This is a book review of A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan without spoilers.
What happens when an upcoming teen heartthrob goes undercover at a high school?
The Facts
Author: Tashie Bhuiyan
Release Date: May 10, 2022
Genre: Young adult romance
Main Characters: Mina Rahman & Emmitt Ramos
Number of Pages: 406
Rating: 3 out of 5
What I Loved
Truly, I don’t have much that I liked about this book. I have no qualms with reading a young adult novel, but this book quickly became something I was hate-reading (though I did not hate it, simply thought it was mid).
Although…
Mina put to words something I felt for most of my teenage years: “Is it wrong to want things for myself?…is wanting to survive so wrong?”
What I... Didn't
Low key… everyone is difficult to root for. Mina literally needs to learn how to read people’s emotions the way she expects people to read her emotions.
Rosie also kind of sucks. Like, sure she gave a great birthday gift, but the miscommunication in her friendship with Mina is so unnecessary and one-sided… and honestly rude.
Also, the author loves the word “bemused,” to the point where it is absolute overkill.
Final Thoughts
The way boys in romances switch moods so quickly and intensely has me convinced they’re May geminis. It’s not Emmitt’s fault; it’s just something I’ve noticed.
Anyway, I know this book is based off Tom Holland going undercover at a high school in New York, but this book was so heavily influenced by pop culture, to the point where it didn’t feel necessary. There was also the insistent reminder that the characters are diverse; I love a diverse cast, but not when it’s shoved down my throat.
"They can run me a check if they want to waste my time."
