Title: Blaine for the Win
Author: Robbie Couch
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: April 12, 2022
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Summary
Blaine seems to have it all. The perfect boyfriend, a great job as a muralist, and a supportive, loving family. In fact, he’s 100% positive that his boyfriend is about to ask him on an epic trip to Cabo for spring break. However, when Blaine gets there, that’s not the case. His boyfriend dumps him, in public, on their 1-year anniversary. Because he’s not “serious” enough.
So, Blaine decides to get revenge by running for senior president of the student council. The trouble is, Blaien knows nothing about student council. Enlisting the help of his friends and a possible new crush, he’s determined to show everyone that he can do it. But is he willing to give up things he loves in order to do so?
Review: Blaine for the Win
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy of this to review! The Sky Blues was absolutely one of my favorite reads of 2021, so I was super excited for this one. Happy to say it definitely lived up to the hype for me!
This is only Robbie Couch’s second book, but one thing he absolutely excels at is writing great characters. And great character friend groups. Though a bit misguided at times, Blaine is such fun as a narrator. He has a bit of an eccentric family and best friends who will do anything to support him. And even though Blaine has such personality, he doesn’t drown out the side characters. They’re all as part of the story as Blaine is.
If you’re a fan of Legally Blonde, you’ll also love all the little nods that Couch throws in throughout the book. For me, it was a fun spin on a story that everyone knows and loves. There’s also a lot of great discussion about mental health throughout, especially the mental health of high schoolers. Blaine makes it center stage for his campaign, and it honestly needs to be more center stage for high schools in reality.
Honestly, this is such a feel-good novel, and that’s what The Sky Blues was, too. Everything about it feels so uplifting, which makes it perfect for a spring release. The only reason it’s not a complete five stars from me is because it hasn’t beat out The Sky Blues as my favorite, yet. But Couch is definitely marking himself as an expert in feel-good YA.
4.5/5 stars
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