May the Best Man Win features dual perspective reading style between our two main characters, Jeremy and Lukas. The author uses this style of storytelling well balancing the two perspectives so that the reader understands what is going on. The writing style was one I truly loved.
One of the main characters of May the Best Man Win, Jeremy is trans. He wished to be crowned homecoming king. He learns that his ex-boyfriend who he dumped before coming out is also going for the crown. Through the book you witness their rivalry for the crown. The relationships throughout the book are well fleshed out. The author gives a great look into what it’s like being someone who is trans. There are a few downsides to this book though. I felt while the plot was very fast paced which I loved there were times where things happened that felt unnecessary. It made the plot feel like it dragged despite things continuously happening keeping the plot packed.
Overall I have this book a 5 out of 5 stars because this book features a lot of good representation and the plot was really interesting and for the most part well executed.

I wanted SO badly to like this story. Based on the gorgeous cover and intriguing synopsis alone, this was one of my most anticipated books of 2021. I'm very sad to say that I did not enjoy this book whatsoever.

May the Best Man Win follows two characters as their lives intertwine during a race for prom king. Jeremy Harkniss is a trans boy, who is eager to prove his manhood by winning prom king. Lukas is the quarterback of the football team, the most popular guy in the grade, and is a shoe in for prom king. The plot twist? Pre coming out and transitioning, Jeremy, the cheerleading "It Girl" was dating Lukas.

One of the main struggles Lukas faces throughout the book is his struggle with autism. Though my mom has autism, I do not and thus I can't speak on the representation of Lukas's autism as I'm not qualified. I will say, however, that Lukas's autism is rarely mentioned except when it's necessary to explain his actions, which happens rarely. The symptoms of his autism are only discussed when he has trouble learning in his AP Bio class, and when he has an occasional hard time reading tone. What I didn't like about this representation was how little resolution there was to it: Lukas had a hard time learning in class, and nothing was ever done about the *systemic* inequality that he faced in the classroom. He sometimes had a hard time reading or inflecting tone in conversation, but he never indicated this to the characters he was talking to that knew he had autism, thus communication errors were never solved.

Jeremy struggles with his manly identity throughout the book, which is pretty common for trans characters. Jeremy quite literally always takes his issues out on his friends. The whole book is him basically setting his relationships on fire. The book often shows his anger issues, although they're never developed past acknowledgement. To say that Jeremy is one of the most unlikable characters I've ever read would be an understatement: his constant unwillingness to think of anybody but himself is rarely understandable, and always annoying as hell.

I found myself dragging through the first half of the book, just wishing and hoping that it would get better. The plot picked up speed during the second half, although it was very sporadic and at times hard to follow. The book unfortunately never got better, but I persisted through the second half so that I could write this review.

The one redeeming quality I found in this story was the diverse cast, although I found a lot of the characters were sidelined and not done justice. One of the main side characters, Sol, is a nonbinary Latine kid; another side character, Naomi is an Asian girl. Ultimately, both of these characters were only used to advance the plot and character development of Jeremy and Lukas forward. We never got to explore who Naomi and Sol were beyond their relationships to Jeremy and Lukas, which I think is a shame, because I would've loved hearing more from them about how the careless actions of Jeremy and Lukas affected them than just a couple lines.

All in all, I wouldn't say this book is worth the read. As somebody with sensory processing disorder, something I like to say about books like this is: "if you want to know what it's like to have sensory processing disorder, just read this book in a brightly lit room." This book is at times very messy, which some people may find beauty in, but I just found a headache.

MAY THE BEST MAN WIN has amazing autistic, trans, nonbinary AND poly representation - it has amazing representation overall, but those are the ones that I can personally attest to. We love a good lover-to-enemies-to-lovers plot as well as beating up transphobes through the law!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an arc of this book.

After dumping his long term boyfriend before transitioning, Jeremy Harkiss decides to throw everything he has into campaigning for Homecoming King his senior year. His confused ex-boyfriend, Lukas has his own reasons for running against Jeremy as he tries to navigate his crumbling family and confusion over the break up. The two boys go head to head as they tear their worlds apart to get what they think they want.

I loved this book with my whole heart. I was caught up instantly in the story, and so curious to find out why Lukas and Jeremy had broken up and what their lives would look like. Everything escalates so far, and there is so much drama. There were times when I wasn't sure how any of the characters in this book would be able to forgive each other, but it also read very true to the way teenagers can get over things that are important to them.

