This book has been on my radar for quite a while and the moment I saw the cover I really wanted to read this. I just love how queer this is and the skyline of Toronto in the background as well as the blurb only added to my already high expectations. If you ask me the world needs more covers like that and I’d be happy to buy them all. This said, the most important question is: Did “When You Get the Chance” live up to my expectations or not?

Truth be told, this isn’t as easy to answer as some might think. The beginning of this book was pretty slow and about half of the book deals with their stay at the family cottage. It’s only about the 50% mark that things actually start to get interesting when they finally hit the road. From there on out I really enjoyed their journey though and I think Tom Ryan did a great job at capturing the spirit of Pride. The feeling of being a part of all those people, of the respect, acceptance, support and safety they offer. It felt like I was there along with them and made new friends while we walked the streets of Toronto.

Another thing I truly appreciated was the diversity we got to see in this book. Mark is gay, Talia is a lesbian or pan (she’s questioning her sexual orientation because she dated Erin who is non-binary) and of course there are a lot of other queer characters as well. ;-) Speaking of the characters themselves I can’t say that I connected with any of them. Well, none except of Paige! Mark’s ten years old little sister is such a ray of sunshine and I swear she was the best character in the entire book! I loved how she saw the world and tried to understand it and I absolutely adored her stance on being queer. For her it was so normal to have a brother who’s gay and gosh how I want more people like that in the world. Ten year old Paige gave me hope in humanity and I can’t thank Tom Ryan enough for that!! For me she represented a generation that grew up with LGBTQ+ rights and accepts everyone who’s under the rainbow and I really hope that one day we’ll actually get there. =) Still, there was a moment when one of the MCs got outed by Paige and I was very glad this issue was broached and challenged. No one should out you except of yourself!

As for Mark and Talia?! Mark might have been outgoing but he was also self-centred and more than just a little egoistic! I couldn’t with him and even though some of his actions later on in the book obviously tried to redeem him, I really can’t say that I liked his embodiment of the entitled white male. Then again I’ve to admit that it was good to have a character like Mark in this book, because quite honestly not everyone can be a sweet fluffy cinnamon roll and the world is made of more complex characters than that. ;-) Talia on the other hand, was the complete opposite of Mark and more on the calm and distant side of things. Whilst Mark didn’t seem to care about deep feelings and only wanted fun, Talia was a very deep and emotional character who had difficulties to accept that her partner had changed without her at their side.

I could probably go on and on about this book but I think I’ll leave it at that. The only thing that truly bothered me was that the characters apparently had no decency regarding their situation. I mean their grandfather just died and their grandma ended up in hospital; you’d think they would have thought about other things than the fastest way to pride. I suppose some of their behaviour could be explained by them being teens and having no tangible idea of the concept of mortality, but even then I would have felt bad for my actions if I’d have been in their shoes. (I felt really sorry for Talia’s dad and Mark’s mom.)

Regardless of everything I just mentioned this was still a fast and enjoyable read. Sure, there were some important topics that were only brought up but never truly addressed, since this book had only 272 pages I had no problem to overlook those little weaknesses though. There’s only so much you can put into a 250+ pages book and considering this Tom Ryan actually did a good job! All told this leaves me with 3,5 stars rounded up to 4 and the hope that my next Tom Ryan book will be another pleasant read.

It is very hard to come across a read that leaves you speechless. I was not sure what to expect when I started this novel but it took me to places I cannot even begin to tell you.
I cannot wait for this beauty to be released to the world so others can have a similar experience.

Special shoutout to Running Press Kids for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley.

In 2019 I happened to read Keep This to Yourself by Tom Ryan and was instantly enthralled by the story, so when I saw that he was co-authoring this book with Robin Stevenson I was immediately excited. The promise of roadtrip and familiar bonding and being queer I was sold.

Overall the book is definitely enjoyable and very easy to get through. Despite the fact that I put off picking it up for a long time, when I actually got around to reading it I was able to get through it in about a day. In part because it was so easy to get through I think that it also became quickly apparent the things about the book that I wasn’t the biggest fan of, or didn’t feel quite worked. As much as I liked Mark and Talia as narrators, the first half of the book that is mostly set at the cottage wasn’t all that enjoyable. While Paige’s eagerness to solve the case of the honorary Tremblay sibling in a lot of ways it was also just not something I was invested in, it’s also a larger portion of the book I’d argue than any of the roadtrip or real familial bonding moments.

