Name: natalka's review of Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye
Item: Date Me, Bryson Keller
Rating: 2
Author: natalka

Kevin van Whye

'One of the most adorable, big-hearted, charming books in existence' - Becky Albertalli, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda Everyone at Fairvale Academy knows Bryson Keller, the super-hot soccer captain who doesn't believe in high-school relationships. They also know about the dare Bryson accepted - each week he has to date the first person who asks him out. A single school week is all anyone gets. There have been no exceptions to this. None. Until me, that is. Because brilliant Bryson Keller forgot one thing. He never said it could only be girls . . . To All The Boys I've Loved Before meets Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this irresistible LGBTQ+ rom com. 'An adorable featherlight romance' - Guardian

Date Me, Bryson Keller

faith hurren

Kevin Van Whye

When Kai Sheridan, gay but not out, asks popular Bryson Keller on a date as part of a dare, both of their lives are transformed.

Dione Jansen

"it was real then. And it's real now. I'm using my wish now. I wish you were here. I miss you." 

Linus Rogge

natalka

Shaq H

jini

amber baardsen

Such a cute book, with a plot that didn’t fail to make me smile. However, I felt the last couple of chapters were rushed, and therefore felt very out of place with the rest of the book.

genie !!

Inga Kühn 

Das Buch ist zum größten Teil eine kleine romantische Traumwelt. Die Beziehung ist auf eine fast gruselige Weise perfekt und die Entwicklung von Gefühlen passiert rasend schnell.
Die Coming-out-Problematik wird von mehreren Perspektiven und verschiedenen Reaktionen gut beleuchtet, was teilweise natürlich erschreckend realistisch ist, dass solche Situationen tatsächlich existieren und Menschen diesen Hass und diese Ignoranz gegenüber anderen aufbringen können.
Mir persönlich zielt die Geschichte zu sehr auf Perfektion. Ich fand manche Reden des Hauptcharakters nicht gut und er zeigte eine Tendenz zum binären Denken, die ich ebenfalls mies fand (entweder hetero- oder homosexuell). Persönlich hätte ich auch gerne mehr Einleitung zu Beginn des Buchs gehabt anstatt einfach direkt in die Geschichte geworfen zu werden.
Zuallerletzt noch der wichtigste Punkt für mich: Ich finde das Prinzip, auf dem die Wette basiert gar nicht gut. Es rückt die Notwendigkeit einer Beziehung in den Vordergrund und ich finde es gibt nicht genug Bücher, die es als zwar schön zu haben aber nicht notwendig ansehen.

Hannah Hoskins

I originally rated this 5 stars because I loved the story, but now that I know it was ripped off/plagiarized from a manga by a Japanese woman, I’m giving it the lowest rating. That was a terrible thing to do.

Carlotta

I had already bought this book when I read the comments saying that it was plagerising another authors work, which first of all: Not cool! If I as much as copied a single sentence in my term papers I would fail but an author can copy another author's work? 

Due to this I started the book with sort of a bitter taste in my mouth, which is a pity, because I really enjoyed it. The story was sweet and lighthearted, but with a hint of deeper struggles, the characters were likable and the romance was adorable. 

If it hadn't been for the plagerism I would have rated the book higher, but because I did enjoy it (and I don't have to manga/animee/whatever to compare it to) I decided to rate it as I did.

Bethers

This was ADORABLE.

Bryson Keller is a golden retriever in human form, pass it on.

4⭐

Sofie

Okay. I've taken a breathe. I have done a bit more research. 

I am (hesitantly) going to change my star rating back based on the fact that I have not read Seven Days: Monday–Sunday myself and I don't think it's fair to compare them without doing my own due diligence. 

Yes, the concepts are very similar. Based on the research I have managed to do (that is, watching a review of someone who read both Seven Days and Date Me, Bryson Keller), I've gathered: 

the similarities:
- guy at school dates the first person who asks him out for a week
- a guy asks him out and that kicks off the story

the differences:
- the relationship dynamic
- characterization
- the whole "date for a week" think is a bet in DM,BK and it's not in SD
- DM,BK dating week is school week, SD is a full week
- DM,BK deals with issues of race, religion, and homophobia in ways that SD does not

So... the premise is very similar. The execution is different.

You can watch the video I'm basing this off of here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-1mE...

It's still hella sketchy that the author has legitimately names Seven Days as a manga he has read and enjoyed. And please do not take this review edit as a justification for plagiarism, especially in the case of stealing from authors of colour, ESPECIALLY females.

I just think we all need to be a bit more careful with things like this. DON'T do what I did, and write a scathing edition to an otherwise glowing review based on OTHER reviews that mention plagiarism, without doing any research of your own.

Proceed with caution. 

_________

WOW. OKAY THEN.

