TW for reference to a supporting character's sexual assault but in the main 'I Can't Even Think Straight' is a lovely, warm verse read. The Boys felt like real teens, their acceptance & compassion for each other was gorgeous. #KidLitUK #UKYA pub.s in May by @hachettechildrens.bsky.social! #netgalley

This is a cute, fun and fast-paced queer romance from a writer who doesn't seem to be able to put a foot wrong when it comes to writing vibrant young adult characters. The novel explores themes around coming out, found family and racial prejudice and would be an excellent addition to any school library.

This was a great exploration of sexuality, finding yourself and first loves in a witty free verse novel that leaves a warm feeling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of 'I Can't Even Think Straight' by Dean Atta in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of Atta’s previous book, The Black Flamingo, I was eager to dive into this one. I had certain expectations regarding its form and themes, and Atta absolutely delivered.

Malachi was a fantastic character to follow—his voice was engaging, full of heart, humor, and thought-provoking moments. He felt incredibly real, and experiencing the beginning of his journey as an out, gay young man—complete with all its excitement and turbulence—was a joy. The story itself is easy to fall into, and just as easy to re-engage with after a break.

That said, the reason this one falls just shy of five stars for me is that, while I enjoyed it whenever I was reading, I didn’t feel a deep longing to pick it back up once I had set it down. It wasn’t that I lost interest per se, but rather that it lacked that irresistible just-one-more-chapter quality I love in a book.

Overall, a really great read!

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

“I’m ready to catch you now...The Question is: Are you ready to fall for me?”

I absolutely love Dean Atta; every single book has been wonderful and this one is no different. Once again told in true Atta writing style this novel takes place in verse and is completely engrossing and mesmerising. The illustrations and format of the book are gorgeous, and I adored the little easter egg nod to “The Black Flamingo”. The plot is fantastically paced and developed, and each character is beautifully written and relatable, plus those found family vibes that “The Boys” give off is wonderful.

Kai felt like such a realistic character, and the friendship group he has is wonderful, it's refreshing to read a book in which 90% of the characters are accepting in what can feel like a very unaccepting society and world. I love that Kai is able to be accountable for his actions, and that there are various themes that take place throughout the book that are handled delicately whilst building those friendships and relationships between the characters. Each of Kai’s relationships in tender and caring, and they always seem to have his best interests at heart, and it is lovely to see such a supportive and caring child/parent relationship play out on page, the book expresses just how much love and support can provide a safe space for anyone.

This is a gorgeous coming of age story in which the MC is able to grow and understand the world around him, as well as himself, it is a honest and authentic read, with a romance that feels inspiring and cute, witnessing it bloom across the pages, and silently cheering the characters on as you witness friends become so much more to one another, with the relationship developing at a tender pace, with respect and support on both sides. This is definitely a read I would recommend to young adults; it very much feels like a beacon of light in a sometimes-dark world.

I devoured this in one sitting! I’m going to start an “I can’t even think straight” reading list and read every book Kai talks about throughout.

I think a lot of queer teens will see themselves in this short and sweet story - the experiences are incredibly relatable, from the awkwardness of coming out, especially when you’re taken by surprise, to the person who isn’t happy for you because they are not comfortable with their own sexuality.

Overall a wonderful tale of queer joy, coming of age and coming out!

I can’t even think straight by Dean Atta

4/5 Stars 🌟

This book was interesting to me, I found it hard to rate but I think my 4 stars will stay.

The book covered a lot of topics like SA, Strict Parenting, discrimination and homophobia and more.

Everything worked well but I noticed it was a slow start and my investment in the story grew throughout.

The asking for consent and being able to say how you’re feeling and what they were comfortable within this book was extremely well done when it came to Kai and Obi.

Some characters were mentioned but we never met or saw interactions which would have been nice to see. Kai’s relationship with the characters we did meet definitely helped show how he was raised and proved the point of ‘it takes a village to raise a child.’

This book was laid out in Verses and the little bits of illustration made it an easy read and enjoyable!

I suggest having a read and I look forward to reading other book by this author.

I really wanted to love this, but I felt it was very surface level. It skates around a lot of problems, but doesn't really delve into them in any real detail. I'd have liked to see our characters confront some of the problems in the book.

The writing was lyrical and was really promising. We meet a diverse and eclectic mix of characters, some of which you really love and would love to get more of.

It was okay. I think I had high expectations because Black Flamingo was fantastic - this just wasn't in the same category.

2.5

I want to start by saying that I didn't hate any if the characters, I think they were all well written, even if at times Kai annoyed my, however I didn't love any of the characters. They all felt two dimensional and rushed.
I felt bad for Obi as I felt like Kai treated him terribly, always judging him for everything he did and said and it wasn't written as if Kai was just a teen who didn't know how to act it was written like Obi was in the wrong just for how he was. The part that I really didn't like was when Kais friend Kass ended up getting SAd by a character we meet in the first chapter, it added nothing to the story, the plot or the characters and was largely forgotten after being mentioned at most three times. It was unnecessary.

I can see why someone would like this book as it is a real look on queer youth and coming out.
I also loved the nod to Dean Attas previous book The Black Flamingo when we see that Vass' favourite drag queen.