It’s hard to judge family bonding in books because everyone is going to read that kind of thing differently based on their own experiences. For me I never felt there was a closeness between Mark and Talia. Even after the first fifty percent was done with and they were on their way to Toronto for the Pride weekend it was still just two people who wanted to be in the same location and were getting there. Even at Pride when Mark finds Talia just after she’s broken up with Erin it doesn’t really read as them being close? I dunno, there was something off about it. I never really felt that they hated each other, even as Talia spent the first half of the book annoyed with her cousin, but I never really felt that there was a moment where they connected? If anything Paige always felt more like the glue that was holding them and the book together. I’m not quite sure that the book could exist without her. I’ll also say that while the mystery of the honorary Tremblay was solved in a rather mundane fashion, it was also the part of the familial discord that I thought was the most melodramatic moment of the book. Maybe that’s a thing that people experience, but seeing as that had more to do with the adults of the story maybe I was just expecting too much from them.

There’s also a vague throughline of Mark cheating throughout the book. It’s adressed in the text, so definite kudos for that, but I also never quite understood what it was that Mark was looking for. I sort of got the vibe that Mark was looking for a good time and not a long itme, but between his desire for Darren to be his boyfriend and then planning his future with Jeremy I couldn’t tell you why things with Jareth never worked out. Which is fine, while the romantic entanglements of both of our narrators are front and center in terms of their personal issues the book makes no illusions about this being a romcom. I just never understood how Mark was approaching his love l

I’ve said this a couple times already, but just so that it’s that much more clear, Paige was truly my favorite character in the book. Without her I’m not sure I could have finished or enjoyed it as much as I did.

I would ultimately recommend this book. I think that for other readers, younger teen readers they will get something out of this that I ultimately didn’t. The positive experience I had reading the book makes up for some of the underwhelming nature I found with how the narratice actually unfolded.

It was nice to read a book based where I grew up. It was also jarring at times (trying to figure out where that one place is, being confused why the place you grew up is in the middle of nowhere when it isn't lol). The characters were well written. I loved Talia, but honestly couldn't stand Mark. Talia felt more down to earth, smart, and responsible - someone I could actually see me getting along with. Mark, on the other hand, drove me insane with his over cocky, jock personality. He did get a nice story arc, but I will not praise the guy for doing the right thing - the thing he should have done from the start!

This book made me wish I could stand large crowds and head down to the Toronto Pride Parade. It seems like it would be amazing to see. So inviting and supportive for EVERY type of sexual or gender identity. This book didn't set out to teach you about them either. There were a couple of instances where Talia would explain identity and outing to Mark's little sister, but it made sense in the scenario - it doesn't come off preachy or condescending though.

I also liked that this book wasn't a coming out or exploring sexuality story - which feels like most YA LGBTQIA+ books seem to be (at least that I've read). This story is just a slice of life story that happens to feature two Queer main characters (as well as secondary characters). This is a fun read that any contemporary lover would enjoy reading.

Let’s focus on the narrators first. This book is narrated by two people – cousins. One’s Mark, and the other Talia (whose name I forgot for a few seconds. I only remembered Mark’s because his is on a Note on my Kindle as my Notes are currently pulled up). And I felt both narrators were pretty boring. I liked Talia a tiny bit more, but that was it.

I mean, Mark, to me, felt so self-centered and boring and privileged and just, sorry, but boring again. Like instead of helping around the house he decides to have fun. He should’ve paid more attention to Paige, seriously. He tries to act funny but it just fails. Talia, while the (slight) better of the two narrator, tries to act like she’s awkward and cool at the same time and it only makes her look more awkward and not in that cool type of way. While she is very proud of her identity, and she can most certainly be, it just felt like she was pushing all her ideas and opinions onto other people and trying to make them think like her. And people don’t feel the same way and that’s okay!

