Nate Plus One by Kevin van Whye
CW: Underage Drinking, Discussion of Sex, Non-Graphic/Undescribed Underage Sex Scene, Discussion of Child Death, Discussion of Apartheid/Systematic Racism & Oppression, Death of a Parent, Car Accident, Cheating, Ghosting, Homophobia, Homophobic Slur, Racism, Malicious Neighbor, Overworking, Betrayal, Intellectual Theft, Homophobic Parent/Boss, Classism, Hero Complex
4.5/5
Recently I found that I wasn't ready to start reading the big series I have planned for the year, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman). I was also waiting on my holds and feeling inspired by the A-Z reading challenges. I don't want to commit to an actual a-z challenge right now either, so I decided to spell my first name! Nate Plus One by Kevin van Whye is the book I chose to fill the first "N" in HANNAH*. I'll admit that I only skimmed the blurb and thought I was getting a fake dating story, but this slow burn vacation book was still well worth the read. I'll be sure to read more of van Whye's books in the future!
Nate Hargraves is looking forward to starting his summer vacation with a trip to his rich cousin's wedding in South Africa, the place where his late father grew up. His mood is dampened when he finds out his mother won't be able to make it and that his ex will be in attendance. Thankfully, his best friend/secret crush, Jai Patel volunteers to go along. Jai also has a problem that Nate can help with. Jai is weeks away from a major Battle of the Bands when his lead singer leaves for another band, taking Jai's song with him. Nate may have stage fright, but he is a talented singer and is willing to step in. The first few weeks of summer won't be smooth, but they'll certainly be life changing.
I enjoyed the balance between cute fun things and serious emotional elements in Nate Plus One. On the surface, it's a sweet teen romcom taking place on the vacation of a lifetime. Having that be queer will always draw me in and warm my heart. Still, the book doesn't ignore who its main characters are or where the wedding is. Racism, class differences, homophobia, being raised by a single parent, and Apartheid are all addressed. Apartheid was surprisingly a topic that I was taught about in detail in school, but as Nate points out, it's important to learn about what you aren't taught in school. Van Whye focused on the Soweto Uprising, a horrible injustice against black African children that I can't recall ever having learned about before. He made space for all of these things and a love story in just over 250 pages. Nothing felt trivial or overpowering, impressively done.
I can still enjoy a romantic tale even if it feels illogical, underdeveloped, or left with unresolved unhealthy elements, but it always stands out to me when a fictional romance is very healthy and well written. I found the romantic, familial, and friendly love to all be very healthy in Nate Plus One. My biggest concern in a book is getting to the BIG FIGHT. It can easily be out of the blue or overdone. Instead, when Nate messes up, it's in a redeemable way, he owns up to it, Jai is not too quick to forgive him, and Nate finds the perfect way to make it up to him. We also get to see Nate interacting with family he doesn't see very often, and each interaction felt realistic. The moments he spent with his grandmother were especially touching. She helped Nate get in touch with his roots and paved the way for Nate and his mom to talk more openly about his father. Even the negative interactions with his homophobic uncle provided clarity for Nate. While I wouldn't say this book felt like a puzzle, no interactions or plot elements were wasted.
Kevin van Whye's Nate Plus One is a sweet, cute book that is likely to leave you wanting more. And if you were taken aback by the open ended ending like me, you'll be happy to hear that Jai's band, Infinite Sorrow, will be making a cameo in van Whye's next book. Whether you're looking for queer content or to learn more about South Africa from a unique perspective, this book will be a good read for you.
*Be on the lookout for a post about my challenge once it's complete!
Comments