I find it kind of hard to enjoy a book when I find one of the main characters that unbearable. Mark was incredibly shallow, egoistical and overall annoying. At one point (spoilers) it felt like I was led to believe that he made some kind of development when he came to the realisation that he shouldn’t cheat. Yes, that’s how low the bar of him being somewhat decent is set. When he finally breaks up with the guy he’s been stringing along, I just couldn’t believe that it was because he realised how shitty he behaved but rather because he found a guy he liked better and who also liked him. That romance was also sooo forced and in my opinion unnecessarily crammed in. Mark would rather leave his smaller hometown for a big city but as soon as he finds out that the guy he’s known for half a day will move to his hometown, that thought is immediately out of the window. But if I told you about everything I found annoying about him, I would just recount the whole book so I’ll stop here.

The other main character, Talia, I thought was ok. At one point her relationship drama that was just going in circles got annoying to me but other than that I thought she was way more well-rounded and I actually felt sympathy for her situation.

Then there’s a kind of tiny “mystery” throughout the book about the reason behind the falling out between Mark‘s mother and Talia’s father (who are siblings) and... the solution was so boring and kind of predictable.

Lastly, I kind of question the marketing of this book like it’s some grand road trip when really the road trip is over and done with in like ten pages. I don’t particularly mind but I could see people being (rightfully) disappointed.

I have mixed feelings about this book so grab a coffee and get comfy!

This book is primarily about Mark and his little sister Paige, and their cousin Talia. The two families live on opposite coasts of Canada and although Talia and Mark remember spending a great deal of time together when they were young, it's been years since they've seen each other. The parents in the book have had some sort of rift develop between them: Mark's Mom and Talia's father can't be around each other without eventually getting into an argument.

So, the family is all thrown back together when the grandfather passes away. Mark and Talia's grandmother has a cabin on the lake, the place of those mystical summers from youth. What will happen to the cabin now?

I'm going to leap right into what I liked about this book! It was great to read something that was very Canadian. I think that we need more Queer literature that is Canadian. In my experience, so much of it is American...and that's great...but Canadians have a unique culture and it's always great to read a book and be able to think, "Oh! I've been there!"

There were some great explanations of current gender-related terms. The authors did a great job of writing some conversations about a person who is non-binary. What I liked was that it wasn't simple definitions, it was a question and answer session. Throughout the book, some of the characters are sorting out their own gender identities and it was refreshing to read about it.

Throughout the book, there are conversations about sexual preference and identity that really demonstrate how much the language has changed over the years. The authors did a great job of showing how difficult language can be! People can be on the same page, can really not want to hurt each other, but unintentionally can hurt by saying the wrong things or misunderstanding what is said.

We all know it! Gender, orientation, and identity can be a minefield when trying to have a conversation!

The characters were interesting to me. I didn't like Mark a lot. He's a gay teenager but man was he self-centered! His one redeeming quality was the love he had for his little sister, Paige. But even that, on occasion, was set aside.

There were a few things that were "set aside" a bit too easily for me in this novel. The grandfather who passed away at the beginning of the novel is really. not mentioned again until the end of the novel. In fact, pretty much the first thought that Mark has upon hearing they are going to Toronto for the weekend is that he might be able to attend the Pride parade. I get that teenagers can sometimes be focused more on themselves than anyone else... but boy that was a selfish character. Not only is he only worried about getting to Pride, he basically abandons his little sister a few times during the novel - once he does it in the middle of Toronto.

Talia was a great source of wisdom but, as a social justice warrior, I felt like she bordered on being a bit judgemental. Some of her dialogue came off as being a bit preachy. Even though I appreciated the messages she was speaking, I found the tone a little off-putting at times.

Paige! 10-year-old Paige was GREAT! I loved her straight forward, no-nonsense way. I also loved that she kind of represents a different generation yet again. She is very accepting of all queer identities becaus that's just her reality. She was adorable.

This is a fast read. The plot isn't a real serious one, even though it seems like it might be from the description. It's not really about a road trip, that happens for a handful of pages, it's more about two teens and the emotions and growing they do in a few weeks one summer.

I did not finish this book after reading a few pages. I did not enjoy the writing style and was not invested in the story.

When You Get the Chance is branded as the unapologetically queer road trip adventure for fans of Becky Albertalli. That description, along with the vibrant cover, caught my attention right off the bat! But I’ve decided to give it 3.5 stars because unfortunately, it didn’t keep my attention for long.

