Jeremy Warsh wouldn’t describe his life as that exciting; a high school senior, he spends most of his time outside of school working at the local grocery store, helping his mom to make ends meet. His friends, Stuart and Kasey are the exciting ones, the ones that inspire Jeremy to start drawing again: Stuart through his senior prank plans and Kasey through coming out. This sparks a series of actions that puts Jeremy’s life on a completely different path–one that includes kissing a boy at a college party. Has Jeremy just been hiding from himself this whole time? And what does that mean for his future after school?
I received a copy of this book from the author, Jess Moore, from the YA Book Stop page on Facebook–my first such review book from there! There are depictions of homophobia through Kasey’s parents within the story, as a warning to those that it may trigger. I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed, especially with the way that Moore so accurately captures the voice of a teenager. Jeremy’s voice throughout the book was so authentic, and his character was what really sucked me into the story.
Because I felt the beginning of the book was a bit slow, I wasn’t expecting to be as invested as I became throughout the rest of the novel. For me, the story really starts to pick up when Jeremy is working on the Homecoming prank with Stuart and everyone else. This is where you start to see Jeremy shine, and this is where I really started getting invested in his future.
Enter the mysterious boy that Jeremy kisses at that party. While at first, this doesn’t seem like it will take up that much of the plot, nor does it seem like Jeremy will actually see the guy again, I like the way that their romance subtley grew, eventually getting some of those “awe,” heart-melting moments (and who doesn’t love those in a teen romance?).The relationship doesn’t completely take over Jeremy’s journey, but instead supplements it in that it allows Jeremy to feel like he can be his true self. It fit well with the story and the characters, and the comparisons to Daredevil were just a bonus.
This coming-of-age story hits all the right notes for young adult, effectively encapsulating what it means to be a teenager. This is Jess Moore’s first book, and I’m sure it won’t be her last!
4/5 stars