Just read some of the other reviews of this (I went in blind) and evidently this book was PLAGIARIZED from a manga called Seven Days: Monday–Sunday by a Japanese woman named Venio Tachibana. So.

Well then. 1 fucking star, Whye.

WHY, WHYE, WHY!!!

Do better.
______________


I choose to be happy.
Because I can be.
Because I deserve to be.
Gay means happy, too, you know.

I'm not crying. You're crying (yeah, I'm definitely crying)

Date Me, Bryson Keller follows Kai Sheridan, a closeted teen who, in a moment of anger and bravery, asks out the most popular boy in school. And, because of dare made 2 months prior, wherein Bryson Keller has to date the first person who asks him out on Monday for a whole school week, he says yes. 

Y'all. Where was this book when I was in high school? WHY aren't there more stories like this for all the teens out there struggling with their sexuality? 

I'll just be clear now, THE DARE IS NOT THE BIG CONFLICT. Kai knew about the dare when he asked Bryson out, which is partly why he had the confidence to do it. The whole "it was a dare??" trope is one of the most annoying in history and I would not have read this book (probably) if that was the big conflict.

This story was so. dang. cute. And what's even better, there was so much more too it that just a surface level YA high school romance. You have Kai, a closeted, mixed-race high school kid with religious parents, and Bryson, captain of the soccer team and most popular guy in school, who learns more about himself in his fake relationship with Kai than he did with any of the girls he'd dated because of the dare. 

Spoilers ahead, which will be covered because EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS.

This story, Bryson and Kai's relationship, was EVERYTHING. It was almost too good, that every chapter I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was worried that the big conflict would be (view spoiler)[ Bryson feeling overwhelmed by his discovery about his sexuality, by how much and how fast he was feeling for Kai. I was worried he would pull away, clam up after a possible altercation at school with some of his douchebag teammates. And... it just never happened. Bryson took his new sexuality in stride, never shied away or felt shame or denied what he was feeling. He was just a damn pleasure to read about. (hide spoiler)]

And Kai absolutely blossomed. He started out this fly-on-the-wall type who hated attention, just wanted to get through high-school so his life could finally  start, so he could get to college and be who he's always known he was. As his relationship with Bryson developed, he became more confident, more sure of himself, less inclined to hide himself from the world. When the big drama does go down, sure, he makes some mistakes (view spoiler)[ with how he handles his relationship with Bryson (hide spoiler)]. But the resolution was just *chef's kiss*.

When I say I saw RED at the big conflict, I mean it. I wanted to pummel (view spoiler)[ Shannon and Dustin. What they did was one of the worst things you could do. (hide spoiler)] And Kai, for all his growth throughout the book, took it like a fucking king. And Bryson was a fucking king, too. And I just. I just love them.

read it read it read it read it read it

Rebecca Browne

It was good but the “omg is he isn’t he” part got boring real quick. Otherwise it was a quick read and I enjoyed it

Lena 

I really liked the book. I think the plot was good but honestly, there are sentences in this book where I had to stop and let it sink in. The author really has some great nearly philosophical phrases in here about being gay and coming out. I loved those and I liked the plot so 4/5.

Tiffany Robinson

This book was adorable and a fast read. I really enjoyed it.

Rochelle Ferguson

This was a cute romance that I instantly got sucked in. The author's writing style and Kai's perspective made the fear and anxiety of high school really relatable. I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire time as I experienced the relationship alongside Kai and Bryson. I am not even ashamed to say I shed a tear. 
"I choose to be happy. Because I can be. Because I deserve to be. Gay means happy too you know."
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy to read romance that will make you fall in love with the characters.

Candyce Kirk

When I read that this book was pitched as What if it's Us meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before, I knew I needed it. Especially if it feels like a '90s romcom. I went into this book expecting a fun contemporary that made me laugh and and left me with a happy feeling at the end. I got that and more. Date Me, Bryson Keller really hit me in all the feels! Kevin van Whye made me connect with these characters and I honestly wish there was more to come!

Our main character Kai has known for awhile that he's gay, but hasn't come out yet and he's not sure how. His parents are really religious and being mixed-race and this makes it so much harder for him to want to announce this. How will his parents react? At school there are some students already out, but it's still not easy. I loved Kai so much. He loves his family and friends and in many ways he's sick of living a lie, but he doesn't know how everyone will accept the news. Kai is creative, sensitive, caring, passionate and shy (he constantly blushes). And Kai is incredibly brave, more so then he thinks!

