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One small fandom convention. One teen beauty pageant. One meet cute waiting to happen. Up and coming fanfic author Kaylee Beaumont is internally screaming at the chance to finally meet her fandom friends in real life and spend a weekend at GreatCon. She also has a side quest for the weekend: Try out they/them pronouns to see how it feels Wear more masculine-presenting cosplay Kiss a girl for the first time It’s… a lot, and Kay mostly wants to lie face down on the hotel floor. Especially when her hometown bully, Miss North Carolina, shows up in the very same hotel. But there’s this con-sponsored publishing contest, and the chance to meet her fandom idols… and then, there’s Teagan. Pageant queen Teagan Miller (Miss Virginia) has her eye on the much-needed prize: the $25,000 scholarship awarded to the winner of the Miss Cosmic Teen USA pageant. She also has secrets: She loves the dresses but hates the tiaras She’s a giant nerd for everything GreatCon She’s gay af If Teagan can just keep herself wrapped up tight for one more weekend, she can claim the scholarship and go off to college out and proud. If she’s caught, she could lose everything she’s worked for. If her rival, Miss North Carolina, has anything to do with it, that’s exactly how it’ll go down. When Teagan and Kay bump into one another the first night, sparks fly. Their connection is intense—as is their shared enemy. If they’re spotted, the safe space of the con will be shattered, and all their secrets will follow them home. The risks are great… but could the reward of embracing their true selves be worth it?
Publication Year: 2022
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i loved this book so much!!! i started it yesterday and really got into it last night and just Could Not put it down.
as a Big fan girlie, i Really loved reading this. everyone has their interests, which make us all different, but everyone has Something they love, which unite us!
i loved seeing both Teagan and Kay's joy while doing what they love. watching Kay walk around the con admiring the other fans and the cosplayers and the nerdiness; watching Teagan shine in her heels and dresses and blow the judges away in her interviews; watching them BOTH bond over the con and being in fandom and realizing that even though they have differences, they have similar fundamental values and are Very attracted to each other 😏
their explorations of sexuality, of gender, of each other, were such a beautiful part of this book. i'm so proud of Kay and Teagan for doing these self-explorations and for following their hearts and for refusing to deny the connection between them! their Gay Eye Contact™️ was delicious and the KISS. DAMN. and even through some mistakes and misunderstandings, i loved how they supported each other and communicated and apologized!! we love open and honest apologies!! and they accomplished so much!! i'm so proud of them!!
i really loved getting to know Kay and Teagan and all of their friends and falling in love with their love story ❤️
0Quick and fun, The One True Me and You manages to be both light hearted and also cover a variety of deep topics. Characters struggle with issues of identity and labels, what it means to be a feminist, and the gray area of loving something problematic.
While this book depicts a lovingly accurate description of fandom, and (I can only assume) a similarly detailed portrayal of the pageant world, I did struggle with the ways in which the fan world is depicted as almost wholly good, while the pageant world is given a more nuanced, balanced analysis. I would have loved another few pages exploring the challenges in fandom with the same thoughtful consideration that beauty pageants are given.
The plot moves quickly (it is a slender book that does not waste space), the characters are immediately vibrant and engaging, although the villain is somewhat two dimensional. Overall, this book is a love letter to fandom and the queer community, and is a lot of fun along the way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
0DNF @ 20%
While I appreciate this book and what it's doing for the LGBTQ community, I'm having a terrible time. I know this book isn't going to be a high-rated book and I don't want to take down the average rating on GR so I'm choosing to DNF instead. Most of my issues lie with me not being the target demographic for this novel, and I don't feel like it should be punished for that.
The characters feel like flawed and fully-fleshed out characters who are done very well. And I appreciate the author's ability to showcase them so well.
But the mean girl trope? I can't. I cannot. I'm too old for this high school mean girl thing. And that's a me thing, not a book thing. Because if I was in the age bracket this book is intended for, I'd be here for it.
I also take issue with the insta-love and that finding yourself means finding someone to love. I'd prefer a world where Kay is able to learn more about themselves and their identity without a relationship being the pivot factor. That just doesn't seem healthy to me.
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