With all of the chaos going on in the world right now, and the anxiety-riddled news that comes with it, I figured the best way for me to survive cabin fever, and working from home (at least while my lab is still open), is to fully immerse myself in something I truly love: reading. I hope you’ve realized that by now. Since I’ve been more active on this blog recently, I decided to look more into NetGalley, and I noticed St. Martin’s Press – Wednesday Books was offering several of their titles as Read Now. One such title was More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn, a book whose synopsis caught my attention and whose cover solidified my desire to read it as soon as possibly could. This seemed to work out pretty perfectly for me.
Luke Greenly, son of former British punk rocker Charlie Greenly, would do anything to stay out of the spotlight. In fact, he’d much rather prefer anonymity. All he wants to do is co-host the locally-popular podcast with his twin brother Cullen, make fun of his brother for being sickly-sweet and adorable with his boyfriend Zack (who is also Luke’s best friend), and stay up in his room putting lyrics on a page while playing piano. Luke holds many secrets, and one of those is his [supposed] unrequited crush on music blogger, Vada Carsewell. Vada has just recently been accepted into Berkeley’s prestigious music journalism program on the other side of the country. She’s learned everything she could at the Loud Lizard, the bar owned by local legend Phil Josephs (who is also her mom’s boyfriend), and taken over his music blog. She’s got a five year plan, and maybe a [supposed] unrequited crush on one of the Greenly brothers whose podcast is recorded at the bar. When the two find themselves partners in a composer-dance collaboration at school, and coworkers at the bar, it’s almost impossible to deny their connection. And when another dive bar announces an opening in town, threatening the Loud Lizard, Vada’s five-year plan is in danger and she has to work together with Luke to save it.
First and foremost, I’ve noticed that so many female protagonists in YA these days have red hair, and, as a redhead myself, I find it hilarious and would very much like for the trend to continue. I have been in such a mood for heartwarming young adult stories, and More Than Maybe was an excellent addition to my ever-growing list of favorites. I loved how connected to music Luke and Vada were: Vada’s passion for reviewing and Luke’s for writing allowed them to both to understand the essence of each individual song, and that brought them together in a way not many of the side characters could understand. I felt that all of the relationships, not just the one that develops between Vada and Luke, were well established – the platonic relationships of Vada/Meg and Luke/Zack, romantic ones of Zack/Cullen and Mary/Phil, and even the dysfunctional dynamic of Vada/Marcus (her biological father). All of the characters had a pre-established history that Erin Hahn let us catch a glimpse of from start to finish. The novel does tackle some deeper topics – dealing with familial expectations that don’t align with your own dreams, learning how and when to distance yourself from toxic family members, and working so much towards your goal only to find that it may be unattainable after all, due to something you cannot control. But it’s also hopeful, full of people doing anything for the ones that they love. And maybe, just maybe, it has a sweet happy ending that will have you smiling down at your book.
According to the author herself, this is a sunshine book about music nerds falling in love. It’s light, full of happiness, and scattered with pop culture references – the book earns an extra point in my book for the Panic! at the Disco reference. Things may not be the brightest in the world right now, but I’d like to thank Erin Hahn for bringing some sunshine into my life. Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an early copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. If you’re in need of a YA read that will absolutely warm your heart, I highly recommend picking up More Than Maybe on July 21st.
Places you can find More Than Maybe:
Goodreads
Amazon
Erin Hahn’s website
Macmillan
Thoughts About Things 