Wow, I'd never read a book about teleporters, never even *thought* about that particular trope spin, but I suppose there's a first time for everything. : )

I loved the awkward situations that 17 y.o. high school student Cole kept getting himself into, as he accidentally *poofed* himself all over the place, when he wasn't concentrating quite hard enough on where he wanted the current door he was walking through to take him.

And as the story progressed, hearing more about Cole tapping into his gift, how and what it felt like, while he got more familiar with traveling in the blink of an eye, that was some damn decent world-building fun, for sure.

Cole was an extremely-quirky MC, with his general awkwardness and tendency to plan things out in great detail, but he was also very endearing, so I found myself liking him immediately. Picture Maps from the Nash Summers series of the same name, except dialed down a notch or three.

The story felt extremely YA, which I rarely mind; however, I wasn't the biggest fan of how much page time was spent on the Rainbow Club at school and all of the friend drama. All of that ended up feeling like an LGBTQIA Inclusivity 101 Lesson, which started to feel sort of preachy and tedious as a non-noob gay.

After feeling a bit like the teleporting theme had been slightly overshadowed by "everything else", I loved the parts of the book when the mysterious "Colenappers " came out swinging (figuratively) and turned into "Maliknappers", forcing Cole into a standoff with them, but confronted them on his own terms.

When Cole finally got that steel in his spine, back the hell up, because he was taking no shit anymore, which was pretty awesome to see.

“I’m running on coffee and anger, and I’ve got finals on Monday. I’m so done with you people.”

The book had plenty of humor, but I found it to be more 'chuckles ' funny than TJ Klune'esque "OMG, I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe " funny.

The romance was pretty subdued, as Cole and Malik pussy-footed around one another endlessly, which definitely added to the extremely YA feel that I mentioned. They're adorable together, but I would've liked more talking about feelings than a very quick, "I really like you" and one quick kissing scene before the parental groundings began.

The book ended with a hopeful HFN epilogue from only two weeks down the road, which was very upbeat and I enjoyed a lot, but no real long-term relationship plans were discussed.

I'd rate this book at around 3.75 stars and recommend it to any YA fans who enjoy completely left-field, oddball stories. And yes, that pretty much describes me to a "T".

Exit Plans for Teenage Freaks was a cute quick read. (Even though it took me awhile to get to because of my never-ending ever-growing tbr.)

The story reminded me of the movie/book 'Jumper'. It has all the makings of a romcom with a little scifi mixed in; my favorite kind of story.

Cole is in his final year of high school and suddenly he finds he has the ability to teleport. I like that this book is a story that shows lgbtq stories don't always have to be about coming out. We need more of that. 💕

If you got tired of LGBT books about coming out... Okay, I'll resist the pun and just say this one isn't about that.

3.5.

Many years ago, Cole was abducted for a whole afternoon, even though he can't remember how that happened. Now he's again in different place, except he hasn't lost time and it's only been seconds since he left school. It seems that lately every time he walks through a door, he ends up somewhere different, and now strange people started appear in the places he goes.

I liked the characters and loved the idea but the execution could have been much better. The first problem was focus, the author undertook the job of telling a romantic story, making social criticism, talking about special powers and writing a thriller. It could have worked out but it didn't. Maybe the point was the romance but there was so much happening I didn't care much after a few chapters, the risk Cole was taking became a distraction. Except they never deepened this part of the plot enough, so it got solved in a blink and made me feel silly for worrying.

I think a good thing about the book was Cole's discovery of his powers. It was fun following his experiences. Of course, I also liked Malik, his romantic interest, as well as his friends. But because there was so much to work on, sometimes the side stories made me feel I missed something.

Summing up, it was good but it could have been much better. I recommend it as something different but not as much as it could have been.



Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Things I loved about this book:
◙ Superpower fantasy in which a boy finds out he can teleport through doors
◙ Reminded me a bit of the movie Jumper
◙ Super awkward jumps and Cole’s practice having a realistic curve
◙ Cute romance with a coming out arc for the love interest
◙ Diverse set of secondary characters
◙ Awesome parents who are supportive; but there is also acknowledgement of how curfew affects his story
◙ Throws in a bit of a coming-of-age arc as well.

Things the book could have done better:
◙ The whole organization structure of the jumpers wasn’t really clear, nor was his ‘loudness’ explained.
◙ The tension between Alec and Grayson wasn’t really explained, considering it forms a subplot, and then was suddenly resolved.
◙ The ending felt like it resolved too easily? Or at least, rushed?
◙ How did nobody see people suddenly appearing/disappearing through doorways and archways?

Exit Plans for Teenage Freaks by Nathan Burgoine is a fun queer rom-com sci-fi novel set in present time Canada. From Cole, our bullet journal loving protagonist, his ace BFF Alec, and Malik, the hottest guy in school, you will find someone to relate to or fall in love with in this novel.

