Wow! This was an absolute entertainer right from the first page until the very end! Off late, I had been reading books that have really been disappointing so I was not sure what to expect from this one - but oh boy, this is EVERYTHING!! I loved the characters, the conflict and especially the second chance - best-friends-turned-enemies-turned-friends-turned-lovers trope!! I am not into football but I love reading books that have footballers XD This reminded me a lot of Date Me Bryson Keller which again I loved. Please read it!!

I love books about football, or really any kind of sport and this is just the perfect mix of drama, romance, and high school football. This follows two boys named Julian and Elijah. Julian is the High School quarterback, a nearly straight A student, everyone’s dream kid. All he wants is a ticket out of his small town. Elijah is the town troublemaker who returns after three years, carrying many secrets. The two used to be best friends and this is the story about them coming back together again and maybe becoming something more.

The most remarkable thing about this book was how easy it was to read. I easily blew through the first 25% within an hour. Everything about the writing style is so breezy and relatable and I could see myself as a character in this very grounded story.

I also liked that this wasn’t a coming out story. It was just about two guys, no need to put many unnecessary labels on them or force a story that relies on their sexuality and that was incredibly refreshing. Everything about their relationship as it ebbs and flows was so natural and so was the interactions with all the other supporting characters. Everyone had a place and a story to tell and not once did I think someone was here to fill a page or to stretch the story on for a couple more pages.

This was simply a really effective and wonderfully written story. It’s packed full of emotions and by the end of it, you are rooting for all the characters involved. There’s a lot of high school drama and football and if those are things you enjoy, I would definitely recommend this to you. Go pick this up today.

Sidelined by Kara Bietz is a light, quick read that I finished in one sitting. It is a story of second chances, understanding, and love.

The story follows Julian and Elijah who had been best friends, maybe even more than friends years ago, when Elijah suddenly disappeared in his life without saying goodbye. In their senior year, Julian already planned out what he had to do in hope to get a scholarship and make it out of Meridien. However, Elijah suddenly came back. Three years were not enough to completely forget their feelings for each other, and Elijah was determined to prove himself to Julian. With the town’s secrets, misunderstanding, and pressure of winning the season game, would Julian and Elijah surpass these challenges?

The story was told in dual perspective of the two main characters. Because of this, readers could easily learn about the characters’ emotions, struggles, and fears. I think the author did a great job portraying the characters for they acted exactly what most teenagers do in their age. It was also quite refreshing to read how the characters were comfortable with their sexual identity. The story is mainly about how Elijah and Julian figuring out their feelings and where they wanted their relationship to go. Moreover, prejudice and small town secrets and traditions were also discussed which added other layers to the story.

The characters were fleshed out enough as well. The history between Elijah and Juliann was well-written, although I was expecting more angst on it. The two main characters somehow had opposite personalities but still I really enjoyed their dynamics.

Overall, Sidelined by Kara Bietz was a sweet, delightful read. This novel perfectly captured the aspects of teenage love, football, and senior year. I recommend this novel to readers looking for a fast, yet adorable queer read.

4/5 stars!

I would like to thank TBR Beyond Tours for hosting this book tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Sidelined

Author: Kara Bietz

Book Series: Standalone

Diversity: Gay MC raised by grandma, Gay MC raised by single mom, M/m romance

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, sports, sports romance, football, m/m romance

Genre: YA Contemporary Sports Romance

Publication Date: September 21, 2021

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 306

Recommended Age: 13+ (Religion, Romance, Teen pregnancy)

Explanation of CWs: Religion is central to the plot, but there's no homophobia or religion used to further homophobia. No one really cares they're gay. Romance is sweet and subtle. Just kisses and hugs. Teen pregnancy is used as a plot device to further the main characters romance and friendship.

Synopsis: Julian Jackson has a short to-do list for his senior year at Crenshaw County High School in Meridian, Texas: football, football, and more football. He knows he's only got one chance to earn a college scholarship and make it out of his small town, and keeping his head down, his grades up, and his cleats on the field is that one chance. And then Elijah Vance walks back into his life, throwing all of his carefully-laid plans into a tailspin.
 
Elijah and Julian used to be best friends, maybe even on their way to something more than just friends. But three years ago, Elijah broke into the school to steal money from the coach's office, and Julian was the one who turned him in. After that, Elijah and his family disappeared without a trace. And now he's back, sitting at Julian's grandmother's kitchen table.
 
But time and distance haven't erased all of their feelings, and Elijah knows that he finally has a chance to prove to Julian that he's not the same person he was three years ago. But with secrets still growing between them and an uncertain future barreling towards them, it may be harder to lean on each other than they thought.

Review: For the most part I liked this book a lot. I loved the sports romance and how well connected the boys were. I liked the enemies to lovers aspect and how well developed all of the characters were. The world building was also well done.

However, there's just some things in the book that didn't land well for me. Teen pregnancy was used as a plot device to further the romance between the two boys and once that was done it was never really talked about again. The book had two tropes: miscommunication and enemies to lovers. Both were solved mid way through the book. The cover scene on the book isn't even in the novel and, with the exception of one mention in the book, it nor the title connect with the story at all. The last chapter is a jump forward and it's disjointing and not detailed that it's a jump forward. And I just kinda felt like the issues Elijah had were resolved with Julian, but not with the town overall.

Verdict: Overall, good m/m romance but not enough plot behind the story.