Jeremy and Lukas are definitely an opposites-attract couple, and there was so much fire and chemistry between them. I also loved the diverse cast of characters included in this book and their friends (and frenemies) and their families.

This book deals with heartbreak, gender and sexual identity, bullying and harassment, cheerleading and football, college applications and failed Biology Tests. The writing and details were so rich and everything came together in terrible and beautiful ways that absolutely broke me and then put me back together.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Pub date: May 18, 2021

Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Deadnaming, Grief, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Transphobia
Moderate: Death, Cursing, Misogyny , Racism, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Blood, Violence, and Vomit

This is a book I really enjoyed, and would highly recommend to friends. Although Theo basic plot was what I expected, it went about things in a way that I did not expect, but in a good way. It’s nice seeing representation in books when you don’t expect them, and they are done in a good way. I loved how when one of the characters realized they were gay, there was no over the top reaction from them and they took it in stride. I look forward to being able to read more of Z. R. Ellor’s work.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillian Children's for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

The way my heart is soaring after reading this, even hours later, is a true testament to how incredible this book is. The way ZR was able to be so realistic with the messiness of high school, but allowing all of his characters to learn and grow? It was an absolute delight to read!

The fact this was a cheerleader and football player being messy and gay.. it truly gave me everything. I loved Jeremy's character. His need to want to be seen for who he was. Everything about him made my heart swell and simultaneously break. I just wanted to hug him. Lukas, oh Lukas, My little cinnamon roll. I adored Lukas. What a fantastic character. He was such a complimentary figure to Jeremy. I don't want to spoil anything, but I also really enjoyed the found friendships, the relationships, the representation. It was all so fantastic. Everything was so well done, from the plot, to the character arcs, to the way this could really describe the dramatics and need for attention I felt/experienced in high school, I LOVED this. I can't get over it. Plus, hello? Have you seen the cover? How could you not love it?

It's even hard to get my thoughts out because I just have so many on how much I loved this. I think my favorite part was the fact that it wasn't neat and they weren't totally perfect. I loved that they were messy, and had issues and messed up. It was relatable. Fantastic, truly. I highly recommend y'all checking this out when it comes out!

This book was a lot different than what I thought it would be going in. I thought it would be like a super light rom-com style book. And it definitely had it’s rom-com elements! But I think the stories are a bit more heavy and complicated than that. This book is more about two teenagers dealing with societal, parental etc. pressures and it kind of bringing out the worst in both of them. And I really enjoyed it. I love when authors write teenagers as authentic and flawed as they humanly are.

And I can already see so many adult readers calling the characters in this problematic etc. and I’m fully ready to fight on both Jeremy & Lukas’ behalf. Because they’re teenagers dealing with things a lot of people could never understand or comprehend dealing with at such a young age. And I think there are a lot of adult readers that don’t let teenagers be imperfect on paper in YA.

The rep in this was awesome! Of course there was the trans rep and the other lgbtq+ rep. But I did not expect there to be autism rep and that was a fucking awesome surprise.

So, basically this book is about imperfect teenagers being a little messy while dealing with huge things personally and it has a sweet love story at its core that I think a lot people will really enjoy.

CWs: transphobia, misgendering, grief, ableism, homophobia, bullying, physical violence

This wasn't exactly what I was expecting. It's still a lovers-to-strangers-to-enemies-to-lovers. It just was more Romantic Drama with humor than rom-com. But it was still an enjoyable read!

Jeremy Harkiss, Cheer Captain and SGA President, just came out as a transgender boy, but he doesn't want that to be the only thing that defines him, so he sets off to add Homecoming King to his resume to show that he's more than his gender identity and to show the transphobic students and alumni that he's more than the box they want to put him in.

Meanwhile, Lukas Rivers is drifting. His older brother recently died, his ex broke up with him and came out as transgender, his parents are fighting more, and he's struggling to keep it together. Homecoming King will make his parents and grandparents see him (not his brother). But when his ex decides to run against him, Lukas sets out to sabotage.

