Jen Wilde

A TV writer's room intern must join forces with her crush to keep her boss from ruining a lesbian character in this diverse contemporary YA romance from the author of Queens of Geek. Seventeen-year-old Bex is thrilled when she gets an internship on her favorite tv show, Silver Falls. Unfortunately, the internship isn't quite what she expected... instead of sitting in a crowded writer's room volleying ideas back and forth, Production Interns are stuck picking up the coffee. Determined to prove her worth as a writer, Bex drafts her own script and shares it with the head writer—who promptly reworks it and passes it off as his own! Bex is understandably furious, yet...maybe this is just how the industry works? But when they rewrite her proudly lesbian character as straight, that's the last straw! It's time for Bex and her crush to fight back. Jen Wilde's newest novel is both a fun, diverse love story and a very relevant, modern take on the portrayal of LGBT characters in media. Praise for Jen Wilde: "The book deals head on with issues of mental health, body shaming, sexuality, and internet celebrity, handling them with a delicate and skillful touch." —Teen Vogue on Queens of Geek "This is the geeky, queer book of our dreams." —Seventeen on Queens of Geek

Going Off Script

Jamieson

“This place isn't sunshine and palm trees. It's a mirage that looks like paradise from a distance, but when you get here it's just a dirty, shallow lake with a painted backdrop. Clever lighting and counterfeit smiles draw you in and then chew you up and leave you on the cutting room floor like you're nothing.”


this was cute!. I picked it up because I adored Jen Wilde's Queens of Geek and wanted to give more of her books a chance. While I didn't love this as much as QoG, it was fun and sweet and a nice easy end of the year read. 

Going off Script follows Bex Phillips, who is just starting her brand new internship at her favourite TV show. Bex wants to be a writer and this opportunity in LA seems perfect for her. But things go wrong then the showrunner steals one of her scripts, and then straight washes the lesbian characters she wrote within it. What follows is Bex struggle to get recognition for her work, and to get the f/f couple she wrote for the show made canon. 

This is a really fandom-y read which I like. I always like books that involve internet fandoms and stuff in some way. I thought the focus on representation in the media and the dissection of how the film and television industry sidelines marginalised voices was interesting and well-done for the short length of this book. I also really loved Bex relationship with her cousin, as well as the f/f relationship between her and her Indian coworker Shrupty. They were very sweet and cute and I liked watching their romance develop.

The villain was a little cartoonish, and the resolution to the problem a little too simple, but I liked the process of getting there and I understand the point of the villain. I also thought some of the dialogue was a bit stilted, people don't exactly talk like that in real life and it pulled me out the story. 

But my complaints are minor and overall I had a positive experience reading this. While this book didn't do anything that makes me think it'll stick with me forever, I still had fun reading it. It was short and sweet and easy and made me happy. I definitely need to read more of Jen Wilde's books

it was soooo wholesome and exactly what i needed to read <3

jess

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Jen Wilde's books always make my heart sing. I'm not normally a fan of rom-coms, but I always feel so happy whenever I read her books. They're queer anthems, a world where being yourself is the best person you can possibly be, and I always find myself falling in love. Going Off Script is no different: it's just a fun rom-com written by a queer person, for queer people.

Bex is a character that I could very much relate to. She's ambitious and determined to do what's right, but also has a very complicated relationship with her past and struggles with breaking out of her shell and what's comfortable for her. She is also incredibly awkward around cute girls, which is a whole mood. Her character development throughout the book is so good, and I just loved seeing her become so self-confident

Our side characters are great, too, and it was exciting to see so many of them from Wilde's last novels, Queens of Geek and The Brightsiders -- and you know, I never realized how much she wrote about young adults in the spotlight until I read this, honestly? If you've read the earlier novels, you'll definitely recognize a whole bunch of characters, but if you haven't, it's a good introduction to go read them. New characters include Shrupty Padwal, an actress and YouTuber, and Bex's love interest, who's just so cute with Bex. They're truly a queer power couple, but definitely not the only queer power couple.

