Release Day Review ~ Jordan vs. All the Boys by John Goode
Title: Jordan vs. All the Boys
Author: John Goode
Release Date: February 19, 2019
Category: Contemporary, Teen Fiction, Gay Spectrum
Pages: 169
Everyone has that one summer, the summer where you take your first steps into adulthood. The nights are longer, the songs are better, and the friends you make are forever. For Jordan, Brandon, Ethan, and Dominic, that summer is now. This pack of self-proclaimed nerds set out on an adventure that defines every young man’s life—the search for love, or at least what they think love is. As with all great quests there are pitfalls and challenges ahead of them and they will have to overcome their greatest enemy, their own egos. But the power of true friendship could give them the strength they need to complete their quest and win their prize.
4.5 Stars!
Don't be put off by the uber young, uber gamer-y, uber-gamer-geek-speak style of tale-telling. This is an excellent book.
I picked this book up and put it down a couple of times before being able to finish, and I am really glad that I persisted with it. At first, I was put off by all the gamer language and interruptions to the tale, with the author going chapter and verse into explanations of gaming terms, but it was easy enough to skip those and be none the less-wise, and none the wiser, if that makes sense. I'm a 50yo (mother of a 26yo gamer who loves gaming but who isn't a geek), and understood a fair few of the terms, but the tangents and interruptions disrupted the flow of the tale for me, delaying me getting into it, so I found it a bit much and a bit off-putting at the start. But, hey, the kids were uber gamers and therefore yes, this was likely how their brains operated at any given time. I am only grateful that there was no sex in this tale, as to take a mental time out whilst right in the middle of getting it on and being privy to more gamer-geek-speak might have been too much to take, lol!
As the tale went on, I got really into it and realised a few things: I'm glad I'm not a teenager anymore. I'm glad I'm not a teenager in 2019. I'm glad I'm not a US teenager in 2019. I'm glad I'm not single and dating in 2019, because, wow, it's soooo different and soooo 'watch everything' - you need to be really savvy and a lot older than your years to be safe online, and I don't think I would want to be dating this way.
I admired how brave Jordan and his besties were going out there with their forays into dating. I felt a bit sad for them, laughed along with them and cringed at some of the put-downs and how cruel and self-serving some people were, and at the faux pas the guys inevitably made. But, the girls they met were awesome and women beyond their years, and listening to their words of wisdom was LOL! And again, I was grateful it wasn't me out there dating for the first time in my life. I loved the camaraderie between the boys and the genuine love that they had for each other, and that three 'straight' guys and an out gay guy could be such open friends, without needing to censor words, thoughts, feelings or physical gestures. They felt like real 'bros'.
I loved a few things in this tale, but this was the best: (Jordan is upset) He just held me there, patting my hair and after a while, the wave of sadness that had hit me subsided and I got control of my emotions again....'Hey, these are nondenominational snuggles. They have no sexuality or country of origin. They're to make you feel better.' 'We are here today to hug the sadness out of Jordan.' he proclaimed like a preacher. 'Can I get an amen?' 'In this circle there is no judging, no blame and no pictures.' 'Seriously, Jordan, we are always here for you.' Awwww!
Read this sweet, funny, quirky tale and I am sure that like me, you wouldn't wish dating in 2019 on your worst enemy. Or maybe you would, for payback in a non-violent way?
ARC courtesy of Bayou Book Junkie and Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure. A review was not a requirement.
I picked this book up and put it down a couple of times before being able to finish, and I am really glad that I persisted with it. At first, I was put off by all the gamer language and interruptions to the tale, with the author going chapter and verse into explanations of gaming terms, but it was easy enough to skip those and be none the less-wise, and none the wiser, if that makes sense. I'm a 50yo (mother of a 26yo gamer who loves gaming but who isn't a geek), and understood a fair few of the terms, but the tangents and interruptions disrupted the flow of the tale for me, delaying me getting into it, so I found it a bit much and a bit off-putting at the start. But, hey, the kids were uber gamers and therefore yes, this was likely how their brains operated at any given time. I am only grateful that there was no sex in this tale, as to take a mental time out whilst right in the middle of getting it on and being privy to more gamer-geek-speak might have been too much to take, lol!
As the tale went on, I got really into it and realised a few things: I'm glad I'm not a teenager anymore. I'm glad I'm not a teenager in 2019. I'm glad I'm not a US teenager in 2019. I'm glad I'm not single and dating in 2019, because, wow, it's soooo different and soooo 'watch everything' - you need to be really savvy and a lot older than your years to be safe online, and I don't think I would want to be dating this way.
I admired how brave Jordan and his besties were going out there with their forays into dating. I felt a bit sad for them, laughed along with them and cringed at some of the put-downs and how cruel and self-serving some people were, and at the faux pas the guys inevitably made. But, the girls they met were awesome and women beyond their years, and listening to their words of wisdom was LOL! And again, I was grateful it wasn't me out there dating for the first time in my life. I loved the camaraderie between the boys and the genuine love that they had for each other, and that three 'straight' guys and an out gay guy could be such open friends, without needing to censor words, thoughts, feelings or physical gestures. They felt like real 'bros'.
I loved a few things in this tale, but this was the best: (Jordan is upset) He just held me there, patting my hair and after a while, the wave of sadness that had hit me subsided and I got control of my emotions again....'Hey, these are nondenominational snuggles. They have no sexuality or country of origin. They're to make you feel better.' 'We are here today to hug the sadness out of Jordan.' he proclaimed like a preacher. 'Can I get an amen?' 'In this circle there is no judging, no blame and no pictures.' 'Seriously, Jordan, we are always here for you.' Awwww!
Read this sweet, funny, quirky tale and I am sure that like me, you wouldn't wish dating in 2019 on your worst enemy. Or maybe you would, for payback in a non-violent way?
ARC courtesy of Bayou Book Junkie and Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure. A review was not a requirement.
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