Date Me, Bryson Keller

March 23, 2020
Handsome, athletic senior Bryson Keller, who is white, is the king of Fairvale Academy, while classmate Kai Sheridan gets invited to parties only as his popular friends’ plus-one. Kai is gay, closeted, and lonely, but he avoids coming out; he already stands out because he’s biracial (his American mother is white, his South African father is “mixed race”), and he’s reluctant to be reduced to “the gay one,” too. Still, there’s a dare on that says Bryson has to date, for a week, whomever asks him each Monday, so when Bryson indirectly causes Kai to get detention, Kai impulsively asks Bryson out. Broad-minded and friendly, Bryson agrees to go out with Kai and keep his secret, but by Wednesday, Kai can’t stop thinking that maybe Bryson is gay, too. And if having a fake boyfriend is this good, what would having a real one be like? Debut author van Whye uses the dare to set up a book filled with good-natured sweetness: even when bad things happen (Bryson’s jock friends are homophobes, Kai’s parents struggle with his news), the boys’ growing affection and trust, and the support they receive from Kai’s little sister and Bryson’s family, are heartwarming. Ages 14–up. Agent: Robert Guinsler, Sterling Lord Literistic.

April 1, 2020

Gr 9 Up-The "Me" of the title is Kai Sheridan, a closeted gay teen and droll narrator. Certain he could have any girl he wanted, popular Bryson Keller doesn't care all that much about dating in high school. Then he accepts a dare to date a different person every week for the rest of the school year. The catch? Bryson has to go out with the first person who asks him every Monday morning. The challenge is going exceptionally well until Kai makes a risky move, upending everything Bryson knows about himself. This incredibly bold move also inadvertently outs Kai even as his secret becomes fodder for the school paper. Thanks to two supportive best friends and a sister who is wise beyond her years, Kai is able to realize happiness as his true self. Van Whye does a wonderful job tackling multiple relevant topics for high schoolers; through Kai's first-person narration, readers glimpse his struggles of being mixed race and gay. VERDICT A fun, feel-good story that shows the importance of having a strong support system, that love is love, and that everyone deserves to love and be loved. With wide appeal for those who favor stories tackling teen struggles of identity.-David Roberts, Salem Public Library, OH

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2020
A dare sets up a gay teen with his school's star athlete. Kai never intended to come out of the closet--at least not until going off to college. But when detention presents a surprising opportunity, Kai kicks "the closet door open" and asks his classmate Bryson out. Because of a dare, Bryson must date a new person each week. He says yes to Kai. The catch? Each relationship only lasts from Monday until the final bell on Friday. Kai decides to keep everything a secret--even from his best friends, Priya and Donny. The more time Kai and Bryson spend together--rehearsing their drama scene, seeing their favorite band in LA--the more the boys' fake relationship starts to feel very real. But will it last after Friday? Or will Bryson move on to the next dare date? Like Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2014), this #ownvoices debut is scrupulously romantic. The plot is deliciously heavy on fluff, but it also delves into more complex subjects like faith, racism, and homophobia. Kai's lighthearted first-person narration and the lovable cast of characters keep the momentum going. Kai is mixed race, with a white mother and a biracial (black/white) South African dad who occasionally slips in Afrikaans phrases. Bryson, who is white, may be the poster child, but his questioning sexuality and family troubles add dimension. A solid blend of swoonworthy moments and minor injustices. (author's note) (Fiction. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2020
Grades 9-12 It starts as a dare. Bryson Keller, the most popular boy at Fairvale Academy, is challenged to date, for a week, the first person who asks him out each Monday. If someone fails to ask him out, he must ride the (ugh!) school bus for the rest of the year. Let the competition begin. It goes swimmingly at first; the girls line up for the opportunity to date Bryson. But then something unexpected happens. Our gay, deeply closeted protagonist, Kai, who is biracial, improbably decides to be the one to do the asking, and a puzzled Bryson says yes. But it must, the boys agree, remain secret. Funny how things can change. Within a few days of dating, Bryson realizes he's probably gay himself, and the two boys begin a tentative relationship. Can it flower? Can they keep it a secret? The author, who is himself gay and biracial, writes a coming out story with authority and empathy; the situation is familiar, but the execution is appealing, and readers, too, will want to date Bryson.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)