This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kheryn Callender Published by Balzer + Bray on October 30th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult, LGBTQIA
Goodreads
A fresh, charming rom-com perfect for fans of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Boy Meets Boy about Nathan Bird, who has sworn off happy endings but is sorely tested when his former best friend, Ollie, moves back to town.
Nathan Bird doesn’t believe in happy endings.
Although he’s the ultimate film buff and an aspiring screenwriter, Nate’s seen the demise of too many relationships to believe that happy endings exist in real life.
Playing it safe to avoid a broken heart has been his MO ever since his father died and left his mom to unravel—but this strategy is not without fault. His best-friend-turned-girlfriend-turned-best-friend-again, Florence, is set on making sure Nate finds someone else. And in a twist that is rom-com-worthy, someone does come along: Oliver James Hernández, his childhood best friend.
After a painful mix-up when they were little, Nate finally has the chance to tell Ollie the truth about his feelings. But can Nate find the courage to pursue his own happily ever after?
I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher.
With a description that says for fans of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Boy Meets Boy, I knew this YA debut would be for me.
Nathan is a film buff and screenplay writer but it looks like the only happy endings in his life are the ones he watches and writes about. When his childhood best friend, Ollie, moves back into town, Nathan wonders if he can finally get his happy ending.
I thought that Nathan was a well-written character. He seemed very three-dimensional and complex and I enjoyed reading from his POV. All of the secondary characters as well were definitely well-rounded. A lot of the characters and their backgrounds aren’t mentioned in the blurb/summary but they are all definitely well-written. I really liked the romance between Nathan and Ollie and their story was so cute.
Overall, This is Kind of an Epic Love Story is definitely a cute and wonderfully diverse YA debut. I’m excited to read what Callender writes next.
