*3.5 stars
Atta wrote such an amazing book with The Black Flamingo that I keep holding him to that standard, and while this book is good, it doesn't reach those heights. I think the verse works much better in here than in Only on the Weekends, and I also just enjoyed the characters more. It's a complicated story about crushes, being mixed race, the closet, and more all packed into a fairly short book, and it never feels claustrophobic. I think this is good, and I enjoyed the references to The Black Flamingo, but it's not one I feel with stick with me for long.

This has a very similar vibe and storylines to Heartbreak High (on Netflix). This is a novel in verse so it’s a quick read but it still packs a punch. I loved the Black Flamingo shoutout. Spoiler: I do hesitate to believe that this will be a HEA situation given Matt’s numerous religious hang ups. That doesn’t bother me but a lot of people insist that books aren’t considered romance unless there’s a HEA.

Wholesome
Kai was a character you couldn't help but root for. I also loved when The Black Flamingo was referenced—there are more and more books by the same authors which need crossovers. I also loved the exploration of his friendship turned relationship with Matt even though I felt like the switch between Obi and Matt went slightly quickly. Dean Atta definitely hit it out of the park again!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books, Hodder Children's Books, and Dean Atta for the opportunity to read I Can't Even Think Straight in exchange for an honest review.

After The Black Flamingo, I knew I would love anything written by Dean Atta. When I heard about his newest HiLo novel-in-verse, it was an automatic YES for me, and Atta has yet another brilliant work featuring Black LGBTQ stories therein: I Can't Even Think Straight. The title alone has so much to it, considering how our minds fog when it comes to romance or when we see red in fits or rage, as well as the play on "straight" in the LGBTQ world. Everything about this book is utterly brilliant, from the thoughtfully embedded rhyme, the integrated section titles that display the story, and the characterization, with characters that feel real, dealing with real-world experiences.

The novel is told from the perspective of Kai, a Black teen living in London who sees himself as a good student and friend, loves Heartstopper, and wants to be a writer himself. He and his best friend, Matt, are gay, but worry about coming out. Kai wants to, but Matt does not, because he doesn't want his parents to know. There's  also Kai's other best friend, Vass, who is nonbinary and has some of their own struggles to go through. Oddly, Matt and Vass haven't met, so there is some possible story intrigue there regarding secrets or jealousy. When Matt kind of accidentally outs Kai, things are certainly not as bad as they seem. He can be open at school about himself and start dating. The problem is he has a huge crush on Matt, but if Matt isn't ready to come out, then perhaps it's not the time for that relationship.

The story focuses on navigating high school while also exploring what it means not only to be oneself, but how to be comfortable with who one deems themselves to be. The novel also explores the complexities of relationships, including friendship, romance, and family dynamics easily relatable for teen readers. There are also elements of anger and how people act differently when enraged, as well as ways to manage those feelings. The use of the novel-in-verse format is a great way to gain and retain reader attention while exploring the fears and enjoyments of coming out.

Once again, what a brilliant book that any teen reader can find engagement in, perfect for classroom bookshelves!

Dean Atta strikes again with a novel written in verse portraying queer adolescence with honesty, tenderness, and authenticity. I am a fan of this writing style and felt it worked well for the book overall. The characters had depth and the heavy topics were interwoven so gracefully into the plot.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, & Quill Tree Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dean Atta does a fantastic job of showing several different perspectives from queer youth. We have Vass, who is publicly out as nonbinary, proud of their identity, and Matt, who is gay and closeted because he fears his religious parents will kick him out if they find out. And between these two is Kai, cousins with Vass, and in love with Matt, who wants to be as proud as Vass and often feels ashamed of how Matt hides his identity. As Kai is outed at school, starts dating a boy from his rock climbing club, and begins exploring how open he'd like to be about himself, Atta shows us a very realistic internal struggle. The poetry was a great venue for such an emotional topic, and I really enjoyed how the story played out (and the cameo from the Black Flamingo!). I would highly recommend this for middle grade students who may be struggling with coming out themselves.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I‘ve enjoyed Dean Atta’s other novels in verse and I also really liked this one. Atta has a lyrical quality to his writing that is engaging and conveys the story in a unique way. I did sometimes feel a bit detached from the characters, however the themes nonetheless come through, with Kai reckoning with what it means to be biracial and queer and deal with things like profiling and discrimination, but also coming of age, falling in love, and maintaining friendships. Genuinely a solid book and one I’d recommend.

