2.5 stars. I did enjoy this book but a lot of things fell flat with me. I thought all the characters were a bit annoying, Jasper- the love interest- especially. Charlie was cute but a lot of things he did irked me. The whole school is actually insane with its rules and postings of the grades. But I guess if they didn’t have these rules than strip would have no reason to be there bc students could use their phones and text the girls school.

I would have liked this if it was more about Charlie struggling to hide his secret rather than about the love letters

Small note: I also think if a book is going to put a map in the beginning it should be relevant to the story.

And They Were Roommates takes a quirky look at the archaic system of single gendered schools, rigorous academia and judging people by their covers and boils it into a fun romp of a time (even if it was sometimes a little unfocused).

The book focuses on Charlie, who is a transgender teenage boy who is finally attending his first year at the all boys school that, years ago during a summer program, was essential in helping him realize his own gender identity. The school is rigorous, with all sorts of rules about ranking and a split off from the all girls equivalent, and Charlie's there on a scholarship—so keeping his grades high is important. But when he gets there things aren't so simple, because instead of the single room that he paid for, he ends up roommates with Jasper; a boy who broke his heart that summer. Before he transitioned. Who certainly doesn't recognize him. He ends up tied into schemes with Jasper and Friends to communicate with the all girls school via love letters, and all sorts of hijinks ensue.

Perhaps too many hijinks! The premise of this book was extremely fun but there was definitely at least three too many plots—pieces of Charlie's lore like his mother who attended the all girls school and currently runs a failing bookshop, an old student known as PM who abandoned Charlie's current group of friends the year prior who was given a lot of importance early in the narrative and then kind of fizzled out towards the end, Charlie's friendship with his dear friend Delilah who goes to the all girls school and her frustrations with his involvement in some school activities. There were a lot of threads that were started that never really felt completed to me and just felt like superfluous information in a book that was already plot driven over character driven.

As a character based reader I did struggle a little bit with this despite it being a fun premise because none of the characters were particularly fleshed out for me—most notably Jasper, who is our love interest and who I never fully understood both he and Charlie's past and why he would be desirable to Charlie and the present. He was definitely a fun character—or at least a caricature—but it wasn't until about 80% into the book that I saw any sort of redeeming quality for him that wasn't a little bit of a gag. In general I struggled a lot with all of the characters and the way none of them seemed to speak like normal teenagers. I'm sure this was intended as a quirky part of the novel but it didn't necessarily work for me.

The plot was extremely fun and the world building was excellent—every time little pieces of information about the school these students are attending was given to me, I cataloged it away for safekeeping. It didn't necessarily feel like a place that I would ever believe actually existed, but for a sweet YA romance, particularly one dealing with antiquated school structures and how that ties into gender in our modern day, it was great.

All in all I think this book will be a fun read for those who are looking for a light-hearted academia romance reminiscent of old 2000s anime (think Ouran High School Host Club!). If you suspend your disbelief for a little while and just choose to exist in Charlie's World you'll have a great time.

I enjoyed this coming-of-age story in which we follow Charlie through his first year at a prestigious boarding school. Upon arrival in the boys' dorm, transgender teen Charlie's anxiety spikes (understandably) when he's surprised to learn that he has a roommate and that physical education (gym class) is mandatory. What’s more is that his roommate is his ex!

This could become a disaster at any time – his roommate could recognize him and out him, his physique could raise questions in Phys Ed, he could fail to remain in the top 5 ranking of his class and lose his scholarship. The anxiety is real, and well-represented.

Thankfully for Charlie, and readers, he falls into a great friend group and enjoys his time at boarding school. The fun of reading Charlie’s story is learning how.

I added this to my tbr the moment I finished The Borrow a Boyfriend Club. Powars is hilarious and his humor continues to shine through his writing. Plus the premise is just incredible. Does a good job of balancing high school melodrama with endearing characters. Like TBABC, there’s a quirky ensemble cast that’s sure to leave you smiling. It’s also heartwarming to see a trans mc affirmed and supported by the people around him. And incredibly important to see in YA, especially! Hell yeah!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

And They Were Roommates is a heartwarming and chaotic second-chance romance that delivers plenty of humor and queer joy. Charlie's journey as a trans student navigating the complexities of a new school, a secret identity, and unresolved feelings with his infuriating yet captivating roommate, Jasper, is compelling and emotional. The love letter subplot adds a charming touch, creating moments of vulnerability and connection between the characters.