I love this cover so much. The font’s super cool, the rainbow road and the car, all so great. But… that’s about it. The third star is solely for the cover. Paige is mostly the reason why I didn’t star it lower – she was at least funny, adorable, and she reads Magnus Chase so ☝🏻☝🏻

The way the chapters just end. There are good ways to end a chapter, then there are bad ways, and then there are just… ways. I know I’m not making sense – but to me the endings of the chapters didn’t make sense? Like there’s still meant to be another paragraph but there isn’t – because it’s the end of the chapter.

And I’m sorry if I sound old and all – but the WAY they get to Toronto and eventually Pride is SO UNSAFE in a big, HUGE way and it just further annoys me with how teens are written in regards to how they treat their parents. Like?? They just swear in front of their parents with no repercussions? They do this thing where they just go out and don’t tell their parents? My parents had to have at least two of my friends’ phone numbers and if we were going other places, I had to message them about it. And Mark and Talia tell their parents nothing and they’re not even stressed about it?

And the parents?? Don’t even get me started on how much they annoyed me. So, this ‘big thing’ happened when their kids were younger (can’t talk about it too much as it’ll be a spoiler) – but to me it wasn’t such a big thing – and they decide to not speak to each other for a whole bunch of years??? Have they not seen Parent Trap?

The plots. Well, there were plots. That’s about it. Like literally. I already spoke about the parents and the Pride and I just felt very let down by both.

As much as I really wanted to give it 2 stars, I decided to give it 3 stars (the third star was literally for the cover alone). And when it comes down to it, this can be an important book for readers. Just because I didn’t like it doesn’t mean other readers won’t absolutely love it to bits. And that’s perfectly okay. I loved the cover and the Pride scenes and moments with all the casually queer characters – that’s great. But it wasn’t enough to distract me from the subpar plots and shoddy characters.

This is a VERY gay book, and I am very here for it! Also: Can I just say how happy I am to finally read a gay book about gays NOT SET IN THE US???

This has a lot of needed representation for non-straight people, showing how gays come in all different forms! The very first example of this is the two main characters. Both Mark and Talia are gay/queer, but they could not be different. Mark is an athletic, extroverted, and privileged gay dude that has not really had any bad experiences connected to his sexuality. He's not very informed of the whole world of non-straight-ness, as many people are! Talia, on the other hand, is dating a non-binary partner and is all social justice warrior at many instances in this book, for example explaining how one should not "out" someone to others at several moments in this. We also meet a lot of different people when they finally get to Pride, and I can really relate to one of the things in the novel where one of them thinks that they have never really met any older couples that have been together for a long time. Like, I could talk about the perfect amount of representation in this for days!!!!

Although the first 30-40% of this book drags on a little, I am very happy I have read this book! It was much gayer than I anticipated, and I am so happy. I also love how this is very coming-of-age, and explores how for many people their sexuality can be confusing and be a life-long mission to really figure out. It is very hopeful and a nice read! I will be purchasing this book for myself, and I will 100% recommend this!

ARC provided by Running Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When You Get The Chance is the heart-warming, unapologetically queer, conjoint work of Tom Ryan and Robin Stevenson. A story of personal growth and change that fills my queer heart with happiness. It shows how unique the queer experience is and the beauty of the rainbow community.

An unfortunate event reunites cousins Mark and Talia in Toronto, during Pride Week, after almost ten years of not seeing each other. Talia is a reserved, teetotal straight-A student who’s currently dealing with relationship problems; while Mark is a self-centred, party-loving, blunt and confident soccer player. One thing they have in common is their queerness, but that is not enough to restore their childhood friendship.

This story is so full of loveable, audacious characters that a reader cannot prevent themselves from loving. For me, though, the clear standout is Paige, Mark’s younger sister, a ten-year old, vivacious kid, unafraid to ask questions, open to new realities and notions about the world.

It’s hard not to fall in love with this novel, especially if you’re proudly queer and proudly Canadian.

While the writing style is simple, I found that it actually adds to the story by not bogging you down in unnecessary expansive vocabulary. It made the read much more enjoyable and fun.

I’ve been to some Pride events but have always wanted to experience Toronto Pride. Reading this book made it feel like I was there and a part of the fun. A great Summer read, for sure.