What I love is how casually diverse this is, something that Jen Wilde really excels at. Almost all of the major characters are queer. A lot are people of colour. There's a couple nonbinary characters. Bex and Parker are on medication for ADHD and depression (and honestly, I read Bex as autistic, too?). As usual, fandom plays a huge role in Going Off Script, and even though it's not entirely realistic it's definitely heartwarming to see.

The book is really more slice-of-life than anything, which I honestly really liked. Bex is a writer, and yeah, her script gets stolen by the head writer, Malcolm, but it's definitely not the focus of the book, and seems to be an afterthought to Bex's journey to self-confidence and her romance with Shrupty. Really, the resistance to straight-washing Bex's lesbian character only takes up the latter half of the book, and you know, that's all right with me. Sometimes you just need cute girls falling in love, okay?

I do have to say: if you're looking for great writing or realism, don't expect to find it in this book. There's a bit of suspension of disbelief required for the resistance that Bex and her friends put up, and the main antagonist of the book, Malcolm, is such a terrible human being that it's almost cartoonish. The book isn't really nuanced, but it is just an absolute blast to read. There is a bit more homophobia than normal in this one, but it's overwhelmed by queer happiness and power.

If you're looking for a fun queer rom-com, this is definitely the book for you. It's an ode to being queer and happy and yourself, and it feels so empowering.

content warnings | some homophobia (challenged)

representation | f/f main couple, queer characters (lesbian, gay, bisexual, non-binary), characters of colour (indian, black, chinese), neurodivergent characters (adhd, mentally ill)

Sahi K

CW: homophobic comments (challenged) 

I was actually very excited to read this book before it’s release but I somehow lost sight of it among all other new releases. When I was browsing my list of books to be read (which actually aren’t on my Goodreads tbr), I realized I had completely forgotten about this one and immediately decided to pick it up. And I’m so happy that I did.

I really loved the author’s The Brightsiders last year, so I was pretty sure I was gonna enjoy this book too. Imagine my surprise when I found this to be even more amazing. The pacing is quick and the writing so easy to get through that I literally flew through this book in just a couple of hours. I thought the author did a great job describing the awe that an aspiring artist might feel after arriving at Hollywood and all the scenes related to shooting and show running felt very authentic. The story is full of fun and heartwarming situations, the beginnings of first love and beautiful friendships while also tackling some very serious issues - I felt that the author did a brilliant job of perfectly balancing the fluff and social commentary. The book is also unapologetically queer af but I also expected nothing different from the author. 

Bex is a great character to follow. She has anxiety and always overthinks everything, but she also has big dreams and works hard through her panicky feelings to achieve what she wants. From being embarrassed about her poverty and scared about coming out, to someone who stands up for herself and her community and owns her identity proudly, Bex has the best character development. 

Shrupty is her love interest and I can’t describe the happiness I felt reading about a queer Indian girl on page. She is from a wealthy family and understands her privilege, but has made a mark for herself as a YouTube star and wants to be an actor. She is uber confident and never lets anyone get away with any offensive talk and I was completely in awe of her. I mean I have read many female characters like her but it’s just nice seeing a desi girl being shown that way. 

I thought the development of their relationship was beautiful. The little flirtations, being unsure if the other girl likes you, getting to know each other and all the silly moments between them were a joy to read about and I had a smile on my face all the time. They are adorable together and I just had this feeling that they would be a badass power couple in the future. 

The ensemble cast is amazing too. Parker is Bex’s cousin but they are as close as siblings and I loved their bond. Parker might call her out when she does something wrong but he is so supportive of her and it’s always nice to have someone who has your back. The actors on the series that Bex is working on, Will and Alyssa are wonderful friends too. Jane is an EP and the only woman in the production team, so I liked that she took Bex under her wing. It’s always lovely to see women is a good position mentor young women. There were other cameos from the cast of The Brightsiders and Queens of Geek and that’s always a lot of fun. 

