Member Review

Leo is an unassuming and steadfast friend to the pair of drama queens, Tam and Daisy. He deals with his problems quietly and on his own. His break up with Peter, or The Unpleasantness, as he likes to call it, his father’s death – he is brand new and fine, no need to make a fuss. But when he starts dating perfect Harvey, who pushes him to become a better person, when his boss at school gets him involved in a school production, Leo is in the spotlight.
Reading Justin Myers’ books is always like coming home or visiting a friend. I love his writing style, the humour, the characters, and the way that with each book he seems to grow as an author. Similarly to his first book, this first person narration takes us on a journey of the character’s relationship, but there is so much here as well. The messiness of friendships, heartbreaks, dealing with a low self esteem and the being your authentic self – there are many interesting layers in this story. I like when I do not expect what’s going to happen, and I GASPED several times while reading Leading Man. There were fragments where I have felt seen, and seeing my experiences validated made the book even more engaging for me. I also liked the narrators voice, the self-deprecating humour, his art of deflection and the journey of self discovery on which he embarks. The ending was unexpected and really caught me by surprise! I imagined the whole story quite differently to be honest, it is rare for me to be so wrong!