An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is by far my biggest disappointment of 2021 so far. This book had so much promise to be an adorable romantic comedy with one of the cutest premises ever, but due largely to the fact that it is being disgustingly mismarketed as a cutesy rom com when it is, in fact, not funny and it is not a romance, it falls directly on its face when there is nothing but angst and hollow characters to hold it up.

To say that this book was a slog would be a bit of an understatement. I started this book on March 15th and it took me until today, April 30th, to drag myself across the finish line. It might have honestly taken me longer if my copy from NetGalley weren't expiring in just a few hours.

As I mentioned before, I did expect this book to have a completely different tone from what it ended up having, but it also didn't focus on Homecoming the same way I expected it to. I really expected this to be the two boys pranking back and forth throughout Homecoming week and any fun and trouble that might occur in between, but the conflict of this book barely involves the race for Homecoming King. Instead, it's about a bully at the school, the school's Code of Conduct, and Lukas's struggles to succeed despite his extra challenges due to the fact that he's autistic. This shift in focus wouldn't be so bad if it actually meant something at the end of the book, but so much is abandoned, shoved aside, or just plain ignored by the end that it really left me wanting for something.

This book really is just angst on wheels. While I do think this is an honest portrayal of a trans character in Jeremy, it also feels like there is nowhere near enough depth to him. He oftentimes reads as a bit of a parody of himself, though, especially in the parts that deal with the Code of Conduct and Philip, the school bully. All nuance is thrown straight out the window when it comes to Jeremy's conflicts in the story and it's extremely difficult to relate to him as a character when he feels like he's built purely of nothing but anger and being trans. And I say this knowing that a lot of trans folks are angry, and they have every right to be. I'm angry for a lot of trans folks who don't get the rights they deserve. So when their representation is boiled down to nothing but a hate filled boy whose friends all hate him, it sort of ends up feeling like an empty portrayal. If I didn't already know the author was trans, I truly might have thought this was written by someone who was cis. Someone well-meaning, perhaps, but misguided. Jeremy's personality is that he's angry and trans. Show me why Lukas loves him, why his friends care about him, because I don't get it. Ellor failed to write a compelling, believable trans character, which is a real damn shame, probably the biggest failing of this book, in my opinion.

Lukas's character is dealt with the same lack of care. Lukas is autistic and his family is grieving after the death of his older brother. I think Lukas's autism is handled the way I wish Jeremy's trans-ness had been handled: as a trait of his but not a defining character trait. It affects Lukas's schooling and even causes him to cheat, but his autism doesn't rule his storyline the same way Jeremy being trans rules his. I know these two things are not exactly comparable, but again, it just handles this completely normal thing, autism, and treats it like this completely normal thing. Why couldn't Jeremy being trans be like this?

I digress. The part of Lukas's story that annoyed me most was his issues with his family. We get maybe two or three full, real scenes including Lukas's parents, but in each one, we are never really shown the issues Lukas is having with them, other than perhaps the fact that they are distant. There is a really strange scene that comes out of nowhere in the latter half of the book involving Lukas's mother that gets absolutely no resolution by the end, it just happens, even appears to be a big, life-changing event for Lukas, but Ellor's major pacing issues leave no room for any conflicts to actually breathe, change, or resolve.

And, since I've mentioned it, let's discuss Ellor's issues with pacing! Have any of you ever gotten into a car with a 15-year-old who's preparing for their permit test? It starts a little rough; there's a lot of jolting, stopping and starting as they get used to the brakes and, once they get going, they might start to get the hang of it, but eventually they have to use those brakes again, so it's just a lot of stopping and starting, a lack of surety, and often no true sense of direction.

This whole analogy is to say: Z.R. Ellor's pacing feels exactly like a 15-year-old kid learning to drive. Scenes end suddenly and move along to the next bit, often in ways that makes it difficult for the reader to get their bearings or follow the extremely tenuous threads that string each scene together. Any time it seems like Ellor gains a little momentum, he shoots himself in the foot, hitting the brakes immediately before pivoting elsewhere. Lukas and Jeremy both seem to drift through scenes, telling us the things they're thinking without those thoughts having much bearing on the scenes at hand most of the time. Also, this book is written from the first person POV in the present tense, which only made it feel like I was reading a hollow What I Did Over the Summer essay a high schooler was forced to write.