The characters were great for the most part. Jeremy and Lukas are jerks at parts of this novel, but they are called out on it, mostly every time. Sol, Lukas's neighbor and friend, stole the show with their impeccable style and attitude. Naomi, Jeremy's best friend, is struggling with being second to Jeremy's ghost of yesteryear. Ben is caught in the middle, as SGA VP, Naomi's brother, and Lukas's best friend. Reading about how Ben, Naomi, and Sol have to navigate the not-so-calm-waters between the two ex's was a nice perspective (especially in a dual POV book).

The only thing I really dislike about this novel is how obsessive and awful the two leads become in the desire to be Homecoming King. It's not cutesy rom-com shenanigans; it's darker. Luckily they get called out by a lot of people: themselves, friends, and each other. So, it was bearable because of that.

Because of the two lead's decision making skills, (aka making the "wrong" choices), my reading device was nearly a causality of being tossed across the room. It's the whole do-not-do-that-please and the character DOES THAT. Jeremy and Lukas were really well-written to cause such a dramatic response while reading, though.

All in all, this was a good read. It might not have been the rom-com I was expecting. It deals with the dangers of coming out, gender & sexuality, as well as, not blaming your LGBTQ+ status or disability for your jerk actions. The writing was also pretty good. There's so much to like about this novel, even though it nearly got tossed across the room a few times. :)

Special Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group / Roaring Brook Press for the e-ARC. I really enjoyed reading this,

Rep Included: Trans MC, Autistic MC, Gay Characters, Trans Nonbinary Secondary Character

I was lucky enough to receive an e-book ARC version to read. Having immersed myself in LGBTQ YA contemporary fiction lately, I expected something along the lines of angst, self-discovery, a happy, fluffy ending.

Spoilers: this book is <i>angry</i>.

It is not at all what you expect. It hits you in the face with the anger Jeremy faces daily in his attempt to convince his family, his peers, and the world that he is a <b>boy</b>. Jeremy makes no secret that he is trans and trying to carve out his new place in a high school that's always known him as a girl. He struggles with transphobia, dysphoria, and bullying. Throw in hormone replacement therapy and his chapters become an introspection into one person's transition and how testosterone causes volatile emotions to come to the forefront. Jeremy makes a couple of comments about this throughout the book, about his pediatrician warning him that testosterone can cause anger and about how he wishes he could be happy and positive again (the latter appears in the epilogue).

Jeremy's POV provides one window into a world where transitioning is brutal, heart-wrenching, messy, and unpredictable. It's not all sunshine and rainbows. No one is safe from the anger that cascades out of Jeremy, causing a tidal wave of rage throughout the school.

Throw in Lukas. He dated Jeremy prior to his transition, which resulted in a nasty break-up, leaving both sides hurt and harboring residual feelings. His brother died, leaving his family in tatters. And t top it all off, Lukas harbors a secret: he has autism, albeit high-functioning. He's trying to be the one-man BandAid for his family, his friends (who are also falling apart, caught as they are in Jeremy's wave of self-destruction), and his entire school as he heads up the Homecoming Committee. While it was nice to see a main character with autism, it provided a heart-wrenching introspection into what life could be like if someone with that diagnoses attempts to go through school without any sort of accommodation plan (5-6 AP courses, RB on the football team, and head of the homecoming committee).

This book covers many things that most authors leave unsaid and untouched: the social stigma of IEPs/504 plans; neurotypical people looking down on those who aren't and attempting to force them to meet neurotypical standards; dysphoria to the extreme; transphobia, homophobia, and the works; rich white gay boys looking down on the rest of LGBTQ+; the ASD experience; etc.

Ellor <i><b>DOES NOT</b></i> sugarcoat this story. It is not happy. It is not fluffy. There's a hopeful ending, if you squint a little bit. But it is not outright happy. Ellor refuses to pull punches here because this is a story that needs to be told. Truthfully, it is painful to read. It is a brual, heart-wrenching, life-altering story. But is one that the world needs to hear.

I almost didn't finish this book. It's well-written, the story is good. There's nothing wrong with it. The main characters (Jeremy and Lukas) are really awful to each other and the people around them and it was hard to root for either one of them.

I'm glad this book exists and I know there are many people who will love it. It just wasnt for me.

