Anything Could Happen by Will Walton

Title: Anything Could Happen
By: Will Walton
Published: 2015
Call #: YA Fiction Walto.W

I am just going to have to get this off my chest now – I love this book. It may not be the perfect match for every reader but it was the perfect match for me.

This book follows Tretch a gay high school student as he navigates his life while being deeply in love with his straight best friend. The writing in this book is rich and complex the author was able to capture deep, complex emotions in a clear and beautiful way. One of my favorite quotes from the novel:

“That’s when he [Matt] slid his right hand along the edge of his seat, found mine, and squeezed. It sent this gentle buzzing feeling right up the back of my neck, and with it not a complete thought yet, but the essence of a thought, the kind that gets lost between bigger, louder thoughts. The kind of thought that’s barely louder than the feeling itself”

Beautiful, right? The whole book is like this, too. It’s a nuanced and thoughtful exploration of what it’s like to grow up gay and how to navigate feelings of love for your straight friends. It rings so profoundly truthful that I’d challenge any reader, gay or not, to not find kernels of themselves in Tretch.

With all of this being said, this novel isn’t quite a page turner. The plot takes time, and there are no big dramatic events or world-ending apocalypses so if that’s not your style it’d be wise to avoid this one. However if you are into thoughtful explorations of life and deep immersion into the thoughts and emotions of these characters then this is the book for you!

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