I obviously can’t not talk about the many important issues the author managed to talk about in such a fun and entertaining story. The one thing that really resonated with me was the importance of representation on the screen - how important it is to be diverse in the cast of characters, diversity is not a trend and it is just to ensure that what we see on screen or the cast and crew we hire should reflect the real world, and specifically the joy or watching queer actors play queer characters on screen. The author also manages to showcase the positive power of social media and fandom in the present day, and how they can be used to call out wrongdoings and hold people accountable, particularly those who are in a position of power. 

The sexism and homophobia in the entertainment industry is also depicted very realistically and it was actually painful to watch people be openly dismissive and smug in their power, because they have always gotten away with bigotry before. We’ve only heard about instances like women having to compromise to be able to work, or their credit being stolen, but reading about how blatantly it happens was awful. And I think the author put this message across perfectly through the cast of characters that if we want change to happen, we all should stand up for ourselves or be allies to those who are fighting against bigotry and discrimination. As long as we tolerate it, nothing will change and people will get away with kinds of wrongdoing. And I think the best part of this book was that these people faced consequences for their actions - it might not always happen irl but hopefully the future will be better. 

Finally, I have to say that if you’ve read and enjoyed Queens of Geek or The Brightsiders before, you are going to love this book. If you enjoy books which are entertaining while also tackling very important issues, then this is perfect for you. And if you happen to be a fan of books with a badass ensemble queer cast who are living their best life, then I promise that this has been written just for you. Going Off-Script is fun and fluffy and important and I really recommend it to everyone.

Marie S

3.5/5

It was very cute and I liked the characters but everything felt very rushed?? It was still a cute queer romance and if that's what you're looking for, read it !

A TV writer's room intern must join forces with her crush to keep her boss from ruining a lesbian character in this diverse contemporary YA romance from the author of Queens of Geek. Seventeen-year-old Bex is thrilled when she gets an internship on her favorite tv show, Silver Falls. Unfortunately, the internship isn't quite what she expected... instead of sitting in a crowded writer's room volleying ideas back and forth, Production Interns are stuck picking up the coffee. Determined to prove her worth as a writer, Bex drafts her own script and shares it with the head writer—who promptly reworks it and passes it off as his own! Bex is understandably furious, yet...maybe this is just how the industry works? But when they rewrite her proudly lesbian character as straight, that's the last straw! It's time for Bex and her crush to fight back. Jen Wilde's Going Off Script is both a fun, diverse love story and a very relevant, modern take on the portrayal of LGBT characters in media. Praise for Jen Wilde's Queens of Geek: "The book deals head on with issues of mental health, body shaming, sexuality, and internet celebrity, handling them with a delicate and skillful touch." —Teen Vogue "This is the geeky, queer book of our dreams." —Seventeen

Candyce Kirk

4.5 stars

Going Off Script has all the elements for the perfect contemporary: great characters, diversity, romance, fandoms, friendship and so much more. This book will be a great summer read that leaves a smile on your face!

Our main character Bex just finished high school and is off to LA to live her dream. She wants to be a writer and is going to intern for her favorite show. She has worked hard to get where she is and sees LA as a way to escape and start all over again.

Going Off Script really shows what this world is like in many ways. Mediaculture is still mainly focused on straight relationships and men still try and dominate the entertainment world. Many people don't accept that anymore and try and fight. I think Going Off Script really showed how the world is developing these days and how diversity is something that people are starting to think needs to be represented more. What I loved the most about this book is that the diversity didn't feel forced. Everything felt natural. I love when authors are able to do that.

This book also latches on to a big thing these days, fandoms! Whether it's a show, movie or book, groups of fans really bond over things like this. They get very invested in the characters, storyline and the bond that forms with fans. A fandom can be a strong thing these days in many positive ways!

