Starred review from November 14, 2022
After queer Black 17-year-old Theo’s public promposal goes sideways, he must reconsider his past actions, current relationships, and future goals in this earnest romance by Winters (Right Where I Left You). Best friends Theo, Darren, and Jay have a tradition of daring each other into humorous and occasionally embarrassing situations, such as belting out Mariah Carey in their Louisville, Ky., magnet school’s quad, a welcome distraction from his father’s expectations. Jay dares Theo to ask his crush, Christian, to prom; Theo accepts, excited for the opportunity to have his “big magically gay prom night.” When Theo promposes at a house party, however, Christian reveals that he has a boyfriend. Convinced that Jay knew and set him up, Theo and his friends have an emotional blowout fueled by years of Theo’s buried frustration stemming from internal turmoil as the least affluent and only queer person in their group. Hiding out in an empty bedroom, Theo is eventually joined by fellow partygoers, including his former best friend, Aleah, each of whom is struggling in the aftermath of a hurtful conflict. Creating an outstanding, intersectionally diverse supporting cast whose personalities glimmer with dynamic energy, Winters skillfully centers showing up for oneself and communicating honestly amid an infectious celebration of queer romantic gestures. Ages 12–up. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary.
November 15, 2022
Theo and his friends have been daring each other to do ridiculous things once a month since freshman year, but it takes everything going wrong for him to dare to be the person he really wants to be. Seventeen-year-old Theodore Jamal Wright isn't as well off as many students at Brook-Oak, his Louisville, Kentucky, magnet school. He works hard academically to meet his single dad's expectations; trains hard on the track team to keep up with best friends Darren and Jay; and tries his best socially as a less-than-popular, more-than-awkward, out Black kid. A dare from Jay pushes Theo out of his comfort zone: attending an exclusive party and asking Christian, his crush, to the prom. At the party, Theo reconsiders some of his closest relationships: Discovering Jay possibly already knew Christian had a boyfriend and the dare was destined for hurtful failure exacerbates the growing tensions between him and the wealthy friend who hasn't always treated him well. This in turn puts things into perspective as Theo reconciles with a friend he treated poorly in middle school. The novel excels emotionally in its portrayal of intimate moments with a small cast of vulnerable, honest, queer characters who connect meaningfully, exploring friendship in mature, thoughtful, high-stakes contexts. When the party ends, Theo must put what he's learned into practice, realistically stumbling before he can walk away from hurtful relationship patterns and toward genuine ones. An authentically adolescent novel seriously concerned with friendship in honest, resonant ways. (Fiction. 12-18)
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Starred review from March 15, 2023
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Theo and his two best friends, Jay and Darren, are known around school for their flashy Friday dares. They're also stars on the track team, but it's the dares that have made them famous--and have landed them occasional detentions. When Jay dares Theo to ask Christian, his crush, to their junior prom, it seems like a can't-lose, especially since if he does it, wealthy Jay is promising to foot the bill for the prom that Theo couldn't afford on his own. Theo has already been wrestling with his changing friendship with white Jay, who just doesn't seem to understand him the same way that Darren, who's Black like Theo, does. But so what if Jay has been even weirder since Theo came out, when a perfect prom is on the line? But when the dare is a complete disaster, Theo winds up stuck in a bedroom at a Friday night party with a strange assortment of people he barely knows: a former friend, a student on the outside of everything, a girl who's the butt of every sexual joke, and a boy who Theo keeps seeing at his worst moments. Over the course of one night, the five start asking questions about the prejudices at their school, the realities of their friendships, and the truth about their own desires. Move over, Breakfast Club: this one has a lot to say.
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December 2, 2023
Gr 7 Up-Friday dares have been going strong for Theo and his two besties, Jay and Darren, since their freshman year. The latest dare: Theo, now a junior, has to ask his crush Christian to prom. After a failed first attempt, Theo gets a second chance at a party. Things go awry yet again. Surprisingly, Theo finds himself having a heart-to-heart with an unlikely bunch of classmates, including his ex-bestie Aleah. As the conversation flows, Theo learns a lot about what it means to be a true friend-and about himself. Winter skillfully puts Black and brown adolescence under a microscope to uncover insightful expectations about masculinity, sexuality, and gender. The tight plot is mostly focused on the party, allowing for some genuine bonding moments for the fully realized (and infectiously fun) characters. VERDICT Equal parts feel-good and radical honesty, this first purchase will easily appeal to fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli.-Alec Chunn
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