Book Review: “Thanks a Lot, Universe” by Chad Lucas

Good morning, all! Happy Friday!

Recently I picked up a book called Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas. The cover looked cute, and sometimes I like to read YA fiction. I find that YA fiction about a character discovering their sexual orientation intrigues me, because they are often character-focused instead of plot-driven. I find these books more engaging. So I picked up this book recently, and figured it’s the perfect time to review it, since we are in Pride Month!

Thanks a Lot, Universe is about two middle school boys, Brian and Ezra. Brian is a very quiet, shy boy with social anxiety. He gets stomach aches, sweaty hands etc. sometimes when he tries talking to people, especially strangers. He tries to think of funny things to say to classmates, or how to be cool, but more often than not he just clams up. And, he is routinely bullied by a boy named Victor, who calls him “Ghost” because of how quiet and unassuming he is.

Our second main character is a youth named Ezra. He likes music and has a good group of friends, but lately they’re all obsessed with girls, and he doesn’t have much to say on the topic. He hasn’t told them that he’s gay yet, and it slowly dawns on him that he has a crush on Brian.

This would be a typical premise for LGBTQ+ YA fiction, honestly, based off other books I’ve read. BUT, this book totally turns things upside DOWN! I don’t want to give spoilers, but in a nutshell, Brian’s mother overdoses on meds and goes to the hospital after his dad disappears one day. So the entire book is not just about the romance of the youths; it also takes on other challenging topics like relationships with parents, depression, drugs, etc. This is what made this book REALLY stand out for me!

I would rate this book 4/5 stars.

What I liked

Like I’ve already shared, I really like how this book subverts expectations and instead of being a YA LGBTQ+ book that just focuses on the romance, it also shows its main characters struggling with absent parents, younger siblings, taking care of yourself, friendship struggles, etc.

Another thing I like about this book is, the characters. Not only do Brian and Ezra feel like fully fleshed out human beings, but the minor characters are well-written and interesting, too, for the most part. There’s a particularly good side character named Gabe, whose father passed away. He gives Brian a lot of support when he starts having panic attacks.

That’s another thing I liked. This book does not shy away from discussing anxiety, anger with your parents, anger with friends who are being shallow, the struggle of making and keeping friends as a teen, etc. And it lays it ALL out on the line! There’s a scene where Brian is furious at his Dad and trades angry words with him for the first time in his life. And it was so refreshing to see the Dad feel bad, cry, and apologize.

Those are just a couple things I liked about this book that I can share without giving away the story.

What I didn’t like

Don’t let this stop you from reading the book, but – the ending. I felt like I needed a bit more…I don’t want to give things away, but let’s just say, some things which seem built up slowly in the book, don’t really get wrapped up at the end. I guess this another way the book subverts expectations, so some people might like it, but for me, it left me a bit disappointed.

Also, 2 of Ezra’s friends were kindof hard to picture in my head, and kindof interachangeable, at first. But later in the book they do become more fleshed-out.

Conclusion

Whelp, that’s it! I really liked this book, and I recommend it. If you’re into YA fiction at all, I think you’ll like it. Another unique thing about this book that I didn’t mention is, it features first-person point of view, and switches from Brian to Ezra’s point of view. I think this is also kindof rare for YA fiction and made it more interesting for me, too.

Check it out from your local library! Or pick it up online.

Until next time,
Chaitanya