[usr 2]
WE COULD BE SOMETHING, a young adult novel with LGBTQIA+ themes, is arguably not written for me, a heterosexual woman in her 30’s. With that said, I’m not so removed from universal human experience that I’m incapable of understanding a book about love and family. Unfortunately, I don’t understand Kostakis’ book.
Is it comedy? Is it a family saga? Is it a tragedy about the dissolution of love? Is it a coming out and coming of age novel? It is somehow, all of the above, which is far too ambitious and scattered at 400 pages of young adult (YA) fiction. This does not mean YA fiction cannot be ambitious and creative, but the appeal of it is the clear adherence to classic narrative structure of obvious tension, climax, and resolution.
The problems that arise in this book are far too subtle and advanced for two sarcastic 17 year olds to first-person narrate with any degree of authentic engagement, especially if the author seems allergic to showing true emotional vulnerability through its characters. I’m not here for a restrained reflection on the meaning of love, life, and grief, Ishiguro-style but told through the eyes of a 17 year old boy. I’m reading YA for melodrama, misunderstandings, and the oh-so-satisfying conclusion of understanding and emotional maturation.
The other issue with this book is that it’s annoying, like talking to a teenager. Teens can be great fun, but teens can also be really annoying to talk to because everything is a problem. This is not to say their problems aren’t valid, but unless you’re a family member or a friend with a vested interest in their wellbeing, their problems just aren’t interesting. And in that same vein, I find it hard to be interested in the struggles of being a published author at 17. It comes off as annoying to complain about.
The adults in this book are the same. The fathers in this book have issues in their marriage that feel extraordinarily juvenile. Overall this book was just confusing and annoying, which arguably is what the young adult experience often is. But young adults can also be hopeful, spirited, and disarmingly vulnerable, and I wish this book captured that instead.