Source: I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

So listen. I have mixed feelings about this book.

Even though it is advertised as a roadtrip novel, for me it was definitely a family novel first, a queer novel second and a coming of age novel third. And then maybe there is a little bit about roadtrip in there, but since the trip itself wasn't very long, I'd put the other themes on the forefront.

A big theme of the book is figuring out why Mark's (MC1) mum and Talia's (MC2) dad are not on speaking terms. They haven't seen each other for years and are only forced to come together when Mark and Talia's granddad dies and they're all flying to Toronto for the funeral and to figure out how to deal with their grandma. One big issue is the cottage that the grandparents kept three hours away from Toronto for summer vacations and the families respectively go up there to decide what to do with the cottage, now that the grandma isn't physically able to keep it up anymore.

Only a day later, the parents have to go back to their mother's side as she's been admitted to a hospital after a fall, leaving the kids in charge of the cottage for now. Mark is devastated that they take both cars which means that he won't have a way to go to Toronto pride and Talia is devastated because she can't visit her partner? Ex partner? Erin who also works in Toronto. Eventually, they find a way though and the three kids make their way to Toronto without their parents knowledge.

What was a little irritating to me was the total lack of grief from the two teenagers about their grandfather. While they do say it is sad about him dying and that they feel bad, it doesn't seem to last very long because they are quickly preoccupied with other things, namely Mark flirting with a local guy and Talia hoping that her partner of two years, with whom she doesn't know where they stand at that point, would text.

Additionally, I didn't immediately connect with either of the main characters and was rooting most for Mark's little sister Paige who was not only supportive of her queer family members but was putting on her best detective face to try and figure out why their parent's aren't on speaking terms anymore.

I was also a huge fan of the lesbian couple the kids hitch a ride with to Toronto and about the exchange of terms and experiences between these queer generations.

I did warm up to both Mark and Talia in the course of the novel, mainly because both seem more and more selfconscious and willing to learn and to better themselves whenever they get called out on being insensitive. I really did feel that there was a character development for both of them, which I really loved seeing. Mark grew way less obnoxious and Talia seemed a little freer in her thinking about both what others thought of her and more importantly, what she wanted from her life. I got the feeling that only at the end of the novel, Talia let herself really explore what she wants from the next couple of years not out of obligation to a partner or her dad but for her and I loved seeing it.

There is a lot of queer representation in this book. While not being queer myself, I kept having the opinions of various friend's in my head while reading about especially the trans and poly rep and I know that they wouldn't have been too fond of it so I felt myself being not too fond of it. But that is all I am going to say on that matter since I felt like there was a lot of diversity in here which I loved and I am going to let people who identify with the various sexualities and gender identities judge how well the rep was done apart from that. However I do have one friend who resembles Talia a lot in their thinking about queerness and sexuality and I couldn't help but smile whenever Talia lectured someone (mostly Mark) on the importance of accepting and embracing other people for who they are :)

All in all, I really liked this book and read it within a day. It was a feel-good novel and I realise that I have been really nitpicky with my critisism here, which you will have realised by now because I gave this a rounded up to 4 rating which means that I must've liked it a lot. My point is: It is a lovely novel and a feel good read and I recommend it to... literally anyone who is into contemporary YA fiction. It's got heart, soul, a lot of Canadian charm and it takes you to a Pride Event as if you were really there. Really Fab.

There were a lot of things about When You Get the Chance that annoyed me while reading. I was annoyed that it was billed as a road trip novel when the actual road trip(s) took up so little of the book. I was annoyed that both main characters were insufferable to a point where I couldn't bring myself to root for them, and then barely changed over the course of their respective character arcs.

My main problem with this book, though, was the spotty queer rep. There were some things that I felt this book got totally right, such as Mark occupying the nebulous space of white gay men who still experience hatred and oppression but are also privileged in ways they don’t always see themselves, or Talia’s confusion over her potentially shifting understanding of her identity, especially in relation to her ex’s. But her ex’s identity is where my problems with this book really started.

