Stevie‘s review of Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye
Young Adult LGBT Romance published by Random House Books for Young Readers 19 May 20
I haven’t seen a lot of gay young adult fiction featuring an inter-racial central couple, although there’s an increasing amount of such stories in the world of LGBT+ fiction aimed at adult readers. I liked the premise of this story a lot, and so was happy when I discovered that it also went a little way towards addressing the aforementioned discrepancy too. Kai Sheridan is the son of a white American mother and a mixed-race South African father, and is very much in the closet. Not even his two best friends know that he is gay. All this starts to change, however, when Kai gets mixed up in an ongoing dare for the most popular boy in his year to spend a week dating the first person to ask him out each Monday for three months.
Bryson Keller is from a wealthy family, the captain of the school soccer team, and – to all intents and purposes – straight. After Bryson agrees to the dare at a New Year party, the whole school is abuzz with speculation as to who he will date next. When Kai and Bryson are paired up for a class assignment on a morning that has started off disastrously for both of them, Kai spontaneously asks Bryson to date him for the week. Realising that the dare never stipulated that he could only date girls, Bryson agrees – and also agrees not to tell anyone just whom he is dating that week.
The pair proceed to go out on a series of very standard dates, made all the less ordinary by how much they both seem to enjoy them. Kai quickly finds out that his dates are far closer to the real thing than any of those Bryson has arranged in previous weeks, and it becomes obvious that the two are developing feelings for each other. They face opposition and hostility from Bryson’s friends and Kai’s family, but also gain support from Kai’s friends and Bryson’s family. Ultimately, the biggest test is whether what started out as a dare on both their parts can be translated into a real relationship, particularly given Bryson’s previously stated opinion that high school relationships never last.
I liked this book a lot, especially when it comes to Kai. I’d have liked to see more of Bryson’s point of view, and a little more acknowledgement of the existence of other LGBT+students than the one out gay guy who is mentioned along with his boyfriend – who gets very little of a look-in. I’d also have liked to see more exploration of Bryson’s sexuality: I think the possibility that he might be bisexual only came up once, and the idea that he might claim some other identity wasn’t touched on at all, in spite of the number of young people owning a wide range of labels out in the big wide world. Another author for me to look out for again, all in all.
Grade: B
Summary:
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.
Until a boy asks him out, and everything changes.
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?
Kevin van Whye delivers an uplifting and poignant coming-out love story that will have readers rooting for these two teens to share their hearts with the world–and with each other.
Read an excerpt.
