THE TEMPERATURE OF ME AND YOU immediately caught my attention for its unique summary: A listless teenager falls in love with another boy who gets him hot under the collar. Literally. Jordan is totally normal--despite his body temperature sticking to a cool 110F.

I had a number of issues with this book. The first was Dylan, our protagonist. I give YA authors a lot of leeway in how they write teenagers. A teenaged character not making rational decisions isn't enough to get me to stop reading. They're teenagers, after all. But Dylan takes this to an unreasonable level.. At first, I thought his disconnect from reality would lead to a darker twist... but it's just written off as cutesy.

The second problem was the pacing. The book felt way too long for how little was happening. There is a larger plot involved with some sinister powers at play, but this book could shave 100 pages and I think the story would flow better.

That said, I love the fresh idea Zepka brought and the queer romance. The side characters were also charming. That wasn't enough to save the book overall, though. There is a lot of potential in this book. I look forward to seeing what Mr. Zepka writes in the future.

Thank you to Brian Zepka and Disney-Hyperion for allowing me to read this book in advance;.

TW: Homophobia and Bullying

The Temperature of Me and You is a really cute queer sci-fi YA read! The main character is surrounded by a funny and close group of friends and a loving family as he navigates first crushes, relationships, and love. It's a great queer story for teens. However, the dialogue felt stilted and unrealistic at times and the inclusion of homophobia and bullying was an unnecessary plot point, and could be difficult to read at times - potentially distracting from all the great representation in the book.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book!

I enjoyed this book SO much! It was such a cool premise wrapped up with a nice, sweet cinnamon roll romance that made me really happy. I'm most glad that this book was quick. As soon as the main character meets Jordan (love interest), things start moving really quickly and don't really slow down for long before everything erupts in chaos. There's a lot of space in this book dedicated to character development and characterization. We get to know Dylan and his best friends very deeply. Their friendship was so much fun to read as they felt very authentic and reminded me of some of my own friendships. I also loved Dylan's relationship with his family as well. Overall, Dylan was an amazing main character and reading this story entirely through his eyes was a great experience that never felt bored.

I wish we could've gotten more of Jordan. We get a lot of Dylan's friends and we do get a decent amount from Jordan, I just wish another scene or two with Jordan was included because he was such a sweet character with a sad past that I wanted to learn more about because it obviously impacted him deeply. I also wish we could've seen him more in the final act. There's a small separation between the two (not a stereotypical breakup, thank goodness) but it would've been nice to see Jordan and Dylan take down the big bad antagonists of this story together rather than it mostly being Dylan and his other friends. Since this antagonist was even more personal to Jordan, I wanted him to get his own justice.

Other than that slight issue I had, this book was incredible and the uniqueness of it wasn't lost on me. The powers, slight science of it all was so intriguing and I could honestly see this being a series or at least a duology. In fact, this is my petition for a book 2 because I think this story is simply to interesting to leave it left at just one book!

Full confession – from the description and cover, for some reason I thought Jordan would be an alien. That was an incorrect asumption.

Dylan’s ride or die friendships with Perry and Kirsten is one of my favorite aspects of this story. They absolutely show up for each other. I also chuckled at how Dylan’s parents maybe became a little oversupportive when he came out to them. His teasing relationship with his little sister is adorable. The author also changed my opinion about a mean, petty character, and that person turned out to have a pretty good redemption arc.

Other areas I struggled with. Pacing is uneven, but then it seems like a rush to get to the ending. I even wondered if there was a sequel since everything wraps up so quickly. With some character choices and situations, suspending my disbelief became difficult. They didn’t seem logical within the story, and I was left scratching my head when some things were never mentioned again. The storyline is interesting, but I craved more of an explanation for Jordan’s and Dylan’s powers.

Reviews are split, and plenty of readers adored this book. It’s an enjoyable read, but it’s one I’d recommend for the younger end of the YA spectrum.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Despite how insanely beautiful the cover is this wasn’t for me. The writing isn’t inspiring. It’s very much words on a page- which fine. Some people want to read simplistic easy writing but given the “plot” I wanted something more.