Cousins Mark and Talia are brought together in Toronto for the first time in years after the sudden death of their grandfather. Mark is carefree (and careless) to a fault, while Talia is more uptight, so the two don’t really hit it off. Much like their parents who can’t stand to be in the same room together. The kids end up going to the family cottage while their parents stay in Toronto with Grandma.

Mark is desperate to make it back to Toronto for Pride weekend but has promised his mother he would stay at the cottage. And Talia wants to visit her partner Erin in Toronto, to repair their rocky relationship. One thing leads to another and the duo, along with Mark’s 10-year-old sister Paige, decides to sneak away to Pride.

To me, this story tried to fit as many LGBTQ+ issues as they could into a 272-page book, and doing so really hurt the story. It covered a wide variety of topics including gay and lesbian rights, nonbinary persons, polyamory and pansexuality. All of these are great discussion points, but I felt like by focusing on less of them they could have elaborated a little more on the specific topics.

One of the most interesting plotlines to me was also one of the least discussed. Mark and Talia’s parents can’t stand each other and the kids don’t know why. And while fumbling through old pictures in the cottage they find out about Frank, a close friend of the family who they have never heard of before. I would’ve loved to see them flesh out this family mystery a little deeper. And the road trip branding is a little misleading, as the road trip itself is short-lived.

Overall I felt like this had the makings of an enlightening LGBTQ+ story, but the characters lacked the heart and soul of an Albertalli novel. But it was a light and quick read, which would be great for a summer road trip or beach day!

Thank you to the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

This story had it's ups and downs, with the characters going through a lot of different emotions due to various events. I found it very enjoyable to read and I particularly like Talia as I see myself in her a little bit. I was so pleased to read about a nonbinary character, I wasn't expecting that and it just made the book even better. I like that the writers included realistic things that teenagers go through and the way they dealt with certain situations was relatable. The big escape to pride had a few twists and turns which were unexpected but really added to the story. I loved this book and would definitely read it again!

Such a fun read! I love all of the LGBTQ+ representation. The authors fit more of the rainbow into this book than I am used to seeing. The characters were all great, and Paige holds a special place in my heart! I love that the story takes place in the middle of a transition period for the family, and that the cabin exists as a summer destination for everyone to come together and figure out their next steps. Parents Janet and Gary just lost their father, are caring for their ailing mother, and have a sort of unfinished business where their summer home of the past resides. Talia and Mark are both queer teens experiencing relationship troubles. And Paige is just along for the ride, happy to experience this journey with all the people she loves. The plot could have gone a little deeper in some cases, and even though this was mostly Mark and Talia's story, I would've like a little more character development for Janet, Gary, and Grandma. However, it was a fun, quick, enjoyable read, and I am always on board for YA stories with wide representation! Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and authors for the ARC.

This was such a fun, quick read. I really liked the dual perspective. I loved Paige. She was so adorable. I also liked how educational this was. Like when they talked about lgbt history and when they try to explain non-binary to Paige. Overall a really great book. Totally recommend it.

Thanks to Running Press Kids (~*grad school internship memz*~) for the ARC! Enjoyed this one quite a bit, though it made this Canadian expat homesick too, being from Toronto and having been to cottage country.

Talia and Mark are two haven’t seen each other in years but a family tragedy brings them back together. Unfortunately, the only thing that they have in common is being queer. Talia spends her days wanting to be with her partner, Erin who moved to Toronto. Mark just to be part of Toronto Pride. When a series of unfortunate events bring them and Mark’s ten-year-old Paige into a stranger’s car on their way to Toronto turns out that the city has a lot more to offer.

This book has a double POV between Mark and Talia, he's a jackass that doesn't take anything seriously and she's a social justice warrior that can't pick a fight to save her life and a range of side characters that belong to the LGBT+ community, that unfortunately the readers don't get to know a lot. The conversations about gender, sexuality, and the problem of identifying yourself in the LGBT+ community, are long and forced and the events that got the plot moving are extremely convenient. There are multiple side plots, like the whole poly-amorous thing, that are explained poorly because of how short the books are.
The thing that annoyed me the most was how no adults look after these teenagers and a ten year old, literally NOBODY CARED ABOUT THEM EVEN THOUGH THEY GOT INTO SO MUCH TROUBLE!!
This was my first proper queer book and I enjoyed it enough to give it three stars, it was short and fast passing, but at the same time, it has some elements regarding the LGBT+ community that made me feel uncomfortable.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It's such a fun, easy, and heartfelt read with an amazing cast of characters and a great plot.

