April was actually a really good reading month for me, both quantity- and quality-wise. Since I’ve been working from home, I’ve been able to read a lot of physical books from my TBR, which has been a positive. I also participated in a month-long Harry Potter-themed read-a-thon hosted by G at the YouTube channel Book Roast, in which I attempted to complete all twelve of my O.W.L (ordinary wizarding level) exams by reading twelve books associated with Hogwarts subjects. And I genuinely enjoyed pretty much everything I picked up to read, which made picking one book to talk about a bit difficult. Some notable mentions include: Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place, a memoir by Jackson Bird about “sorting out” his own gender and sexuality and the decision to transition in his late twenties, and Heartstopper: Volume 3, the latest graphic novel installment from Alice Oseman following boys Nick and Charlie as they navigate their new relationship. The book I ultimately decided to talk about in my favorite book of the month post is Technically, You Started It, a YA novel by Lana Wood Johnson written entirely through text message threads recounting the interesting summer before senior year for two high school students.
On the day of the AP US History test, Martin Nathaniel Munroe II texts Haley Hancock to find out which essay question she chose. With a name like that, Haley should know who she’s talking to. But long story short, there are two Martins, with the same full name, and while she thinks she know who “the good one” is, she may be wrong. What starts out as simple conversations about AP scores and class projects soon evolves into an online friendship sharing secrets about familial troubles, nerdy guilty pleasures, and interesting facts about Canada. Will Haley finally figure out which Martin she’s talking to, or will things start to get messy and turn from a meet-cute to a meet-disaster?
It was surprising how much I enjoyed this book. Recently I’ve read several books where the two main characters communicate solely through letters – some were more successfully done than others, and one main critique I had was that the story became a bit unbelievable if the characters interacted in their day to day life, and their letters were just recounting their interactions for the reader’s sake. But this is the first one I’ve read written strictly through text messages, and I wasn’t sure how well this was going to go because I knew these characters had at least some real-life interaction, but what made it interesting was Haley is convinced she is talking to a completely different Martin, so them recounting their interactions through text didn’t feel unnatural to me. Additionally, it was highly entertaining how Martin was reacting to her accounts of meeting with “his cousin” when he knows full well it’s actually him. Especially at the convention – I think that was my favorite. This book is riddled with high school antics – people creating drama for no reason, summer jobs, the bro-code, and 4th of July parties – but it also tackled serious and important topics ranging from generalized anxiety disorder to failed familial relations to sexuality. I thoroughly enjoyed Haley and Martin’s banter, and how their relationship developed throughout the book. I listened to the audiobook while reading along, and while I overall thought the narrators did a good job conveying emotion, there were definitely some parts that were cringeworthy. And the only thing I found a bit unbelieveable was when the two of them were texting in an escape room – from my experience you wouldn’t be able to use your phone while trying to solve the puzzles.
I feel like I really have to talk about Haley for a second, because the more I thought about this book after finishing it, the more I saw of myself at 17 in her. She’s a girl who would much rather organize her entire bathroom than be forced to socialize for an afternoon, someone who can recount facts that no one really cares about, and a person who struggles being heard in a sea of voices trying to fight for attention. Her relationship with Jack also struck a chord – everyone was telling her to go out with Jack, that they’d be good together, and she really wanted to like him in that way, because she felt like it would’ve made everyone happier, but she just couldn’t. Senior year of high school, prom was fast approaching, and I had just planned to go with a group of friends – some were concerned I would be lonely in a sea of couples, but I would’ve been perfectly content “taking myself.” That is, until one day in my Spanish class, one of my friends asked me to prom using a magic trick. Partially because I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, and partly because my friends’ conversations had gotten to me, I said yes. And it was fine, he’s a sweet guy and everything, but I really feel like I would’ve had a better time if I hadn’t let my friends get to me all that much. Also like Haley, I fall somewhere on the asexual spectrum, and don’t feel certain attractions and connections the way other people do, which makes it difficult when asked “who’s your celebrity crush?” or “which guy in class do you secretly want to ask you out?” And that makes us different, sure, but not abnormal or weird or strange. Our other interests might make us weird, sure, but not our sexuality.
I think I’ve gushed enough about Technically, You Started It for one day. This book was just everything I needed right now – light and fluffy filled with teenage drama, mistaken identity, and a lot of burritos. Lana Wood Johnson made me fall in love with two teenage weirdos throughout text message threads, and if I ever need another pick-me-up, I’ll be sure to give this another quick read through.
Places to find Technically, You Started It
Amazon
Goodreads
Scholastic
Lana Wood Johnson’s website
Thoughts About Things 