Spoiler alert: I’m in love with two boys. Head over heels, smiles-at-nothing-while-walking-into-walls kind of love. But they’re not real people. They’re comic book characters. Also, they might be in love with each other. Huge emphasis on the might.
Right Where I Left You follows Isaac Martin during the summer before his freshman year of college. Dealing with the looming dread of being separated from his best friend Diego as they’re both about to start the next chapter of their lives, Isaac is determined to make this the best summer of their lives. But fate seems to have other things for him in store—first, an unexpected run in with his crush Davi distracts him from getting tickets to the epic comic convention Legends Con and then, Diego is suddenly only hanging around his gaming budding, which so was not part of the plan. When sparks fly between Davi and Isaac and Diego gets more and more distant, Isaac’s perfect summer is becoming a fleeting dream. When Isaac and Diego’s friendship takes a hit after a secret is revealed, it’s up to them whether they can make this summer unforgettable for all the right reasons.
The vibes in this novel, honestly. If you’ve ever wanted a read that accurately represented how fleeting yet endless summer break can feel when you are young, Right Where I Left You will feel like a time machine. Somehow, Winters managed to pace this novel just right so that you feel as anxious as Isaac about making this last summer count for all it’s worth while also not wanting to constantly look at the clock and wonder what will happen once it’s over. Pair that with once-in-a-lifetime-moments like an unexpected yet sweet first kiss in a parking lot and celebrating Pride with your friends and you have the perfect summer read.
In the centre of this story are the many facets of friendships, old and new. Considering how hard it is for Isaac to make friends because of his social anxiety, the friendships he finds in this novel felt all the more validating. The representation of social anxiety also felt so accurate—how it was almost like pulling teeth to read about Isaac being tongue-tied and not knowing how to convey any kind of feeling, the way he was overwhelmed when everyone was talking and how he reprimanded himself for not reaching out on his own. Yet we always have Diego as this sort of touching point that grounds Isaac, and eventually, he finds true companions in these gamers. I loved how it was shown that sometimes you find new friends by proxy (aka they’re Diego’s friends first) but end up forming long-lasting bonds anyway.
And speaking of long-lasting bonds. Diego and Isaac’s friendship was absolute goals. These two know each other inside and out and yet there are moments when they realise the other is holding back. I loved how natural their bond felt and how, even when new friends appeared, you could still tell that they remained the most important people in each others’ lives. Sure, there’s drama and tension added by miscommunication, potential love interests that cause problems and hidden feelings that make for bittersweet moments, but through it all, Isaac and Diego try to make it work.
Right Where I Left You also delivers on the friends-to-lovers romance perfectly. You get all the pining, the “did I miss something?” moments, the confusion and anxiety that comes with realising that your best friend might just be more than that. I loved how their story was paced and how we got to see everything develop. Isaac’s obsession with a certain fandom added so much to how he sees himself and finding love and even Diego’s gaming influences the trajectory of their relationship.
There are also a lot of messy, flawed character dynamics within this story that Winters explored beautifully. Without taking too much away, both Diego and Isaac deal with separate issues with their family—Diego’s parents aren’t on board with the life path Diego has chosen and Isaac is still reeling from his father leaving and Isaac’s older brother trying to connect. There is such a tender touch to the way Winters explores these complex family dynamics without ever losing that sense of unconditional love and support and I think that’s amazing and such a validating reading experience.
Honestly, it’s hard talking about this novel without spoiling anything because everything is interwoven so intricately—from the delightfully queer cast of characters that bonds over gaming and fandoms to the discussion of the importance of BIPOC representation in the media (and in the comic book world most of all), miscommunicated crushes and expectations to Isaac’s tight relationship with his older sister and his wholesome tradition of watching The Princess Bride with his grandfather—that to explain one aspect would spoil another. As such, I can only recommend diving into this wonderful novel without knowing too much and to just get swept up in the magic of a—if not perfect, then unforgettable—summer.
One last thing that added such a sweet touch to the story was that there were some cameos from fictional characters and authors within these pages. Every chapter starts with geekery related to Isaac’s obsession with Disaster Academy and the potential love between the two male protagonists and there are tags like you’d expect in the fandom world. If you’re familiar with the queer YA landscape of the past few years (e.g. Felix Ever After, You Should See Me in a Crown, Leah on the Offbeat…), chances are you’ll have a giant smile on your face like I did every time I spotted another nod toward these lovely authors.
A joyful, heartfelt tribute to nerds, Right Where I Left You expertly explores the messy side of growing up, finding long-lasting friendships and falling for the right person who’s been there all along. Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Ben Philippe!
Right Where I Left You is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of March 15th 2022.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Kacen Callender meets Becky Albertalli in a deliciously geeky best friends-to lovers romance from award-winning author Julian Winters!
School’s out, senior year is over, and Isaac Martin is ready to kick off summer. His last before heading off to college in the fall where he won’t have his best friend, Diego. Where—despite his social anxiety—he’ll be left to make friends on his own. Knowing his time with Diego is limited, Isaac enacts a foolproof plan: snatch up a pair of badges for the epic comic convention, Legends Con, and attend his first ever Teen Pride. Just him and Diego. The way it should be. But when an unexpected run-in with Davi—Isaac’s old crush—distracts him the day tickets go on sale, suddenly he’s two badges short of a perfect summer. Even worse, now he’s left making it up to Diego by hanging with him and his gamer buddies. Decidedly NOT part of the original plan. It’s not all bad, though. Some of Diego’s friends turn out to be pretty cool, and when things with Davi start heating up, Isaac is almost able to forget about his Legends Con blunder. Almost. Because then Diego finds out what really happened that day with Davi, and their friendship lands on thin ice. Isaac assumes he’s upset about missing the convention, but could Diego have other reasons for avoiding Isaac?
