Symbols

For those of us that have been bullied in school, it is always been a fantasy to have Hercules stand up for you. To have the biggest guy in school be there as your protector. Although I don't normally read the books where guys come out at school, the plot caught my attention. I loved this book and both Shane and Matt. Although I can relate to Matt, I cheered for Shane. Unlike the other reviews, I did not find it disappointing in the less.

I had such high hopes for this story when I first read the blurb - I'm a sucker for a good hurt/comfort story, and this one held such potential with the set up of a bullied young boy and a new student with a soft heart bringing a promise of safety, friendship and romance.

Both Shane and Matt started as extremely likeable characters, and I adored the slow build up of trust turning to friendship, and then the realisation that their feelings run deeper. Shane is an ultimate sweetheart, and I love the growth of Sassy-Matt who starts to find his confidence and ability to stand up for himself. The exploration of their physical relationship fits perfectly, although I'm really not a fan of the overuse of "Little Shane" to describe someone's anatomy.

However, halfway through the story the plot becomes so unrealistic and cringeworthy that it killed any enjoyment I had reading it. I'm all for a bit of cliche, but this was so over the top - from a whole train carriage coming in defence of the couple against a gay-bashing crone which started my discomfort, to the entire court scene which read like a farcical drama-comedy, which ultimately made me stop reading.

Out of stubbornness I may return to finish the end, but my disappointment was quite strong.

If you don't mind melodrama and OTTness, then you will probably enjoy this story, but otherwise I'd stop reading at Chapter 26, and enjoy it as an unfinished start of a story.

Reviewed by Erin for Diverse Reader

Reading a new author is always a bit of a tightrope isn't it? You stumble upon a book either by someone else's recommendation, an eye-catching cover or a well-worded blurb that grabs your attention, but you begin reading with a hope that you'll connect with the author and get sucked into their story. For me, Symbols by Mario Kai Lipinski caught my attention by its cover and blurb. I'm a HUGE fan of books set in high school (which is why I'm such an avid YA reader!) so I knew this one was going to be right up my alley. Unfortunately, a convoluted plot, excess drama, and some problems with execution made this more of a miss than a hit for me.

On the plus side, I really did like the characters of Matt and Shane. Dual POV is my favorite and I enjoyed seeing both Matt and Shane throughout the book. Matt tugged on my heartstrings and the terror and pain he felt being bullied so horribly was hard to read. Shane, being the bigger of the two, is, of course, the giant with a heart of gold and though cliche', it works for a reason. Seeing Matt learn to trust and believe in Shane was emotional, and I thought Lipinski pulled that off well.

Where the story kind of fell apart for me was the overabundance of drama and miscommunication. I just got overwhelmed and lost my connection to Matt and Shane. Which was a shame because until then I was really invested in their HEA. After being inundated with over the top melodrama (some of which was pretty far fetched) I just wanted to get to the end. This could totally be a case of it's me not the book so if the blurb intrigues you, I urge you to give it a try!