of fella that I would like, this is Maeve's story and I am going to follow this girl to the end. There is this great scene between Maeve and her doctor and what the sexual experience will be like for a person with muscular dystrophy. Nice to see a teenage character actually using the resources around them and not just asking Doctor Google!

However, I cannot pretend it's a perfect story and Megale does put a lot of information regarding other characters in the book and I recognize( without giving away anything)that some veins of the plot do seem a bit unfinished. All in all, it is a promising debut for an author that I am sure we will continue to hear about in years to come.


Goodreads Review 05/05/19
Publication Date: 07/05/19