Listen, I hate the current political climate as much as the next guy, but I can’t deny that I love the stories that are being published because of it. Never have authors been more politically active and never have young adult stories made me want to pick up a sign and protest to save the world more than they have in the last few years. Yes, No, Maybe So is a story that gives you back a voice you might feel like you have lost—or never had in the first place. It reinforces the belief that you—sitting there, reading that book—have the power to change the world.
The story follows young Jamie Goldberg and Maya Rehman who come to volunteer for the local state senate candidate in different ways—Jamie is kind of forced into it because nepotism will always be a part of politics and Maya needs a distraction from the troubles at home. For Jamie, the idea of going from door to door to get someone to vote is at best cringeworthy, at worst his biggest nightmare. Jamie would love to be a politician one day, if only he could speak to people without getting anxious and feeling nauseated. Maya can think of a dozen things she’d rather do than canvass for another cis white dude, but when she and Jamie, childhood friends, reunite, everything changes. And suddenly, going from door to door and getting people to engage in the issues the world is facing doesn’t seem so bad anymore. Especially when you find a cause worth fighting for and a politician to stand up for.
So yes, this book features a love story, but that’s not the focus of this book. Instead, this story shows the journey of two individuals who are fighting their own silent war inside of themselves and are just trying to find a way to survive in the world. Jamie is Jewish and Maya is a Muslim and it was so refreshing to see that even though they might not know all about the other’s religion, they are willing to learn. Yes, mistakes are made, Ramadan is misunderstood but it doesn’t end in two sides crossing their arms and walking away, instead they both grow as individuals and together.
They became invested in religious freedom and discrimination and while their love story definitely played a part in it, the bigger part of this book—and where it shines—are the moments that show the reader that teenagers are not just sitting in front of their phone all day, doing nothing, but that they are actually worried about the political climate and where the world is going. It puts heavy emphasis on the passion children can feel about changing things and the helplessness they experience because they are told that they don’t matter until they’re 18 when they can vote. And the book completely subverted that statement to show that no matter your age, your race, your heritage, you can help make this world a better place. You just have to find your niche.
Naturally, this book isn’t flawless. The secondary characters are one-dimensional and could have done with a bit more fleshing out and the big fight at the end was too quickly resolved for it to have mattered as much as it did. But seeing as this wasn’t the focus of the book, these notes are understandably not as important than the real message.
Without spoiling too much, I just want to say how much I loved the ending. Some will surely say it was pessimistic or devastating but to me, it only drove home the message that sometimes you can do everything you need to do and still not get what you want. But the valour is in getting up the next day and trying all over again.
A wonderful exploration of political activism, multicultural interests and how powerful one voice can be when joined by others. A must-read for anyone who feels like fighting the forces that bind us.
Yes, No, Maybe So is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of February 4th 2020.
Will you be picking up Yes, No, Maybe So? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
New York Times bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed have crafted a resonant, funny, and memorable story about the power of love and resistance.
YES
Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone), Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.
NO
Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her.
MAYBE SO
Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural romance of the century is another thing entirely.