I really enjoyed the family dynamic of the book and how the POVs of Mark and Talia allows the reader to get a glimpse into their lives separately and together. There was a good balance between their POVs as well and a balance in the plot as well.

My favourite aspect of this book was the character development of particularly Mark and Talia. They both had some negative traits and by the end of the book, they realised and made amends to better themselves.

The numerous characters we met along the way were lovely. Their introductions weren't overwhelming or all at once which I appreciated and their role in impacting Mark and Talia's lives was subtle yet important.

Overall, I just loved this book and would most definitely recommend it to those looking for a feel-good read 🏳️‍🌈

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in an exchange for an honest review (thank you NetGalley!)

What I liked:

Paige! She's Mark's little sister and she is the best character in the entire book, hands down.

The diversity: this is a very queer book, in a multitude of ways, some of which don't get a lot of attention in Young Adult genre books. I also loved that there were older LGBT characters. Too often the older generation gets forgotten about, and we lose some of our history because of that, and having them in this book, and hearing them talk about some of that history, was nice. Tied into this, the focus on Pride was lovely. As a parade and as a concept, I really love Pride. I've only ever been to two and they were very small in comparison to the Pride parade in this book, but I've always wanted to go to one of the bigger city versions, so reading this was a nice little glimpse into what that might be like.

The acceptance: in general the overall feel of this book is of Pride and the road to acceptance, which the front cover is a very artistic and lovely depiction of. The character arcs feel like Talia and Mark both started in one place and actually ended up in another, emotionally as well as physically, and both of their storylines wrapped up in a way that felt genuine. They both experienced growth as people. Maybe not a whole lot in regards to some things, but it was there.

What I didn't personally get on with:

I did not mesh with the first half of this book at all. The two main characters are cousins who have just lost their grandfather, and while you would expect this to naturally mean that a chunk of the book would be about mourning... it just isn't? I think it comes from the fact that the characters weren't all that close to their grandparents, which fair enough, but as someone who IS very close to her grandparents it was very jarring to me. Like all Mark cares about is going to a Pride parade and all Talia cares about is her failing/finished relationship. If you'd taken the dead grandparent aspect of this story out I think I would have felt more comfortable reading it because half of the time I was sort of blinking at the page in disbelief.

This book tried to be educational but sometimes came off quite preachy. I don't know. I'm all for teaching people things and learning more about the fluidity of human sexuality but I'm not sure it was done quite right within this book. Talia is always calling people out and it didn't even feel like it was coming from a place of her wanting to educate people, half of the time it just felt like she liked telling people off. I especially didn't like the way she spoke to Mark's sister, Paige, at times.

Overall, while I enjoyed the second half much more than the first half, it still wasn't quite what I was expecting, which was a road trip (while it does eventually happen, it is a very minor part of the actual book). It was light, bright and the fact that it exists at all shows have far the book industry has come. However, since the two main characters weren't all that likeable for a huge chunk of the book, and the lack of grief in the narrative was weird for me on a personal level, the real rating of this is probably a 2.5, rounded up because it picked up in the end and everyone was slightly more likeable than they started.

This was a cute summer novel that definitely had the feel of two authors. Many times it felt like I was reading two separate stories. When You Get The Chance touches on deeper topics but has a very superficial feel. A quick read.

I loved the idea of this book - queer YA is one of my favorite things. And this story of two cousins on an awesome road trip sounded like something I'd love. The cover is fantastic, too. I'm sorry to say, though, that I didn't love it when I actually read it. I found both of the main characters to be extremely unlikeable. Mark is self-absorbed and Talia is self-righteous and at the end of the day they're both just kind of jerks. Book characters don't have to be likeable, but these characters are supposed to be, and they just miss the mark.

This was thoroughly wholesome and lovely. I am here for more quiet queer family-centric books in 2020. This is about estranged family who come together to tidy up and maybe sell their grandmother's cottage. It's set in Canada too! I thought there was only piles of moose and pine trees in Canada so I learned a lot! (I mean, there were no meese in here at all. The stereotypes lie.) And just reading about cousins becoming friends, and exploring the complex (and often strained) love of family...plus the terrifying dark vortex of not knowing who you are or what you want in live...it was all really well done.