It's so frustrating that this story is all about these two boys' hardships but the pacing and all-around average to poor writing quality make it impossible to hold onto anything. It feels every bit the debut that it is.

And, speaking of holding onto things, this book gave me absolutely no reason to root for Lukas and Jeremy to be together. None of the flashbacks or stories from before their breakup led me to believe the two of them really ever loved each other, which hurts the story greatly, since much of the drama comes from their lingering feelings for one another. They both seemed to admire one another, but they had next to zero chemistry, so when they're still pining over each other, it feels like actors reading a script, not two boys who have complicated yet sincere feelings for each other.

I honestly think I could go on, but I really have already wasted enough time with this one. It's boring, its marketing is misleading, and you can tell from just about every aspect of this book that it is a debut with shockingly little polish and utterly empty characters, apart from Sol, the best part of the book.

It's rushed, yet it somehow also feels agonizingly slow. I wanted this premise to work, I was so prepared to be swept away by this book. I legitimately pumped my fists in the air when I got approved for this one, so I really had high hopes for it to work. But you know what they say about high expectations: the higher they are, the longer and harder the fall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for the e-arc of this book!

May the Best Man Win by ZR Elliot is full of messy queers, found community, and second chances. It's not a light romcom, although it has both romance and some funny bits. It's definitely more of a cautionary tale for what happens when society forces queer kids to wade through the waters of homophobia and abuse on their own.

Jeremy is a few things. He's a cheerleader, he's gay, he's popular. He's also trans but he's looking to make a mark on his high school in his senior year so that his trans-ness doesn't define him. He doesn't want to be a trans guy, he just wants to be a guy. His solution? Run and win homecoming King. The only problem is that his ex Lukas is also running in a desperate attempt to try and keep the pieces of his family together. They'll spend the school year locked in a battle to guarantee the outcome - may the best man win.

The first thing I want to touch on in this review is the main characters. Yes, they're awful in some parts. Yes, they do some truly stupid things in the name of proving their points. They're messy. They're scared. They're desperate. They're teenagers. That's what happens when kids are left to wade through the politics of privilege and identity completely alone. Jeremy comes off as an absolutely egotistical ass - and the really lovely thing about that is it's the suit of armor people sometimes wear in order to hide the soft bits underneath. He's scared and lonely and feels unworthy of love. Lukas is autistic and his brother has just passed away, so he's trying very hard to keep everything together and be both himself and the son his parents lost. I really loved his character. He's just trying his best to shoulder everything. But he also makes some really bad decisions and I think that's okay. He's a really loveable character and I think the author did a fantastic job here of letting them be flawed and angry at a system that denies them entry for being different.

The aspect of the found community of fellow queers that Jeremy finds is so important. It really is the only way safety and understanding are found for some people. But the author took that a step further to touch on the fact that although the community is supposed to be a safe haven, there's also those within that gatekeep identities and try to use their privilege as a way to decide who's queer enough, who's allowed to exist in certain spaces. It's hard when you have to watch your back inside the space you're supposed to feel safe.

The side characters were all fun to read, and I appreciate that their friends didn't let Jeremy and Lukas get away with their shenanigans easily. They definitely had to grovel a bit and go through the entire journey to realize the how's and why's of their behavior, and I'm glad we got to see that aspect of it. The storyline of the rich, privileged school who pledges equality and protection while also doing nothing to see that both of those are assured was such a good example of how lip service is well and good until action actually needs to be taken. So many times big institutions (and I don't just mean school, I mean all of them) preach equality and pledge to do better only to fail when it really matters.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. Definitely recommend it if you're a fan of enemies to lovers and second chance romance, with some commentary on queer kids dealing with societal issues.

