Whatever. by S. J. Goslee

Whatever.

by S. J. Goslee

Mike Tate is a normal dude. He and his friends have a crappy band (an excuse to drink cheap beer and rock out to the Lemonheads) and hang out in parking lots doing stupid board tricks. But when Mike's girlfriend Lisa, who knows him better than he does, breaks up with him, he realises he's about to have a major epiphany that will blow his mind. And worse - he gets elected to homecoming court. It's like the apocalypse came, only instead of nuclear bombs and zombies, Mike gets school participation, gay thoughts, and mother-effin' cheerleaders. With the free spirit of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the raw voice of Winger, and characters reminiscent of Freaks & Geeks, this debut YA offers a standout voice and a fresh, modern take on the coming out story.

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

5 of 5 stars

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Rating: 4.5 stars

I was lucky enough to win this book through a Goodreads giveaway

This book really surprised me with its charm, candor, humor, and honesty. I loved that Mike was so average, and like a genuine teenage boy. The supporting characters were wonderful too. I was amazed at how much Goslee was able to accomplish in so few pages. I thought the characters were well defined and the story quite complete. I liked the way Goslee had Mike explore his emotions. He was happy, sad, confused, embarrassed, excited. I also appreciated that she did not make his coming out a total non-event. It seemed more real that some people in his life struggled with it. From his friends to his family to his internal monologue, I loved it all. I laughed a lot, but also sighed with a smile on my face.

**PS I loved all the 90s musical references. They totally made me nostalgic and called to my inner grunge goddess.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 30 July, 2016: Finished reading
  • 30 July, 2016: Reviewed