It's dual narrated by Talia and Mark. (And Mark's little 10yo sister Paige is amazing and my favourite side character!) Talia was absolutely amazing. She's very quiet and reserved, she's going through a maybe-breakup with her partner, doesn't know what she wants with her life, and is the kind of person who has deep friendships not tons of friends. (RELATABLE.) Mark is very outgoing and just wants to have a good time. But he's super self-centred, so like? I didn't love him, but he did grow at least. I think he should've apologised more though...he was very unaware of his cis/white/male privilege, even when called out.

I loved the discussions and it really really discussed queerness. From Talia not being sure how she identified (her partner was nonbinary) (I even wonder if Talia was demisexual too?) and talking about not outing people as well as proudly normalising queerness and just...so much identity discussion and it was written so naturally and well.

I mean, I stayed pretty pissed at Mark the whole way, but I really loved Talia and the dynamics and the family and Canada (!!) and it was easy to read and warm and encouraging.

An incredible novel which should be read by teens inside and outside of the LGBTQ community. The characters are fully formed and alive, their ideas interesting and very current.

I have been told by many reviewers I trust that this book is very lacking regarding the bisexual representation, which is the main reason that initially drove me to read this book.
So unfortunately I won't be reading it.

DNF at 54%. *sigh* between the lack of knowledge about bisexuality and the unlikeable main characters I really can’t bring myself to finish this

This book was so sweet! It took me a minute to get into but once I got there I couldn’t stop reading! It’s Canadian, it’s very very queer, there was a crazy adventure to Pride in Toronto and the characters were amazing to watch grow throughout the story.
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First there was Mark, who drove me nuts at the beginning of the story. But he definitely grew over the course of the story and seemed to become aware of some of his shortcomings, which I totally understand is a hard thing to do at 17. Second was Talia who I related to a lot. Anxious queer is real and it was so cool to see her stopping and doing something for herself towards the end. Third, there was Paige. Who is amazing and blunt in that way that only at 10 year old can be. And her view of the world was just so beautiful to see unfold.
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I read this book as a free digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Goodness, how I loved this book! Its not often I find a book told in two perspectives where I truly enjoy both POVs- but Talia and Mark were both so great to read from! Clocking in at just under 300 pages, When You Get the Chance follows two queer cousins as they navigate family drama, being teens, and relationships. As a Canadian, I loved the setting of Toronto/Muskoka interspersed with stories from both coasts- Victoria and Halifax specifically. I loved all the characters and greatly appreciated the growth that everyone went through. Babs and Shirley were easily my favourite addition- I think its so important for teens (both fictional and not) to see happy, healthy queer relationships in media, and Babs and Shirley are just that. As well, the discussions surrounding identity and labels were so refreshing and well done- Talia's partner is nonbinary and reading other characters use the right pronouns and simply correct themselves if they didn't was so incredible to read about.

One thing I wish had been better developed was the tension between Talia's father and Mark's mother- they haven't spoken in many years and when they are forced to come together in the novel, there is a lot of animosity between the two, and the fact that they don't get along is brought up quite a bit. The explanation as to why they aren't speaking, however, is explained extremely quickly and felt tied up rather quickly considering it was such a large part of the family drama. Other than that, I adored every part of this book. It was just the right length and the perfect story for not only Pride month, but any time of year!

When I saw the queer cover of this book and read that there will be a road trip along the way I just knew I had to give this one a go.

This beautiful coming of age story follows the two gay teenage cousins Mark and Talia who meet again after a long time through sad circumstances. Their grandfather died unexpectedly. The families come together again for his funeral. Their parents aren’t on good speaking terms and the teens have a lot on their minds as well. This book is very much about family, friendship and first love. The teens and Mark’s kid sister Paige end up going on a sneaky road trip to Toronto Pride where lots of things happen and change. I didn’t really like either of the cousin’s personalities in the beginning to be honest but they kind of grow up a bit more along the way. And I feel like that was part of the story. How they grew to be better people and be more considerate about others and how other people may have influenced them as well.

I love how queer this book is and the massive LGBTQ+ content.

If you’re looking for a light, easy queer read about teens trying to find their place in the world and within their families, this will be it.