[ARC] I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver || book review

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to yet another ARC book review! I've been reading quite a few ARCs recently, and luckily they've been some of the best I've managed to get so far! It's such a privilege to have access to these books and this was another one that I just couldn't down, so I'm very excited to share my thoughts (so much so that I literally finished reading it five minutes ago!). 

I am a little confused as to why this book was on Netgalley, because it appears it was published in 2019, and it even was a nominee for the Goodreads Choice Awards 2019. Maybe this is a new version or something? If anyone know the answer to this then I would be very interested in knowing the answer!

Thank you so much to the publisher Macmillan, and Netgalley for granting me free and advanced access to this book. This has not affected my opinions in any way.

Publication date: 13th April 2023 (although I believe you could already have access to it?)

Synopsis:

When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they're thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder compounded by their parents' rejection, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school.

But Ben's attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan's friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.

At turns heartbreaking and joyous, I Wish You All the Best is both a celebration of life, friendship, and love, and a shining example of hope in the face of adversity.

I can't even begin to describe the love I have for this book. The characters felt like my closest friends and I was just living inside the novel, this book really allowed me to escape away. I was feeling all the emotions with the characters, and it just feels like such an important book.

 I also learnt a lot about being non-binary and what it entails, especially with what that can mean for relationships. I think this is a part of the queer community that in YA and literature in general is very underrepresented, and this is a queer love story that needs to be told. 

The author does such a fantastic job of stringing the story together, of making you care, of making you just FEEL so much. It's been a journey to go through this book with these characters, and I truly felt a part of this world. 

The main character, Ben, is so well written. I love how we really get to see their insecurities, their problems, and they just feels so real to me. They feel like they have a part of so many of the people I know, if that makes sense, and I just felt like none of the emotions were over-exaggerated or not put forward enough. This book hits such a sweet spot for me. 

The friendships and relationships Ben builds take time, and I love that. We see a real growth in their character, and that could only be possible thanks to therapy. The way that therapy is portrayed in this book in such a positive light and as such a powerful tool, was really special and important to see. This was also seen in the way that anxiety was portrayed and the way that we really see his struggle with it.

I love the relationship that Ben has with his art teacher, and the one he builds with his sister, Hannah. I think these were so well crafted and made Ben such a well rounded character. 

The whole friendship group is just such a joy. Their jokes and their unconditional acceptance made for a truly memorable group. I do not think there will be a sequel but if there ever is one, I will be the first one on Netgalley requesting it and praying it's accepted. I want more of these characters; I didn't want to leave them!

How have I gone through the bulk of the review without mentioning Nathan Allan, I don't know. He is the absolute sweetest, and the romance element of this story is just so beautiful. I love the rooftop setting for a certain scene (if you know, you know), and the whole way that he builds this friendship with Ben, the way that he insists on being his friend, even when Ben themselves does not really want to be friends. 

This is another ARC that I will seriously consider buying for myself, it's such an exceptional story, that deserves to be told in so many ways. It was (I believe) the first non-binary romance I have read, and that feels momentous. Thank you for this story. 

Around The Blogosphere: 

- Reading Writing and Me shares a review - click here!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post, and for being here and supporting my blog. I truly hope you are well and reading some fantastic books. Happy reading!

Have you read this book? Do you want to? What do you think of the synopsis? Have you read any  non-binary romances or stories with non-binary characters? 

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p.s. casual magic of the day:

(If you are new here and have no idea what I'm on about, click here to find out more)

I saw a friend that I hadn't seen in AGEs and turns out we've been watching the same TV show, and listening to the same songs, without us knowing. I mentioned one of my favourite songs at the moment (People watching by Conan Gray) and she started singing it and saying she loves it too! So magical <3 Also I went to a cafe and had the most aesthetic hot chocolate!