Reading these scenes was like reliving my own experiences with anxiety. Similar to myself, Ben struggles with severe and social anxiety disorders.
Something I wasn’t expecting was the amount of detailed anxiety in this novel. In other words, I didn’t have to wait 40 pages for the first concept to begin, it was all from the first page ‘till the last. One of the things that makes this novel my favorite, is that there wasn’t a slow start. Deaver definitely succeeded in reaching their intended audience of queer youth by incorporating these two topics into their book. I believe Deaver wanted to tackle the topics of gender identity and growing up queer–two topics that are not talked about enough in society.
Many known authors also enjoy this book for example, Stonewall Award-winning author Meredith Russo’s comments, “Tender and bursting with humanity, I Wish You All The Best tells a heartwarming queer love story without compromise. I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver is one of my favorite books ever written because the rawness and authenticity of it left me in a puddle of smiles, ready to explode. Ben and Nathan grow closer, but soon after their friendship commences, their feelings start to change. Nathan Allan, a fellow senior, is fairly adamant to become friends with Ben, considering their school doesn’t get many new students. Attempting to avoid unnecessary publicity, Ben moves in with Hannah and starts at a new school. Hannah, however, has no problem with Ben being non-binary, as shown in the quote, “So, Mom and Dad kicked you out for that?” (Deaver 19). Ben’s sister, Hannah, has been absent in their life for an estimated ten years. Ben’s parents kicked them out of the house, only leaving them with the clothes on their back, and the socks on their feet. The novel follows Benjamin (Ben) De Backer, and their story of coming out as non-binary to their family, (non-binary is an umbrella term for someone whose gender doesn’t fit with male or female). I Wish You All The Best is the first novel in a young adult, coming-of-age, romance series, written by Mason Deaver. If any of the mentioned categories negatively affect you, do not continue reading. DISCLAIMER: This review involves mentions of strong topics including transphobia, homophobia, and verbal abuse.
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