Book Review: I'm a Gay Wizard by V.S. Santoni | A Slow-Paced Gay Romance Book Attempts To Be A High-Stakes Magical Fantasy
Once there, Johnny and Alison are told they can never return to their previous lives, and must quickly adapt to a new world shimmering with monsters, fraternities, and cute boys like Hunter and Blake. But when they’re pulled into an epic, supernatural fight that could cost them both their lives, Johnny and Alison find strength they never knew they had as they battle for love, acceptance, and their own happy ending—all with the help of a little magic.
Discussion:
DNF - 20%
You can find hidden gems on Wattpad and fanfiction sites. For example, I loved A. V. Geiger's Follow Me Back when I read the duology several years ago, and my teenage years were spent crawling through The Hunger Games and Harry Potter fanfiction. Hence, I was excited to jump cannonball into a high-stakes magical fantasy book; however, I was quickly disappointed by Santoni's I'm a Gay Wizard.
Trigger warnings: homophobia, bullying, kidnapping, assault
I don't know if a story can be 'too Wattpad' but this is. The magical aspects are not executed well nor are they explained at all. The pacing is inconsistent, in that some scenes are rushed through as quick, action-packed thrillers while others are snail-slow and leave a gooey residue everywhere. The romances feel cliche. However, I will give the book the benefit of the doubt since I did not read past 20%, so the instantaneous love possibly gets better. Also, the main character Johnny is unbelievably awkward and just so different from everyone else. Despite the age range for Johnny and his classmates to be 16-18-year-olds, the characters, except for possibly Johnny's best friend Allison, act like 12-year-olds, based on their limited communication skills and the number of times "freak" is used as an insult.
Moreover, there is also just a lot to unpack with the string of homophobic slurs and assaults targeted on the main characters, and I am not comfortable that no actions were taken to charge the assailants, particularly by the assaulted main characters or any of the bystanders at the busy mall where the assault takes place. This situation is not too realistic, especially as most events are recorded by observing phone cameras nowadays.
Trigger warnings: homophobia, bullying, kidnapping, assault
I don't know if a story can be 'too Wattpad' but this is. The magical aspects are not executed well nor are they explained at all. The pacing is inconsistent, in that some scenes are rushed through as quick, action-packed thrillers while others are snail-slow and leave a gooey residue everywhere. The romances feel cliche. However, I will give the book the benefit of the doubt since I did not read past 20%, so the instantaneous love possibly gets better. Also, the main character Johnny is unbelievably awkward and just so different from everyone else. Despite the age range for Johnny and his classmates to be 16-18-year-olds, the characters, except for possibly Johnny's best friend Allison, act like 12-year-olds, based on their limited communication skills and the number of times "freak" is used as an insult.
Moreover, there is also just a lot to unpack with the string of homophobic slurs and assaults targeted on the main characters, and I am not comfortable that no actions were taken to charge the assailants, particularly by the assaulted main characters or any of the bystanders at the busy mall where the assault takes place. This situation is not too realistic, especially as most events are recorded by observing phone cameras nowadays.
Last but certainly not least, the school that kidnaps Johnny and Allison also forbids good, tasty food. At least provide good food if you're kidnapping underage wizards! That should be common sense.
From other reviews on Goodreads, this is a good story for some and not for others. I just am in the latter group, unfortunately.
From other reviews on Goodreads, this is a good story for some and not for others. I just am in the latter group, unfortunately.
Love,
newbookcats
What Wattpad stories were your favorite? Have you read Santoni's stories? If so, would you recommend them? What fantasies featuring own-voices LGBTQ+ romances would you recommend to a newb like me? Being a fanfiction lover from several years ago, what were your favorite fanfiction stories/subjects? Chat with me in the comment section below or via any of my social medias!
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