Top Ten

Literary Merit: Very Good
Characterization: Great
Recommended: Yes
Level: High School

I'm not usually a fan of realistic YA fiction, mostly because it often deals with petty high school drama that I've long since put behind me. High school drama is usually the kind of thing you only want to experience once, so part of me was afraid this book would be a nightmare to get through. I'm very happy to report, however, that this was not the case with Top Ten.

The novel is told from the point of view of two best friends, Gabby and Ryan. The two met as freshmen, and decide on the night of their graduation to list the top 10 moments of their friendship. The countdown begins, coincidentally, with their subsequent hookup, then leads the reader through show more the many ups and downs of their friendship-turned-relationship through the years.

One of the first things I really appreciated about this book is how well the author describes the misery of anxiety. As someone who has pretty severe social anxiety, I felt an instant connection to Gabby, and was sure that the author had also suffered from anxiety due to how accurately it is portrayed. I actually came incredibly close to tears at the end, when Gabby is lamenting the fact that her brain is not "normal." I can't tell you how many times I've felt broken because of how hard social situations and constant panic attacks are on me, and I related to Gabby so strongly that it brought back memories of my own struggles with anxiety. It felt very therapeutic to read about a character who suffers from the same thing, and I commend the author for shedding light on this mental illness.

Another thing I appreciated about this story is that it made one of the main characters LGBT without focusing too much on it. Gabby just happens to be bisexual; she is never mocked or teased for it, her parents don't disown her, and she never has to go through the awkward "coming out" phase. Her friends and family just support her, and as I've said many times in my reviews, it is incredibly important for young LGBT teens to see themselves represented in a healthy, positive way. It also shows them that, even if their families do not support them, there are people all over the world who will, and that there is always hope for thw future. Kudos to Cotugno for including diversity without putting too much focus on over-used YA coming out tropes.

This book also dealt with issues like divorce, head trauma, and discovering one's own path in the world, subjects that I thought were handled very well. Ryan struggles constantly throughout the novel to please his father by playing hockey, only to discover that not only is it not working, but the sport is causing him physical harm in the form of concussions and head injuries. This actually becomes a huge issue in his friendship with Gabby, as she urges him to stop playing in order to protect his brain. This is a very uncommon issue to see presented in YA fiction, and I appreciated how Cotugno handled it in the end.

One complaint I have for this book (and which I've noticed is a common complaint) is that it doesn't portray the most healthy friendship/relationship. Granted, this could be Cotugno injecting more realism to the plot, but I felt that Ryan and Gabby were incredibly mismatched when it came to social power and personalities. While they say opposites attract, it seemed a little far-fetched to me that the shy, anxious, socially awkward Gabby would end up being best friends with the outgoing, sporty, popular Ryan. I would've loved to have a social butterfly male friend in high school to help ease me out of my shell, but things like that simply don't happen in reality. Add to this the constant fighting and failure to share their feelings, and you instantly have a recipe for a very draining and unhealthy relationship. Again, Cotugno might've just been adding a realistic element to the friendship, but it was sometimes painful to hear the awful things the two main characters said to one another in anger.

I would recommend this book to high school teens who enjoy realistic slice-of-life fiction. The story is interesting, thought-provoking, and fast-paced, while also making the reader think about important issues such as planning for the future and learning how to take risks. There are a few vague sex scenes and a fair amount of swearing, so this would not be appropriate for younger teens, but I could easily see it being therapeutic and relateable to teens who are either bisexual or suffering from anxiety. It would also be an excellent title for those struggling through the divorce of parents or dealing with the pressures of preparing for their futures. Teens can also have discussions with other teens or their parents about what constitutes a healthy, supportive relationship, and whether or not they find Ryan and Gabby's relationship to be healthy.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was a cute but complex look into the lives and loves of two very different teenagers, and I think it would be a great fit for any diverse YA collection. I would love to read more from this author in the future! show less

(Shelved as made me cry but didn’t actually make me cry. That shelf is also for tear-jerkers and made me emotional to the point where I almost cried)

*An ARC of this book was provided to me by HarperCollins*

So not even getting to the actual plot, I love how the story is told. It’s got a really cool nonlinear narrative and like the back of the book says- this narrative is compelling. I can’t imagine the novel being told in chronological order it is perfect the way it is 😍

The story is about the complicated relationship of Gabby and Ryan, honestly who hasn’t had that weird relationship where you don’t know how you became friends with the person? You’re from two different worlds and it somehow clicked and I feel like every has show more this bizarre experience at some point? Very relatable.

The best part is that Ryan is a hockey player but not a dumb sports jock and Gabby is Bi (woot woot thanks for the rep) struggles with social anxiety which I don’t have personal experience with but it seemed pretty realistic?

This was the perfect stand alone book! show less

Katie Cotugno’s books always have a way of surprising me. She develops these realistic and flawed individuals and we follow them through their daily lives. We see the beauty, tragedy, and monotony of their lives and get to experience it along side them. Top Ten is another solid installment that showcases the importance of friendship, what it means when that friend becomes more, and what happens if it doesn’t work out.

Things I Liked:
There was this overwhelming nostalgic feeling, while being so incredibly realistic, that made reading the story incredibly easy. It was nice looking back and reminiscing about Gabby and Ryan’s friendship with them as we see some of the more pivotal moments of their high school experience.

There were show more some surprises that I was not expecting. I loved how Gabby and Ryan’s relationship develops. It seems so organic, because we have followed them all this time and come to really know them.

For me the absolute highlight of this book was the friendship in Gabby and Ryan’s relationship is so open and honest. They have one of the most genuine friendship I’ve seen in a long time. You couldn’t help but root for them and wish them all the happiness.

Things I Didn’t Like:
I wasn’t the biggest fan of how time was framed. I really like that the story was bookended, but in between there was a lot of back and forth and could get confusing. Especially with the second-half of the school year coming before the first-half.

Overall this was a really satisfying and unique contemporary. I loved the focus on friendship and it’s importance. And how friendship are just as important as romantic relationship, and can be more meaningful. Gabby and Ryan’s story was beautiful and heartbreaking and loving. I expect nothing less from Katie Cotugno. show less

* I got this book for review and gave it 3.75 stars*

I really enjoyed how this book handled more rare topics in YA books like anxiety and injuries in sports. I like the duel POV in this story but enjoyed being in ryan head more then Gabby. I think being in Gabby head was hard at points but some interesting and just seeing how her anxiety affected her. I like the concept of how this novel was structured but though the the structure of top ten moments could have had more of a connection to the presence to make it clearer narrative. I thought this book tackled boy and girl friendships and overall enjoyed the story. I hope to read more by this author in the future.

* I got this book for review and gave it 3.75 stars*

I really enjoyed how this book handled more rare topics in YA books like anxiety and injuries in sports. I like the duel POV in this story but enjoyed being in ryan head more then Gabby. I think being in Gabby head was hard at points but some interesting and just seeing how her anxiety affected her. I like the concept of how this novel was structured but though the the structure of top ten moments could have had more of a connection to the presence to make it clearer narrative. I thought this book tackled boy and girl friendships and overall enjoyed the story. I hope to read more by this author in the future.

3.5

Bought for cheap on kindle. Read before falling asleep for a couple of nights.

High schoolers trying to figure out if they love each other because they are friends or are they IN LOVE with one another. I wanted to like them both more than I did. We saw glimpses of good moments between them but mostly it was all very boring.

LGBTQ characters in prominent roles so thumbs up for that!