Sixteen-year-old Dylan Highmark thought his winter was going to be full of boring shifts at the Dairy Queen, until he finds himself in love with a boy who’s literally too hot to handle.
Dylan has always wanted a boyfriend, but the suburbs surrounding Philadelphia do not have a lot in the way of options. Then, in walks Jordan, a completely normal (and undeniably cute) boy who also happens to run at a cool 110 degrees Fahrenheit. When the boys start spending time together, Dylan begins feeling all kinds of ways, and when he spikes a fever for two weeks and is suddenly coughing flames, he thinks he might be suffering from something more than just a crush. Jordan forces Dylan to keep his symptoms a secret. But as the pressure mounts and Dylan becomes distant with his closest friends and family, he pushes Jordan for answers. Jordan’s revelations of why he’s like this, where he came from, and who’s after him leaves Dylan realizing how much first love is truly out of this world. And if Earth supports life that breathes oxygen, then love can only keep Jordan and Dylan together for so long.
| [I received a digital arc from Netgalley for an honest review] The Temperature of Me and You is a YA Contemporary romance and a science fiction story merged into one. Dylan is your average, lower end of the totem pole in high school, a bit geeky boy whose been unlucky in the finding a boyfriend. Cue Jordan, the new boy in town who happens to be very attractive and totally interested in Dylan. Small problem, Jordan literally runs hotter than normal humans and can shoot fireballs from his hand. That doesn’t stop Dylan from wanting to get to know him. But when some of Jordan’s powers start affecting Dylan, will meeting Jordan become the worst thing to ever happen to him. “I mean, sorry. Next time a human shoots flames from their body, I’ll try to act more casual.” This had all the classic stapled for a YA contemporary. Two best friends forever gals for our leading queer boy, the mean bully girl who is hiding a secret of her own that causes her to lash out, teenage fights and make-ups, and trying not to fail chemistry. There’s the first love and all the awkward moments that accompany it. Now wait! Take all that and throw in a science experiment gone wrong. Boys too hot to touch, explosive melt downs, corporate conspiracies and you’ve got what makes The Temperature of Me and You unique. I enjoyed it, I really did, but I really really really wish we had Jordan’s point of view. 25% in and all I knew about him was that he was attractive and could create fire from his hands because of an accident. It was hard to connect with him and hard to root for the main character to be with someone who remains such a mystery the entire time, nor is someone particularly charming.Also, the ending felt rushed in a way , I had ten minutes left and assumed I was about to be hit with a cliffhanger but then it managed to get tied up in a Happy For Now bow. “I think when it’s real, it will always last – whether you are together or not. Even if it just lasts as a memory. It’s still something.” The Temperature of Me and You is filled with friendship, paint by numbers and romance that is sweet with kisses , coffee dates, hikes, and ice skating which usually ended up in smoke … literally. Overall, a solid debut novel and I look forward to more books by Brian Zepka. |
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