It was so engrossing and fast-paced that I read it in one sitting. It’s funny, the characters relatable, and the plotline fresh. Burgoine uses the Rainbow Club to introduce some other members of the queer community (nonbinary, pansexual) as well as make room for bisexuality as a valid identity, all without sounding like he had an agenda. Burgoine also uses this story to introduce the hearing reader to the Deaf community and introduces the concept of Audism, again in a natural way and without sounding preachy. Nicely done.

Although labeled as YA, I would have no issue giving it to an upper middle-grade reader as well—I counted one use of the word crap and no other profanity, and the sexuality doesn’t progress beyond some cuddling and a few kisses. Yet, it is mature enough to hold a teenager's interest as well. This is a perfect book for anyone who enjoys queer characters doing things besides just coming to terms with their identity, you know, like teleporting and passing final exams.

Thanks to Net Galley for proving a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Review to be published on December 17th at http://pagesbelowvaultedsky.wordpress.com/]

This was a fun, light-hearted YA contemporary with some paranormal elements and incredible LGBTQ+ and disability representation. First of all, it's wonderful to see a queer MC in a YA book come with such a strong support group--from his friends (most of whom are queer) to his parents to his love interest--and a story not revolving around queer pain, but just the general messiness of teenagehood and life. Cole's narration is fun and dorky--a little too saccharine at times for my tastes, but I quite enjoyed it for the most part.

The teleporting subplot was where it fell a bit flat for me. It felt underdeveloped and, for most of the book, separate from the contemporary highschool plot. It's not until the latter part of the story that things get more interesting, but I wish the author would have gone a bit deeper with it.

All in all, though, I recommend this for anyone who wants a quick, fun, positive LGBTQ+ read. So fans of Simon VS the Homo Sapiens Agenda, this one's for you.

~

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Exit Plans for Teenage Freaks is an own voices novel about Cole, a gay teenage boy in his last weeks of high school who discovers that he can teleport. While the whole teleporting plot is the main story line, there is also minor character development, a romance subplot, and plenty of scenes with Cole's friends.

One of the things I liked most about this book was that the characters felt like teenagers. They were awkward, they did plenty of studying, and had realistic high school friendships. Cole's friend group was great, all of his friends were lgbt (which is totally realistic for an out kid in high school). So many books don't do this and instead have the lgbt main character be surround by straight friends. The friendships felt developed and I enjoyed that they discussed past events that didn't happen or have relevance in the novel, making the friendships feel even more developed. I also liked that Cole knew sign language, although it was a bit confusing as to whether his dad was partially deaf or not. There were a few conversations involving Cole about the difference between bisexuality and pansexuality that had Cole thinking that he didn't know what the difference was. I found that okay, but also felt like the book needed a character to present a semi-decent explanation for any kids reading this that don't know the difference.

The romance story line was really cute and one of the highlights for me. It didn't feel forced or rushed, which often happens in books with fantasy elements. The whole teleporting plot line did feel a bit rushed and underdeveloped, which was where the story felt a little lacking for me. Fortunately, I'm more of a fan of character-driven stories and this book had enough subplots to keep me happy.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. The main character is already out and this book isn't about being gay but still keeps that part of the characters life at the forefront, a fine line that many books attempt and can't manage.

This is a strong novel, combining queer themes with a paranormal element in an interesting and twisty way. Cole is a great narrator, whose personality and confidence grow naturally through the story.

Finding out he can teleport provides Cole with the main tension in the novel, but there are other sub-plots that add layers to this interesting text. I liked the inclusion of the deaf culture as another example of minorities, but felt that Cole's slight change of plans (maybe?) about his future career by the end came out of the blue. I would have liked that part of the story to have been given more consideration.

All of Cole's friends were depicted in depth, so that readers were able to get a great sense of each of them. Even though some stuff was not explained totally, (i.e. Grayson and Alec), we were given enough information to fill in the gaps for ourselves.

While we learn much about the teleporting, there is actually quite a bit more we could find out. I wonder if there is a sequel somewhere in the future.

This is a terrific example of an LGBTQIA novel for young people. Acceptance, finding your tribe, and the positive message of it will get better is all there.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes for advanced copy. Comes out on December 11.

Cole's plan for keeping his head down and not get noticed during his last week of HS is thrown for a loop when he starts being able to teleport from one doorway to another.

This story is brimming with wonderful LGBQTIA representation and Cole is a sweet, nerdy, geeky, planner boy that everyone can relate to in his awkwardness. His friends and family are supportive and interesting in their own right. As a coming of age novel it’s quite good and touches on several issues such as career paths after HS, crushes, coming out, changing friendships.

If you’re reading it for the cool teleportation skills that Cole suddenly acquires, then the book is less successful. It’s not the focus and isn’t even really addressed fully until about the 70% mark. Once it was the action really picks up and it's a fun take on things but by then the book is over.

This was a fun book – and anyone looking for AMAZING LGBQTIA (gay, bi, pan, transsexual, asexual, lesbian) and disability (Cole's father is deaf & Cole is studying to be an professional ASL interpreter) rep should put this at the top of their list. I thought it was also an excellent book showing examples of being a good ally. But I wished the sci-fi/contemporary parts were balanced better on the whole.