CW: Death of family member, transphobia, homophobia, sexual harassment, bullying, assault (on and off page), ableism, misgendering, toxic masculinity

I really struggled writing this review. I wasn’t expecting May the Best Man Win to be so gut wrenching and emotional. Readers should definitely be aware that this is not a cute and lighthearted romcom. There are certainly tender and sweet moments, but the majority of the novel is an emotional rollercoaster of anger, pain, fear, and confusion. The overall tone was very dark, with the main characters doing anything and everything to achieve their own selfish goals. I understand that Jeremy and Lukas are flawed individuals, but they did some pretty unforgivable things to each other and their supposed friends. I didn’t feel that there was ever really any accountability or reckoning for those actions. This made it hard to root for Lukas or Jeremy individually and/or as a couple since they were so unlikeable. Ultimately, I think there was so much going on in the book that it felt overwhelming and disjointed. Readers are only allowed to skim the surface of many of the topics and issues. For example, Lukas’s autism is mentioned, but only to explain some of his actions. His internalized ableism is never fully addressed or given the proper attention. The pacing seemed to stall and meander a bit in the middle and then suddenly it was racing to the finish. The entire drama about financially saving Homecoming felt over the top and unbelievable. I enjoyed Ben, Naomi, and Sol a lot, but I felt like they were almost like props, only to be used when convenient to move the story along. I wish those characters had been explored more, especially Sol.

The writing kept me reading to see what would happen next though and the book brought up many interesting and thoughtful discussions about sexuality and queerness. I appreciated the raw honesty and vulnerability of the characters and I think many readers will find beauty and comfort in this novel.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

When high school senior Jeremy Harkiss comes out as transgender he finds himself running for homecoming king against his ex, Lukas. This one has a lot of angst, which made it hard for me to get into the story, but once I did I was in. This story highlights how difficult (read: dangerous) society makes life for transgender/nonbinary people and how we (read: cis) regularly harm them in so many ways. Jeremy’s transition was a joy to read because it was heartbreaking and illuminating. The story as a whole made so many poignant observations about sex and gender and how we need to normalize everything non-binary. Supporting everyone in their journey to live their best authentic life benefits communities as a whole. Lukus’s story was equally compelling as he came to understand his own sexuality and how to become the best version of himself. I appreciated how he is on the autism spectrum and that is unique to his experience, but it wasn’t written as the center of his identity. This book has so much important representation, everyone and anyone should read it.

CW: transphobia, biphobia, homophobia, parental discord, hate crimes within schools

This one was a doozy. In my opinion, the cover makes it seems like this very adorable queer romance between two exes and their enemies-to-lovers story but it's a lot more than that. This book covers some very emotionally tolling situations that trans folk have to encounter in high school. It sheds light on matters such as schools not taking the sides of victims/survivors and instead of standing on the sideline so as to not upset the white cis community.

At first, Jeremy came off as mean and just like a machine that was barreling down not caring who he hurt along the way. But as you continue to read, you begin to understand that it's okay for him to feel angry when his fellow classmates continue to misgender him or deadname him. I promise it all comes together. Lukas was a lot to handle emotionally, as well. He was the character that put everyone else's needs before his own no matter the situation. It was difficult to see him literally tearing himself apart to please this image and path he had conjured in his mind.

Overall, the story was amazing. It was brutally honest and emotionally charged.

Rainbows and Sunshine
April 23, 2021

I really enjoyed this exes-to-lovers novel. But first, I've got to say that this is not a rom-com. The cover and blurb made me think that but it's a lot more intense.

✔Second chance romance
✔lovers-to-rivals-lovers
✔Childhood friends
✔Autistic MC
✔Trans MC
✔Dual POV

Reading this was book was like going through every emotion twice. I was angry, happy and sad. Jeremy got on my nerves for the majority of the book. Both Lukas and Jeremy are wonderfully messy and angsty and most of the time I wanted to scream at them to think. They make it so hard to like them but the character growth and development was really meaningful and by the end I could see how they are perfect for each other.

I loved the side characters, especially Sol. The friendships were great but I wish Naomi and Ben had a little more development than the Asian bestfriends. I also wanted a chapter with Lukas and Jeremy being a couple and just, I don't know, dating. The ending just feels a bit rushed.

But overall it was really good and I definitely recommend it but don't expect a rom-com, because I did, and it really surprised me.

