I Wish You All the Best

4.5 Stars

Initial Thoughts: I devoured this book in one sitting. I loved reading about Ben and their story. It was such a refreshing read. I also loved the whole cast of characters around Ben, especially Nathan. He was such a champion for Ben even before they were out. I really think this is an important book for everyone regardless of how they identify.

This was a captivating and important read. I am so excited that a YA romance centered on a non-binary character exists. The gender exploration in this story was wonderfully handled. I found story hard to put down and read it in two days because I just wanted to know how things would go. It was lovely.
The exploration of mental health was also really well done. The depression was effective to the point that I could feel the weight of it. The one major problem is in the depiction of the therapist. There are several problematic aspects to how therapy is depicted in this book. First, while we get to see several therapy session on the page, there was a lack of understanding of how therapy should go. If a real therapist started without doing informed consent, only bringing it up when they had to, they would (or at least should) lose their license. There were also times when the therapy techniques were presented in harmful ways. These stood out to me as a therapist in training. However, I do appreciate the effort made her to de-stigmatize therapy.

Overall with the minor problems above, this story is infinitely readable and important. I loved it.

Underneath this smooth and handsome exterior lies the soul of an isolated poet.

I pretty much disliked the writing and the characters, too bad for the representation. I couldn't feel anything other than annoyance and then relief when it was over. I kept hoping it would turn around until the very end but it didn't deliver. The writing style was very dry and I was taken aback by how much I disliked Ben. They were in such a negative headspace that I couldn't read this for long stretches of time. I can understand there are people like this, so self-loathing, so helpless but I just can't deal with it, especially when there's almost no growth.

They were stuck in a mood and a state of passive-aggression and kept fighting off anyone that tried to help. They were a bad sibling and friend. There is a point when you are hurting that if you choose to continuously obsess about it and avoid dealing with it at the same time, you become a jerk to everyone you know. You when people use “millennial” as a derogatory term to describe continuously self-absorbed people who feel entitled to everything all the time? That's how I felt about Ben.