The characters are one dimensional. I didn’t feel any chemistry between the two leads. It’s too much insta-love and not enough bonding for me to feel their relationship. I think Zepka wanted a dynamic, star crossed love story but it didn’t work. I wish the build up was slower, I wanted to see them bond as friends before anything romantic happened. It reads very rushed.

Neither of the leads are compelling enough to lead the story. Dylan was so out of touch so many times. Watching someone in pain and thinking “wow they’re so cute” wasn’t fun to read in my opinion.

One thing I did like was the attention to friendships. Oh! And the cover. But that’s about it.

Thank you to NetGally and Disney Publishing for this arc in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was a very intriguing romance/superpower story that I was loving until two thirds of the way in - a certain character who was my personal highlight is then absent until the very end, with the main story having no real explanation for why the main characters have the powers.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I had such a hard time getting into it and I kept getting bored and stopping. I think it’s such a fun idea and has a beautiful cover, but it really didn’t have the vibrancy that I was looking for.

I think this would be a great book for a younger person to read - maybe late middle school/early high school?

I think this was an excellent effort for a debut novel. The dialogue was great and I loved Dylan's voice from the first-person POV - he's funny and sweet. It's a great story of friendships (and family, more near the beginning).

The romance part of the story was a bit lacking - it's sweet and has a very cute ending but it's lacking substance. Which is fine, they're teenagers. Similarly, there is a lot left unexplained about the powers. It's not too difficult to suspend your disbelief but it's hard to forget that you need to do it.

A few content considerations: teenagers drinking alcohol, some low-key fatphobia and while maybe it's not bullying exactly, there is a lot of . . . mean-spiritedness. The book could also have done with a sharper round of editing - there were some slightly awkward turns of phrase and a couple of inconsistencies. But it didn't take away too much from the book.

Overall though, it was a good story and I'd be interested to see what the author turns out next.

I really wanted to like this queer YA novel, but it ended up falling flat for me.

The idea was interesting, and I am always supportive of more queer literature, but Dylan fell flat for me as a character- it felt like he wasn't a real kid, just an adult trying to act like a kid. (too many "trendy" name drops for me). And then Jordan is this mysterious new kid who doesn't seem to have a real personality, and his trust and interest in Dylan seems to just magically appear. It just didn't work for me.

First of all, this cover is FIRE, pun intended. Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this ARC!

Hello, wish fulfillment fantasy! Gay teens get powers, fight evil, and fall in love, what more could you want? As the-only-out-queer-in-my-graduating-class (tm) I felt Dylan SO HARD. As a parent of a teenage boy....I was horrified. Fast paced with a requirement for suspension of disbelief, this book was sweet and fun and I can totally see it made into a movie.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC!
I really wanted to like this book and I did but I thought it was kind of basic and a wanna be superhero movie with the powers from an explosion.
I also didn’t like how fast Dylan forgave Savanna just because she’s also queer and I think she should’ve used the word lesbian/bi for her sexuality instead of just saying gay because books rarely use the right word so it would’ve been better.

I really wanted to like this! It's an interesting premise, I mostly liked the characters, but it just didn't do it for me.
This is a debut novel, and you can kind of tell by the writing. I don't want to sound snobbish, but it just didn't feel very polished. There were also lots of inconsistencies, that probably should have been caught beforehand, and maybe were, seeing as this is an ARC. I hope they were caught and corrected! For example, the MC walks to his boyfriend's house, drops something off, turns to go and hops on his bike. Uhhh... How did the bike get there? Then, when the evil corporation is after Dylan (MC) and Jordan (BF), and Jordan takes off, most of the time he has just run away, but then other times it seems like he's been kidnapped and is being held at the evil corporation's offices. Lots of things like that throughout the book.
I also didn't like that they never actually explain WTF is going on. So, to start with Jordan has these awesome powers because apparently his body is mostly made of hydrogen instead of oxygen, making him super flammable. This occurred because of an accident and he has escaped from the evil corporation that was doing tests on him (and who were involved in the accident). Then he starts dating Dylan and all of a sudden Dylan is also flammable and can fly (because H2 is lighter than oxygen, right?). And that is never explained. How was Jordan able to pass his power on to Dylan? How is this power even possible? What the heck happened in the accident? The group of spunky teens burn down the big evil corporation's office, so apparently everyone is safe now! Jordan comes back because apparently it's safe, and the end.
There's also quite a bit of homophobia that I feel is kind of unnecessary. It's the whole 'I'm an abusive homophobe because I'm secretly gay' thing. Just, why? The bully could have been effectively awful without being homophobic.
So, I really wanted to like this, but I just didn't.

