I was initially drawn in by the title, when I received This is Not A Love Scene through a Goodreads giveaway. The story revolves around Maeve, a budding filmmaker and high school senior. She is also a woman in a wheelchair due to muscular dystrophy, specifically spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). I was really excited to read this book, because not many YA books prominently feature characters in wheelchairs.

Overall, I think the novel was pretty satisfactory and the plot moved at a decent pace. There’s a vivid cast of characters, and Maeve stands out. She feels like the type of character that one would want to hang out with. Maeve is someone who doesn’t let life get in her way and goes through a number of realistic challenges and adventures. Through her eyes, we get to see how she experiences life with SMA, her senior year of high school, and pursuing a romantic relationship with very specific goals in mind.

Spoiler

I didn’t like the character of Cole, in part because he felt idealized by Maeve. He just didn’t seem all that special, so the degree that Maeve was enamored with him didn’t sit right. Like other readers, I guess I felt that Maeve deserved more and didn’t particularly like how Cole treated her at various points of their relationship. To me, their relationship just didn’t seem that healthy. However, Maeve felt differently and that her goals in the relationship were achieved.

Things I liked about this novel: Maeve didn’t need Cole to “save” her, she had excellent friends, and a very loving family who were committed to her independence and autonomy. The author also has SMA, making this an OwnVoices read. I loved seeing Maeve advocate for herself. Maeve felt like a very genuine and realistic character. The openness of her discussions with her doctor, especially about what intimacy looks like for someone in a wheelchair (or with health complications), is something that is frequently glossed over in other novels but not here. Seeing Maeve take ownership of her life and navigate her changing relationship with her parents, particularly as she still relies on them for many facets of life, was powerful.

I thought that this was a good read, particularly for a first novel. I will definitely be watching to see what S.C. Megale writes next! Thank you to Goodreads giveaways, the author, and publisher for providing me with a free copy of This Is Not A Love Scene in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.