I was really impressed by this book. In the beginning, I was afraid it was going to be a bit of an Issues Book--like a starter guide for transgender issues--but quickly it became clear that while Jeremy's trans identity was central to the narrative, as it was to his life, there was a lot more to the story. I loved how messy both Jeremy and Lukas were, and how the narrative allowed them to make mistakes and hurt people with their choices without villainizing anyone. They were real, deep characters and I really enjoyed the time I spent reading about their lives. While the plot got a little holey at the very end (why did the stolen money threaten the dance? shouldn't it have already been paid for before the week of?) overall it was a really satisfying book with a colorful and endearing cast of characters.

This isn't the sweet romantic comedy the book cover makes it out to be, but that's not a bad thing.

I enjoyed this, not as much as I had hoped, but I was invested right away in Lukas and Jeremy's story. I wanted them to be together, I groaned at the misunderstandings, and I was thrilled at the teases of more.

There was a sweetness underneath the anger, the pain, and the meanness. You knew these characters were hurt but still felt something for each other. I just think maybe at times the mean spiritedness was a little more prominent than the romance. That's the only gripe I have about this book.

But it ended just how I had hoped it would, and honestly I do recommend it. Just know going in that it's a bit deeper than just a cute second chance romance, which is why it's so great.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I swear I’m not biased because the author is my friend and indulges my need for monthly game nights! I really really loved this!
If you’re expecting a quirky rom com, this isn’t that, this book is angry in a brutally honest way, it’s messy and honest and timely and ultimately victorious and that’s what I loved about it! It could’ve easily been a straightforward romantic comedy but honestly queer teens deserve angry because a lot of them ARE ANGRY, and they deserve validation from a book like this. Hell I’m almost 25 and I teared up because I felt particularly seen at one point.

Fight like hell, find your people, don’t be afraid to take up space. That’s such a powerful message.

Also, the book is damn funny. I lost track of how many times I had to put my phone down because I was laughing so hard I started crying I wouldn’t read straight.

Additionally, really good autistic representation can be hard to find and I haven’t seen that talked about much in the buzz around this! It has it, y’all!

This is the story of Jeremy, a recently-out trans guy, and his ex-boyfriend, Lukas, as they compete for Homecoming King. I really liked the plot concept of the novel and thought that it hit on some really important themes around transgender identity, sexuality, achievement, and being gentle with yourself. Although Jeremy is, as he admits, a bit of an ass, I think the reasons why are carefully laid out so it feels less annoying than it could. I thought the confused feelings around romance and how feelings manifest are spot-on for a teen romance.

My main gripe with this book is overwriting. There were points where it was overly saccharine or melodramatic, which took me out of the story. It doesn't feel realistic (like a lot of YA, IMO- not messy enough), but that is okay I think, as long as it doesn't dig too deeply in those over-the-top emotional elements. It was also too long. I think 25% needs to be cut to make it more impactful. I am also not particularly a fan of the dueling first-person narration. I think it takes a lot of work to keep the voices distinct and I think this book fails in that regard. Beyond the plot points, I couldn't see much difference between the two narrators. Sometimes, I forgot who was speaking, especially when they were both in a scene.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book that gets points for the inventive plot and important themes, but I think could deal with some tough edits to make it leaner and more impactful.

Oh, the DRAMA!

After coming out, Jeremy Harkiss is convinced that the way to prove, once and for all, that he is a man is to win Homecoming King. But his ex, Lukas Rivers, has the same goal in a last bid to make his family happy after the death of his perfect (but a jerk) older brother. A battle between the cheer captain/student body president and the football star/head of the Homecoming Committee, is going to get messy… and boy does it.

I wanted to enjoy this novel way more than I did, but I found it so stressful! It has so many things that I am interested in (transmasc protag, tiny sharp one and large soft one, TRAUMA, sorta enemies to lovers, arguably “unlikeable” character), but I found myself the entire time I was reading just begging the characters to make any choice OTHER than the ones they were making. Perhaps if I wasn’t going into this expecting a light romcom I would have felt differently, but it is definitely not light. May the Best Man Win is heavy, constantly dealing with bullying, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, toxic masculinity, and so many betrayals.

Although, I can’t say that I had a good time reading it because of the aforementioned stress, there were a lot of really great parts of the story that I liked and that will stick with me. (I'm always down for meditations on presenting when trans and what to do with anger and disappointment surrounding coming out. When Jeremy says he wants to wear Lukas like a skinsuit? Yes. I hear that. And I absolutely adored Sol, the only nonbinary character in the book... only partially because I am nonbinary, but mostly because they're great!)

