Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed's "Yes, No, Maybe So" is Best Left for a Younger Audience

     This book reminded me why I don't choose to read YA novels, particularly of the realistic fiction variety. While Yes, No, Maybe So certainly told a sweet story overall, the characters all bothered me to some degree. 

     The book follows two teens: Maya and Jamie, who have both been roped into knocking on doors to campaign for a state senate candidate. They come from seemingly different worlds, but quickly become close, which predictably leads to a romantic relationship. 

     While I've certainly read worse books, the plot of this one just didn't entice me (I should admit that the only reason I picked this novel up to begin with was because it was chosen for a virtual book club that I participated in). 

     The behavior of all the characters seemed somewhat unrealistic, or over-exaggerated to play on exhausted teenage stereotypes. Aside from this, I particularly found main characters Maya and Jamie to be somewhat strange, and at times even annoying. Their love story was fairly awkward, and not in the "cute" or "funny" ways commonly portrayed in most teen rom-coms or YA novels. Both Maya and Jamie were excessively dramatic for my personal taste, and in all honesty I found some of their internal monologues to be somewhat unbearable at times.

     I know my critiques of this book may seem somewhat harsh, but as mentioned earlier, realistic-fiction, YA novels just aren't my cup of tea. If I was back in middle school I probably would've loved this book, but Yes, No, Maybe So just doesn't line up with my literary tastes as a college student. I would definitely say this book is best suited for a middle or early high school audience.

    Although this definitely wasn't my favorite read, there were still some good takeaways from this book. It does a fairly good job at portraying the complexities of our democratic institutions, and the myriad of shortcomings to be found within our modern political system in the United States. By the same token, the book does an excellent job at encouraging young people to be politically active, which is something that our democracy needs now more than ever. 

     What's more though, this story shows the importance of over-coming the cultural barriers that seem to divide us on the surface. Main character Jamie comes from a Jewish home, while Maya's family are fairly devout Muslims. At first, this adds a layer of complexity and occasional misunderstanding in their relationship, but as they come to know one-another on a deeper level, they become bonded by common interests and experiences that transcend their familial backgrounds. 

     At the end of the day, Yes, No, Maybe So is a youthful love story that speaks to the importance of making one's voice heard. However, unless you are a YA fanatic (or interested in 436 pages-worth of  politically-charged, hormonal teenage angst), I really wouldn't suggest reading this book.