Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of Time Out to review! Not going to lie, the cover made me think this was a graphic novel for some reason. Which it is not! But honestly, it could potentially make a great graphic novel anyway.

Even though I thought this was a graphic novel, I did enjoy it once I got into it. The subject matter is right up my alley, and I appreciated the ways that the issues were explored. Being set in small town Georgia affects a lot of the story, so be prepared for quite a bit of homophobia and bullying; if you’re not in the right headspace for that, I’d skip this one for now.

One of the comp titles for this book is Heartstopper, which I get, a little. I would more accurately compare this to High School Musical, but if Troy Bolton came out as gay instead of just wanting to sing. Like spot on, those are the vibes this story gives off. Not to mention the basketball team mascot is the Wildcats. 

The writing overall wasn’t the best writing I’ve seen, but it’s a quick and easy read, and I do see a lot of teens being able to relate to Barclay. I also appreciated that this is a coming out story, but it’s not about Barclay necessarily finding the confidence to be himself. He has confidence from the beginning. It’s about him finding a way to use that confidence outside of basketball.

All in all, this is a quick read that is sure to find its audience among teens.