When You Get the Chance by Tom Ryan & Robin Stevenson: Book Review

When You Get the Chance is a collaborative work by Canadian authors Tom Ryan and Robin Stevenson. This YA contemporary was released in May 2021 by Running Press Kids. I was introduced to this book by Hailey from Hailey in Wonderland, a wonderful Canadian Booktuber. If you get the chance, you should definitely go check out her videos. She has a lot of great bookish content.

When You Get the Chance is a great road-trip, coming of age story. Both Mark and Talia grow and mature through their adventure.

Synopsis

Mark is on his way from Halifax, NS, to Toronto for his grandfather’s funeral, but he is looking forward to attending Toronto Pride, which is the same weekend.

Talia is on her way from Victoria, BC, to Toronto for her grandfather’s funeral, but she hopes to see her best friend, who moved to Toronto a couple of weeks prior and left many things unsaid.

Too bad Mark and Talia’s parents can’t get along, and suddenly they are all on their way to the family cottage in Muskoka. Unfortunately, events transpire that leave Mark and Talia, along with Mark’s younger sister, behind at the cottage while the adults return to Toronto.

Neither Mark nor Talia wants to stay at the cottage, but what choice do they have? Until Talia mentions to Mark that she found an old car in the shed. Together they work out a plan to make their Toronto dreams come true, and no one would find out. So they hit the road for a trip of a lifetime.

Positives

This book is such a quick read. It has under 300 pages, and could easily be read in one sitting. I spread my reading time out over two days, but time seemed to stop while I was reading it.

The main characters are LGBTQ, and their diverse feelings about it are pretty interesting. Mark is gay, his whole family knows, and he doesn’t seem to care. On the other hand, Talia is queer and seems to resent anyone asking her about her identity. She holds her feelings close to her chest. It’s nice to see dual sides.

While the novel is a dual point of view, where each chapter is told from either Mark or Talia’s view, the different points of view help the reader understand why each character is the way they are and how they think and feel.

Negatives

Is it wrong that the only negative I have is the fact the book was short? I want more! I want to know more about Babs and Shirley Jr. What about Jeremy? Or Erin? Will they go back to the cottage? Do Janet and Gary repair their sibling bond? I want to know these things!

My Opinons

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this book up, I just knew I wanted to read it. As I live in Canada, supporting Canadian creators is something I am actively trying to do. While this book being set in Ontario wasn’t the only reason I picked it up, it was part of the reason. As was the road trip aspect. Who didn’t want to throw caution to the wind as a teenager, and run off to the big city without their parents? Of course, I don’t think I would have had the guts to run to Toronto as an 18-year-old.

The book is so easy to read. There is some drama between Gary and Janet, which you learn more about as the book progresses. There is drama between Mark and Talia, as the only thing they seem to have in common any longer is the fact they are both queer. But as the book progresses, they learn more about each other and find some common ground upon which to develop a friendship.

And Paige? Oh my goodness, she is the best 10-year-old ever! In a lot of ways, she reminds me of my youngest daughter around that age. My oldest came out as trans a few years ago, and my youngest one asked what it meant, and then said oh well, you’re my sibling and that’s all that matters. She has gone on to fiercely defend her sister against those who disrespect her, even her own grandparents. Like my daughter, Paige doesn’t see what the big deal is, and that people love who they love.

I say this book deserves a lot more attention, and love! Go read it! Go on, I’ll wait.

Happy Pride!

Looking for some more books to read? Check out my other book reviews and my monthly reading wrap-ups.