Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert
CW: Abusive Parent, Neglectful Parent in an Abusive Situation, Hospitalized Injury, Money Problems, Concerns of Homelessness, Ableism, Internalized Ableism, Homophobia, Previous Toxic Relationship, Theft and Blackmail, Car Troubles, Harry Potter Reference, Asthma Attack, Parental Pressure, Sexual Content, Mental Illness, Past Outing, Swearing, Classism, Past Death of a Parent, Bullying
5/5
Sometimes we find the perfect book, the one that reads like it was written specifically for us. I experienced this feeling when I finally read Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert. Queer enemies-to-lovers, card game nerds on a road trip to a convention, mental health rep, and a Jewish romantic lead. I loved every word of this book and I'm looking forward to reading its spin-off and potentially other books that Albert has written.
Conrad and Alden are known for being rival players of a game called "Odyssey" on the "Gamer Grandpa" vlog. Due to the vlog's popularity, the professor in charge scores tickets to a Vegas convention for all of his players. If any of them win the convention's tournament they'll have a chance to play in the pro tour. Conrad is close to homelessness and Alden is being forced to follow his parents' dream. A win could be good for either of them. On the road to Vegas, they'll push past the misconceptions they have of each other and realize they might like what they see.
It was a delightful surprise that one of the main characters, Alden, is Jewish! This is an important part of his character, especially considering the amount of food we witnessed Alden and Conrad eating. Much of the Jewish representation beyond that came through in Alden explaining things to Conrad, however, it is a romance. Most of the book is made up of interactions between the pair. I am uncertain if Albert is Jewish, but I am pleased that a Jewish narrator was cast to voice Alden's chapters. Joel Froomkin did a wonderful job with Alden's New York Jewish accent. Alden's Jewish experience is different from my own, but I am always going to feel seen by Jewish representation in the media I consume.
Despite being an enemies-to-lovers romance, the relationship between Conrad and Alden turned out to be very healthy. Alden is neurodivergent like me, but I had a hard time rooting for him at the start of the book. I was taken in by Conrad's softness right away, though. As Conrad and the audience got to know Alden better, I started to warm up to him. By the time Conrad internally admitted that Alden was his type, I was shipping it. The two bonded over feeling comfortable enough to let their walls down with each other, realizing that they both had made very wrong assumptions about the other. I felt for both of them as they shared their experiences with being gay (Conrad's with coming out, Alden's with the community). Of course, they bonded over sweet things too, like stargazing and playing Odyssey!
Conventionally Yours had great pacing, which is vital for a road trip book. I wouldn't say it was reminiscent of Homer's The Odyssey, but there were stops and obstacles along the way to Vegas. The professor had planned stops in game stores along the way and the MCs kept getting sidetracked by random issues and choices. As they both had been aesthetically attracted to each other before the trip, the feelings that blossomed in the week of the story didn't feel rushed or out of nowhere. I don't need a slow burn, but a quick relationship needs something like this to feel real to me. I also loved the way the card game was written! Despite not being real, I was on the edge of my seat and following the gameplay. It made me want to get back into Magic the Gathering so that I could feel like the characters in Albert's novel.
Obviously, there's much about Annabeth Albert's Conventionally Yours that appeals to me, so of course I recommend it! If road trips and queer nerds in love sound like your thing, Conrad and Alden will be by the car waiting for you. Don't be deterred by their arguing, only the fun banter will remain by the end of the journey!
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