Ok, when I saw that Rebekah Weatherspoon was releasing a YA novel, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. If you’ve read Xeni or Rafe, you know what I’m talking about, however, it was amazing.
The story follows Bethany and Jacob. Bethany is hopelessly crushing on an idiot who doesn’t see her, but rather what he thinks her WNBA stars turned basketball coach / sportscaster moms can do for him. She’s also trying to overcome the unfortunate nickname of Crybaby Bethany after bursting out into tears her freshman year of school when her friend confessed losing her virginity to her longtime partner. She’s an emotional crier, it happens, but because of this, no one will date her. Jacob was an awkward kid who bloomed over the summer and is now the guy all the girls are fighting over. He’s had two relationships and hasn’t gotten past a month with either of them and is afraid he’s doing something wrong. When Bethany and Jacob agree to fake date to get past their reputations, they realize that maybe they’re actually perfect for each other.
Rebekah managed to capture the emotions of teenagers so well, it brought me back to my own high school days— the awkwardness with the opposite sex, the ride or die friend group, the rumors, the judging, the feelings of every small thing being the end of the world. It was captured so incredibly well. Another thing that Rebekah did well was the diverse cast of characters that make up Bethany’s friend group. Everyone accepted them and their sexuality, race, and prefered gender was not touched upon after introducing them—as it should be. There were no parents fumbling over pronouns, no one being harassed for their sexuality, no token characters at all—everyone was fleshed out and had their own stories and it was glorious.
I honestly loved this book. It was a great YA debut for Rebekah and while not in the genre I typically read, I will be seeking out her future YA novels.
The story follows Bethany and Jacob. Bethany is hopelessly crushing on an idiot who doesn’t see her, but rather what he thinks her WNBA stars turned basketball coach / sportscaster moms can do for him. She’s also trying to overcome the unfortunate nickname of Crybaby Bethany after bursting out into tears her freshman year of school when her friend confessed losing her virginity to her longtime partner. She’s an emotional crier, it happens, but because of this, no one will date her. Jacob was an awkward kid who bloomed over the summer and is now the guy all the girls are fighting over. He’s had two relationships and hasn’t gotten past a month with either of them and is afraid he’s doing something wrong. When Bethany and Jacob agree to fake date to get past their reputations, they realize that maybe they’re actually perfect for each other.
Rebekah managed to capture the emotions of teenagers so well, it brought me back to my own high school days— the awkwardness with the opposite sex, the ride or die friend group, the rumors, the judging, the feelings of every small thing being the end of the world. It was captured so incredibly well. Another thing that Rebekah did well was the diverse cast of characters that make up Bethany’s friend group. Everyone accepted them and their sexuality, race, and prefered gender was not touched upon after introducing them—as it should be. There were no parents fumbling over pronouns, no one being harassed for their sexuality, no token characters at all—everyone was fleshed out and had their own stories and it was glorious.
I honestly loved this book. It was a great YA debut for Rebekah and while not in the genre I typically read, I will be seeking out her future YA novels.