May the Best Man Win
Tamima Rashid
Embedded Files
May the Best Man Win by ZR Ellor is a worthwhile read that had me at the edge of my seat. With its bright pink cover, I was prepared for a feel-good romance. While remaining true to the YA romance genre, the book also explores the struggles of being trans. The story’s premise revolves around two seniors competing for Homecoming King. Jeremy Harkiss is student-body president and cheer captain with dreams of going to Harvard. Lukas Rivers is a football player and head of the Homecoming committee. To add to the tension - they dated for a whopping four years before breaking up with no explanation. Filled to the brim with cliches, the novel remains exciting and fresh with its dynamic characters.
Instead of the happy-go-lucky romance I expected, this novel is fraught with arguing and mistakes. Although the story isn’t quite picturesque, it is memorable. As someone who dislikes the enemies-to-lovers trope outside of the fantasy genre, this book pulls it off surprisingly well. Jeremy and Lukas’ rivalry progresses naturally, in a way I find YA novels rarely do.
Jeremy is a complicated character. It is his first year out as a trans man amongst the transphobia from his peers. He decides to run for Homecoming King in the desperation of trying to win the approval of his peers. At first glance, he is reckless and at times incredibly selfish. When I first started the book, I had trouble rooting for him at all. Throughout the novel, I grew to love him and his flaws. Jeremy often lashes out at his friends and wreaks havoc without any regard for the consequences. Reading the beginning half of the story was like watching a car crash. Every time I thought it couldn’t get worse - it did. Despite my doubts, Jeremy grows to be a better version of himself. He learns how to be a better friend and person. He is charming, intelligent and endlessly passionate.
Lukas is a responsible eighteen-year-old in charge of the Homecoming committee. Trying to find a way to fill the void in their family left by his brother’s passing, he excels in all things school-related. He decides to run for Homecoming King to prove to his parents once and for all that he is capable, though he has always been in his brother’s shadow. His parents don’t think he is capable of much, being autistic. They do not pay much attention to him at all, as they are on the brink of divorce. With Lukas’ turbulent life catching up to him, he grips onto the hope of becoming Homecoming King.
Another element of this story I particularly liked is its use of dual-perspective writing. Watching the progression of their feelings from both angles was twice the rollercoaster. The fast-paced chapters and quick plot progression make it the perfect book to pick up after a reading slump.
This novel is much less an ooey-gooey love story I expected than a story about growth, anger and forgiveness. The road of this love story is not straightforward, but it is worth the wait. I wish I could read the book for the first time all over again!
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