Yes No Maybe So

Wow, what a way to start off 2020 - with an absolutely incredible and thoughtful book intertwining the complexities of politics, religion, discrimination and friendship.

Yes No Maybe So features a dual-POV from the characters Jamie, an awkward boy who spends his time volunteer-campaigning for an upcoming state election, and Maya, an outgoing girl facing problems with her friends and family at home. It’s not often that I find myself liking every character in a novel but these two managed to win me over within a few chapters. I loved everything about them - their contrasting personalities, the way they approached each challenge they faced, the way their relationship didn’t feel “forced”, and most importantly, the way they brought out the best in one another. Their chemistry made my heart warm and I loved reading all of their interactions.

Beyond the well-written characters, I think one of the best things about this book it tackles relevant issues of political activism and passivism, religious discrimination and cross-cultural relationships. I loved how the book did not focus entirely on the relationship between the characters, but also on small sub-plots addressing these (highly important) issues.

I can’t speak for the quality of representation in this book as I am neither Muslim nor Jewish, so please forgive me if my judgement is wrong - but in my opinion it felt as though cultural and religious issues were dealt with in a respectful way, so props to the authors for that. I also want to mention how well the book payed homage to the role of teenagers in a politically-complex climate. Being a teenager myself, I found that the way Albertalli and Saeed approached this element of the story - aka, the main character’s desires to make a difference in their community, and sometimes feeling helpless in this regard due to not being of voting-age, was very very relevant and well-written. It showed me that despite all the boundaries I might face, there are still ways to make a difference in the issues that truly matter to me - and this is just one of the many reasons why I enjoyed the book so much.

Overall, I finished this book feeling highly inspired and motivated to go out there and make my voice heard. I loved everything about it and recommend it if it sounds like something you’d be interested in!! I will definitely be on the lookout for more books from these two amazing authors in the future.

p.s. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review :)

A cleverly written story that had many themes including non-traditional families, political activism, and multiracial cultural perspectives!

I loved how the book was written in the POV of both Maya, a muslim girl, as well as Jamie, a Jewish guy. It felt well-meshed and let me connect to both characters quite well. I did feel for Maya having a distant bestie, as that too happened to me at the end of high school, so that hit home. Jamie's perspectives were interesting, and I loved seeing how he got along with Maya.

Can I just say that I too want a Jewish grandma who's insta famous too?! The use of modern social media here was really clever.

Also, Gabe is a giant pain. 100%.

Rating: 4.5/5

(This review will go live on my blog on the 21st of Jan!)

This was a really sweet story but with a definite political fire under its butt! What I mean by that, is that although this was a really cute romance, it wasn't all fluff and fun. There was also a really strong political storyline, indeed it provided the basis for the entire narrative. As a non-American I'm a step away from the political climate there, however safe to say that a lot of people were disheartened by the outcome of the 2016 election, and this book follows on from that. We see kids taking positive steps towards enacting change in their area and fighting for what they believe in, but perhaps most importantly, we see them grow from political indifference to actually caring about politics, even though they're not old enough to vote yet. This never came off as preachy to me, however it's worth noting that I agree with the viewpoints expressed so there's that.

I thought both authors did a great job, there were loads of great bits of representation including different faiths, and some nice little bits of LGBT rep too. I especially liked how the nuances of religion were represented - that not every person has the exact same relationship to their faith, there is no cut and dry way that a Muslim person (or any other faith) looks or acts.

All in all I really enjoyed this, I think it was a well-rounded, well-written YA book that would suit teen readers from the full spectrum of ages, from the lower end 12-13 right up to adult readers. Perfect for readers that enjoyed Red, White & Royal Blue and are looking for more cute romance with a political backdrop.

An ARC of Yes No Maybe So was provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Aus in exchange for an honest review so here goes:

I reaaaally liked it and how easy it was to get through. While Maya was standoffish at times I liked how real she was throughout and Jamie was a real sweetheart with his heart in the right place, whether or not he put it into practice. It had plenty of twists and turns for something so sweet and bubbly, which I really appreciated - it wasn’t just a 2D narrative and it made for a really engaging story.

I especially liked the rotating points of view between Maya and Jamie - it was well done, with each chapter melding well to those around it despite being a different take on the situation, making for a really easy read. It was clean and straightforward while also being super fluffy and also providing some interesting insight into American political canvassing/politics in general which I don’t have much experience in.

My copy of the arc had some minor publication errors but fortunately it was nothing too noticeable, and I assume the final copy will have sorted that out by now anyway so no harm done!

This is probably the most political YA novel I've read since Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz, and the one that best tackles casual racism since Marie Marquardt's The Radius of Us. But, although at times this novel reminded me of those very good books, it was also very much its own.

This book had so many points that I agreed with, including but certainly not limited to the idea that a person being angry at you won't change another's mind, but it also raised really interesting counterpoints in the same breath, such as what the hell is supposed to be the most politically correct way of bringing up a subject that's ongoing presence is going to be really harmful to a group of people if not by being angry at it.

It, and many other points here, were things that will keep me thinking well after I've finished the book, and THAT I think was the main place where this novel succeeded phenomenally.

And where books in general can really succeed. Because it's not the person reading who is personally being attacked for viewpoints, but they are getting challenged nonetheless. So much love for that, really.

Okay, so this novel is a joint project between Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed. As such, it is not a book set in the Simon Vs the Homo Sapien Agenda. This novel is told in alternating chapters between Jamie Goldberg, a young Jewish boy, and Maya Rehman, a Muslim American. Their mothers' knew each other when they were really young, and therefore Jamie and Maya used to hang around with each other, but they haven't for many years.

