How to Be Remy Cameron

by Julian Winters

[Sam@WLABB]

Remy began suffering from an identity crisis following an AP Lit assignment. The assignment plus the emergence of a piece of his past plus a new love interest had Remy tied up in knots, but with the support of his family and friends, he came out on the other side a bit wiser and with some clarity.

Let's just get this out of the way - I LOVED Remy! Maybe it was his penchant for putting together the perfect outfit, or how much affection had for his little sister. It could have been the devotion he had for his dog, or perhaps, the genuinely loving and healthy relationship he shared with his parents. Whatever it was, I loved him, and because of that, I was delighted to be a part of his journey as he tried to figure his stuff out.

Winters gifted Remy with such an amazing community. I adored his family so much, I wanted them to adopt me. That house was overflowing with love, and they always seemed to be able to make time for each other. Every second spent with them filled me with joy, and they were all so fortunate to have each other. These are the YA families that will always own me, and I am over the moon to be seeing more and more families like this.

Remy also had some outstanding friends. They had a few ups and downs over the course of this story, but these were rock solid friendships. Their devotion to each other was not something I questioned, and each always seemed to have the other's back, when necessary. I adored his two besties, but there were these moments between Brook and Remy, that really warmed my heart. It's not as if men like them don't exist, but I am such a fan of seeing men share their feelings and emotions with each other, and it's fantastic to see more of this in books too.

One of the big things Remy struggled with was all the labels he had been assigned or had assigned himself. I was all over every second of this conversation, because I feel like we over-label these days. Maybe it's because I was a kid in the 70s, when I was taught to look at how we were all the same, but I never liked labeling or subscribing to labels. Winters approached the topic in a thoughtful manner, and did a nice job providing multiple views of it.

This book was near perfection for me. I know you all have heard me lament about this before, but I finished eight books last week, and SIX had allusions to Harry Potter. So, as I gleefully made my way through this book, I was also rolling my eyes at all the HP references. PLEASE authors, I am begging you - find another book!

Overall

It was an utter delight getting to know Remy Cameron, and it was a privilege to be able to accompany him on his journey of self discovery. This book was brimming with introspection and thoughtful observations about the world we live it, but the best part was how it overflowed with love, and my grinch-heart got quite a workout as I read this book.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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