Only on the Weekends: A Young Adult Gay Romance Novel in Verse About First Love and Self-Discovery - Hardcover

Atta, Dean

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0063157985 ISBN 13: 9780063157989

Publisher: Quill Tree Books, 2022

Synopsis

From the Stonewall Award-winning author of The Black Flamingo comes a romantic coming-of-age novel in verse about pursuing the love we know we deserve. The ideal next read for fans of Kacen Callender, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Becky Albertalli.

Mack is a hopeless romantic—likely a hazard of growing up on film sets thanks to his father’s job. He has had a crush on Karim for as long as he can remember, and he can’t believe it when gorgeous, popular Karim seems into him too.

But when Mack’s father takes on a new directing project in Scotland, Mack has to move away, and he soon discovers how painful long-distance relationships can be. It’s awful to be so far away from Karim, and it’s made worse by the fact that Karim can be so hard to read.

Then Mack meets actor Finlay on set, and the world turns upside down again. Fin seems fearless, and his confidence could just be infectious.

Award-winning author Dean Atta crafts a beautifully nuanced and revelatory story in verse about the exquisite highs and lows of first love and self-discovery.

What happens when your heart is pulled in two directions?

• A Heartfelt Love Triangle: Torn between his long-time secret crush in London and a charming new actor in Scotland, Mack must figure out where his heart truly belongs.
• Long-Distance Relationship: An honest look at the challenges of loving someone from afar, filled with all the miscommunication, jealousy, and hope that comes with it.
• A Lyrical Novel in Verse: Written with the emotional honesty and rhythm of poetry, this story captures the soaring highs and tender lows of first love.
• LGBTQ+ Coming of Age: A moving journey about identity, choosing the love you deserve, and finding the courage to speak your truth.

About this title

About the Author

Dean Atta’s poems deal with themes of race, gender, and identity. He regularly performs across the UK and internationally, and his work has been shortlisted for the Polari First Book Prize and has appeared on MTV and BET. The Black Flamingo, his debut YA novel, won the Stonewall Award. He is also the author of Only on the Weekends. You can find him online at deanatta.com.

Reviews

Gr 9 Up—Mackintosh "Mack" Fadayomi is the neglected, gay, Nigerian son of a famous film director. With a home movie theater, all the latest game consoles, and unlimited good snacks, his life is the envy of all of his friends. But with his father always gone, and his friends always taking from him, naturally he feels alone and taken advantage of. He ventures out of his bubble and takes Food Tech at school, where he befriends Maz, the cousin of his hopeless crush, K, the star of the basketball team. K, as it turns out, is also gay and very closeted. Their romance begins, which, from Mack's side, is incredibly confusing and insecure. He struggles with body image, jealousy, and feeling "hidden" by K's being closeted. More challenges hit their relationship when Mack's dad moves them to Scotland and Mack enters a maybe more than friendship with Finn, the trans lead actor in his dad's film. This lengthy, slow-burn novel in verse is a raw, real, deep dive into the messy internal world of its relatable main character. Readers will become attached to Mack and will want to know exactly how this love triangle plays out. Nigerian, Yoruba, and Scottish cultural influences appear throughout. VERDICT Purchase where realistic fiction and novels in verse are popular.—Kayla Fontaine

Edition details

• Publisher: Quill Tree Books
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0063157985
• ISBN 13: 9780063157989
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 560