Book Review
Title: Sidelined by Kara Bietz
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, LGBT
Rating: 4 Stars
Sidelined definitely wasn’t my typical genre of reading but it was interesting. We are following to main characters, Elijah and Julian who have some history together in both good and bad ways. Julian has a plan for senior year and it involves getting good grades, playing football an obtaining a scholarship to get out of Meridien. However, all these plans are seemingly ruined when his best friend and possibly something more, Elijah returns. Year before, Julian and Elijah were good friends until Julian caught Elijah breaking into the school to steal some money and turned him in. After this Elijah and his family moved away without even saying goodbye meaning there is some bad blood between the pair at first. Both boy soon realise though that time and space hasn’t erased the feelings they have for each other and Elijah is determined to show Julian that he’s not the person everyone thinks he is. This novel at its core is a story about secret, reality and acceptance as both Julian and Elijah fight to be themselves and to be together in a world where that doesn’t fit into the expectations of them.
While Sidelined wasn’t the genre I normally read I found it to be sweet and funny and I read it in a single sitting. It is told from the point of view of both Julian and Elijah which made them feel more fleshed out as characters. We see them try to navigate high school, expectations from others, their own history and what they are dealing with in the present. I really enjoyed the fact that Julian and Elijah were very different people as Julian is the son of the town hero while Elijah is son of a thief. Both boys often find themselves at times weighed down by the expectations of others and they struggle to escape them and show the world they are more than their fathers’ sons.
Throughout both points of view we get to see the boys accept their feelings, attraction and love for one another. We also get to see their individual passions, struggles, fears and friends through their eyes which is always something I enjoy. However, Elijah and Julian are teenagers so everything seems a bit dramatic at times even when it doesn’t need to be. Their relationship as a whole was a lovely dynamic but it is often complicated by misunderstanding and miscommunication which is a trope I personally despise which put me off a little but they do eventually figure out how to talk through their feelings learning to trust and support each other. Bietz really focuses on people’s prejudices and preconceptions when it comes to Julian and Elijah and how hurtful they can be. Despite this, Julian and Elijah are determined to be themselves and be free from expectations which they do manage to achieve.
Overall, Sidelined was a very enjoyable read but it did have some hit or miss moments for me personally. I felt that the writing was good but a little young for my taste but I’ve learnt to deal with that in young adult novels. Most of my issues stem from the romance, the miscommunication trope is used a lot during the first half of the book and it was just unnecessary been as Elijah and Julian are good at communicating for the majority of the novel, it is only when feelings for each other are involved which made me feel off as the miscommunication trope is something that I hate especially when the novel is centred around a romance. Apart from that I thought Sidelined was very good and it got a 4 star rating from me.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
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