I wanted to like this book, and I tried so hard to love it. In the end, it fell flat for me. Yes, it felt pretty juvenile, but its written for a young audience, and I didn't have a problem with that. What I didn't enjoy was how inauthentic the characters and their actions felt. It's a pet peeve of mine when dialog and actions don't feel like things that real people would say or do, especially in realistic-ish fiction. The dialog felt stiff and all of the characters said things that didn't feel like stuff that real people would say, which always bothers me.

On the the story, Dylan works a boring job at Dairy Queen and thinks that going to the extent of his excitement in his small Pennsylvania town, until new guy Jordan, enters the picture in explosive fashion, quite literally. Dylan is captivated almost immediately, but Jordan is hiding a big secret from him. Their attraction to each other grows stronger until Dylan suddenly develops mysterious... symptoms.

Another massive pet peeve of mine is how Jordan and Dylan have their powers. I don't know why the books explanation drives me up a wall, but it absolutely does. I can accept that spider man has powers because he was bitten by a spider, so I don't know why the books explanation felt so painfully forced, but it did. If I really had to put words to it, I feel like they tried to give too much detail and make it too "possible" but that just made it feel ridiculous. It also bugged me that after just a week? Two weeks? Dylan is developing powers, but his aunt and uncle and other people in close contact with him haven't? And there's absolutely no explanation for how Dylan is getting powers when the author explained so thoroughly why Jordan has powers.

I feel like the ending was out of left field too, and wrapped up at break neck speed. While I think this is typical of YA, I felt it was particularly outstanding in this book and I found myself wanting more. The twist just wasn't it for me.

Despite all that, I didn't hate the book, I just didn't love it. I like the general idea and a lot of the stepping stones along the way, but some of the execution just felt flat to me. Perry and Kristen were my favorite characters by far, and even then I was constantly confusing them for each other.

this was a beautifully done first love story, I loved everything about this book. The characters felt like real people and that they were interesting. It was such a well done story and I look forward to reading more from Mr. Zepka.

High school changes you.
Coming out changes you.
First live changes you.


You just can’t predict how much.
For Dylan Highmark, predicting would have been impossible. When Jordan Ator walks into Dylan’s Dairy Queen, there was no way of knowing just how fast he’d fall. Sparks between them? Oh definitely. Figuratively and literally. Because you see, Jordan Isn’t like other boys Dylan’s met, and soon enough, Dylan finds himself infected with the same strange superpower, as he and his friends, and some enemies turned friends, have to figure out what is happening.

It’s not fair to find yourself dying when you’ve only just begun to live!

🔥Aw, that cover … It’s simply irresistible! One of the prettiest I’ve seen lately. I could swoon over it twenty-four hours a day … and those colors aren’t even my favorites …🔥

I like to judge a book by its cover, and a feel-good cover needs a feel-good book. The Temperature of Me and You definitely has that feel-good factor, in the cover, the title, AND the writing. It has a sixteen-year-old protagonist who’s never had a boyfriend, witty banter, great supporting characters, and an original premise. Recommended for fans of T.J. Klune’s The Extraordinaries and Simon James Green.

I love stories based on strong friendships. I adore stories about first loves. I smile when a teen is overly dramatic. And I devour cute and funny moments, especially after reading some heavier-themed stories. The Temperature of Me and You has it all, and I didn’t even know that I needed a book like this right now, until I started reading it! So, I grinned when Dylan, Perry, and Kirsten were de-stressing with paint-by-number kits. I said ‘ouch’ when Dylan touched Jordan for the first time. I laughed out loud about Perry’s Love Connection. I chuckled when Dylan made references to Pokémon. I got butterflies in my belly when Dylan and Jordan suddenly kissed. And I wanted to know so much more about that literally hot boy!

At first, I thought the story would be too predictable, the writing too simple, the romance too insta. But then the action started, and I enjoyed myself tremendously, and I kept grinning and reading and even had a lump in my throat once or twice. I have to admit, the story could be a bit shorter, but who cares when it cheers you up? And that cover again … I can imagine teens hanging a poster of it above their bed so they can swoon over it. Having friends over, gaping at it together, gushing about how gorgeous it is. Doing … mmm, well …, I’m just saying this cover would be great merchandise … And it’s definitely a cover that will stand out in a bookstore!

My reward: four hot 🔥🔥🔥🔥!

I thought this. was overall an enjoyable read. I liked the characters. the pacing of the story was solid. this would be a great addition for representation in classroom libraries and I think teen readers will really enjoy the story being presented.

This was an interesting and cute read but the dialogue was slightly cringe at times. Overall I did like this book and I found the concept really intriguing and I would definitely recommend it.

honestly this was a v interesting concept. i do think tht the dialogue sometimes was corny and boring but overall this was entertaining

OH MY GOODNESS THIS IS AMAZING! There are so many things I loved about this book.
I have very few critiques, but here are my thoughts gathered:
Writing - I found that in the first 70-ish pages, the dialogue seemed a little choppy and unrealistic. I do think it smoothed out after that though. The writing is a very casual style, which I enjoy. It allows for more humor and realistic portrayal of teenagers. There are also mentions of texting and Snapchat that I think are very well done. There’s a good representation of teenage lingo.

Characters - Speaking of realistic portrayal of teenagers, Dylan is the best. He’s super awkward and sassy, and he’s simply just a realistic teen. He works at a Dairy Queen and hates it, even though he only works once a week (same). He’s only attracted to boys that have supernatural qualities (same). His best friends Perry and Kirsten are AMAZING! Jordan is a dreamboat. and SAVANNA! MY LOVELY SAVANNA. The characters were so amazing and well developed. I loved them all.

Breaking Stereotypes - Zepka really breaks a lot of YA book stereotypes in The Temperature of Me and You. We see Kirsten, the girl who’s a genius and good at everything, who is also a cheerleader. I like the breaking of the cheerleader stereotype. There’s also Savanna, who is actually my favorite character in this book, but I can’t say much about her without spoilers. She starts off as the classic popular mean girl, but we get to know more about her and I LOVE HER!

The romance - OH MY GOD THE ROMANCE. Amazing. At first, I thought it was happening too fast, but then things slowed down and we got to see such great development between Dylan and Jordan. They are such an amazing couple and I was rooting for them the whole time.

Overall - This book has so many good messages in it. It handles serious topics while also maintaining a fun atmosphere. There were definitely a few scenes where I got a little teary-eyed. I smiled and outright laughed multiple times. There are so few queer sci-fi books and I'm proud to say this is one of them. I absolutely love it and cannot wait to read more by Brian Zepka. Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

<i>Thank you to netgalley and Disney Publishing for the ARC of this book. </i>

Dylan wants a boyfriend, but the prospects for that high school romance are not looking so great. Then at the end of his shift at Dairy Queen, things literally heat up when he meets mysterious new kid Jordan. That first meeting didn't go so well, and Jordan disappears. With encouragement from his best friends Kirsten and Perry, Dylan finds Jordan, and what he finds next... is fire.

I loved the premise of this book, and while the "powers" were within the "accident results in powers" trope we see often, it was different in a lot of ways . Watching them manifest, and the impact stress and anxiety had in making that happen was a really interesting way to talk about mental illness, and I appreciated that.

Relationships:
There's no doubt the relationship between Dylan and Jordan was cute, but I didn't really feel the romantic chemistry in the way I was hoping. It wasn't angsty. It wasn't OMG AWWWWWW. It was just aww that's cute/nice/sweet.

There was really nice depiction of high school relationships/friendships, and the drama level was at a medium at most. Everyone wants the friends who would do anything for you and encourage you to do crazy things while managing to be protective of you. Dylan has those.

Overall, I just wasn't very emotionally invested in any of the characters.

Final Thoughts: Without much emotional investment in the characters, I did go through this pretty quickly. The writing at times felt like we were talking about high schoolers from a middle school vantage point rather than high schoolers from a high school vantage point, so that definitely threw me off. Even in the most exciting of times there wasn't an adrenaline rush. This didn't feel like a page turner. All that said, I'm definitely willing to give this another chance, possibly on audio. I really do want to like this book. I'll be interested to see who is chosen to do the audio narration. While a story should be good on its own, a great narrator sometimes helps to bring another perspective. I'll definitely update my rating if it changes as a result of another go around.

Additional Info:
Length: Given the current depth in both characters and plot, I think this novel could have been shorter by a good 50 pages (Currently ~420 pages).

Target Demographic: While this book's target demographic states ages 12-18, the writing does feel well suited for the younger end of that range. 14-16 is probably the sweet spot for the reader of this book.

Cover Art: Love, Love, Love

Steaminess Level: Sweet/Cute. There's nothing sexually explicit. The heat between Dylan and Jordan manifests in actual sparks... and fire... and smoke... and, well... you'll see.

Language: No swearing that I recall. I didn't like that near the beginning of the story Dylan referred to the Catholic school girls at St. Helena's as Helena's Hos because the girls are wild since they hang out with nuns all day. It's unnecessary, awkward, and out of place given the overall the tone of the novel.

Representation: LGBTQIA+, racial/ethnic diversity is not really discussed.

This is a story about first love.  Dylan Highmark is an ordinary high school student in suburban Philadelphia, with two best friends, often bored at school and with suburban life, and a job at the local Dairy Queen.  He's eager to find a boyfriend, but is stymied by the meager options in his high school, where he's one of the few out students, and in his town.  

One day, Jordan, a cute and mysterious boy, walks into Dairy Queen, and Dylan instantly feels sparks.  As Dylan and Jordan spend more time together, Dylan comes to find that his warm feelings for Jordan may be more than just a crush -- Jordan actually has a core body temperature of 110 degrees.  When Dylan soon finds himself with his own 110 degree fever and coughing flames, he realizes that his relationship with Jordan may have changed more than just his heart.  But as Dylan learns more about Jordan, his past, and what it is like to live with their condition, he increasingly fears for his and Jordan's safety -- and what they'll have to do to stay together.

