Book Review: The State of Us

Author: Shaun David Hutchinson 

Published: 02 June 2020

Genres: Young Adult Fiction 

What a astonishing, marvelous, exciting story. The story follows two seventeen-year-old boys named Andre “Dre” and Dean, who takes us on a bumpy road of personal discovery with a splash of politics in the mix, as they try to finish their last year of school in heterodox manner and focus on their friendship that quickly becomes a romantic connection without their parents knowing.

“Which is, I suppose, how every teenager in the history of teenagers feels. Like their pain is real which everyone else’s is phony. Like the isolation they feel is incomparable to the isolation felt by anyone anywhere ever. I think it really is different for us, though.”

There’s a bit of questioning when it comes to Dre and his cultural and ethnic background, there’s no reference about his backgrounds beside knowing that how being super proud that his dad will be the first Mexican-American president if he wins the elections. And that he is proud and out as gay 

 

Dean is portrayed as a preppy vegetarian, who is on the Ace spectrum, but doesn’t know how to define myself. He goes on this wonderful dangerous journey with Dre to understand more about him being demisexual or even might be gay. 

“And I think all any of us can do is just be the best version of ourselves that we can.”

I’m overly excited that the LGBT authors are including asexual characters as main roles. And giving the Ace community the recognition they deserve, not everyone knows that much about the Ace people and I’m glad that the authors are using such a platform to showcase the Ace and Aromantic community. 

“Dre and Dean have got my vote!” — Adib Khorram 

The book remained very neutral as far as potential picking sides, which it comes to the politics, depending on the reader, it becomes a little heavy considering both side of the political parties and their beliefs.