While the romance has its swoon-worthy moments, Charlie’s internal anxiety can feel repetitive, and Jasper's character might divide readers. That said, the book excels in its exploration of identity and belonging, supported by a well-developed cast of side characters who add depth and warmth to the story. It's a fun and poignant read that balances messy emotions with a vibrant setting and heartfelt representation.

This was such a gloriously fun time!! Wow I laughed so much and fell so in love with the characters, the whole “and they were roommates” thing is a massive joke amongst my friends and I and it was so nice to see it in a light through this story!

This book was a fun read! It follows the story of Charlie, a transgender boy who is attending an all-boys elite private school. The whole book is in Charlie's POV. While I did enjoy his POV, the constant anxiety did get a bit tiring. The level of anxiety he had was definitely understandable but just felt a bit repetitive at times. Or maybe I am just getting too old to read books with YA protagonists anymore, because sometimes the internal monologue of teenagers is just a lot for me.

Overall, I would recommend this book, I love to see trans protaganists in books and it definitely does a good job highlighting the challenges Charlie faces and how his identity impacts his relationships and his place at the school. I enjoyed watching the relationship between the MCs develop, and there were some good side characters as well. The world of the school felt very fleshed out with lots of good detail.

This is probably not one I will go back to and read again and again, but it was enjoyable and I would recommend especially for people looking for a YA read with good queer representation.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own!

🏳️‍⚧️💌 And They Were Roommates by Page Powars 💌🏳️‍🌈
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

This book, y’all. I’m not okay. 😭❤️ If you’re a fan of Casey McQuiston’s humor, chaotic yet heartwarming vibes, and all the queer feels, then And They Were Roommates will have you screaming, crying, and throwing your Kindle across the room—in the best way possible!

We’ve got Charlie, the brilliant and sarcastic trans main character, just trying to survive at Valentine Academy for Boys, and Jasper, his literally the worst but secretly the best roommate (and ex best friend who broke his heart). The tension? IMMACULATE. The stakes? SKY HIGH. And when Jasper doesn’t recognize Charlie after he transitioned? Oh, the drama is SO delicious. 😏

But let’s talk about the love letters. The fake love letter scheme turned late night heart to hearts with Jasper had me swooning, cackling, and screaming, “KISS HIM ALREADY!” every five seconds. The pining is so real, the humor is laugh out loud funny, and the exploration of identity, friendship, and second chances is so raw and beautiful. 🥹✨

Charlie’s journey of navigating being the only trans student, while trying to protect his heart, will hit you right in the soul. And Jasper? I started off hating him, but by the end, I was like, “Okay, sir, you can stay. BUT ONLY BECAUSE CHARLIE DESERVES THE WORLD!” 🌈💘

This book is witty, heartfelt, and queer joy at its absolute finest. Perfect for fans of messy emotions, swoony romance, and chaotic roommate shenanigans. YOU NEED THIS. 🫶

Thank you to NetGalley, Page Powars, and Roaring Brook Press for the eARC of this book.

THIS BOOK!!!!! And They Were Roommates was such an amazing book! I had such a good time reading. I loved seeing Charlie's journey throughout the book, going from someone who felt like a complete outsider to someone who belonged. Jasper and Charlie's relationship was also great! I loved the second chance romance and slowly seeing Jasper realize his feelings for Charlie from Charlie's point of view was great to witness. Especially since Charlie did not notice it happening. What really made this book for me though were the side characters. All of them were so funny and caring and supportive. Xavier helping Charlie train and Luis being Charlie's first real close friend and person he could talk to and Blaze being Blaze. This cast of characters was so full and well developed that even characters that did not get shown as much had full personalities. I loved this book and I am so grateful that I was able to read it early.

I really liked this story, but...

Let's start with what I did like:
I liked that we knew there was a secret about Charlie that wasn't spelled out but could be inferred
I liked the friendships Charlie made at school
I liked his unwavering friendship with Delilah
I liked the dynamic he had with teachers

What I didn't like:
I didn't like how conceited Jasper was
I didn't like how it was obvious that the teachers and staff didn't treat the students the same
I didn't like the inconsistency of Jasper's feelings from "that summer" to now

I guess, I wish this book was set in college. It seemed very immature, even for high school kids. I would have liked more complex emotions from both Charlie and Jasper. It seemed very surface level.