I would love for this to become a series because it leaves things at an awesome place that had me very curious and I would pick up the next in a heartbeat.

Anyone reading my disclaimer can very easily tell I requested this from NetGalley which means, yes, I had an interest in this book before flipping through its pages (which you can do at a store, post-publishing). I did have a bit of hesitation, which came from the just-a-bit ramshackle summary BUT it did promise nerdy cuteness and a fantasy-contemp mix so ya girl was in. And then. I fell. IN LOVE. *sings a thousand praises and then remembers real words are required*

First off, this book lives and breathes on its characters. So many freaking amazing characters. With ALLLLLLLLL the LGBT+ rep it's too stunning (or just stunning enough, you tell me). Our protagonist Cole is gay, and his best friends make up the school's Rainbow Club. Okay 1) can they be my friends because they're really cool (and realistic teens wow) and 2) let me just list the rep for ya since we have: bisexual, asexual, pansexual and lesbian teens living breathing and talking. All over the place, I know, it's crazy madness. (I even might have not listed some so you can be surprised by EVEN MORE REP.) 

As a sub-paragraph to that, Burgoine doesn't just "include" a bisexual teen (ex). Each character is first and foremost a person with their own likes and dislikes and then also btw bisexual. But he also allows the characters to question their LGBT+ knowledge which I loved. Not only did it allow me as a reader to learn more, it also showed that you can be LGBT+ and not know every in and out of the community. It's okay! The point is: keep learning. Be okay with continually learning. 

As someone who is not part of the LGBT+ community, this aspect of the book resonated with me because of my high school experience. I had close friends who identified as LGBT+ and sometimes I would swerve around topics because I thought they knew everything and me even asking would make me look so dumb and ignorant. This book just cemented the fact that no one can know everything AND ... avoiding even asking? Missed opportunity for everyone to learn. Also I totally know there are so many Nats out there ready to welcome me in. << You would get the reference if you *read the book*

Anyyywayy, if I didn't go on about that long enough. Cole has nerdiness and quirks down pat. I was chuckling at his awkwardness throughout the book. I clicked with so many of his passions too: bullet-journaling, lists, love for board games. He also takes his sudden ability for teleporting in such stride. I mean, one day you find out you can teleport. For Cole, that means the next day you just casually start practicing on the DL. I *loved* it, because let's be real, most teens would secretly build up their skills before telling anyone. Then evil people are after him and the way he handles it all is just true badass mixed with, well, true Cole-dorkness. I loved it. 

This review is getting long and I don't think I gushed enough. There is so much more love. Cole wants to be an interpreter (of ASL) like his father. The Deaf culture rep was sooo amazing, I didn't expect it to be there and lived for that moment. I wish there was more explanation on how his father interprets (I only knew of Hearing people being interpreters before). 

Cole and Malik were such a great relationship. As far as I'm concerned, the next great contemporary ship. Mole. Calik. (The name might need work.) I found myself smiling like a true dork while reading about them on "not dates." #BULLET+SPORTSBALL4EVA

My biggest (non)complaint is that there is not already an official sequel in the works. The world-building/description could have used a bit more work though, which is why in official ratings I knock off half a point. Sometimes I couldn't place where I was (in the Rainbow Club room? outside by the tree?) until much later, so Cole was just kind of floating in space, talking. But anyway, y'all know how rarely I gush so ... this book. Is really good. 4.5 crowns.

Review posting on Goodreads Dec. 7 2018 : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2612357745
Review posting on blog Dec. 7 2018 : https://bookprincessreviews.wordpress.com/

An interesting read. It's not an idea I've seen anywhere before, and I enjoyed reading it. I figured out certain things before the main character did, but then again I had the benefit of reading the blurb first. I hope there's more in the series, as there's a few threads left over; as well as teleporting Cole seemed to be inserting thoughts into people's minds, so there's plenty to work with for sequels. I'll be looking out and hoping to read more.


I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was going to take my time with this ARC, since I had 13 days before it's released. Why rush through it? Ha-ha. Best-laid plans, right?

I started reading, stopped halfway through, watching the confetti of that plan flutter down before sleep, and finished it today. Fantastic.

It wasn't perfect for me (I quibble with the trouble Cole has over his first abduction), but that's easy to ignore in light of the terrific cast of characters and the increasingly troubling events Cole faces. And the ending is perfection. I wish I'd had books like this when I was a teen!

This is one of the best YA fantasy books I have read this year. Following Cole on his journey from an ordinary teenage boy with an extraordinary gift and how he handles his friendships, his adulting goals, his schooling and his past. Cole needs to deal with his feelings for the very handsome Malik who may not be straight, the fact that he can teleport into the aforementioned handsome boy's bathroom, and the fact that there seem to be a group of creepy men in black who appear every time he teleports, Cole has a lot on his plate. It's a good thing he always has an exit plan...

This book deserves all the stars and more.

*~~*ARC kindly provided by the author to me in exchange for an honest review *~~*

- Review to come

<a href="">Review</a> originally posted on my blog with added content <a href="https://mikkuchan.wordpress.com/">Mikku-chan / A world full of words</a>