TR: transphobia, deadnaming (not mentioned), homophobia, ableism, death of a family member, sexual harassment

*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

I've been waiting for this book for months and I was very excited to get confirmed for the arc. I loved our main characters, I got a bit confused in the second chapter because I didn't realize it was a dual perspective but both voices were very distinctive and I could always tell who was who. I think a lot of what I loved was how messy the characters were, which made them super realistic. Both Jeremy and Lukas were messy and angry and made mistakes, but that didn't make them terrible people, we saw where they came from and why they did what they did. I especially loved Sol winning Homecoming Monarch, honestly, no one deserved the crowns more than Sol and Naomi. I absolutely adored this book and how it gave us trans and autistic main characters, and Jewish, Asian, poly, lesbian, and other side characters.

This is a harder review to write as I have a lot of thoughts about this book.

This book is about two senior boys, Jeremy Harkiss, and Lukas Rivers who had been in a relationship for years, and friends before that. But they recently broke up when Jeremy announced his transition at the same time as Lukas is dealing with the death of his brother. Now in their senior year, they are competing for homecoming king against each other and have a lot of unresolved feelings for each other.

I want to preface this review saying, this is not a lighthearted, moderately messy romcom about a trans boy and a cis boy who used to date falling back in love after teenage drama. That was the impression I had of the book based upon the cover and blurb. But This is a serious, heavy book that covers deep issues, trauma, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism to name a few things. If nothing else, know that before going it. It might have changed my impression of the book knowing what to expect.

There is nothing inherently wrong with writing flawed, messy characters. Often they add a lot to books. But in order for those characters to shine, they need just as many reasons for us to fall in love with them as characters. And Honestly, I didn't get that with Jeremy. Or Lukas really, but particularly Jeremy.

Jeremy is a very selfish person. And part of that selfishness comes from being early in your transition- and to be seen you often act over the top and come off as obnoxious. At least I felt like I did in highsight. So I can understand it. But so often in the book people still flocked to Jeremy despite his selfishness and drama that seemed to follow every one of his actions. And I just didn't understand that. I had a lot of trouble seeing the appeal to his character in this book.

This is a spoilery section of the review but I had some serious issues with a couple plot lines as well- though in different ways.

<spoiler> I might be misinterpreting actions wrong but I think some of the things Jeremy and Lukas did to each other were pretty unforgivable. Especially Lukas showing the video of himself with Jeremy pre-transition to the whole school and displaying it like Lukas was some kind of legendary figure. I honestly found that so terrible. And in the end it seemed to just be forgiven and swept under the rug with the explanation of "A cis guy wouldn't understand why that was bad." It might be true but it's not an excuse. Honestly I can't imagine anyone doing something like that with my pre transition pictures and being able to forgive them.

Also I had issues with how a big conflict happened towards the end of the book when $8000 of school funds is stolen right before the dance I couldn't figure out how that was going to be resolved. But the book had it that they sold $8000 worth of Candles in a single day? Like honestly? That's a stretch even for fictional books. I didn't like that plotline at all. But maybe I just didn't go to a rich high school so idk.

I actually didn't hate the character of Philip existing. (Don't get me wrong I hated him!) But people like him made this story actually more real for me anyway. </spoiler>

There were several things I loved in this book and loved a lot! The character of Sol is wonderful, and they were great. I really liked the role they played in both Jeremy and Lukas' lives. The other side characters seemed interesting too- I really liked Ben and Naomi. I also really, really loved how this book showed what it is like to be early in your transition. I'm not a transman like Jeremy, but a transwoman- but a lot of similar dysphoric feelings can be understood similarly. And I thought it was portrayed so well.

I also loved the GSA crowd and their community they carved out. It made me happy to see everyone standing for each other there. With one exception, but that seemed very intentionally placed. I liked how that all was handled.

This book has a lot of really great things to say about queerness, sexuality, and showing what it is like to be a baby trans- and how truly difficult that is. But unfortunately I couldn't get in to all the major characters as much or the story so this was tough for me. 2.5/5.

