Purchase through my link, and I get a small % at no extra cost to you
And They Lived… by Steven Salvatore
copy for review; all opinions are my own
Chase Arthur is okay with being gay, but he’s struggled with body dysmorphia and disordered eating for years. Now he’s also questioning his gender identity, and what pronouns feel right for him (he uses he/him but knows that they/them might work in the future). Now he’s away at college for animation, and he’s hoping for some type of Disney-style love.
Enter Jack Reid. He’s commercially beautiful, and he’s falling for Chase. Unfortunately, he’s not out to his family and he’s still unsure of himself outside of campus life.
I really loved this book. It’s classified as YA but it takes place in college and does feature sex, drugs, and language. I would suggest this for older teens and up. I loved the various discussions that Salvatore raises throughout the book – things about sex, gender, body positivity, and more. While I’m not gay, or genderqueer, I am bisexual and demisexual and I have had body image issues most of my life. There was so much I related to when it comes to Chase, and I really loved the journey he went on to start gaining more self-love and self-acceptance.
While I loved the relationship between Chase and Jack, I appreciated that Salvatore made it clear that relationships and love don’t cure the things we struggle with. They both had journeys to go on by themselves, and I loved that they both found help where they could.
This was a really quick, but beautiful read. I definitely teared up in places, and I just adored how it all came together. Plus, I LOVE the title and what it means. Read the book to find out more.
5 stars for sure!!!!!
This sounds like a lovely book, and it’s always so nice when you find a character you can relate to about things you’ve felt or struggled with.
This sounds like a great read! I really dislike when books make love/relationships “cure” all problems — it sets up such an unrealistic expectation for kids/teens (adults too). That’s awesome that this one doesn’t do that!
I was curious about this one! Thanks for sharing!
Sounds like a great read, I love that there are books that feature such characters as Chase and that issues such as sex, gender and body positivity are able to be raised.
This sounds like a fantastic book! I love that it touches on so many important issues.
This sounds really good! And even though you say it is a bit older than YA maybe, I still think I’d put it in the library for my students. Great review!
Sounds like a great message and romance. Yes, love doesn’t cure all. Great review, Lauren!
It definitely sounds like it may be a bit heavy for the younger end of the YA audience. Still, I love that this representation and subject matter is being presented honestly and lovingly!
This sounds really good! I love YA books that tackle issues in a realistic way, and I appreciate the idea that love is great but it doesn’t solve all problems either. Thanks for sharing this one!