My Thoughts on… Boy Meets Hamster by Birdie Milano
My Thoughts on… Boy Meets Hamster by Birdie Milano
Fourteen-year-old Dylan Kershaw’s idea of a dream holiday includes at least three things: beaches to bask on, cosmopolitan culture, and a chance for romance (or at least his first kiss) with another boy. Unluckily for Dylan, this year his mum’s treating the family to the least dreamy holiday ever: a £9.50 break at Starcross Sands, Cornwall’s Crummiest Caravan Park.
But Starcross Sands might not be so bad after all, especially if Dylan can win the heart of Jayden-Lee, the gorgeous boy in the caravan next-door. There’s only one thing standing in true love’s way: the park’s massive hamster mascot, Nibbles, who seems to have it in for both Dylan and his romantic chances. Dylan’s best friend, Kayla, claims that appearances can be deceptive: so is Jayden-Lee just as lovely beneath the surface, and what could be lurking under Nibbles’ furry face?
My Thoughts
I’ve been absolutely dying to read this book since I first heard Birdie Milano tell me about it a year ago. Now, I also want to start this review by saying that I do know the author but that this has not affected my views on the books. I am being completely honest when I tell you that this book is very entertaining and is a book that you should read and not miss out on. One of the reasons I say this is that it is a truly hysterical book and I am certain that you will find yourself laughing on more than one occasion, it is also one of those perfectly British books too which makes it even more fantastic. Lastly, but certainly not least, the cast of characters is brilliant and you do not want to miss having them in your lives, even if it’s only for a short few hours!
Boy Meets Hamster follows Dylan as his family and best friend, Kayla, go on holiday to a caravan park. It is about him trying to fall in love for the first time – something which is quite difficult when he has no idea who else is gay like him. In his quest to make this happen, he ends up making quite a few mistakes, makes a fool of himself a lot and often needs rescuing. On top of all of that, he is also stuck looking after his younger brother. But as much as he bemoans the task, it’s hard not to see how much love he has for him. This is especially prevalent whenever anyone is mean to his brother about his cerebral palsy. So with all of this obstacles stopping him from falling in love – will he manage it? Birdie Milano certainly doesn’t make it easy for him but she has written an absolutely top notch book while he tries hard to do it!
There are so many characters in this book to love. Admittedly I do like Dylan and all of the silly situations he gets himself into. I also really loved Kayla. She’s such a fantastic side character and I would definitely be more than willing to read a book with her as the main protagonist too. But mostly I absolutely loved Nibbles. I’m not going to say much more than that because I do not want to give too much away. But let’s just say that Birdie has created a very strong cast of characters for this book and each and every one of them makes the book come alive. If we’re not careful, all of the characters are going to just walk off the page and into our lives – or that’s the dream I guess!
In short, this is an incredibly good book that you should definitely make sure you read. A diverse read with a fascinating cast of characters, this book will ultimately give you that good-feel by the end of it. Not to mention, of course, that feel of cheap UK holidays in Caravan parks which is just a wonderful nostalgia! But even without all of that, it would be hard pressed not to love this book which makes you feel a lot of things, explores a lot of different themes and just flies off the page easily. So if you’re looking for a fun, entertaining and rewarding read, then you should definitely make sure that you pick up this book.
** I received this copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. **
Will you be reading this book?