This book was excellent.  Dylan is a terrific main character -- complex, charming, and warm (not just in terms of temperature).  The premise is an interesting and effective way to explore the experiences that teenagers, especially queer teenagers, have navigating high school.  The author effectively portrays the highs, lows, questions, and challenges of first love in Dylan and Jordan's relationship.  While their relationship is at the heart of the book, the author does not neglect the other relationships in Dylan's life -- including with his parents and his best friends, who are all very supportive but not always sure what to do when Dylan seems to become different and withdrawn.  And the mystery that is weaved through the story kept me fully engaged.

Very strongly recommended!

I liked the sci-fi aspects of this book. I liked that the main character seemed believable. There were aspects of the book that didn't feel believable though, especially toward the end of the book. This was an enjoyable read!

I ENJOYED THIS SO MUCH!!!

It's funny and gripping and sweet and I couldn't put it down! I loved the world and real, relatable characters Brian built, and I was engaged from page one. It has an intriguing plot, natural and satisfying character growth, and is written in a funny, fresh voice. I am definitely going to be re-reading and adding all of Brian's future books to my tip-top TBR. CAN'T WAIT TO MAKE THIS BOOK MY WHOLE PERSONALITY *shrugs*

Thank you, Brian, for the ARC, and NetGalley for the e-ARC! THE TEMPERATURE OF ME AND YOU is out January 25th, 2022.

This story was very original and did not go in the direction that I expected. I learned to love the main character, Dylan, over the course of the novel, which is fitting because Dylan also learns to love himself.
Dylan's devotion to Jordan is somewhat unfounded, perhaps that is just young love. Dylan speaks knowledgeably about love at the end of the book, but I am not sure that his relationship grew, as much as he did.
Savannah became my favorite character by the end of the book. I would have hoped to see more of a resolution with her storyline.
Overall, very quick read, glad I read it and would recommend it to others interested in YA Sci Fi.

I think that the premise of this book was good, but I didn't find myself really getting into it. I thought that it was slow at times, and I didn't really connect well with either of the main characters. There were definitely repetitive parts of it as well.

I feel terrible, but after trying for 3 weeks, I finally DNF-ed this book. I couldn’t get into it- I don’t even remember the main protagonists’ names. Kayla and Perry were the most memorable parts of the story. I wanted to love this and it just fell so flat.

The sci-go aspect was really nonsensical and almost felt anti-alternative fuel, which just sat really poorly with me. The main character felt forced to be relatable to the point that he was essentially a caricature as opposed to an individual.

It just wasn’t for me.

You know the phrase “don’t judge a book by it's cover"? Well, we can all agree that THAT particular idiom does not apply in this scenario; one that does apply, however, is “good things come to those who wait”.

The Temperature of Me and You follows Dylan, a 16 year old in a small town in Pennsylvania that just wants to find his first real boyfriend. Right off the bat, you get introduced to an inseparable trio of friends, and they’re kind of difficult not to love.
At first, I had a hard time not finding things predictable… I was able to guess the first few plot progressions (if you can really call them that… I’m seriously giving myself way more credit than is due. Ooooh, you’re so smart, you guessed the 16 year old was going to end up pouting and staying away to “protect the ones he loves”… you deserve a Pulitzer, really!). The difference with this book, however, was that it didn’t pull me out of the story… this was a “get comfortable, cause you’re going to be finishing it in one sitting” kind of book.

About halfway through I switched from my casual lounging position to sitting up, hunched over, trying to absorb as much as I could as quickly as possible… and yet it STILL continued to build until the Very. Last. Page.
I was very pleased with the characters, the plot, the pacing… overall, everything about this story! I knew it was going to be one that I loved, and I am happy to say that my intuition was correct.

This is the perfect January release; you are definitely going to want to preorder it, along with a nice big mug for some coffee/tea/hot chocolate and a heated blanket (you can thank Perry for that one) so you’re nice and comfortable when you marathon binge read Brian Zepka’s debut novel.

This book is terrific. Dylan is an ordinary teenager living in a suburb of Philadelphia when he meets a new boy in town, Jordan. The two are drawn to each other. As they spend more time together, Dylan finds out that Jordan is not like anyone he's ever met before -- Jordan has a regular temperature of 110 degrees and a complex relationship with fire -- and Dylan now has similar symptoms. As Dylan worries about what this means for him and Jordan and their safety, he is forced to navigate a series of obstacles far beyond what he could have imagined just months ago when he was an ordinary high school student. But he is sure of one thing -- he wants to find a path to a future with Jordan.

I really enjoyed this book. The underlying concept was original and well executed, and the characters, especially Dylan and Jordan, were well drawn. I was thoroughly engrossed in the story from beginning to end.

Definitely recommended!

This book was so good! it was sweet with some sour. I am a fan of LGBT books and this book was romantic. I loved everything about it!

Great debut with a fantastic set of characters and an original plot. Things got a bit repetitive at times, and overall, the book could have probably been 50 pp shorter, but all in all, I could see teenagers loving this story!

I felt the author had a very strong idea but the execution could have been better. In my personal opinion, it was hard to get into, the plot fell short, and the sci-fi element was severely underplayed. It had the potential to be a lot more than it was. However, if you can overlook nitpicking, this book was an adorable story to help let your brain turn off and relax.