<i> Thank you to Netgally and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an ARC of this book </i>

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2021; it lives up to the hype. From the cover, I thought this was a romcom, but it's so intense and dramatic, much more like a teen soap opera than a traditional romance. The emotions are raw and all-encompassing, just like how I remember the stress of identity in high school to be. Conversations about homophobia, transphobia, TERFs, losing community, and building support are all woven into the plot, as well as the difference between people making ignorant mistakes and having malicious intent. The side characters are fleshed out and more likeable than the main characters (Sol is my favorite). So, so well done.

I really enjoyed this YA enemies to lovers and second chance romance story. I felt the two main characters were complex with motivations that were understandable. Because of the multilayered approach to both main characters, I found myself fascinated with the story and where their overall journey would lead. The author meticulously wove together a complex story that appeared effortless in the topics and personal stories involved. I enjoyed this novel and cannot wait for more from this author.

A brutally realistic take about queer love and the trans, high school experience, May the Best Man Win is a book that manages to make you care about and root for both boys despite the hurt they have caused not just to themselves, but also people they care about, in their determination to win the crown, proving just how messy and wonderful in their imperfection humans can be.

Such a good one. MAY THE BEST MAN WIN is not a quirky cute romcom. But not every trans or LGBTQ story needs to be cute or inspirational.

I really liked that we got flawed characters who felt so real and authentic, who made mistakes, who kept fighting tooth and nail against people who don’t want them to be happy or even exist.

This is an intense YA read, and it’s definitely an anthem for the trans, queer, and nonbinary people who don’t quite fit (or don’t feel accepted by) with the rest of the community. I can’t wait for readers to get their hands on this book soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Jeremy just came out as trans just a couple months ago. It’s his senior year and he’s desperate for everyone to see him as the boy he is, not the girl that never really existed. He needs to be Homecoming king, to be seen as a boy in the eyes of his classmates, and to confirm to himself that he really is boy enough. He’s dealing with his own internalized issues as well as having a mother who is kind of accepting of who he is but is still struggling herself. As a feminist, she feels like Jeremy turned his back on her when he came out, no longer one of the girls. Jeremy just wants to be a guy, not a trans guy, just a guy. He doesn’t want to be singled out like that. Since he’s in the early stages of his transition, only three months into HRT, he doesn’t quite have the physical characteristics that identify him as a boy at first glance. Plus, he’s still in the same school, the same neighborhood, where people recognize him as what he used to look like.

Lukas is Jeremy’s ex-boyfriend. Jeremy broke up with him right when he was coming out and Lukas doesn’t know why. But he also wants to be Homecoming king. Maybe if he gets crowned, he’ll get into a good college. Maybe he’ll finally be good enough for his family, finally enough for them to stop comparing him to Jason, his brother who died just a few months ago. He’s spreading himself thin, between Homecoming committee, three AP classes, football, and trying to hold his family together, while also dealing (or not dealing) with his brother’s death and a breakup. He’s also struggling because he’s autistic, and almost no one knows. He’s failing AP Biology because his teacher won’t let him use a computer to take notes, instead making him use her own method. But he doesn’t want to tell the school he’s autistic and get an education plan and accommodations because he’s ashamed and doesn’t want to be singled out.

The story is told in alternating chapters, switching between Lukas’s and Jeremy’s point of view. I really enjoyed seeing the same events from both perspectives, as it puts their reactions into sharp relief.

Both Lukas and Jeremy hurt their friends immensely, using them and taking them for granted to get what they want. Jeremy is especially bad at this, acknowledging that what he is doing is wrong but putting off apologizing or justifying his decisions in such a way that makes them seem like the only choice. He’s so desperate to win the title of Homecoming king and he dosen’t care who he takes out while he does it, including his best friend, Naomi. Despite their terrible decisions, Lukas and Jeremy are likable, in the end. I definitely feel like I understand their motives, even if their actions were somewhat reprehensible.