I’m not a huge fan of novels in verse, but if there is an author who I trust and love, then yeah I will try it. And this one is of course, Dean Atta. In this one, it’s a really cute story of two kids finding each other as kids and falling in love. But with that being said, it really seemed like that was it.

Ok I thought this book was going to 1000% be for me. It’s one of my favorite tropes, it’s one of my favorite poets/authors, and it was about Black and Brown people. I thought it was going to be amazing. But in all honesty, it was pretty basic. There was no deviation from the synopsis. And the story was really just here’s the most surface like details and that’s all. It was disappointing. I didn’t feel like there was much of a story there if that makes sense.

The romance was cute, but I was a little mad at the main characters, both for different, but kind of the same reason. I was mad at one of them because it seemed like he was forcing him out. But I was also mad at the other because he didn’t want to come out, but he was throwing his friend under the bus every time the heat came up on him. And I didn’t like that he still liked him even after that. Sometimes it’s time to move on. But at the end, I was glad they got it together and really understood what the other wanted and finally came together to fall for each other.

The writing style was what was tricky for me tho. It’s no surprise that I thought there was a bunch missing from this story. It’s a novel in verse after all. It’s always that way. I hate that we don’t get that much detail because it’s in a certain style. And in this one it frustrated me because it left me feeling like there was nothing that we didn’t know from the synopsis. However, I did like the little sneak of The Black Flamingo in there. I actually loved that and now I wonder if I missed something from your other book. I hadn’t read it yet and now I’m kicking myself.

Along with the writing style, I was amazed with the messaging that Atta put into this. The religious part from one of them was spot on. I can’t say more without spoilers, but I truly thought that felt authentic. And the way he was so scared to admit to anything because of it. I have seen this same interaction first hand with some of my library kids, so I really felt for these kids. And then of course, there was the lying when they didn’t get what they wanted, and so on and so forth.

This was ok, but not really what I was expecting. I hope to see more from Atta in the future, but more in depth and more detail oriented. This was a lot of fun, and touched on some important topics, but I do wish there was more.

well written. not exactly a novel in verse in the sense of other novels in verse, more of a novel in verse as a tool to create a more episodic and shortform story. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Dean Atta is an auto-read author for me. I loved his first two queer YA novels in verse (The Black Flamingo and Only On The Weekends) and his memoir (Person Unlimited), so when I saw he had a new queer YA novel in verse coming out, I couldn’t wait to read it!

I Can’t Even Think Straight tells the story of Kai, a mixed-race gay teenager in England. Kai is managing coming out, relationships, friendships, and being there for a friend after something happens to them. He’s figuring out dynamics with adults in his life at school and at home and realizing that he really does have a village around him, even if he doesn’t always feel that his single mom is present enough.

Having read Dean Atta’s other YA novels and his memoir, I love how he always ties his own life experiences into his stories and how he made a connection to The Black Flamingo in this book. (Kai’s best friend Vass’s favorite drag queen is the Black Flamingo and they have a poster of them on their bedroom wall - it really made me smile to read that part!)

I thought this book did a great job of weaving multiple perspectives on queerness and coming out, from Vass, whose bedroom is full of rainbows, to Matt, who is afraid his religious parents won’t accept him, to Kai, who falls somewhere in between. Having two best friends from different areas of life and figuring out how to merge those friendships was also very relatable.

I really enjoyed I Can’t Even Think Straight!

I’m a huge fan of Dean Atta's writing, especially after reading The Black Flamingo, so I was excited to dive into this one. The writing in verse was absolutely beautiful again and made the book a quick read. Kai is a fun and relatable character and his journey felt real. However, in my opinion, the ending felt a bit rushed, like there could have been a bit more to wrap things up. Still, it was a lovely read.

3.5 stars, rounded up to four.

I received a copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I read Black Flamingo when it came out, and really liked the idea of a book written in verse. Atta has done it again with a great coming of age story in verse about discovering self, love, friendship, and family as a gay teen. I was able to read this book in one sitting over just a few hours and felt a sense of completion through such a brief reading experience. Kai and his friends are well developed and feel whole, flaws and all. Kai's voice feels age appropriate. The HEA feels a little rushed at the end maybe, but I still enjoyed it. I would highly recommend this if you want a palette cleanser with artistry or if you've come off a slump and get over it.

🧠❤️📖 BOOK REVIEW I Can’t Even Think Straight by Dean Atta 📖❤️🧠
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

Huge thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for the ARC! This one follows Kai, a biracial teen trying to navigate love, friendship, and identity with all the chaos, confusion, and quiet moments that come with it. The verse format makes this a super-fast read, but one that still manages to pack in a lot of emotional complexity. Kai’s voice feels raw and real, sometimes selfish, sometimes unsure, but always honest. There’s something deeply comforting about being inside his messy head, and it reminded me that not every story needs a perfect arc to be meaningful. Also, reading in verse makes me feel like an intellectual poet sipping tea by a rainy window, and honestly? I live for that.

A few of the secondary characters felt a bit underdeveloped, and I did wish for a bit more plot momentum at times. But ultimately, this is a story about growth, self-reflection, and choosing yourself, messy edges and all. Thoughtful, gentle, and quietly powerful, this is a solid pick for fans of The Black Flamingo or anyone who wants to feel a little clever and a lot seen.

#ICantEvenThinkStraight #DeanAtta #QueerYA #BooksInVerse #ComingOfAge #NetGalley #YAReads #BookReview

Dean Atta is a master of writing flawed realistic characters that actually feel like they’re not only in highschool but actual teenagers with every complicated feeling and action that comes with it. Teenagers are messy! Let them be messy! The novels are always fast-paced due to their in-verse nature and always so easy and simple to fly through.

I never leave them with super strong feelings of the story, ‘The Black Flamingo’ left the biggest mark on me. But there is still something in these books that leaves you coming back, to find a simpler joy, to read about someone else’s messy life to bring some peace to yours. It’s reassuring and maybe the truly poetic part of these stories is your experience of reading them. I will still come back for more, and sometimes that’s all you need in a book.

I Can't Even Think Straight by Dean Atta is a coming of age story following the character Kai, a biracial teen who is learning more about himself. At the start of the book, he had not come out as being gay to anyone except his friend Matt, who was also gay, but was not coming out due to his family's religion. Kai and Matt become friends with other boys at school, and Kai introduces Matt to his cousin/friend Vassa. Kai meets a boy named Obi and starts to date him but isn't sure there isn't more there between him and Matt. This book is told in verse, which speeds up the reading. The plot is brief, and there isn't much action, but the author touches on many important topics about coming out on your own timeline, anger issues, religion, family, sexual assault and more. This book is for older teens, but it is recommended for places where Atta's other book, The Black Flamingo, circulates well.

There were a lot of heavy topics in this book, but I felt hopeful at the end. It was exploratory but I felt some of the characters lacked depth.

I really enjoyed how the topics of racism, privilege and queerness were talked about. However, this felt on the younger side of YA (at least or me). I love reading YA and it usually feels like it's aimed for the older range, but this one didn't. I think that kinda took me out of the story.

I also felt like there could have been more plot developments for the MC Kai. Overall though, this was a great read and I enjoyed reading this book from Atta.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for a copy of this ARC.

4.5🌟Thank you to Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading this book I found myself asking how is this the first Dean Atta book I am reading?! I absolutely loved how this author had me hooked on Kai's story, his diverging thoughts, and emotions. It was definitely a fast read as it was written in verse which made it easy to finish in one sitting. As a queer women who came out in high school I was really drawn to Kai's experience and left this read with a full heart.

This book touches on topics related to coming out, parental influence and power, lack of self-confidence, the power of positive relationships and community, the importance of self-growth, discrimination, sexual assault all while displaying a sweet young romance.

I would 100% recommend this book and look forward to what this author has in store for the future.

"I Can't Even Think Straight" is a well-meaning book, but I wish I liked it more. While the novel deals with challenging yet realistic themes such as coming out, racism, dating pressure and sexual assault, I think the story's juvenile tone hinders its execution and overall nuance.

And while I don't think it's a requisite for main characters to be likable, I'm not really a fan of Kai due to him having almost no character development throughout the story, a major example in my opinion being his constant reiteration that Matt "knows how to handle [him]" instead of him bettering himself in some way.

There's almost no plot as well, the book seemingly being an amalgamation of vignettes of Kai with his mom at the weekend markets, time at school especially the lunch table, moments in his bedroom, and hanging out with Obi and friends/acquaintances. The novel has potential, however Atta has yet to grasp it. I loved "The Black Flamingo" so this is a bit of a disappointment.

This is my first book by Dean Atta and it will be not my last. This book exceed all my expectations. It’s deep and humorous and serious and the same time.
The themes (queerness, social disparity, classism, racism) are well executed, I love that. I love Kai, my precious baby, and I love Matt. I love everything about this book, really. It’s so much.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.