Book Review: Me Myself & Him by Chris Tebbetts

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced by the author, publisher, or other related entity.

Synopsis:

Breakdown Review:

Me Myself & Him by Chris Tebbets is a cute and fast YA contemporary read with a LGBTQ+ component. It's based on the premise that alternate universes exist and that our choices are played out in these myriad possible outcomes.

Chris Schweitzer has just finished high school and is getting ready to enjoy the summer before he heads off to college at Birch University. But one night after work, he passes out on the sidewalk while doing whippets and smashes up his face enough that it lands him in the emergency room. What follows is a diverging story. One plot takes the approach that Chris comes clean about the circumstances that led up to his injury. In the alternate tale, Chris blames the injury on an accidental fall. 

The plot is light and entertaining while still dealing with difficult situations that involve a troubled friendship, a difficult parental relationship, and Chris's own sexuality. This is all done in a way that remains relatable and isn't overdone.

Chris is an incredibly well-developed character. The supporting characters are also quite dynamic, allowing the entire premise to feel quite believable and to flow very naturally...in both plot lines. I enjoyed the storyline where his parents know the truth more than that in which it is kept hidden, but that has more to do with the fact that I enjoyed the character interaction more in that plot. There are quirky little pieces where the two plots overlap that I found mostly entertaining and cute, though I will admit that sometimes it was a bit cringeworthy. I was able to overlook those moments fairly easily though, as the whole of the book was really quite well constructed.

The structure of the book may be a little difficult to read for those who have trouble with vacillating storylines, but I enjoyed it. There are a lot of teenage situations dealt with throughout the plot in ways that are easy to read and feel real. Because of this, though it was not an overly emotional read for me, it may be quite powerful for those who can more personally identify with Chris's situations.

Me Myself, & Him would be a good read for anyone looking for something that is smooth without being fluff. Could be an excellent summer read, either for the beach or for travel.


Emotional Response:   

This one was cute and lovely and just plainly made me happy. Yes, there were some things that weren't exactly rainbows and sunshine, but overall, it gave me good feels.

Rating: