Hey, guys! Welcome to my stop on TheWriteReads's Ultimate Blog Tour for Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan. I have to admit, the title and synopsis for this one immediately drew me in, and I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to read and review it. So, without further ado, let's get into it!
Max is here, and he's queer! Together with his best friends, Dean and Alicia, Max is trying to make the most out of his final year at sixth form. But while his friends are focused on their passions, Max's only passion seems to be fantasising about making out with teenage boys. So when he finally plucks up the courage to ask his crush, Oliver Cheng, out, he is absolutely devastated when the latter leaves him on read. In a state of complete teenage anguish, Max wishes he had it easier and that he were straight - but he never would have imagined that by the next morning, his wish would have come true...
As someone who's been inching away from YA over the past couple of years, the very Gen-Z tone of the novel was a bit of a shock to my system. It felt like I was actually listening in on a group sixth formers' conversation, and I found myself cringing to start off with. But once I got through the first third of the novel, I really started to appreciate the authenticity in the language, and I definitely enjoyed the pop culture references sprinkled in throughout the novel.
Similarly, I found the characters to be a bit annoying at first, but as I got to know them I started to grow quite fond of them. Max is very much a flawed main character, and I found him to be quite unlikable at times, but I think that was the whole point. As the narrative progresses, we see him learn and mature, and I feel like he redeemed himself in my eyes by the end of the narrative. The plot itself was quite predictable as it's one that's been done countless times, but McSwiggan puts a fresh spin on it with his cast of beautifully colourful (in more ways than one) characters.
Overall, I ended up thoroughly enjoying this, and I highly recommend you give it a shot if it's intrigued you. Again, thank you very much to TheWriteReads for this opportunity, and a massive well done to the author!