You, Me and Him

You, Me and Him is Kris Dinnison's first YA novel. Released on July 7th of this year, You, Me and Him had mixed reviews all around. Revolving the story of Nash Taylor and Maggie Bower being two, outcast friends ghosting through life, this had great potential. But the cliché aspect of high school drama, love and stereotypical points at gays, overweight kids, and the nonchalant introduction of an unapparent love triangle, You, Me and Him has gained some harsh criticism from Dinnison's audience.

Plot

Maggie Bower is your average high school student hoping to make it through life unnoticed. But being bullied for her lack of popularity and weight not exactly playing to her benefit, Maggie is the epitome of an outsider. Nash Taylor is out of the closet and proudly so. Sure, people all over the small town they reside in have a lot to say, but Nash is sassy and fabulous and couldn't care less for anything but his childhood BFF, Maggie.

But everything changes during the start of the school year, because Tom Pierce moves to town. Now Tom is everything every girl has ever considered. He's friendly, flirty and devilishly sexy.

Dibs at first sight is what Nash calls it. Overly drawn to Tom, Nash makes it clear to Maggie that Tom belongs to him. But as time progresses and as Maggie desperately tries to push away the bubbling feelings of Tom's attraction towards her, she can't help but admit that she too has fallen for the same guy as her best friend.

Overall

This had so much potential, but Dinnison ruined a great book with her cliché stereotypes. Talk about a let down when it comes down to that of a seemingly intricate and humorous book.

The only honest reason why I even anticipated reading the book was because of Nash Taylor's quote of absolute perfection: “Do not ignore a call from me when you know I am feeling neurotic about a boy. That is Best Friend 101.” I would assume that an author would put a bit more effort into character development and expand past the stereotypes of high school gays because, let's be honest, we're not in it for the fashion or the sex nor do we have that "fabulously sassy" streak going. As an individual that labels herself within the LGBTQ+ community, it's a big slap in the face when falling upon misrepresentations of people in such a way. That was probably one of the biggest reasons why I instantly began to dislike You, Me and Him, but there were other factors that played heavily upon the 288 paged book.

Maggie and Nash are said to have the strongest friendship one could fall upon, but when a boy can break through the barriers of trust, honesty and loyalty, then it's not true whatsoever. I really like comparing myself to characters and naturally put myself in their shoes. While trying to fit myself into Maggie's slippers and considering Nash as my own real life best friend who is also proudly out of the closet, the whole situation made me laugh (pathetically so to speak).

First of all, for Nash to even call dibs on Tom the day they meet him is childish as it is. At first I honestly presumed it was all a joke. But as you get closer into the middle ground of the story, you realize it's the farthest thing from a joke and Nash actually means to call dibs. Of course, Maggie's naivety is also quite frustrating to deal with. For her to assume that Tom doesn't like her though he clearly has a lot more fun being alone with her than with Nash should say a lot. And if she truly wanted to keep away from him, she could've grown a bit of a backbone seeing to it that she's the type of character who isn't fond of handling anyone's drama. Not only does she find herself captivated by Tom's openly flirtatious behavior, she's falling for the trap obliviously.

Maggie was a strong and likable character in the beginning. She was the type that ate her feelings when she was stressed and depressed. She was the type who was picked on for her weight by her mom who always wanted her to file after a much more healthier route. She was also the type to hate herself when the time came for self-confidence issues. But through the course of You, Me and Him, she did things totally out of character.

Forgiving popular girl Kayla although she's obviously a fake Barbie doll with the hopes of gaining attention by spreading lies was a stupid mistake. Also making out with Tom Pierce and letting him be all "I liked that, but don't want to be with you" right after was rather infuriating. And the fact that Nash Taylor, who simply couldn't handle Kayla because of how two-faced she was, listened to her words as she sparked a rumor against Maggie nearly had me throwing this book across Barnes and Nobles.

Thankfully I didn't.

As I was roughly skimming the last few pages due to my irritation against such a novel, I fell upon the scene of Maggie stupidly preying after Tom and going to a party where she knew absolutely no one. And the fact that Dinnison even threw in a part where a drunken bully character pinned Maggie against the wall claiming that because she was so open for sex, that maybe the two should have some fun, was petrifying and disgusting. I thought this was a humor filled romance that would end with all parties settled in a seemingly intricate way, but throwing the hints of sexual harassment when it was nowhere previously mentioned in the book was rage-filled in itself. If you're going to make a character up to be a certain way, the best thing Dinnison could've done was make sure that she kept within the lines of said character.

Talk about a book that leads you on with disappointments at every turn.

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