Reviewed by Marieke
TITLE: A Hard Day’s Night
AUTHOR: Mia Kerick
PUBLISHER: Cooldudes Publishing
LENGTH: 114 pages
BLURB:
High school senior Kalin (Lennon) Macready knows several facts for certain: John Lennon is his hero. Beaumont Finley Danforth (Fin) is his best friend. And—this is the complicated one—he feels more for Fin than mere friendship.
For weeks, Lennon pesters Fin, who like Lennon admits to questioning his sexual orientation, for a commitment to spend twenty-four hours together exploring “the gay side of life.” Each boy will seek to answer the terrifying question, Am I gay? Fin reluctantly agrees. Lennon pre-plans the day, filling the hours with what he assumes “gay life” is all about: funky hairstyles, fancy coffee drinks, shopping for fashionable clothing, boogying to Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off”, and yes, listening to show tunes.
However, Lennon quickly realizes that in creating his plan he has succumbed to the most common and distorted gay stereotypes. Can he be gay and not fit them? And more importantly, is it possible that spending twenty-four hours together will convince Fin that he’s gay, too? If so, maybe Lennon has a shot at winning the heart of the boy of his dreams.
“A Hard Day’s Night” is a humorous young adult contemporary romance about two boys coming to realize that they don’t have to be a stereotype to be genuine.
REVIEW:
Lennon (or Kalin for real) knows he’s gay, and so does him mom. But his best friend Fin doesn’t. They both know they’re different, but Fin doesn’t know for sure if he’s actually gay. Lennon does know, but hasn’t told Fin yet because he’s secretly in love with him.
Lennon has convinced Fin to spend a ‘gay’ day together, to figure out if they are in fact gay. Lennon has planned a whole twenty-four hours of the most clichéd gay activities and meals. Starting with a hair appointment, leading up to theater. After a Zumba class (because there are no gay dance clubs near) Finn finally admits he likes Lennon too. But then shit hits the fan.
Fin comes from a wealthy snobbish family and is expected to act a certain way, dress a certain way and get straight A’s in school. Him hanging out with Lennon is tolerated but only barely. If his parents were to find out he doesn’t want to go to a posh Ivey league school and is in love with his best friend…. Fin is too scared to find out. Until that shit hit that fan and he gets the scare of a lifetime.
This novella is written in a totally different way than I’m used to from Mia Kerick. It’s told from Lennon’s POV with all the inner dialogue and quirky extras. That’s where it went wrong in my opinion. It’s supposed to sound like a teenager, but it just doesn’t feel that way. It’s more like a grown up trying to be a teenager. It didn’t hold my concentration because of this. Every time I got into the story, she lost me again when those ramblings happened. Maybe people like those type of thing, because it does read as a comedy. But this one didn’t do it for me.
Of course the story line is pretty sweet. Two kind and caring boys trying to figure out their lives and sexuality. Struggling to admit their love to each other and their family and friends. It wouldn’t be an Mia romance if there wasn’t some sort angst in it, so you have that too.
But the ending is a bit lacking. It isn’t ‘done.’ We never find out how Fin’s parent react and if he’s allowed to go to the college of his choice. If they still love him and accept him. That bugged me the most. Overall a good story, but in my eyes just not finished yet. The humor part is wonderful if you’re into that, which I wasn’t completely. Not bad, but not my favorite from this author.
RATING: 
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