There were so many things happening! The run for homecoming king, yes. But also Jeremy’s attempts to find new friends and cope with being a trans man. Lukas dealing with the death of his brother and his fracturing family. Naomi and her issues with Jeremy, how he makes everything about himself when she’s struggling, too. Applying for colleges: Jeremy wants to become a lawyer like his mom, attending Harvard and studying law. Lukas wants to go to Stanford, some big college that’ll make his family proud. Also, facing the transphobia at school. One of Jeremy’s old friends is super conservative, sure to join the army after he graduates, with a war profiteering father. Philip has it out for Jeremy, spouting transphobic nonsense, misgendering and deadnaming Jeremy on more than one occasion. Even physically attacking Jeremy. Philip inspires Jeremy, who is also student body president, by the way, to propose the revision of the code of conduct. The code of conduct as it stands doesn’t protect against verbal harassment, or sexual harassment. It barely protects against physical assault. It’s maddening!

Sometimes, tensions were dissolved too quickly. When I feel like characters would have been upset longer, the anger just disappears from one paragraph to the next, with no obvious cause. Also, there are a lot of conversations that are interrupted by internal thoughts, dragging what would have been a short conversation out into several pages full of internal reactions and flashbacks. The story focuses heavily on Lukas and Jeremy but their interactions are few and far between. It’s mostly arguments, sadly, not getting into the meat of their relationship until later, when everything was resolved so quickly.

I wish there was more focus on Sol, the trans non-binary person both Lukas and Jeremy are friends with. And Naomi, Jeremy’s best friend, who is Asian, as his her brother, Ben, Lukas’s best friend. Both of them deserved more than to be Jeremy’s and Lukas’s sounding board as regarded their fight for Homecoming king. Naomi, especially, did not deserve to get pushed aside as harshly as she was, not by Jeremy and definitely not by Lukas. Ben, at one point, is accused of cheating, and both Lukas and Jeremy let it happen, even though they are the direct causes of this misplaced blame.

Jeremy has some dangerous ideas as to what it means to be a boy, and I get that. You have to conform to societal gender ideals, to what society thinks a boy should look like. Like, boys don’t wear pink so Jeremy can’t wear pink or people will see him as a girl. He can’t claim to know how to sew because girls do that. He’s giving into toxic masculinity because he doesn’t want to be perceived as a girl. He also elevates himself above the other queer people at the school, particularly those in the GSA. He remarks that “they don’t even dress well,” showing how shallow he can be. He’s not shallow, not all the time. But he’s single minded and determined to be seen as a boy, no matter what.

I liked the two main characters, the inclusion of so many different queer identities, the variety of different relationships, and all the things that were happening. There was also an insane amount of resect shown towards Jeremy’s pronouns. Even when Lukas was speaking of Jeremy, something he did before he transitioned, he keeps to the same pronouns, with some minor stumbling in the beginning. The only time Jeremy is misgendered is when it’s by someone who doesn’t know he transitioned or when someone is being deliberately transphobic. Some parts of the story were a little unbelievable and tensions were resolved too quickly and easily at times but I was happy to suspend my disbelief to enjoy the story more.

My review will be posted on Goodreads and StoryGraph, with a blurb on my Instagram @bookish_bibliophage, posted closer to the date of publication.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an e-galley of May the Best Man Win!

I loved this book so much. It's the only book that I want to talk about this summer! May the Best Man Win is unapologetically queer -- and unapologetically messy. I'm so glad that I was able to read this ahead of time so that I can shout about it from the rooftops!

A twisted YA contemporary about a rivalry to be crowned homecoming king that doesn’t shy away from letting its queer and disabled protagonists be messy.

Content warnings include: transphobia (misgendering, deadnaming though deadname is not revealed on-page, TERF rhetoric), ableism specifically directed against austisic people, threat of blackmail/outing, bullying, violence, teenagers getting drunk, theft, dysphoria, sexism, homophobia, harmful gender roles, autistic student being denied accomodations (though teacher doesn’t know he’s autistic).
Mentions of: sexual harassment and assault, racism, death of family member, child abuse.

First up, I want to mention that the book goes a lot deeper and darker and more twisted than the fun, upbeat impression the cover and description lead you to believe. Not only are transphobia and ableism ever-present topics, but both protagonists do some seriously wrong things as they become hyperfocussed on their goal of winning the homecoming king title.

