You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan

Title: You Know Me Well
Authors: Nina LaCour and David Levithan
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: June 7, 2016

Format: eBook
Price: $7.09
Page Count: 256 pages 
ISBN-13: 9781250098665

Reading Level: Grades 9 and up (ages 14+)
Interest Level: Grades 9 and up (ages 14+)

Annotation: One night in the city during Pride Week causes Mark to confess his true feelings for his best friend, Ryan, and Kate to run toward the girl she has been falling in love with from a distance.

Plot and Content Summary: Told in dual perspectives, You Know Me Well follows Mark and Kate, two people who attend the same high school and end up running into each other at a gay bar during a night out in the city. Although they have not talked to each other much in the past, they end up becoming friends very quick, relying and confiding in each other about their romantic pursuits. Mark is in love with his best friend, Ryan, who is gay but not out. They have fooled around together in the past, but they are not in a committed relationship and Mark wants to change that. However, Ryan ends up meeting someone else at the same bar they are at. With Kate, she is about to come face-to-face with Violet, the girl she has heard so many great things about. Violet is single and seems to reciprocate Kate’s feelings, but Kate is so nervous about not meeting her expectations that she ends up not showing up to meet Violet. Kate and Mark have decided they are both going to be cornerstones for each other—making sure the other follows through with their plans and supporting each other no matter what.

Evaluation: You Know Me Well was well-written: a peek at two queer teenagers who do not always get it right and make a lot of mistakes. Their lives are far from perfect, but following them on their journey to facing their fears and pursuing what their hearts desire will only make readers want to cheer them on. It was very much a study on these two characters—not too much happens in terms of plot, but we see the progression of both Mark and Kate’s lives change because of their relationships with each other, as well as their relationships with the two people they are confronting.

You Know Me Well is an “own voices” book, meaning that the main characters are part of the same marginalized group(s) as the authors. Although it is not stated how much their own lives influence their characters’ lives, much can be gained from reading this novel.  Outside of discussing any controversial issues, I think teens will relate greatly to Kate’s imposter syndrome. Much of her story reflects her passion in creating art, and at the same time, the way she views herself as an artist. Compared to others, she believes she is no good—no matter how many people praise her for what she has created already. Especially for those who feel like they need to be perfect because of the way others react. You Know Me Well also explored the topic of friendship in various ways. Some friendships are not meant to last, and some friendships change as we get older.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: LaCour and Levithan captured many feelings that queer teens may encounter, such as dealing with wanting to commit to someone who is not out yet. It can be a difficult circumstance to work through, and while the situation between Mark and Ryan is unique, it could provide some different perspectives.

Quite often, young adult novels will feature only one queer character in a story, whether they are the main focus or a side character—but LaCour and Levithan brought together a group of them. This can be representative of queer teens in real life, how they surround themselves with people alike because they are relatable.

Issues Present: You Know Me Well would probably be challenged just for being a book that contains LGBTQ+ content/characters. Adults may feel like it causes sexual exploration and confusion—however, this does not need to be a concern. During this stage in life, teens are figuring out their identities, and You Know Me Well may be a story that encourages them to come to terms with who they are.

Book Talk Ideas: "You're never going to be ready ... Don't you see that? You have to forget about ready. If you don't, you're always going to run away." (p. 37)

• The development/change in Mark and Ryan's relationship (p. 39, 59, 213)
• The development/change in Violet and Kate's relationship (p. 90, 105, 108)
• The development/change in Kate and Lehna's relationship (p. 37, 71-73, 107, 180, 223, 247)
• Kate's struggle with art (Chapter 8, p. 226)

Genre/Subgenres: Realistic fiction; LGBTQ+ fiction

Readalikes: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, The Porcupine of Truth by Bill Konigsberg, Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me by Mary McKinley, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

References

• You know me well. (n. d.). Macmillan Publishers. Retrieved from https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250098641