Name: Molly
Grade: 11th
Title: Date Me, Bryson Keller
Author: Kevin van Whye
Published in: 2020
Pages: 323
Rating: 5 stars
“Date Me, Bryson Keller,” by Kevin van Whye is an LGBT young adult novel that follows two characters, Kai Sheridan and Bryson Keller over the course of a week. Bryson Keller is the typical popular boy, captain of the soccer team with all the girls at school wanting him, yet he doesn’t have a girlfriend. Why? Because he believes that high school relationships are a waste of time. This sparks the beginning of the dare. Bryson Keller’s dare is to date the first person that asks him out Monday morning or he will have to ride the bus for the rest of the year. He really likes his car and doesn’t like the bus, but it’ll be easy right, he just has to prove himself right. The dare was going well for him until a boy asks him out. Kai Sheridan changed the game for Bryson Keller. From the time Kai Sheridan told Bryson Keller to date him, to the end of that week, Friday, the dare went on, and they fake date. The book takes the readers through their journey in finding themselves and shows the budding friendship between Kai Sheridan and Bryson Keller. However, as the dare goes on, Kai and Bryson fight against feelings that are undeniable and inevitable, and the readers are shown a different side of Bryson Keller.
This book was very good. It was a quick read for me and helped me get out of a reading slump. This book gets four stars because it kept me hooked and I love the fake dating trope. I love books with gay representation and this book surrounded two LGBT teens grappling with their sexuality. I really liked the concept of the book and how it was formed on the basis of a dating dare. My favorite character is Kai Sheridan because of the bravery he displayed when asking Bryson out as he had to confide and trust him with the topic of his sexuality to do so. This book made me happy as it takes the readers through the beginning of their relationship and shows them falling for each other.
I would recommend this book because it is a good, quick read. If you like the fake dating trope or LGBT books, definitely give this book and try because it does both of those justice. Reading LGBT books is especially important, so “Date Me, Bryson Keller” should be on your to-be-read lists. People who want to read more LGBT books or those who like the fake-dating trope or YA coming of age romance comedies would like this book. This book reminded me of “Boyfriend Material” by Alexis Hall because they are both gay fake dating books.
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