by Page Powars
narrated by Ben Balmaceda
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And They Were Roommates is a fun YA contemporary romance by Page Powars featuring a queer roommate mishap.
A reviewer I follow noted it gave off Ouran High School Host Club vibes, and I find that extremely accurate. (Side note: I really enjoyed that anime.)
I could really understand Charlie’s anxiety throughout the book. He was juggling a lot of stress! Delilah seemed fun, but I wish I got to see her around Charlie more often.
As is often the case for me and YA books, it felt a little on the younger side for me. The plot felt a little bit too meandering, but the representation throughout this book was pretty stellar.
However, there were a few things I personally found a little uncomfortable. One was the fact that a protagonist was voted Sexiest Poet of the Year (by WHOM?!) even though he’s under 18 years old. Another was a flippant mention by one of the (reminder) 16-year old protagonists that pre-transition Charlie was the “love of [his] life” which felt a little too big of a proclamation for a character that young.
Rep: transgender, queer
Tropes: second chance, forced proximity, hidden identity, boarding school, found family, epistolary (love letters)
I received a complimentary review copy from Roaring Brook Press (@FierceReads). All opinions contained herein are my own.
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