This might be the perfect book for someone looking for a high drama storyline and I do hope to get the chance to read whatever ZR Ellor writes next, even if this particular one was not the perfect fit for me.

First of all, I just wanna say that this is NOT a romcom, despite what the cover and description may suggest. I'm not sure why it's marketed that way, and it definitely startled me once I got into the beginnings of the book. Trigger warnings for the book include: transphobia, homophobia, ableism, death of a family member.

This book is a split POV between Jeremy, a newly-out trans cheerleader going into his senior year determined to be crowned Homecoming King so he can prove to everyone at his traditional private school that he's a real guy, and Lukas, his football player ex-boyfriend who is struggling with his family life in the wake of his kinda crappy older brother's death and the ableism he faces at school for his autism. Lukas also wants to be Homecoming King, so he can list it on his college applications and maybe get the attention of his absent and grieving parents, who have always regarded him as lesser than his deceased "perfect" older brother.

In theory this is the main conflict of the story, and it is the vessel for so much of what happens in the book, but the real problem came from how Lukas and Jeremy interacted with their friends in their quest to become King. This is a book full of messy, realistic, unhappy feelings, and people actively treating each other like garbage and falling out of friendships. This isn't a bad thing at all but again, definitely not light and fluffy, and did make the eventual reconciliations feel more authentic.

One aspect of the book I could see as being perceived as over-the-top but that I found to be accurate, especially as a trans person myself, was Jeremy's intense anger throughout the whole book. Ellor did an excellent job writing how the built up frustration, especially at the beginning of transition when you are extremely raw and vulnerable and having the justify your existence to your loved ones and strangers and loved ones who treat you like a stranger, can spark and make it easy to lash out in what other people see as an overreaction. Which most of the time, it is, and you can even acknowledge it when you're in it, but for Jeremy especially as a teenager, doesn't make it any easier to cope with.

I also appreciated how Jeremy was allowed to be, I don't want to say an "unlikable" character because he is a teenager going through a difficult time in his life and transition, but a character allowed to make stupid mistakes and be a jerk and selfish, at times. He wasn't made to be a super sweet character with his being trans the only "personality conflict" he exhibits. He is accused of being selfish many times throughout the book in regards to his friendships,which is valid, but early transition should be a time for joyful selfishness after so long trying to please everyone else. No one should treat your friends how Jeremy did for parts of the book, but I was still glad to see some selfishness.

The reason why this is four star and not five is despite how I fond the book valuable and engaging is I don't know if I....enjoyed it? I also found the last few chapters very rushed and the way some plot points were tied up, or not, confusing and not at all in the same tone as the rest of the book, despite Ellor's excellent writing style. The book is on the longer side for a contemporary but if you're going to go for it, might as well write the ending all the way. I also wasn't a fan of how Ben and Naomi, the Asian best friends of the two main characters, were treated. It's clear in the book that the way they are being treated is terrible and Ben and Naomi aren't pushovers, but I still felt strange about how those relationships were handled.

One last thing: there's a lot of mentions, especially at the beginning of the book, of how much pain Jeremy's binder is causing him (so many I began highlighting them in my copy). To anyone reading this who is new to binding and/or considering binding: binding may be uncomfortable, but it SHOULD NOT hurt you. Listen to an old trans who's been binding daily for years, and consult one of the many fit guides from our brothers and siblings, or to the customer service at the company you are buying a binder from. Binding is an affirming way to help gender dysphoria and yes, it can make you sore and achy, but please don't let an incorrectly sized binder hurt you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

While the plot feels messy and the characters' ambivalence is entirely frustrating, I still mostly enjoyed reading this one. Jeremy and Lukas have chemistry, and I really enjoyed Lukas's journey especially. Something I haven't seen mentioned anywhere is that Lukas is autistic, and it was so nice to see autistic rep! 3.5, but I'm rounding to 4.

Exes Jeremy, a trans boy, and Lukas, the cis male quarterback of the football team, duke it out in a battle for homecoming king--and figure out their lingering feelings for each other in the process.

I was SO excited about the premise of this one, but I didn't love it. I love the idea of second chance romance, and there can never be enough books about gay trans boys, but I think that this particular book ended up just being too long with too much filler (maybe it needed a heavier hand in editing?). I'll still purchase and recommend it because we NEED more books like this one, but it just wasn't for me.