Erin’s identity in this book is a mess, mostly because we see it through Talia’s point of view only and we never hear much about what Erin thinks themself. The implication that they stopped being a lesbian when they came out as nonbinary, for example, is something that deserves more discussion because for many people (me) those things aren’t mutually exclusive and that’s already poorly understood as it is. Their polyamorous identity and their pansexual identity are also heavily linked to Talia feeling as if she’s being deceived and lied to and while this is pointed out, it’s never really challenged throughout Talia’s character arc. Obviously Talia’s just a teenager and she doesn’t have to have everything figured out for herself, even throughout the course of this book, but it would be nice if the book at least landed in a place where her incorrect and/or harmful ideas were explored more thoroughly instead of just left hanging.

Honestly, there are a lot of really compelling discussions about nuanced identities and contemporary vs. historical queer communities and things like that that are presented in the novel, but never really explored beyond Talia’s annoying “gotcha” moments, which to me makes them seem like petty SJW internet issues instead of real conversations we should be having.

3.5 stars

This was a really cute book about family and finding yourself. I didn't like Mark at all - he acting like such a dickhead for most of it, and yeah, he redeemed himself at the end, but it was painful to make myself read. I loved how gay it was. I loved Paige and Talia. I also really loved the settings - I#ve never been to Canada but I've always wanted to go. When You Get the Chance was a really fast and sweet read that I would recommend to people who want good representation of queer things and a fun time.

The first half of this book was great! I loved the aspect of the main characters going back to their family cottage after the loss of their grandfather and the reuniting of cousins after a long time. I also enjoyed the mystery that was involved and the grandchildren finding the old memories of their parents and grandparents. However, the mystery was quickly solved, and by the end of the book, the reason Mark and Talia's parents were feuding was so disappointing.

Next, this book is pitched as a story set a Toronto Pride. However, the Pride scenes are only a few chapters toward the end of the book. I would've much rather have read a book set in 24 hours at Pride than this.

As a queer book written in 2020, this book got SO MUCH WRONG. The major red flag I had was that Talia's ex-partner, Erin was misgendered and NOT by a character which confused me because the first half of the book emphasizes through Talia's dialogue how important pronouns and identity are Both characters, Mark and Talia are so unlikeable. Mark ghosts a guy throughout the WHOLE BOOK and then he tries to make up for it at the end? Not cool. Talia is essentially an SJW type and constantly attacks other characters when they accidentally out people or say anything that isn't ethically right. But, she's also a gatekeeper. She gets angry at Erin and asks them when they mention they met a trans guy and were able to relate to him being on the trans spectrum and what does Talia say? Well, first, she's uncomfortable then asks Erin if they would ever transition into a man? NO THANKS. Finally, Talia insults the whole polyamorous community because of her jealousy and is selfish about Erin expressing their desire to be in a polyamorous relationship.

As for more queer related things that were done wrong 1. the bisexual/pansexual debate - basically saying it's the same 2. using the word "dyke" a lot - personally, this word makes me uncomfortable and I know it's sort of been reclaimed by the lesbian community but I skipped over the pages with that word used in every sentence. There's also some homophobia in the beginning. But, overall, this book was disappointing and I still can't shake the fact that the enby character was misgendered in the text.

This book has made me feel a little nostalgic about my life when I was little and I went out with my family on vacation every summer.
Mark and Talia are cousins ​​who haven't seen each other in years after their parents had a big fight over something. When her grandfather dies, the family travels to Toronto for a few days.
I'm going to start by saying that Talia and Mark are the most self-centered characters I've read in a long time. While their parents are going through the death of their father and the relapse of their mother, the only thing these characters are thinking about is super banal things. Talia is just waiting for her ex-girlfriend to answer her txt messages and try to fix things with her who has clearly told her many times that she wants to have an open relationship and she still does not understand the hint and Mark on the other hand only thinks to spend time at Pride and above all to find a way for her cousin or unknown people he just met to take care of her little sister.
Mark little sister Paige was a character that I especially liked because, being the youngest in the group at just 10 years old, she acted more mature than the other two.
Another thing I liked about the book is that, while reading it, I thought about those moments in my childhood when I still had my grandfather and we spent those summers on the beach with the family and it was nice to remember that.
For reminding me of the good times I give it 3 solid stars
Thanks to netgalley and Perseus books, Running press for this Arc in exchange for an honest review

Cute queer book set in Canada. I enjoyed it however was highly annoyed by the over usage of “you guys” even in the middle of tirades about inclusive language. “You guys” is NOT gender neutral and inclusive.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy queer stories, especially ones with great queer history.

