Date Me, Bryson Keller: TikTok made me buy it!

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I thought a day of this nature would only make sense in that environment, because in a public school I don't think it would matter that much. But rich people are weird, and I think it invited the potential for this story to unfold. What If It’s Us meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before inthis upbeat and heartfelt boy-meets-boy romance that feels like a modern twist on a ’90s rom-com! Big Damn Kiss: What really cemented Kai and Bryson as an Official Couple was the tender yet passionate kiss between them after The Graces concert. Kai is the narrator and, though his narration is a bit choppy and oddly formal for a 17 yr old initially, he is likable which integral to this story. He's tenderhearted, loves his friends and family, is awkward in that adorable, blushing way and is terrified of being rejected once he comes out. Bryson is king of the school who was dared into "dating" anyone who asks him out on Monday for one week. Though we don't get his perspective it's clear he's kind, generous, honest, loyal and incapable of artifice. I liked him a lot. I also loved the secondary characters: Priya, Donny and Kai's amazing and possibly preternatural sister, Yazz.

The proverbial Bad Guys here turned out to be an overly-privileged, entitled, rich girl who wanted Bryson for herself, willing to go to any lengths to get him, and another person close to Bryson. I may or may not have wanted to light them on fire by the end of the book. Allegedly. The most significant weakness, for me, was the nature of the big crisis near the end. There’s simply no way that particular action could have happened outside the realm of adult supervision. I couldn’t suspend disbelief, and I was sad to see the story stumble that late in the game. Still, overall this was a treat, and it made me glad I hadn't given up on reading contemporary YA, like I’ve so often sworn I would do.

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Even though Date Me, Bryson Keller wasn't perfect I did enjoy the journey and will be on the lookout for this author's sophomore offering. MC: I love it. Kevin, thank you so much for joining us and talking about your debut, Date Me, Bryson Keller.

Kai Sheridan didn’t expect Bryson to say yes. So when Bryson agrees to secretly go out with him, Kai is thrown for a loop. But as the days go by, he discovers there’s more to Bryson beneath the surface, and dating him begins to feel less like an act and more like the real thing. Kai knows how the story of a gay boy liking someone straight ends. With his heart on the line, he’s awkwardly trying to navigate senior year at school, at home, and in the closet, all while grappling with the fact that this “relationship” will last only five days. After all, Bryson Keller is popular, good-looking, and straight . . . right? Everyone knows about the dare: Each week, Bryson Keller must date someone new - the first person to ask him out on Monday morning. Few think Bryson can do it. He may be the king of Fairvale Academy, but he's never really dated before. I did love Bryson Keller. He was the perfect boyfriend, supporting, caring - a nice understanding cinnamon roll. Thank you for saying that. Being an ex-film student that makes me happy! I don’t exactly have a dream cast but I did use certain actors for visual reference. When I was drafting the late Cameron Boyce was my Kai and for Bryson it was a French model/actor Maxence Danet-Fauvel. I also think actor Brandon Flynn gives off some Bryson Keller vibes. With Date Me, Bryson Keller releasing in May, what’s next for you? Are you working on another project already? If so, can you spare a few tidbits with us? Don’t get me wrong, there are some cute parts in this novel! Kai and Bryson go on dates, have fun, get overly romantic & sappy. It’s sweet at times! Bryson’s mom and sister are very cool with him not being straight (in stark contrast to Kai’s mom). It’s not all bad.

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KVW: …I think we're getting to a stage in representation where so many queer people are now telling their stories, so we're getting a broader scope of it, and that's really important because there are so many different intersectional identities in the queer community. And for so long, we never got to see that.

Forced Out of the Closet: Kai never had the chance to come out to either his family or the general public on his own terms since his mother found the photo strip of him and Bryson followed up by Shannon posting an article of his homosexuality to the entire school. Kai, the mc, is a closeted gay high school senior. So far so good. He’s terrified of coming out to his parents, mostly because his mom is Catholic and very religious. Still fine. He never came out to his two best friends he met at the beginning of high school, because when he was thirteen he came out to his best friend at the time and was ghosted. Kind of a lot for a kid not to have a single person he’s comfortable with, but that is sometimes our reality.

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I also disliked the characters, quite a lot. They were all one-dimensional and plain boring. Their jokes, god. We were told several times by Kai himself that he was shy, but never saw a shy person. Bryson was just this perfect thing: kind, lovable, smart, funny... he was everything Kai needed and nothing bad could come from him. I don't know Donald's personality besides being in love with Priyanka. Priyanka, though, was quite alright, and the only character that I enjoyed reading about. Then we had the villains: their only characteristic was to be a villain. No depth, nor anything. All the characters could be divided into two groups: angels or assholes, without a middle ground, depending on their accepting of Kai's sexuality and Kai and Bryson's relationship. Not that this is a bad categorization, but when the only trait of the character is being an asshole to move your plot... maybe don't do that? So yes, there was a *brief* bit of martyr behavior in the book, which thankfully wasn't allowed to linger for very long. KVW: Again, thank you to my editor, I keep saying. I remember in one of our first conversations, I was like, "I tried my best with the American stuff, but I'll definitely need your insight on that." And thankfully we got a sensitivity reader who's a queer American, so that also helped get the details right. Just to make sure that it felt authentic to an American teen. But my second book is set in South Africa, that's also exciting. If you know me you are aware that I’m not much of a television watcher. Especially since the invention of subscription services - mainly because I’m terrified that I might become one of these people . . . . For me, though, it feels like I’m waiting for my very own letter to my very own Hogwarts. Magic and adventure await me, too, in a city where no one knows me, and where I can be my true self.