I Wish You All the Best

            

Title: I Wish You All the Best

Author: Mason Deaver

Published: PUSH, May 14, 2019

Pages: 339

Genre: LGBTQ Young Adult

When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they're thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder compounded by their parents' rejection, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school.But Ben's attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan's friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.At turns heartbreaking and joyous, I Wish You All the Best is both a celebration of life, friendship, and love, and a shining example of hope in the face of adversity.

Reading this was intense. I didn't see any trigger or content warning lists before starting the book. I'm sure they're out there, but I didn't search it out. However, there are a few things that I believe deserve a warning. Namely: parental abuse, getting kicked out, depression, and anxiety. 

Ben had the experience with coming out that is the reason coming out is so scary. Well not the only reason, but it is definitely one of the biggest fears when coming out. Ben was lucky in the fact that they had a sister to call. And not just to call, but a sister willing to take them in and help them in all the ways they need. This book really explored all of the ways that family can be your hell and your haven. You face the reasons why giving family members a bit of grace and love can be a blessing, and the reasons why sometimes they don't deserve second chances. 

While dealing with their family, Ben is also just trying to graduate high school. After coming out to their parents went spectacularly bad, they choose not to come out to their new school. With everything going on in their life, their sister encourages them to see a doctor. Watching them go through their journey was tough at times. But also just very...relatable. 

Sometimes, found family is the thing that's going to get you through. Whether that be the sister that you haven't seen in years, the friends that you meet at your new high school, or the influencer that helped you through your self-discovery. Ben's found family is a beautiful thing. 

Ultimately, this book was good. But it was tough to read at times, and frustrating at others. The main character is a teenager. So some of the choices they make are....youthful. It fits for the book for sure, but it was frustrating. 

Ratings

Stars: 3/5