This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story

July 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Callender (Hurricane Child) delivers a sweet YA romance about taking necessary risks. Still reeling from a breakup, Nathan Bird doesn't see the point in dating. After all, all relationships end eventually, right? While he loves the wide range of emotions that he and his friends experience watching movies in film club, he has trouble expressing his feelings aloud. He's also afraid of failing at his dream of becoming a screenwriter. Nate's desire to eschew romance and avoid creative expression in favor of emotional self-preservation is challenged by his childhood best friend and crush, Oliver James Hernández, moving back to town. Callender's novel is full of heartwarming exchanges and positive messages. Nate is dealing with the loss of his father and the impact it's had on his mother. The dialogue between mother and son is often relatable and sometimes painful as they struggle over Nate's desire for more freedom and independence. Oliver is a well-developed character who is hard of hearing, but this physical disability isn't the focus of the narrative. The depth and breadth of representation is welcome. The story is unflinchingly realistic and doesn't sugarcoat the tough stuff, but it's also a quick, breezy tale that will appeal to a wide range of readers. VERDICT Highly recommended for teen and adult readers of realistic romance.-Emily Butler, Deerfield Academy, MA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2018
Love and second chances are the themes of this engrossing young adult novel.After being cheated on by his girlfriend, Florence, and watching his mother struggle to accept his father's death, Nathan is not sure that he believes in love anymore. When Oliver, Nate's former best friend, moves back to Seattle and enrolls in his high school, the stage may finally be set for Nate to heal his broken heart. In their debut young adult novel, Callender (Hurricane Child, 2018) assembles a delightful cast of teenage characters who feel so authentic that readers will be scanning their school cafeterias for them. The author has a talent for capturing the earnest-yet-awkward cadence of teenspeak, and they explore the humor and pathos of adolescent relationships in a way that demonstrates a deep respect for the teen audience. While the central love pair is nicely rendered, starting with their meet-cute, Nate's relationships with his mother and with Flo--for whom he still holds a torch--are equally complex. His guilt over his inability to comfort his mom and the awkwardness both he and Flo feel about forging a solid friendship despite their rocky past are eminently relatable. Best of all, Nate, Flo, and Ollie's sexualities are fluid and a nonissue within their familial and social circles. Nate is brown-skinned, Oliver is Latinx, and Florence is biracial (black and Taiwanese).A delightful testimony to the enduring power of love. (Fiction. 14-18)

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September 15, 2018
Grades 9-12 Nathan Bird is in a bad place. Though he still loves her, his girlfriend, Flo, has left him for another girl. As if this weren't bad enough, Oliver James Hernandez, his childhood best friend whom he hasn't seen since they were 11, returns to Seattle from Santa Fe. Good news? Not really, as their friendship ended badly when Nate kissed Ollie, who fled. Nate quickly proves why he calls himself the King of Awkward, while agonizing over how to react to a teenage Ollie. Gradually, the two boys effect a rapprochement that begins to turn into something more as Nate realizes he's falling in love with Ollie. But can they have a relationship? Or will Ollie leave him again? Nate dithers endlessly about this until readers want to scream. Will the two boys ever get together? Well, perhaps. Though not as epic as the title promises, and as filled with frustration as it is, the love story is ultimately sweet enough to satisfy fans of LGBTQ romance. Perhaps there really are happy endings.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)