The day this post goes up, it will be the first Friday in my new position. I guess it will be a bit weird since I haven’t worked a Friday in a while.
Hey Everyone
As you know, I’ve been trying a new thing for me, where I share a book I love and provide a free ebook link to it, if possible.
I don’t think it’s a surprise that I’m talking about this novel in verse, I Can’t Even Think Straight by
Dean Atta, since I said I would as soon as an e-book copy becomes available to me, since I only had the audiobook. Starting with the cover, it has a summer vibe to me. The novel begins with a summer holiday in Cyprus, and I thought the main character was too much in your face. Talking about how we shouldn’t assume someone’s gender, which is true, but I felt he was shaming his friend for thinking something.
I love the grandmother, and I understand that the author wanted to focus more on cultural, racial, and societal issues, but in my opinion, some LGBTI+ aspects need to be addressed here. I rated this book three stars, the lowest I rated a Dean Atta novel. On the other hand, I see this being in the Goodreads Choice Award at the end of the year.
First Lines:
“Oh my God, they’re here,”
my best friend Vass whispers in my ear.
Their long, flowing hair tickles my shoulder.
Vass’s fresh application of sunblock
invades my nostrils as their pale, long, lean body
invades my personal space as usual.
“It’s the last day of our holiday.
You gonna talk to Local Boy today?” I ask.
I don’t look up from the book I’m reading:
Gay Club! by Simon James Green.
I don’t need to look up to feel
Vass’s eyes roll.
I know what they wanna say:
Don’t assume their gender!
But if Local Boy isn’t cis,
I don’t know who is.
We’ve been referring to him as Local Boy
because we don’t know his name.
He’s tall, tanned, toned, and has six-pack abs.
He’s so comfortable in his olive skin,
it’s hard to look at him
without making comparisons,
so I don’t look at him.
Vass does enough for the both of us.
Since Vass first saw Local Boy
on the second day of our holiday,
we’ve abandoned our mums
to return to this specific spot
on this specific beach every day.
I’ve missed out on weeks
of mum-and-son quality time.
I guess I shouldn’t complain.
While Vass has been swooning,
I’ve done a ton of reading,
and written some poems in
my new sky-blue notebook.
My old notebooks at home
contain more poems, short stories,
and the start of a novel.
I dream of being an author,
but I’ve no idea how to
make that dream come true.
Mum will be reading right now, too.
She has a huge reading list for her master’s degree.
Mum works full-time, studies part-time,
and has a market stall side hustle.
Mum will be at the private beach.
A treat from Theía Estélla, Vass’s mum,
who is a literal angel to us.
Goodreads Blurb:
Kai is going into a new school year with some big decisions to when to come out as gay, what he wants to do in life and who he wants to date. Is it any wonder he can’t think straight?
Best friends Matt and Kai made a promise to each other to stay in the closet. Matt isn’t ready to come out, but Kai wants nothing more than to write his own story. He decides it’s time to break his promise and show his true self to the world.
Now out and proud, Kai starts dating super-hot Obi, but it’s far from smooth sailing. Is love closer to home than Kai realises?
Goodreads Link Here
Download Link Here
Alex
Mybookworld24 