The Temperature of Me and You by Brian Zepka is a complete mess, but it’s kind of cute? I came into book [which I received as an arc] really intrigued by the premise and hoped that it would prove to be worthwhile–it wasn’t. First and foremost, I did not like the writing very much nor how the plot plays out. If I had to sum this story into a word or phrase, it’d be a chaotic mess. The book moves fast, yet it also felt like a massive drag with it being just over 400 pages. There’s a few things that could’ve been left out, including the subplot with one of the characters, Savanna. Although the sentiment and overarching topic/theme for the subplot is a touching one, it could’ve been shortened or left out entirely. As I mentioned prior, the book overall moves fast, but there are some spots that could’ve occurred quicker or should’ve received more time; as I also mentioned prior, there are definitely pacing issues present that could’ve been fixed. I also did not like most of the characters, including the main character, Dylan. The only character I liked was the love interest, Jordan, but even with him it’s a stretch. The characters in this story are either unlikeable, one dimensional, bland or a combination of them all. [Spoiler] With that said, I didn’t like how Jordan was missing for a good 30-40% of the book, the story somehow felt even more chaotic and a big mess with him gone than him present somehow. Returning back to the writing and the overall story, something that must be mentioned is that one must suspend their disbelief quite a bit and it’s not because of individuals possessing pyrokinetic abilities. The suspension of disbelief comes with how blind and oblivious Dylan’s family and friends are. There are some points in the story where I seriously couldn’t stop thinking about how no one has figured certain things out or taken certain actions, but whatever I guess.

The Temperature of Me and You by Brian Zepka is full fledged 3 out of 5 stars, but it had the potential to be so much more. I’m not sure if I will read from the author again, but never say never as this is their debut. Rating: 3/5.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Temperature of Me and You seemed like it was going to be a great book. Okay, maybe a good one with a semi-great love story. Then I dove into it, and everything just fell flat. Things were confusing me so much and the characters weren't that likable either. I tried to find something about them to like but it never came.

Sure, some of this world was interesting but then something would happen, and I'd be back to square one: Confused AF. The situations and the choices made just didn't add up. It felt like I was being taught math but then the pop quiz would be about world history. It just didn't make sense.

Then there's the characters: Dylan and Jordan. At first, Dylan gave me creeper vibes and Jordan intrigued me. The romance or friendship between them was equally confusing. Sure, there was a crush or two but when one is sort of dying in front of you...well, you don't know what the outcome is going to be.

In the end, I was disappointed by everything that went down before reaching the last page. It had potential to be better in my eyes.

The idea of this is good, it just didn't have the best execution. A cute boy appears with a mysterious power. The main character instantly likes the boy, then starts to realize that he may be changing too. It's a fun storyline and I did like parts of it. Dylan and Jordan had some sweet moments and Dylan's best friends are pretty great. My issue was that things felt jumbled at times, characters made choices that didn't make sense, and Dylan was whiny and not really likeable.

At first Dylan is just trying to find out more about the cute new guy who may have exploded a shake with his hand. Then when things start to get dangerous, he goes between being scared for his life and forgetting all of that to make out with Jordan. He also refuses to confide in his parents or best friends, even when he's so sick that it seems like he's dying. Priorities Dylan!

The ending seemed unrealistic and rushed, without much planning going into anything. I'm not saying it's a bad book, I just think it could use some changes so it doesn't seem like a fanfiction.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Hyperion and NetGalley for the copy.

