Date Me, Bryson Keller, and why coming out is still a thing

The 'meets' pitch in the synopsis of this book is spot on. Having read both What If It's Us and To All the Boys I've Loved Before, I can absolutely see the similar elements. If you're looking at the description and thinking, this sounds a lot like such and such story, check out the author's note by Kevin van Whye - he does a great job of giving credit to everyone whose work inspired him, and talking about the process behind creating his own take on the tropes Date Me, Bryson Keller explores.

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Bryson is an absolute sweetheart and I am here for it! Much like Peter in To All the Boys, he is the most popular kid in high school, but also not at all the jerk you'd expect him to be if this book was set in the 90s. There's no need for reformation or redemption when it comes to Bryson, and he handles the realisation of his sexuality so well, it made me LOVE this book so much (and hate Autoboyography even more).

Kai is also absolutely adorable. An embarrassingly accurate representation of a teenager in love, his struggles are hilariously incorporated in a modern landscape of Instagram, hashtags and all the trimmings of dating in 2020.

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And then there's the Coming Out. As any non-heterosexual person, I resent the fact that it is still a thing. I purposefully avoid 'officially' coming out to people as bisexual, because that shouldn't be an announcement, much like I don't go around announcing my eyes are blue, or I'm short. You kind of just find out from knowing me.

I know many LGBTQ+ people who share my opinion. Equally, I know for a lot of people out there taking control of the narrative and proudly owning you sexuality is an empowering act in a world which, sadly, still very much tries to bury its gays, within pop culture and outside of it.

So I was proportionately outraged for Kai when he was outed to his whole school without his consent, in an act that was supposed to be 'helpful'. Obviously, this was done out of spite by petty teenagers who were trying to strike back because they were bitter. But taking control of the narrative away from Kai could have had much more disastrous effects on his relationships and his mental health.

The whole topic is covered masterfully by Kevin van Whye, including the homophobia, the worry about parents accepting you and the potential fall-out from keeping this secret from your best friends. Through the whole story, I felt for Kai without feeling like the author was trying to pile the misery on for drama alone. And, for a change, I was happy to see the main characters have a happy, non-toxic relationship from beginning to end, instead of being jerks and needing redemption.

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The school setting was so realistic, it made me feel like I was back in class myself. Having gone to a private American high school, everything except for the uniforms rang through - from the detention and strict tardiness rules to the ridiculously positioned classrooms you had to run between, the cafeteria lunch cliques and even the camp drama production (which I took part in for several years).

All in all, Date Me, Bryson Keller is a fantastic easy read and an uplifting story. It was the perfect way to round off Pride month in this year's reading challenge.

5/5 stars