Review: Andy Squared by Jennifer Lavoie

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Andy Squared by Jennifer Lavoie

Out September 18th!

Review by Lauren

copy from Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley

Official Summary: Seventeen-year-old twins, Andrew and Andrea Morris, have always been close. They share everything—from their friends to a room—and they both enjoy star positions on their high school’s soccer teams. All’s right with the twins...or is it?

When new student Ryder Coltrane moves from Texas to their small New York town, he spins Andrew’s world upside down. All of Andrew’s past relationship troubles begin to make sense and his true feelings start to click into place after Ryder comes out to him. His friendship with Ryder turns secretively romantic, but secrets, they soon find out, are hard to keep. Once rumors start to fly, so-called friends turn on them, and the boys’ relationship turns into a bomb about to explode. But Andrew never expected it would be his own twin, Andrea, holding a lighter to ignite it.

Review: Andrew never thought that he might like guys. After all, the only out guy in his school was called names and pushed around. Even Andrew's best friend Charlie used derogatory terms, so it's no wonder when Ryder moves to town and Andrew learns he's gay, he doesn't tell anyone and does everything he can to downplay the rumors. When the two of them decide to give each other a chance, it works. In their own little world, though.

Ryder lives with his aunt and uncle and teaches Andrew how to ride. They spend many afternoons after school just basking in each other's company. It's relatively a sweet romance. There is kissing and sex, but nothing gratuituous. Andrew is finally learning to be himself, and it's easiest to do so with Ryder. However, Andrew's twin, Andrea, isn't ready to let her brother go. She doesn't know about Andrew's new relationship, but she is already upset about Andrew wanting to stop playing soccer in college and even go to another university than his twin.

Andy Squared is great when it comes to including family, which often seems lacking in YA these days. Andrew not only has to deal with Andrea's anger towards him before and after she finds out about him and Ryder, but there is also plenty of fun and a bit of drama concerning other aspects of his family from grandparents to parents. Even Ryder's aunt and uncle play a large role in the novel.

I really enjoyed Andy Squared overall. I actually read it in one night. Whenever I wanted to stop and actually get some sleep, I would start a new chapter just to see what would happen next with Andy, Ryder, and the drama that slowly unfolded upon their perfect world. I would say the ending was a bit too quick. I liked it, don't get me wrong, but I guess I just wanted more, and I suppose that's never a bad thing, right?