Review - "Understatement of the Year"

Understatement of the Year, Ivy Years #3
by Sarina Bowen
rating:☆☆☆☆
published: 29th September 2014
spoilers? no

Goodreads

He kissed me between the shoulder blades. “Getting along together was never the problem with you and me,” he said. “We’re both easy. It’s just the rest of the world that’s hard.”

Honestly, Sarina Bowen is a gift with all her hockey books. I've loved all the ones I've read so far (this one, Him, and Us).

In general, this book is great. The characters are wonderful, even Skippy (who I really didn't like at first but that's because he didn't like Graham who is my favourite).

The story is perhaps a little cliched, but it's still enjoyable. Graham made me almost cry a few times, as did Rikker (which means it's a good book. Only good books make you almost cry. Unless it's so bad you're almost crying, I guess). Bella was an angel, and I probably have a complaint about how few female characters there were. But then again, that seems to have been the case for most of the sports new adult I've read.

There was one major issue I had with this book, which I didn't notice when I first read it, but then I was rereading it and I realised something. This is the exchange:

“I’m gay, Graham. Or queer, if you like that word better. Whatever. I’m attracted to guys. You won’t say that out loud, will you? I’ll bet you didn’t even say the word to your mother when you told her. Did you?”

“No,” I told the pillow. He was right. I’d only said that Rikker was not just my friend.

“It’s like… you want to be able to tell people you’re straight, for some reason. Like gay isn’t good enough for you. Like it’s second class. Which makes me second class.”

My issue with this is the assumption that not wanting to label yourself means you see people who identify with that label as second class. Which is gross. I get the point of this - Rikker just wants Graham to admit he's not straight, but the apparent justification he gives for Graham's reluctance is disgusting. Combined with the biphobia in Him and Us, I'm now pretty leery about reading any more of Sarina Bowen's books that deal with LGBT+ characters.

Other than that, I adored this book. Graham and Rikker were great, and I loved seeing Graham's development. I would have liked some idea of how the team took the big reveal though, but I hope some of that comes in the next book.