Bryson is your typical high school jock (star on the soccer team) or so it seems. Except there's so much more to him than meets the eye! He has a bright and bubbly personality, is kind, doesn't even think twice to help someone out and will stand up for what he believes in. His home life isn't perfect, but he loves his mother and sister. Dating isn't something he does (when you read the book you'll understand why), so he go into a bet to date someone every week for a few months. There are rules and he has to be asked out! This has been going okay so far, no big deal.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and makes me laugh. I loved that Kai asked Bryson out in a moment of frustration, because he never expected him to say yes. The whole week of seeing them dating and getting to know each other was so sweet! As they go on dates, it's fun to see them connect and feelings grow. I kept on wondering how this would end, because as far as we know at the start, Bryson is straight. That was an interesting point made in this book as well, sometimes you don't question your sexuality or think you need to until you start feeling something. It all felt so natural.

That being said, this book isn't all smiles and fun! There are also some serious subjects talked about. One being, that when people come out they're still harassed, rejected, treated differently, etc. Someone even says in the book, why is this still happening? We shouldn't still be treating people this way. Love is love! Everyone loves who they love and there's nothing wrong with that. This book had me in tears quite a few times, because I really hurt for our main characters. When you read the author's note, it hits you in the feels even more. Date Me, Bryson Keller is an own voices story and it feels that way.

Besides this amazing story, we also get a cast of amazing side characters. Bryson's sister and mom made me laugh and I wish we saw more of them. Kai's sister Yazz is amazing and definitely deserves her own story, I would love to know more! She's the sister everyone should have. Also, Kai's best friend are the perfect squad to have at school. The only thing I wish we learned more about it what happens with the play? And Kai's writing! I wouldn't say no to a book with these two in college, haha. All in all, an amazing read and I won't be forgetting this one anytime soon!

Katie

This book was so cute! It was like the perfect inverse of the fake-dating trope: the secret dating trope. I loved all of Kai and Bryson's interactions as they slowly got more comfortable with one another. Their romance was really sweet to read about, just like a cup of ice cream on a hot summer day.

Kareema A Godhrawala

Mica

Me gustó más de lo que esperaba. Necesitaba una lectura de este estilo, además de que soy trash por el cliché de la relación falsa, este libro tuvo sus momentos súper softs y además es fácil de leer.

Lisa W.

I haven’t been this teenaged puppy love blissed out in a while. This was just perfect. Exactly what I needed to help lighten my reading mood and pull me away from a slump I was about to embark on. 

Date me, Bryson Keller was a mix of to all the boys I love with a sprinkle of 80’s rom-com molly ringwald but make it gay. Which spells out, loved it! 

It’s all rainbows 🌈 (pun intended) and hearts for 73% of the book then....bam shit hits the fan and it hits it hard! Whew... even though you knew it was coming it was a little jarring it have it hit back to back to back like that. However there was a bit of reprieve with Bryson’s family and Yazz. Which I am ever so grateful for. 

Let’s talk about Yazz for a second. My gosh I’ve never admired a 13 year old girl so much in my entire life. What a gem she is. She has to be the representation of having “been here before”. So mature, so sure footed, so strong. 

Second set of best supporting characters goes to (drumroll) Donny and Priya. No surprised there! Gosh the quakmobile and the ride share reminded me of Duckie from Pretty in Pink. But I digress, three best friends anyone could have. I love how supportive they all are of each other. Kai loves that his two best friends are in a relationship and knows when to not involve himself. The soccer game scene where he and Donny are supporting Priya is a perfect example of how great a group they are. More importantly the love, support and acknowledgement they show Kai is amazing. Fair warning I cried a lot during this book. Happy tears of course. 

Kai, I loved watching him evolve as a character. From the shadows to center stage (pun intended). He channels support from those who cared about him to keep him going. I’ve never heard a more honest coming out conversation directed to parents as I did in this book. (These interactions were the source of many of my tears) Kai’s personality really shined in this book. 

Before I discuss “Kelly”, I want to say Shannon and Dustin were written perfectly. Classic characters. 

Now to the main event... Bryson Keller. Total new fiction boyfriend material (swoon). He is Peter Kavinsky reincarnated but socially aware. So romantic, so chivalrous, so gentle, understand and brave to boot.

Sophie Elaina 

***UPDATE***

In my original review I raved about how much I enjoyed this book and I really did, but I’ve recently heard some accusations against the author for plagiarism and I can no longer support this work. I have not read Seven Days in which this is being compared to, but I have read several reviews from people that have. The resemblance isn’t just a trope here and there, it is very very similar in a very uncomfortable way and the author deserves to be called out for it. So if you plan to read this, I suggest you read the authors statement and some other reviews before doing so and making up your own mind on whether you want to go ahead or not.

I’m lowering my rating to a three star instead of the original five I gave it, because my love of the story has been tainted. And I can’t give an author who used a Japanese woman’s work, but westernised it and claimed his idea behind it was to make the story more realistic, a five star rating. Like... Seriously?!!

Áine Murphy

Clara Kr

Easy to read but very cute and heartwarming at the same time. Loved the characters and the story and it absolutely touched my heart 🥺 such a pure and innocent love story 

Linus Rogge &
Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye

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