The moment I saw the cover for this book, I knew I had to read it. The rainbow road, the CN Tower - it’s just so boldly queer and made me go all heart eyes. I honestly didn’t even care what it was about, but when I read the synopsis and saw Pride + road trip +family + friendship, I was sold.

Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. I realized early on I should probably DNF it because I wasn’t enjoying it, but I was just curious enough about one thing in particular - more on that in a minute - that I kept reading. Ultimately I’m glad I finished the book, but I can’t say I enjoyed it.

Here’s the basic gist of the story: Cousins Mark and Talia are reunited after not seeing each other for years. They live on opposite coasts and are brought together when their grandfather dies. Now, neither of them particularly cares that their grandfather is dead; Mark is excited to be in Toronto because he wants to go to Pride, and Talia’s sort-of-ex just moved to Toronto and she’s excited to see them and possibly work things out. Mark is a self-centred jerk who doesn’t care about anyone but himself, and Talia is basically the definition of a Social Justice Warrior who makes it her mission to correct/teach everyone about everything all the time. When I said I should have DNF’d but was curious about one thing in particular, it was Mark’s storyline. I was hoping he wasn’t just a shallow jerk and we’d see some growth from him, which we technically did, but much like every other plot point in the entire book, it fell flat. There was so much going in in this book and yet nothing actually happening.

What I did like about the book: the representation and the discussions about gender and sexuality. I’m still not used to seeing characters who identify as anything other than gay, lesbian, or bi, or who are nonbinary, so it was amazing to see a nonbinary pansexual side character, and to see Talia being uncertain about how she should identify since she’d always assumed she was lesbian but wasn't sure if that felt accurate after her partner started identifying as nonbinary. I know a lot of people struggle with deciding what label - if any - feels right for them, and it must be extra confusing for teens who are still figuring out so many different things. I also appreciated that both Mark and Talia were out and proud; coming out stories will always be necessary and important, but it's so nice to see characters just living their lives, comfortable with who they are.

As much as I love YA, sometimes I have to remind myself I’m not the target audience and my issues might sometimes be more of a ‘me’ thing because I’m so much older than the characters. I do know I would have loved to see this type of representation as a teen, so I hope that draws people in, and I hope others will enjoy this book more than I did.

This book managed to have two fairly unlikeable main characters, in a character-driven story, with the narration switching back and forth between the two main characters, and yet it wasn't a bad read. I don't really know how the authors pulled that off. But while queer books usually get a bonus star in the rating from me, I just couldn't bring myself to give this four stars.

Mark and Talia used to spend every summer together at their grandparents' lake cottage, but a fight between Mark's mother and Talia's father brought an end to that. The cousins lose touch with each other for 7 years. After their grandfather dies, their grandmother makes the entire family spend a last vacation up at the cottage, so everyone can decide whether to sell the place or not. Mark and Talia are both queer and couldn't be more different if they tried, but they both also keep looking for ways to get to Toronto. Mark wants to go to Pride, while Talia is desperate to reconnect with her maybe-ex Erin. A series of complications create the perfect conditions for Mark and Talia - and Paige, Mark's little sister - to drive to Toronto and accomplish their goals. That is, if they can start to walk a mile in the other person's shoes.

These main characters, sheesh! Mark was a typical jerk jock, and though he starts to become nicer near the end of the book, so much time is wasted with him being selfish and stubborn until he gets his way. I get that we're dealing with teenagers here, but we don't even get a little glimmer of niceness in his character until he's made it to Pride. Talia, on the other hand, is just such a downer all the time, jumping down people's throat if they don't think or act the way she thinks they should. She felt more like an excuse to explain a bit of gender or queer theory to the reader. Even for a YA book, the didactic intent was blatant and at times even a bit pedantic.

But I somehow still didn't hate the story. It takes some serious suspension of disbelief and more than a few grains of salt. The main conflict between the parents is incredibly dumb, and even in the case of self-involved teenagers it's a bit hard to believe that they're not more upset about a dead grandparent. But I never struggled with getting through this book, and I loved the older queer side characters who pop up once they've left the cottage setting.

