Reviewed by Cheryl
TITLE: Why Can’t Life Be Like Pizza
SERIES: The Pizza Chronicles #1
AUTHOR: Andy V. Roamer
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 192 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 30, 2020
BLURB:
RV is a good kid, starting his freshman year at the demanding Boston Latin School. Though his genes didn’t give him a lot of good things, they did give him a decent brain. So he’s doing his best to keep up in high school, despite all the additional pressures he’s facing: His immigrant parents, who don’t want him to forget his roots and insist on other rules. Some tough kids at school who bully teachers as well as students. His puny muscles. His mean gym teacher. The Guy Upstairs who doesn’t answer his prayers. And the most confusing fact of all—that he might be gay.
Luckily, RV develops a friendship with Mr. Aniso, his Latin teacher, who is gay and always there to talk to. RV thinks his problems are solved when he starts going out with Carole. But things only get more complicated when RV develops a crush on Bobby, the football player in his class. And to RV’s surprise, Bobby admits he may have gay feelings, too.
REVIEW:
I liked this book. It’s very squarely a Young Adult and the story remains consistent to that throughout.
Although the writing can be a little clunky at times it’s well written with rounded characters and realistic situations.
I loved the way we get inside RV’s head and follow him through good times and bad times. His inner conflict is realistic and not sensationalized for the sake of it. He worries about normal things and he struggles with matters other than his sexuality.
As far as his sexuality is concerned it consumes RV, and the story as a whole, but that is perfectly legitimate. It’s something that would consume young people of his age who are struggling with something of the kind. RV tries all the things you would expect, like hiding it, questioning it, and trying to be something other than he is—like struggling to have a normal relationship with Carole. At risk of spoilers. I was very happy they remained friends to the end.
RV has an added complication in that his family are Lithuanian immigrants. I’m not going to lie, the mention of immigrants in the blurb almost put me off the book, but only because it didn’t specify which country and that made me wonder why not. It was a surprise to find they are Lithuanian, and perhaps that was the intent, but I think it would have been better to specify up front in the blurb.
I loved the glimpses into Lithuanian culture, something I had no idea about. I hadn’t really thought about it, to be honest, and feel that I learned something.
I also enjoyed that RV likes words and introduces us to a lot of them without the need to look them up.
All in all, the book felt like an accurate portrayal of a young person’s journey through self-discovery without too much drama and a large dollop of realism. Even when drama occurred it’s kind of comfortable and in keeping with the rest of the book.
I think this is the kind of book that young people would very much enjoy. It’s not too long and it very much has the feel of it being told by a young person, not an adult trying to get into the head of one and applying adult issues.
RATING: 
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