Bex goes through a lot in this book. While interning she is faced with a lot of things she never expected. All she was hoping for was a way to write for her favorite show, but got a lot more than she bargained for. At times she got a bit on my nerves, but she grew so much in this book. Bex learns to not be ashamed of where she comes from or who she is. Everything she is and has been through had made her who she is. Bex becomes a very strong character.

The romance in this book was sweet, but compared to Queens of Geek and the Brightsiders it lacked a bit for me. While I love Shrupty and Bex together, everything happened so fast. I felt that we missed a bit of the time for them to connect. My feelings would've been different if they had more time to get to know each other before Shrupty became a part of the show.

Going Off Script is going to definitely stay on my lists of favorite for this year. I loved that we read about characters from this author's other books and how they all fit together in the way they did. I have said it many times, but I love when authors do stuff like that. And her cousin Parker needs his own book, I definitely need more of his character.

I will remember this book as a perfect balance of fandom, friendship, family, love and finding yourself and accepting who you are. Add some fighting for your dreams and ideal and that describes this book for me. If you're looking for an amazing contemporary you don't want to put down, definitely pick up Going Off Script!

laura

I really enjoyed this book. I thought this book was a book the was prefect about fandoms, t.v show life and also being in writers room. The show this book was about reminded me so much of the teen wolf fandoms. I really enjoyed this novel and flew through it and it was such a fast pace read. I also really loved the diversity of this novel and was super impressed by it. This book really reminded me of the tensions and hollywood drama that was focused in geekerlla and princess and the fangirl. I really enjoyed this read and iff you like books about fandom life and geek culture and also diverse reads and standing up for what you believe, you should check out this read!

Lena

I really enjoyed this, it was good queer content! Only 3 stars because it wasn't anything that stood out to me, I know soon I will have forgotten about this completely but while reading it was a fun time.

Becca Futrell

I received a copy from Netgalley & Xpresso Tours in exchange for an honest review! Any quotes used in this review is from the ARC & may now match up with the final copy.

I’ve erased the first sentence of this review so many times, because wow, I’m at a loss for words. This is the book that I needed as a teen & this is the book that I need now. When I reached the concluding sentence of Going off Script, I was in actual tears.

If you didn’t want me when I was an insecure, closeted nerd girl, you don’t get me at my badass, out-and-proud nerd girl.

— listen, I might be bias, because ~name twins~ but Bex Phillips is officially one of my favorite book characters. We have a lot in common — from our name to our brand of antidepressants to our dream occupation. Almost every page had my mouth dropping open, because wow — is this book actually about me? I’ve never connected more with a character in my entire life.

Bex Phillips’ anxiety is an extremely relatable subject for me. I remember all of the times that violence has erupted around me & I searched to make sure I had an escape route, if needed. I remember the fear that I felt as someone fell into a drunken rage. When Bex looks around for any exit to run for, I feel as if I’m right there next to her.

As for LGBTQ+ rep, wow. Throughout Going off Script, Bex struggles to come out as queer. She fears that people will think she’s copying her gay cousin, Parker — or that this is simply just for attention. Y’all ever felt this way before coming out? Because I sure did. Going off Script also covers issues for LGBTQ+ in media. Bex & her friends fight for the fictional show Silver Falls, because the showrunner, Malcom, is trying to erase a character’s sexuality, in order to save the reputation of a homophobic actor.

I am so incredibly proud of Bex for standing up for what she believes in & fighting for the LGBTQ+ community; if I made a list of strong book characters, Bex Phillips definitely would have a place on there. On top of the LGBTQ+ commentary, Going off Script tackles sexism in the industry. Even with all of these heavy subject matters, Going off Script manages to be an incredibly fast & fun read.

Throughout Going off Script, Jen Wilde slips in so many geeky references (a Thor reference?! Bless). & as mentioned multiple times in the past, I love geeky references (see reviews for Geekerella & Princess & the Fangirl).

Going off Script was my introduction to Jen Wilde & wow, did it leave an impact. I have two of her other books on my kindle that I am so excited to dive into now!

Going Off Script

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