Book Review

Title: Sidelined by Kara Bietz

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, LGBT

Rating: 4 Stars

Sidelined definitely wasn’t my typical genre of reading but it was interesting. We are following to main characters, Elijah and Julian who have some history together in both good and bad ways. Julian has a plan for senior year and it involves getting good grades, playing football an obtaining a scholarship to get out of Meridien. However, all these plans are seemingly ruined when his best friend and possibly something more, Elijah returns. Year before, Julian and Elijah were good friends until Julian caught Elijah breaking into the school to steal some money and turned him in. After this Elijah and his family moved away without even saying goodbye meaning there is some bad blood between the pair at first. Both boy soon realise though that time and space hasn’t erased the feelings they have for each other and Elijah is determined to show Julian that he’s not the person everyone thinks he is. This novel at its core is a story about secret, reality and acceptance as both Julian and Elijah fight to be themselves and to be together in a world where that doesn’t fit into the expectations of them.

While Sidelined wasn’t the genre I normally read I found it to be sweet and funny and I read it in a single sitting. It is told from the point of view of both Julian and Elijah which made them feel more fleshed out as characters. We see them try to navigate high school, expectations from others, their own history and what they are dealing with in the present. I really enjoyed the fact that Julian and Elijah were very different people as Julian is the son of the town hero while Elijah is son of a thief. Both boys often find themselves at times weighed down by the expectations of others and they struggle to escape them and show the world they are more than their fathers’ sons.

Throughout both points of view we get to see the boys accept their feelings, attraction and love for one another. We also get to see their individual passions, struggles, fears and friends through their eyes which is always something I enjoy. However, Elijah and Julian are teenagers so everything seems a bit dramatic at times even when it doesn’t need to be. Their relationship as a whole was a lovely dynamic but it is often complicated by misunderstanding and miscommunication which is a trope I personally despise which put me off a little but they do eventually figure out how to talk through their feelings learning to trust and support each other. Bietz really focuses on people’s prejudices and preconceptions when it comes to Juliana dn Elijah and how hurtful they can be. Despite this, Julian and Elijah are determined to be themselves and be free from expectations which they do manage to achieve.

Overall, Sidelined was a very enjoyable read but it did have some hit or miss moments for me personally. I felt that the writing was good but a little young for my taste but I’ve learnt to deal with that in young adult novels. Most of my issues stem from the romance, the miscommunication trope is used a lot during the first half of the book and it was just unnecessary been as Elijah and Julian are good at communicating for the majority of the novel, it is only when feelings for each other are involved which made me feel off as the miscommunication trope is something that I hate especially when the novel is centred around a romance. Apart from that I thought Sidelined was very good and it got a 4 star rating from me.

I had never read anything from Bietz before but I was blown away by what a quick and easy to get into book this was, I was honored to be able to read it and cannot wait to pass it on to my teen. This book so seamlessly made me comfortable with Julian and Elijah, as if I was inside the story and not just a casual observer.

The depth of their second chance at friendship and more, with mixed emotions, family struggles and the communities preconceived ideas of what a Texas footballer or teen from a certain family made this book incredibly relatable. Books like this one make me so excited for teens today, to have books that they identify with and can find the tough topics to lean into.

Thank you to TBR Beyond Tours for having me on this tour, and for the ARC thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and the Novl for the opportunity to read this one!

Thank you so much, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book in exchange of an honest review.

Julian Jackson knows what to do in senior year: get good grades, play football and hoping to get a scholarship and make it out of Meridien, but all his plans are upset when his best friend (and maybe something more) comes back in his life. Elijah Vance and Julian Jackson were best friends years ago, but when Julian caught him breaking into school to steal the car wash money and turned him in, Elijah and his family left without saying goodbay. Now that he’s back, Julian and Elijah realize time and space didn’t erase their feelings and Elijah is determined to show Julian he’s not the person everyone thinks he is. Between secrets, between them and in the city and the fear for their own futures, Julian and Elijah fight to be themselves and together.

Sidelined was a brilliant, sweet and funny read I devoured right away. The story is told by two POVs, Julian’s and Elijah, while they navigate high school, expectations from others, their history together, their past and present. Julian and Elijah are very different from one other. Julian is the son of the town hero, a town obsessed with football, traditions and history, while Elijah is, unfortunately, seen as the son of Eric Vance, who is in jail and who tried to steal money, three years ago. Both of them are weighed down by people’s, right and wrong, expectations and both are struggling to fit and escape them, to show the world and themselves they are more than their fathers’ sons. Elijah’s return to Meridien upset Julian’s plans and changes everything, unearthing secrets and so much more.

The story focuses on Julian and Elijah, on their journeys, getting more and more close to one other and facing the world and future together, understanding each other better, while, also, focusing on football, friends, town’s traditions and funny and moving moments.

Through Julian’s and Elijah’s POVs, the author talks about their feelings, attraction and love, their passions and friends, their struggles and fears. Julian and Elijah are teenagers, dealing with school’s pressures and expectations, unpredictable futures, friends and family and they are very realistic in their feelings and actions. They fight, laugh, they are scared, upset, in love with one other, afraid to lose each other in a windwhirl of emotions and beautiful and intense moments.

Their relationship is lovely, complicated by misunderstandings and secrets and I loved the way they are open with one other, talking and explaining, trusting, helping, supporting and loving one other.

The author also deals with people’s prejudices and preconceptions, expectations and how hurtful they can be, how often push others into boxes and refuse to let them out. Julian and Elijah are determined to be themselves, to be seen as they are, to be free from others’ expectations and be in love and together.