A wonderful return to YA literature for Dean. I was lucky to chat to him about personally about this book over a couple of pints following an event. Dean’s passion for this story and its characters really does shine through in the writing, every piece of verse feels delicately placed to tell a story close to the author’s heart. The influence from his own Greek-Cypriot Jamaican family and upbringing is very prevalent throughout, though I would have liked to see a bit more of Kai’s home life. His Bapou and Yiayia are mentioned but we never actually get to meet them as readers, they’re always standing off in the distance whilst Kai and Vass chat on the swings. It would have been interesting to see how Kai interacts with them in contrast to how close he is with his Granny.

This book is a love letter to YA fiction, making many references to other beloved teenage novels throughout. I enjoyed the nod to Dean’s previous work, it is nice to know that years after The Black Flamingo, Michael has made a name for himself in the drag-scene.

I loved that this book explored a queer character with a strong support system around him, the consistent theme of it taking a village to raise a kid was nice. All the side characters felt well developed and thought out, none of them felt one-note.

Overall a very enjoyable read, one I’m excited to recommend to customers, I know a good few who will really enjoy this one!

Dean Atta has done it again - I am in love with his writing style and prose
I cannot wait for what he writes next

Kai is a teen trying to comes to terms with himself in a complicated and often heartless world. He has a best friend who is not ready to come out, a best friend recovering from an assault, a single mother who can't be there when he needs her (understandable, but it aches) and his first boyfriend. It's a lot and Dean Atta punches a lot into the verse format. The emotions of Kai as he's processing it all and how he had to deal with it with the world judging him for the colour of his skin and how he walks. It's almost enough to make someone insane. Luckily, he does have a solid support form and people to look out for him.

The start was a little slow, but as I relaxed into the format, I got more and more invested in Kai's story. There is a lot here to talk about. The bit about consent, in particular, touched with me. I had a lot of emotions throughout the book, and I hope others feel the same.

I Can’t Even Think Straight is a YA novel from the Stonewall Award-winning writer, Dean Atta, that tells the coming-of-age, coming out story of Kai. Kai is back at school after the summer holidays and he feels like it’s time to come out to his peers, but his best school friend, Matt, isn’t ready yet. Encouraged by family friend, Vass, Kai wants to start telling his own story and show his true self, but the world around him is messy and as he tries to navigate a new relationship with Obi, he also has his friendships and family bonds to balance. Matt is scared to come out of the closet due to his family, while Vass reveals a secret that will shake those around them.

With short, snappy chapters, Atta packs a lot into this quick and easy-to-read novel spanning queer joy and friendship, and delving into more complex issues including colourism and racism, transphobia, and homophobia; in particular how they manifest in more covert ways. The book also includes a plotline surrounding sexual assault so readers who find this difficult may wish to avoid this novel, however, Atta tackles it with care and compassion.

A great read for fans of happy-ending queer stories, such as Heartstopper, I Can’t Even Think Straight is a novel about family, love, friendship, crushes, coming out, and the complexities of queerness. Atta even finds a way to perfectly weave his story ‘The Black Flamingo’ into this novel which gives fans of his writing an intertextual, nostalgic moment.

Heartfelt and sensitive, with many layers. Loved the references to Skellig and Black Flamingo. I also enjoyed how the popular group of boys, turned out... not as the narrator expected.
Another wonderful verse novel from Dean Atta. Loved it.

This was a very short book. Despite how short it was, it did pack quite a lot in. I really enjoyed the format.
The main character was pretty grating at times, but I still had a pretty good time overall. I just didn't understand how he thought and his decision making process.
Still, I really enjoyed this overall and will be reading whatever Dean Atta writes next.

Another fantastic YA novel in verse from a talented author. This short novel is full of emotion told in free verse.. Following main character Kai we learn how he and best friend Matt agree to come out only when each other is ready, but Kai feels ready before Matt and begins dating. With no spoilers, the ending is happy - not unexpected - but completely wholesome and satisfying.

This books is great from start to finish. Covering more than Kai's sexuality, there are themes of belonging, diversity, friendship and difficulties young people face. Characterisation is perfect and the city setting allows for scenes in credible places. Some nice Greek dialogue features, but the context doesn't exclude non speakers, and the words used are often repeated.

I LOVE the reference to The Black Flamingo!! This nod to the author's first book is slipped in effortlessly as a perfect surprise.

Many thanks Netgalley, Hodder Books and Dean Atta for the opportunity to read other wonderful book. I'll certainly be recommending this to the young adults I know.

Loved it! Dean Atta does it again with another great coming of age story. The verse form story, follows Kai as he deals with friendship, school, and love. I read it pretty much in one sitting as I was so invested in Kai's story that I needed to know if he would get his happy ever after.

The troubles of when and how two come out as gay when you also want to fit in and your family are less than accommodating. Typical teen life of school and outside past times and falling for people you think are out of bounds.
A title to help those in a similar situation.

Full review to follow, but this latest from the incomparable @deanatta is WONDERFUL.

Tender and heartfelt, with fantastic characters that leap off the page. It’s full of friendship, first loves and the family we make. The prose is dreamily good, so relatable yet well structured.

A wonderful nuanced look at the Black teen experience in England.

Out in May, I can’t wait to shout about this one!