Therefore it's strange when they come back into contact with each other during part of the Rossum campaign stops, one of which happening at the start of Ramadan.

Maya is given a deal that if she helps with canvassing for the campaign with Jamie, then she will earn a car at the end of the summer. And so the novel begins.

Both characters were equally loveable, and the story was really well balanced between the cultures of Maya through Ramadan and Jamie with regards to the preparation of his younger sister's bat mitzvah. Being neither Muslim nor Jewish myself, this book was incredibly accessible and I knew what was going on. At the same time, neither author shied away from using languages other than English where appropriate.

It was honestly just a fantastic story all the way through. I quite simply loved it.

I thought going in that this would be a sweet, summery romance with a little bit of political discourse sprinkled in. It was, but it was also relevant, engaging and realistic. The romance took a back seat to the friendship and political aspects, which I loved. It had something for everyone, from relatable characters, to diversity in terms of race and religion to fighting for what you believe in.

I love how this book put our characters into situations that forced them to grow and re-evaluate their beliefs. The book as a whole subverted genre expectations, causing both the characters and us as readers to amend their assumptions. It was from little things like how Jaime’s grandmother was a social media influencer, to Jaime realising his ignorance about Ramadan, and how no, Maya does not eat goldfish, drink coffee or even water during the period. I cannot comment on the representation in this book, but it is ownvoices in terms of the Jewish, Muslim and Pakistani-American rep.

➽ Jaime. Ahh my dear, sweet, awkward, target loving Jaime.
Jaime is helping out over the summer to help his cousin work on a campaign for a special election coming up for his state’s house. He is roped in (see also: forced) by his mother to canvas for the election. I can relate to Jaime in the fact that there are probably a thousand things I would rather do than go door to door to talk to strangers about something that has the aptitude to get people very heated. However, Jaime wants to be a politician one day, and figures this may be a way to learn to speak to people without embarrassing himself. Over the course of his canvassing, he becomes more and more passionate about the cause.

➽ Maya is a Pakistani-American Muslim who is going through some difficult times with her family at the moment. Her parents are taking a separation to try to sort some things out. Her world is subsequently turned upside down and all she wants to do is to have her friend be there to talk to, but Sara is eternally busy with work, getting ready for college and moving in with her new roommate. As a result, Maya feels shunned and replaced- and doesn’t have many plans for summer. When her parents offer her a car for going canvassing for Rossum, she agrees. She is initially a bit trepidatious, after all, isn’t he just another cis white guy going for office? But as she and Jaime talk more, it becomes less and less about the car and more about doing what she believes in.

The stakes are especially high for Maya when a bill is announced that directly targets Muslim people and would essentially make her mother a criminal just because of what she chooses to wear. Maya and Jaime team up to try and fight the racist bill, but nothing they say or do seems to work. Representatives they go to talk to brush off their concerns and twist their words, so it seems like the bill is there for the protection of citizens, rather than targeting them. It made my blood boil, and that was the intention.

This book felt realistic, and that was the most terrifying thing of all. I am not from the US, but it is difficult to escape American politics even from on the other side of the world. It was interesting however to see how the political climate manifests itself in forms of tension, black and white attitudes and the division of a country.

This book was not entirely flawless, at times I found it a little reference heavy, dramatic and some issues felt unnecessary. I also feel this book could have been a good opportunity to explore international politics, and thought that since Jaime was so engrossed in the political climate of the US he probably would have been more interested in that of of other countries- but that did not diminish my enjoyment enough to lower the rating. The things I loved far outweighed those I didn’t.

As someone who is currently too young to vote, I loved how the authors depicted teenagers in today’s political arena. The characters feel so deeply and strongly and want to make a difference- but people don’t take them seriously because of their age and they begin to feel helpless and insignificant.

"we might give it our all and crash and burn. But we might win. We might actually change things. And that maybe makes it still worth going for, don't you think?"

I loved the ending of this book, in terms of the result of the election. I won’t say anything about it, because it is very easily spoiled.

While this book is intended to make you mad and feel the passion that it is so evident these authors feel about the current state of America’s government- it left me with a feeling of hope. Hope that our generation can change things. Hope that even though I am young, I can make a difference, no matter how small. Hope that life can improve for the thousands who are suffering under oppressive and discriminatory governments and sovereignties not just in the US but across the world.

Hope that one day, a teenager can look back on this book and not relate to the issues we are facing today.

"I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review"

YES
Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone), Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.
NO
Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her.
MAYBE SO
Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural romance of the century is another thing entirely.

Can I just start off this review by saying that this was a book where I kept saying just one more chapter and ended up finishing the book in a day. I was so invested in the story and loved reading about these characters.

I have to say when I read that it was about a political campaign I was a little worried I wouldn't like it as much because I am Australian and the process is a little different, but it became something I really liked about the book because it taught me so much about voting in American. This book touches on real life issues and it is done in a way that can educate young people without being boring or pushy. Another thing I was worried about was the size of the book and if it would drag on but I can understand why it was longer than a normal contemporary. If it was any shorter I don't think the story would of worked.

This book also taught me a lot about the Muslim faith and the Jewish faith and I am now wanting to educate myself even more, so this book is a fun way to learn about a lot of important issues that people face everyday. The characters I really liked and enjoyed both of them so much even when they did a couple of things that I thought where annoying. All round this book was amazing and I am so glad I read it and I am sad that it is over. Now all I need is there to be a book about Jamies sister when she is a little bit older because I need to read more of her.

I ended up rating this book 4.5 Stars and I recommend that everyone reads this book as soon as they can. Becky Albertalli has me hooked yet again with another amazing book and Aisha Saeed I can not wait to get some of your books to read now.