Edited by Barry Lyga - NO

Edited by Barry Lyga, 285 pages. Blackstone Publishing, 2022. $20.

Language: R (97 swears, 41 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NO

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Mike is in love with Phil. And he thinks she loves/d him, too. They were together during senior year, and then they separated after graduation, but now Mike will do anything in his power to get her back – even if it doesn’t make much sense.

Initially, I thought the beginning was just disorienting. But things never got better. By chapter six, I wished I could have put the book down three chapters earlier. The story doesn’t make sense, and I was annoyed. And then Lyga comes in and breaks the fourth wall worse than I have ever seen before. Maybe we can offer kudos to him for doing something new and surprising readers, but I am not pleased with the surprise and his over-meta-ing. If I could un-read this book, I would.

Mike is white, and Phil and George are implied white. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, innuendo, and mentions of nudity, condoms, and sex. The violence rating is for mentions of domestic violence, child abuse, and suicide.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen