I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
Book Review by Dhiraj Sindhi
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| I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver |
Authors: Mason Deaver
ISBN: 978-1035026227
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 336 Pages
Publication Date: 13th April 2023
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Cover Illustration: Sarah Maxwell
Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/4drfrKj
About the Author: Born and raised in a small town in North Carolina, Mason Deaver is an award-nominated, bestselling author and designer living in Charlotte. Their debut novel, I Wish You All the Best, was named a Junior Library Guild Selection and an NPR Concierge Book. Besides writing, they're an active fan of horror movies and video games. You can find them online at masondeaverwrites.com
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| Mason Deaver |
Instagram: @mason_deaver
Disclaimer: This review is only intended to initiate discussions. The opinions and views presented in this article are my own and do not reflect anything about the book's author.
REVIEW
I started reading this book in a café, and I couldn't put it down. The first few chapters were intense, narrating some of the most fearful yet liberating moments in the lives of many queer people. Benjamin De Backer comes out as nonbinary and is immediately kicked out of their home. Their estranged sister, Hannah, who hadn't spoken to the family for a decade after her own fallout with their parents, steps in to rescue them. She offers Ben a refuge at her home, where she lives with her husband, a teacher. She gets Ben into therapy and enrols them in her husband’s school mid-term.
From there, the book smoothly takes you through the various aspects of Ben’s new life in Raleigh. The inner struggle of not conforming to the gender binary, attending therapy, battling anxiety and depression—all while managing school and making new friends—feels very real. Making new friends, in fact, becomes a lifeline for Ben. A sweet, almost too-cute love story begins to blossom. The book features some vivid, powerful scenes that are unforgettable, and surprisingly, none of them are romantic. One of my favourite moments is a conversation between Ben and Hannah, where she convinces Ben to get out of bed and face the day. That scene, for me, held more power than any therapy session—pure wisdom. Sure, there are a few cliché tropes, like attending a party and online confidant, reminiscent of the dynamic between Victor and Simon in the Simonverse.
I went into this book expecting to learn something fresh about the nonbinary experience, perhaps something I hadn’t encountered before. However, early on, I realized it wasn't going to offer anything radically unique within the well-trodden American high school narrative. The family conflict and romance make for a strong premise, but the writing feels surface-level, often coming across as a customized version of an all-too-familiar setting with new accessories.
That said, I still enjoyed reading it! I think there’s a distinction between a truly great book and one you simply like reading. This one definitely gave me those butterfly-in-the-stomach moments. It also made me reflect on why some people, especially in Eastern cultures—including Bollywood icons—tend to resist labels when it comes to sexuality and gender identity. This book is an example of how labels, at times, can reduce the nonbinary experience to just pronouns. However, it still validates the complex emotions and struggles that come with gender dysphoria, while delivering much-needed optimism. It's a cosy, safe corner for those searching for comfort and reassurance.
Happy Reading!
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