Book Review: Date Me, Bryson Keller

It’s quite rare, even today, for a gay teen romance novel to be picked up by a mainstream publisher and treated like any other book, but after reading this incredible story, I can see why the editors at Random House decided to take the leap. Date Me, Bryson Keller is a deeply touching novel that is accessible to anyone, even those who may be unfamiliar or even a little uncomfortable reading an LGBTQ book.

A Gentle, Beautiful Coming Out Story

In its simplest form, Date Me, Bryson Keller is a coming out story, and it takes readers through that emotional and stressful journey, worrying about school, friends, family members, and the single critical component vital to the well-being of any gay teen: acceptance. What makes the story special is that it is really a dual coming-out story, in which both the protagonist and his (at first) fake boyfriend take the journey together. Each character brings a powerful aspect to a common trope. Kai Sheridan (the protagonist) knows he is gay, but nobody else does, so his coming out revolves around finding the courage to let the world know who he truly is. Bryson Keller has no idea he is gay, and his story revolves around a process of self-discovery and allowing his love for Kai to help him realize who he truly is and what he truly wants.

As romance books go, the romantic tension in Date Me is extremely light. While the dating relationship Bryson and Kai have is at first “fake”, the result of a silly dare, it becomes clear very quickly that it is, in fact, anything but. The relationship between the two starts easy and grows stronger, leading to the climactic dual coming out for both characters. While they have a few moments of uncertainty, their relationship is essentially cute, fun, direct, and easygoing from start to finish. You won’t find a lot of the usual “romance” tropes found in other novels, such as initial animosity, the pull of alternative relationships, or the characters having a serious falling out before getting back together. Rather than tension between the romantic characters, Date Me focuses on other themes and ideas, especially tension from outside the relationship. While both characters are secure in their own romance, the world definitely isn’t secure with them. Kai faces the most intense backlash and rejection from his family, and Bryson faces rejection from his closest friends. There is an interesting juxtaposition between the characters in that Kai’s family is against him while Bryson’s is open, and Kai’s friends are accepting whereas Bryson’s are not. What makes their relationship special is that even as the world seems to turn against them, they are entirely there for each other, perfectly supportive and comfortable together.

The book is intensely focused on the primary theme of acceptance: the acceptance of a person being gay especially from parents and family. It brings up several times the idea that gay people still have not found true acceptance, and the story’s villains fully display how non-acceptance often plays out in the modern setting. Their rejection is quiet and hidden, covered over by jokes and teasing, dressed up in mockery, or sentenced by silence. Yet in the end, the book rings with a message of hope that most people can find the meaning of love and come around, and those that don’t aren’t worth the time anyway. It is a reminder that our world still hasn’t made as much progress as some people like to pretend it has.

An Excellent Gateway Book for the Genre

Some may shy away from a “romance” book, especially a gay one, Date Me allows you to explore over the line very gently. The book has no sex or even an approach to anything sexual. The most serious thing the characters ever do or even think about is kiss, and a tiny bit of playful bed wrestling. It stands as one of my first attempts at a genre that I have realized I am now eager to explore.

Date Me earns the prestige of being one of the few books I have ever read twice, and I did so shockingly soon after finishing it once. I simply felt the need to escape back into this beautiful relationship these two characters developed, a relationship which culminates in Bryson’s Instagram Post (you’ll know it when you get there).

Overall, Date Me, Bryson Keller has firmly earned its place on my favorites list. In so many ways it serves as a gateway book, a fun and funny realistic romance with a powerful message, adorable characters, and a stunningly beautiful relationship. It is sure to leave readers wishing they had in real life what Kai and Bryson discover on the page. It certainly did for me.