You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince

 Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023--San Antonio

You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky is a gay romance that was on a list of best LGBTQ+ novels of 2023.  The main character is the son of two rich parents.  He is considered to be a lost F*ck-Up who regularly makes headlines in tabloids in a negative way.  He also suffers from GAD (generalized anxiety disorder--a mental disease diagnosis) which is likely part of the reason that so many things go wrong in his public life.  And he runs with the wrong crowd--one that loves to be the center of attention by being seen with him and associated with him in other ways.  Unfortunately, so much of the beginning of the novel is written to make a point of how bad his behavior and his reputation is before any mention of the cause is encountered; I almost quit reading the book because I wasn't enjoying reading about such a spoiled, bad brat.  After a few days of having been sent to his grandparents rural community for the month of December to avoid another scandal in the headlines, things begin to change.  Set during the Christmas season, this is a coming-of-age (at the late age of 21) fairy tale of love and redemption.  I gave the book 3 stars out of 5--2 for the first half and 4 for the second half.  It's not great writing, but anyone who can make it through the 2-star part of the story will begin loving it during the 4-star part.