Overall, there was a lot that I liked about this book! First and foremost, I loved that the story features a gay romance, and it's considered natural and normal among everyone. The main character is a gay boy that has dated another boy before, and that is accepted--I absolutely loved that. The queer representation was excellent, and I loved the queer-friendly version of the world!
I unfortunately didn't love Zack as a character, especially at the beginning (confident jock mixed with shy teen personality was definitely interesting to try and grasp). Just the way his arc was handled wasn't as strong as I personally thought it could've been. It wasn't clear to me why he took the blame for the prank in the first place. And why he was fine with doing community service for something he didn't do. I don't know... I realize that's the catalyst for this story to even happen, but I think the reasoning behind Zack's actions in the beginning of the book could be stronger.
I thought the second half of the book was a lot better than the first. And I enjoyed the romance overall (though I think the chemistry could be a bit stronger).
With all that said, I think this book is a low-stakes summery read that many teens will enjoy.
I unfortunately didn't love Zack as a character, especially at the beginning (confident jock mixed with shy teen personality was definitely interesting to try and grasp). Just the way his arc was handled wasn't as strong as I personally thought it could've been. It wasn't clear to me why he took the blame for the prank in the first place. And why he was fine with doing community service for something he didn't do. I don't know... I realize that's the catalyst for this story to even happen, but I think the reasoning behind Zack's actions in the beginning of the book could be stronger.
I thought the second half of the book was a lot better than the first. And I enjoyed the romance overall (though I think the chemistry could be a bit stronger).
With all that said, I think this book is a low-stakes summery read that many teens will enjoy.