That said, I loved that both Jeremy and Lukas were allowed to be this messy, make mistakes, be angry and toxic and mess up. Jeremy is a white, out gay trans boy who just started HRT, and he’s cheer captain as well as student body president, and Lukas is white, autistic, cis, head of homecoming comittee, and also Jeremy’s ex-boyfriend. For both queer and disabled rep in media, especially within the YA range, there is still a certain pressure for said rep to be perfect and wholesome, so I loved to see these boys go through all sorts of bad emotions, lack impulse control, do the wrong thing and hurt each other – even if it was sometimes hard to read and I found some of their actions appalling.

I particularly enjoyed Jeremy’s portrayal as unafraid to take up space, being loud and angry and speaking up for himself, all while we still get to see how vulnerable he is on the insight, and how the constant microaggressions both beat him down, fuel his anger, make him act out and push his friends away. It was infuriating and heart-breaking, but also uplifting and ultimately hopeful within the confines of the plot.

I also liked how Lukas’s autism was depicted, though being undiagnosed myself I don’t feel like I can speak about its authenticity. Much like Jeremy’s experiences with transphobia, Lukas experiences a lot of casual ableism, in the form of how he is treated by his family, interpersonal interactions, and being denied the accomodations he needs to be able to study properly. He, too, uses this as fuel for his ambition, though he acts out in a very different way to Jeremy.

There was an underlying second chance romantic subplot, but to be honest I wouldn’t categorize the book as a romance. The hurt the two protagonist cause each other and outsiders and their ambitions and anger plays a much bigger roles than their romantic feelings. There is a happy ending, though, for almost everything, even if some subplots didn’t get a conclusion. This didn’t feel unfinished, but fit the tone of the book very well.

Also great were the side characters, many of whom were queer or POC or both. I especially adored Sol, a nonbinary Latinx computer genius who gets more or less involuntarily drawn into Lukas’s and Jeremy’s drama, but ends up being very crucial to the plot. They as well as other side characters were dynamic, complex people with their own goals and issues, and definitely not just there as plot devices or to get hurt by the protagonists (though the latter happens a lot).

Aside from the mildly stiff first chapters, the book was well written. I read it in a single day, staying up late to finish it. It was engaging from beginning to end, handling many more topics aside from transphobia and ableism, like broken families, toxic masculinity, breakups and romance, harassment and bullying, messy friendships, old traditions and money and bureaucracy, and how they all intersect, especially with sexism.

I do think this is a great YA debut, and I do recommend the book to anyone who can handle the content warnings.

I really enjoyed this book, and had a difficult time putting it down once I started reading. The characters jumped off the page and I felt very connected to them from the very start. I did expect this to be more of a rom-com, but be warned that it's definitely a heavy-hitting, painful, gut-wrenching book. And while there is a lot of sweetness, this is most certainly not a rom-com.

3.5

May the Best Man Win was a great read! I was really excited to read this, and it didn't quite match my expectations, but I still liked it.

The two main characters, Jeremy and Lukas, are a former couple who had a bad breakup. When the time comes for Homecoming, they find themselves competeting against each other for the title of Homecoming King. All the while, they are both struggling with their own identities and problems.

May the Best Man Win deals with a lot of difficult and serious topics. For the most part, I would say that the author does a decent job (though I can't speak for some of the communities). There was good representation of trans, gay, autistic, non-binary, and POC characters. I did feel like some of the characters and stories were glossed over a bit. I wanted to learn more about Sol, in particular, and who they were as a person. I felt like the book dragged on a bit in the middle. Jeremy and Lukas grew on me, but I have to admit, they weren't my favorites in the beginning. This book was definitely a little cliche and predictable, but that didn't take away from the story for me. I was still wanting to read more of what was going to happen.

Overall, this was a good read that I would recommend.

Disclaimer: eARC provided by NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review.

I'm gonna preface this by saying I really wanted to like this book. The cover, the synopsis, everything about it screamed it would be something I loved so much so that it was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I was thrilled that I got approved for the arc and I'm sad to say it was less than satisfactory. Up until the end I was seriously considering one staring this book, but the way it wrapped up gave it some points.

