4 stars

What a cute and wholesome coming of age story! It shows how 17 year old Justin Ortega goes about discovering how he’s different than what his parents want him to be and how to accept himself for this difference. From loving 80s hair metal bands, playing cymbals in his high school band to loving guys as more than friends, Justin learns to love himself and realizes it’s okay to open up to others. He goes from having one single friend to gaining multiple by the end of the story, even gaining more than a friendship from someone he least expected to come back into his life. I laughed, I teared up and I overall had an enjoyable reading experience. I can’t wait to see what else Jake Martinez writes.

** Thank you to Netgalley for an arc of this story to review in advance **