Sixteen-year-old Bethany Greene is confident and self-assured, a valued member of her school's basketball team, and loved by her friend group. But when she tries asking out her crush to the Homecoming Dance and is rejected due to "inexperience," she starts to think she's what other people call a "late bloomer" as she's never had a boyfriend, went on a date, or had her first kiss. She cautiously agrees to a platonic date with her best friend, Saylor's boyfriend, Jacob Yeun, and everything seems to be going well - until Saylor breaks up with him. This is the second time this year Jacob's been broken up with - he secretly curses the glow up he had over the summer. As someone who's spent years behind his camera, he has no idea how to step up and be someone's significant other. So after Saylor breaks up with him, Jacob and Bethany decide to make the most of an awkward situation and fake date, helping each other gain the confidence in matters of the heart. But when their plan starts working a little too well, Bethany and Jacob are forced to acknowledge that their perfect match might just be a bit closer than they thought.
This was honestly delightful. I'm glad this book is written in dual POV so we got to see things from both Jacob's and Bethany's point of view. Her Good Side is the kind of book that I wish I had when I was in high school, and was trying to navigate being what these characters would constitute a "late bloomer" myself. I think Rebekah Weatherspoon was able to capture the feeling of first love, trying to figure out their place in the world, and staying true to yourself even when others try to lead you astray. It also highlighted how fast news travels around high school, and how fickle the news cycle can be, which really brought me back. I loved that while Bethany and Jacob are exploring different aspects of their relationship, there is always a focus on consent and discussions about how it's ok to not be ready for certain things, and it's important to both vocalize those discomforts and respect your partner's boundaries. Both of these characters are really comfortable around each other, and do their best to build a foundation of friendship even when, to others, they are in a romantic relationship. While I loved the romance, I also really appreciated the discussion of how to tell your parents you might not want to follow in their footsteps, or may want to deviate from the path they expect for you - Bethany's moms are both WNBA stars, and while she's extremely talented at basketball she's grown to dislike the game, and even considers quitting the team mid-season. With the help of Jacob and her friends, she's able to find a way to open that dialogue with her moms, and express her wishes to follow a new passion. All in all, I had a smile on my face throughout the majority of this book, and these characters truly warmed my heart with every turn of the page. *Thanks to BookishFirst and the publisher, Razorbill, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own*
This was honestly delightful. I'm glad this book is written in dual POV so we got to see things from both Jacob's and Bethany's point of view. Her Good Side is the kind of book that I wish I had when I was in high school, and was trying to navigate being what these characters would constitute a "late bloomer" myself. I think Rebekah Weatherspoon was able to capture the feeling of first love, trying to figure out their place in the world, and staying true to yourself even when others try to lead you astray. It also highlighted how fast news travels around high school, and how fickle the news cycle can be, which really brought me back. I loved that while Bethany and Jacob are exploring different aspects of their relationship, there is always a focus on consent and discussions about how it's ok to not be ready for certain things, and it's important to both vocalize those discomforts and respect your partner's boundaries. Both of these characters are really comfortable around each other, and do their best to build a foundation of friendship even when, to others, they are in a romantic relationship. While I loved the romance, I also really appreciated the discussion of how to tell your parents you might not want to follow in their footsteps, or may want to deviate from the path they expect for you - Bethany's moms are both WNBA stars, and while she's extremely talented at basketball she's grown to dislike the game, and even considers quitting the team mid-season. With the help of Jacob and her friends, she's able to find a way to open that dialogue with her moms, and express her wishes to follow a new passion. All in all, I had a smile on my face throughout the majority of this book, and these characters truly warmed my heart with every turn of the page. *Thanks to BookishFirst and the publisher, Razorbill, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own*