I am a really character driven person and the fact that I could not stand one of the two main characters really brought this down considerably for me. I want to say that, as a trans person, I have dealt with internalized transphobia and I know what that's like, that is not my issue with Jeremy, however. With the way that Jeremy's character arc was set up, I expected there to be a big change from him at the beginning of the book to the end and, while there is some development, it isn't enough to make him likeable. He made some bad choices that weren't really addressed later on and that really bugged me. It seemed almost like there were no permanent consequences to his actions.

Next, the neurodivergent rep was something that bugged me. As someone who is neurodivergent, I felt that Lukas being autistic was always something that was spoken of in a very taboo way. When we first find out he had a disability, we are never told what it is. It is simply referred to as his disability. His internalized ableism isn't treated with the same respect as Jeremy's internalized homophobia which doesn't strike me very well. I really wish that was addressed more because internalized ableism isn't talked about super often. It would've been a refreshing change of pace.

Again, I really did want to like this book. Credit where credit is due, I couldn't stop reading it. It's like a car crash, you can't look away. You want to know what happens next if only to get some resolution. All in all, if you want to read a book about queer high schoolers competing for the homecoming crown, You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson is amazing and sapphic and actually gives their POC characters the spotlight they deserve instead of only being there to further the white main characters' plot.

Thanks Netgalley and Publishers for an arc of this book.

I went into this book fairly blind but was hooked from the start.

TW: Homophobia, Transphobia, Sexual Assault, Death of a sibling,

This book was a lot heavier in content than I expected it to be but I loved the growth of the individual characters along with the growth of the relationship between Jeremy & Lukas. There's so many things that go wrong in their duel for the homecoming king crown but the ending isn't rushed when wrapping things up. Part of me wishes the epilogue was a little more into the future to see where their relationship was at post graduation and that some scenes didn't drag out too long so we would've gotten more of them. Also, there was a lot of LGBTQ+ rep in this book but the prominent rep was more specifically gay rep & trans rep.

Overall, Jeremy & Lukas had a great storyline and I'm so glad I was able to read an arc of this novel.

Oh, man. I did not expect this book to put me through the wringer the way it did!

The two heroes, a trans guy and an autistic guy, both gunning for the Homecoming King crown, are both complicated people with a lot of darkness under the surface. You can tell they don't just *want* to win, they *need* to, because that crown symbolizes everything that can heal what's broken in their lives.

Of course it's easy for us to say you can't fix your problems that way. They don't care what we think. They're getting that crown, and if they have to do stupid and dangerous and cruel things to do it . . . well, they might just.

Jeremy has this to say about himself:

<blockquote>Most of the older trans guys I’ve met, both online and in real life, are boring, responsible father figures with lots of cats. All of them have insightful transition advice that involves managing your anger, putting extra care into your close friendships, and a lot of bullshit things mentally healthy people do. None of them understand I’m seeking advice on how to be the obnoxious little shit I am at heart. </blockquote>

And yes, he is an obnoxious little shit. I loved him for it. If you like perfect heroes, you won't. If you're always secretly rooting for chaotic bad boys, you'll be on his side.

He does conceal some inner fragility, which of course is the nougaty center I love bad boys for:
<blockquote>Asking for love as a trans person, with the blunt hammer weight that word carries, feels like walking on fragile, cracking ice. Asking for love as the angry mess I am feels like inviting dark water to swallow me whole. Of course, I didn’t want to test his love for me. I knew it would have a breaking point. I just didn’t want to learn where that was.</blockquote>

For all that, though, I related to Lukas more. He thinks he can fix all his problems by making charts and then working himself to death. He's the Good Boy of the story, but he also does some stupid and hurtful things.

I read a lot of action novels where whole planets are going to be blown up in thirty seconds, but I never break out in sweats the way I did at some of the tense moments in this book. You know how in high school, everything seems so *big,* like if you get in trouble or if someone spreads a rumor about you, it is the literal END OF THE ENTIRE WORLD? This book made me feel that.

I think, on a deep level, the real theme of this book is that we all think we're the only one hurting, messed up, broken, insecure. We imagine everyone else is doing just fine. And that can make us cruel, because we see our own fragility and everyone else's brave front and think nobody else can be hurt but us.

Definitely recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for providing the eARC. All opinions are my own.