Book Review: Pages I Never Wrote

My rating: 5 sweet stars

"There isn't just one way to be normal. You can have a disability and be normal. You can like people you aren't supposed to like, and still be normal. Normality doesn't come in only one shape. There is no such thing as weird, worthless or abnormal, so long as you are true to yourself."

True to the note in the blurb, this novel is
'a candid, relatable Queer Coming-of-Age YA Novel featuring an LGBT University Romance and themes of disability, diversity, creativity, self-discovery and academic achievement.'
It's a clean, slow-burn romance full of feeling and meaning.

Luke has good friends, a passion for books, and dyspraxia, a disorder that, ironically, makes him unable to write. And he has a problem with people trying to help him. Better said, he really doesn't like being helped.
'Don't let them notice. Don't be a burden to the other students. Don't ask the teacher for help too much. Just act normal. Be normal.' These are things Luke had been told his entire life. So Luke tried to be small and unnoticed. And accepting help is something that goes completely against that.

When forced to apply for tutor after failing his first term at university due to his learning difficulties, Luke gets to meet Nate. An excitable last-year student, who becomes Luke's self-proclaimed personal tutor and starts writing down essays for him, as a distraction from his own quarter-life crisis. He even offers to help Luke pen the novel he had been dreaming about.

As far as Luke's concerned, Nate is cute and possibly deranged and obviously too kind to be real. Because who in their right mind would willingly help someone like Luke?!
And yet, Nate doesn't seem bothered about all the little things that make Luke 'different'.

Of course feelings develop between them. More from Nate's side at first to be exact, because Luke wouldn't even dream of someone even wanting to date him. Why would anyone want to date him when he can't even hold a pen or eat without dropping food?

'When you're comfortable with yourself, you can feel comfortable pretty much everywhere.'

And that's exactly what this tale is about. Two young men, helping each other find meaning and love in life. One broken and afraid, so used to keeping people at a distance that he doesn't know how to be close to them anymore. And the other living his life for others, afraid of finding his own way.
It's sweet and dorky and absolutely endearing. Though I have to admit I may have occasionally wanted to smack both of them on the back of their heads while muttering 'just talk it out you big knuckleheads!'

Written in firs person POV, this story here doesn't contain edge of the seat action or drama and yet, it manages to be both gripping and entertaining. The slowly developing relationship between Luke and Nate is beautiful. But the highlights of the novel for me were the character development as well as the themes.
Disability, diversity and self-discovery were wonderfully presented. From the fear of rejection to the shame of being ridiculed and labeled as different and less, from the inability to connect because you don't KNOW how to the irony of struggling with intimacy and yet desperately craving a connection. all of it was superbly done.

Pages I Never Wrote is a book that I couldn't stop reading. Real, relatable and full of feeling. Sweet and full of meaning.

I finished it in one sitting and highly recommend it to all YA MM romance fans out there.

This one's a real treat people. Give it a try.

Check out this book and more of Marco Donati here.