Sixteen-year-old Dylan Highmark thought his winter was going to be full of boring shifts at the Dairy Queen, until he finds himself in love with a boy who’s literally too hot to handle.
Dylan has always wanted a boyfriend, but the suburbs surrounding Philadelphia do not have a lot in the way of options. Then, in walks Jordan, a completely normal (and undeniably cute) boy who also happens to run at a cool 110 degrees Fahrenheit. When the boys start spending time together, Dylan begins feeling all kinds of ways, and when he spikes a fever for two weeks and is suddenly coughing flames, he thinks he might be suffering from something more than just a crush. Jordan forces Dylan to keep his symptoms a secret. But as the pressure mounts and Dylan becomes distant with his closest friends and family, he pushes Jordan for answers. Jordan’s revelations of why he’s like this, where he came from, and who’s after him leaves Dylan realizing how much first love is truly out of this world. And if Earth supports life that breathes oxygen, then love can only keep Jordan and Dylan together for so long.
THE TEMPERATURE OF ME AND YOU is the story of first love, and the lengths we’ll go to figure out our hearts. What starts as an electric, chance encounter at a Dairy Queen quickly evolves into a heated romance, a journey of trust and identity, and a ticking clock for survival.
Dylan is working at Dairy Queen when he meets a boy who comes in and explodes an ice cream all over them. I mean, it doesn’t really matter because said boy is super cute and Dylan has always wanted a boyfriend… and then the most amazing guy just seemed to pop into existence.
Even though they’re at two different schools, Dylan and Jordan form a fast friendship and soon enough, things are progressing. The problem is that things are a little bit odd at the same time. Jordan is hot to the touch… literally. And eventually, Dylan feels as though he is getting sick with something.
This book is a great one! There is a wonderful first love-crush, there is a mystery complete with cars following people around and a potential pyromaniac, there is a fantasy flare because there’s a bizarre reason that Jordan runs hot. There is a lot going on and Brian Zepka has done a remarkable job of writing this story.
I really liked the intrigue in this novel. I was guessing at what was going on from the first meeting, and the author dished out the plot at a fantastic pace that kept me reading like a maniac. I found that I really connected with Dylan… his brain was a lovely place to be – he was adorable, chaotic and a bit of a disaster at times. I could definitely relate to him.
Friendship is a big theme in this story. There are friendships forged and challenged and some friends that appear where the characters least expect it. Dylan is often struggling to navigate the world of friendships and I felt as though it was really authentic. How much do you trust your friends? Do you trust them enough to tell them your darkest secrets? Do you trust them enough to tell them something that might put you at risk?
Secrets can be dangerous…but sometimes sharing them is the only way that you can move forward in life.
Get this book, snuggle up in the chair with a snack and a drink because you’re going to want to read this is one sitting.
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I received an ARC of The Temperature of Me and You by Brian Zepka from Disney/Hyperion via Edelweiss in exchange for an unbiased review.
Kinzie Things 