Lost in a Good Book

Published: 28th February 2017
Publisher: Encompass Ink
Pages: 266
Genre: Young Adult
★   ★   ★   ★  – 4 Stars

Noah Derwin knows what it’s like to be different. Being a seventeen-year-old kid in high school with blue hair, piercings, a mostly all black wardrobe, and an obsession with zombies and video games, he doesn’t exactly blend in. But he never wanted to. His two dads raised him to always stay true to himself.

Bastian Hunter prefers structure and predictability. Suffering from a rare disease, every day is a challenge for him, and he prepares for the future by excelling academically and denying who he really is. Everything changes when he meets Noah, the unpredictable variable in the equation he’s built his life around, and feelings he’s hid for so long begin to surface.

Being gay in high school isn’t exactly rainbows and butterflies, and Noah has definitely faced his fair share of bullies. Moving to Port Haven, Oregon opens up new possibilities for him, and he starts falling for the quiet, brown-eyed boy from his English class. Too bad the attraction is one-sided… or is it?

I found this book by chance and gave it a go because it sounded interesting and I’m glad I did because I found myself quite invested and attached to these adorable teenagers and their love story. There are certainly some flaws in Osborn’s story, both in structure and plot, but I still found myself enjoying it all the same. It is a good heartfelt story about being who you are and discovering who you are. It’s cliché at times and a bit unrealistic in some aspects but it a wholesome story that still makes you feel warm inside.

Getting the problems out of the way first, the writing can be clunky occasionally and the dialogue balances between realistic and cheesy, but the intent is there and if you look past the imperfections in the writing, there are some wonderful moments and it is a good story underneath.

On the positive side, there is a good exploration of disability and LGBT issues which was great to see explored in a story and yet not be the Focus of the story or the Point of the story. Osborn has managed to make it just part of who these character are, something that Noah highlights himself. That isn’t to say they don’t contribute to the issues in the story, but there is more going on than Noah being gay, instead it’s like any other young love YA where there’s a crush and general teenage angst and trepidation.

Osborn has clearly tried to break down stereotypes and perceived perceptions, even if she does so by literally pointing it out to the reader. Some of the characters are sweethearts and are good unique and complicated characters but I felt there could have been some better development in terms of some characters, or maybe that’s something that could be improved with an adjustment and naturalisation of the dialogue.

I think what Osborn has tried to do is include too many supportive moments and tried to be too on message. As much as I understood what she was trying to achieve it felt too perfect, too much like everyone was a good person, and for those that weren’t, it didn’t take long and not too many words to change their minds.

I really enjoyed watch Noah find his feet and I will admit I got my own cheesy grin on my face watching him falter and try to act natural around the boy he likes. It was all kinds of adorable and it was one of those nice moments when you could see an outcome long before it happened so you got to enjoy Noah’s confusion and uncertainty around Bas, all the while you just waited for the moment when it all came to a head.

Watching Noah and Bas together was absolutely adorable and I loved Noah’s reaction and interaction with him. Noah himself is a complicated character, there is a lot going on with him that I felt Osborn could have focused more on, again, tied into a stronger writing style, but nevertheless it was an interesting route she chose to take with him because while simple and idealistic characters can be one dimensional, Noah knows who he is and while he still struggles with some things, he is also a little self-assured too. Something which suits Osborn’s expression of him.

Like I say, it’s idealistic but it’s heart-warming. It’s a feel good story that tries to have a nice little message in there even if there are a few flaws in the story and the structure. I still enjoyed it and I was surprised how invested I got in the characters and even more so finding myself with my own cheesy grin on my face at these teenagers which sometimes were just too adorable.

You can purchase Noah’s Song via the following

Audible | Amazon | Amazon Aust