This book was such a good coming of age book, especially as Charlie really came into himself and made friends with others at Valentine’s. The strength of this book was really how Charlie grew into who he is and was able to make friends, and accept those friends. The author did a great job with this throughout the book, with how reluctant Charlie was at the beginning to get close with anyone, until the end of the book when he has a great group of friends.

I was a bit disappointed in the romance of the book, because although Jasper and Charlie were together a lot, I just couldn’t feel the tension because of how afraid Charlie was of being found out. They did have some cute moments, but the romance didn’t really come together until the last fourth of the book.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think I will always like rereading this book and watching Charlie and Jasper fall in love and giving off HEA vibes. I loved Charlie's personality and charm and how he put his mind to things when he was determined enough. The suspence and drama leading up to the climax was amazing, though a bit intense to read through. As for Jasper, I think people's reactions will definitely be mixed and I think some will not like him and some will while others will cross back and forth and ultimately decide how to feel about Jasper. For me, I thought he was charming and sweet and caring despite his ego. I believe the event two years prior affected both of them, not just Charlie, and we see that part of Jasper after he finds out who Charlie is. There is one sentence Charlie says to a character towards the end of the book, on that class day after the finals, about Jasper and his personality and I agree with that wholeheartedly. A person is not defined by their personality or their characteristics and not only by their actions, they are defined by all of them. Overall, this is why I liked this book because I felt and saw the arcs for both of them, especially Jasper, and I really liked it!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and MacMillan Children's Publishing Group for this ARC!

This was such a cute and fun read! I would’ve loved to have this book as a teen and I think queer teens now are going to love this. Also, I’m still not over the cover! 🤩

and they were roommates follows charlie, a trans teenager who has just started at valentine academy for boys—which is quite corny—and his new roommate jacob, who charlie knows from prior to his transition.

i have to say this was a truly beautiful story about finding who you are and both loving and appreciating yourself, but, unfortunately it didn’t hit the spot for me.

the problem is i couldn’t tell you a specific reason as to why i didn’t fully enjoy the book, because there’s nothing really wrong with all of the individual elements, but the overall picture wasn’t enough for me.

truth be told, when i first requested the book, the only thing in my mind was that famous vine, which might not be the best reason to want to read a book, but needles to say thank you NG, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Page Powars for giving me the opportunity to advance read this one.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for my honest review. I really wanted to like this book more. The premise is lovely. I enjoyed a lot of the secondary characters a lot. I even enjoyed our love interest/antagonist Jasper. I really could not love Charlie. Knowing he’s a teenager, that he’s a young trans man, I understand a lot of his difficulties in trust and decision making. But he just made so many things much more difficult than they needed to be. I also thought the PM stuff felt like a throwaway. I understand the need for that bit, but it all went away very quickly.

And They Were Roommates is a much-needed book right now, in terms of trans joy, and I wish I could recommend it more. Though not badly written, I struggled to keep track of what was occurring in the more chaotic sections. I also found the main romantic interest annoying to the point where the romance simply didn't work. I enjoyed the premise and concept of the book, but there were simply too many plot-threads for this to work for me.

Silly goofy over-the-top teenage drama was exactly what I needed today. This was very sweet and wholesome, and perfectly queer. I'm always down for a not-at-all-serious YA and this delivered. Was the writing was standard, the love interest an arrogant ass, and it was all just a tad too convenient but I didn't even care! I loved the MC as well, he was particularly interesting to me, as I also am transmasc and struggled with similar issues when I was younger regarding how my body and actions/personality would be perceived my other men. I would definitely recommend this to anyone, and I'm definitely going to be picking up a physical copy because LOOK AT THAT STUNNING COVER how could I not.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

This book was such a fun read. I’ll definitely be recommending it and buying a physical copy for my shelf.

This was by far the funniest book I read this year. From the title to the last page, I was laughing! I loved it so much. The characters are all amazing, and the author avoids caricatures while at the same time making every character recognizable. I would read anything Page Powars writes!