The Temperature of Me and You is an incredibly wholesome love story about two gay teens learning to navigate their first love while also gaining dangerous superpowers that may result in their death.

Sixteen-year-old Dylan Highmark is working a closing shift at the local Dairy Queen when a cute boy comes in for an ice cream, which explodes upon touching it. Dylan is intrigued by Jordan, who is cute and sweet and just may be into him, but things may not be as they seem. Jordan is literally hot to the touch, and after spending an increasing amount of time with him, Dylan becomes sick with a fever of 110. Navigating first love may be harder than the two could ever have imagined.

This story had a lot of drama but nothing too negative, it didn't focus on homophobia or even the sadder parts of Dylan and Jordan's stories, the author maintained a positive outlook throughout which I really enjoyed.

I put this on my most anticipated 2022 release list and im so disappointed.

I was first intrigued because from this concept I expected a high stakes, angsty, romance. Thats not what this is.

The characters are very flat and their emotions are very unrealistic. The main character is painfully annoying. The writing style is immature and made it feel like it was for a younger YA audience, but the content matter in comparison was mature and aimed for older YA. I wanted tension from this but it didn't deliver at all, like why did the love interest reveal all of his risky secrets the second time they met. Especially after the MC basically stalked him??? And who send a selfie the first time they ever text someone?? This is a book that is clearly written by an adult trying to hard to sound like a teen.

Also. WHO WOULD GIVE THEIR 16 YEAR OLD SON A CAKE AND WRITE HE SUCKS D*** ON IT. WHAT.

I had to DNF, if your looking for queer superheroes go read dreadnought, not your hero, or the extraordinaries

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have finally finished reading this! I felt this book dragged forever. This book had so much potential but it just didn't deliver. Every character feels very flat and even dough the author provides them with interesting hobbies nothing is done. I feel like this is one of the books when all of the characters really have no idea what they are doing and keep screwing everything up and when it's time to pay the consequences everyone suddenly and with no reason whatsoever throws themselves to help them. Didn't really like Jordan that much, since he's only there in the beginning I feel I haven't met him really well, and the entire plot is supposed to be surrounding him.

First off I have to mention how happy it makes me that YA books featuring gay teens are being written and widely available - and by Disney! 😱 Second let’s discuss how amazing this cover is! It really is perfect. As for the story itself, I enjoyed it and felt invested in Dylan & Jordan and what would happen with them. YA (Young Adult) is a pretty broad category with some catering to a 17-20 year old audience and others to a 13-16 year old audience. This one leans to the latter in writing style & age of the characters. The writing style reminded me of a diary because you really get into Dylan’s mind and all of his thoughts. Basically all over the place and no filter in the best way. This is Zepka’s debut and I look forward to seeing what comes next!

Thank you to #NetGalley & @DisneyBooks for the eBook ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I will post my review again on IG closer to pub day!

CW: homophobia, bullying, teenage drinking, suicide

When Dylan and Jordan meet in an explosion of melted ice cream, Dylan quickly realizes he will never be the same…

16 year old Dylan spends his days stressing over school with his besties and his nights working at the local Dairy Queen. He desperately wants a boyfriend, so when the extremely cute boy walks into the ice cream place, explodes a blizzard and then takes off, Dylan chases after him.

Jordan isn’t like other boys. Along with running a solid 110° Fahrenheit, he has a plethora of secrets… secrets that Dylan will become aquatinted with on a cellular level. When Dylan starts exhibiting strange explosive phenomena, an intense flu-like sickness and an ability to float at inopportune times, he decides he needs answers.

Soon, his parents become worried about him, his relationship with his best friends becomes strained and his bouts with a school bully are at an all time high…

This was interesting, but I wanted more. It felt like this book was trying to be so many things at once and something along the way got lost… The romance between Dylan and Jordan was cute. There are some funny moments in the book. And I enjoyed the friendship between Dylan and his best friends. But as a whole, this book was both too much and not enough.