DNF 40 %
I was bored out of my mind reading this book. It didn’t really click with me and I wasn’t able to enjoy it. There was so much potential but it really wasn’t using it to its advantage.

A downside to reviewing for me is that I often feel like I'm only allowed to dislike a book if I have a good reason for it. But the reality is, reviewing is subjective, and sometimes you just won't click with a book. I'll do my best to explain my thoughts, but overall this book just didn't work for me, for no particular reason other than the book and I just didn't click.

In theory, I would have loved this book. I love books about family, and here, the family is forced to come together after the death of Mark and Talia's grandfather, to clean out their grandparents' summer home. I usually love books with these types of settings, so it was a shame to me that I didn't enjoy this one. My best guess as to why I didn't like it is that there was a lot of negativity: none of the people actually want to be in the summer home, and that made me not really want to be there either.

Another reason is that I really disliked Mark as a main character. I did really like Talia but Mark was so self-absorbed and he never did anything for anyone else. I always try to not be too harsh on teenage main characters - they're human, they're young, they're allowed to have flaws. But the problem for me was that there was nothing that made me root for Mark to become better, there was wasn't really anything that redeemed him for me.

The reason that I'm still giving this book 3 stars rather than 2, like I've contemplated, is that I really really liked the Pride aspect of the book. It was amazing to see so many different LGBTQ+ people, and it was lovely seeing how queer history and queer culture were woven into the book here.

Before talking about what’s inside, can we take a moment and appreciate the cover for a second? I live for these super queer covers! Now, let’s just say the cover gave me exactly what I expected from the story: a fun, quick and very queer read. I read this in one sitting, a thing I haven’t done in a while and I’m so happy.

The story is told from two PoVs: Talia and Mark’s. I loved Talia from the very start. Maybe especially because she reminds me a lot of myself. She’s from Victoria and apart from her dad and her maybe-partner she doesn’t really socialize much. She’s more on the quiet side but she also doesn’t keep back her opinion on things, especially when someone is disrespectful or does something stupid and she definitely doesn’t take shit from anyone. Talia also takes time to explain things to others.
Mark, on the other hand I had my problems with. He’s 18 but he felt so much younger. Where Talia is caring for others, even when they’re not even there, Mark’s whole life is centered around himself and to put it quite frankly, he’s an asshole. I just wanted to grab him and shake him a few times, I was so annoyed. I think out of all the characters he goes through the most changes and while I didn’t like him as a character I thought he was well written and I always appreciate well written characters.

A character I didn’t expect to love as much as I did was Paige. She’s ten and not the super annoying little sister you might think she is. At some points, she felt like the wisest out of all of them (except for the grandmother) and also so much older than her brother, Mark. She asked all the right questions and was just there to make peace between everyone while still being a child. I enjoyed her incredibly smart and upbeat character immensely.

Generally, I loved how the whole family was written. It had a badass grandmother and their estranged children plus teenage grandchildren all being thrown together after 7 years. Of course that creates problems and I loved reading about how they all struggled and got through them and how their relationships developed.

What I came for in the first place, the queerness, was wonderfully woven into the story. There were two queer protagonists, but then there’s also Paige who askes about sexuality and gender. That’s a wonderful method to explain terms and labels for the reader. We also get a bit of background on LGBT+ rights and history, as well as queer identities and Pride in general.

But what somehow completes the book is the atmosphere of it. It’s a Canadian summer, most of the story takes place somewhere in the woods and you get this sense of clear blue skies, insects buzzing and a calm state of being, interspersed with campfires and some family drama and old memories bubbling up. Then you have the contrast of Toronto during Pride, loud and colourful and the heat making your clothes stick to your skin and you could just imagine all of it so well, the city and the nature and the feel of it all. It was so beautiful to read.

So, what can I say? If you want a family-centered, super queer story, When you get the chance is definitely the book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the only thing I needed a long time to warm up to was Mark. Apart from that, this was a wonderful read!

This story was well written. I highly enjoyed it. Couldn't put it down. The characters were the best part.