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I’m probably gonna run out of superlatives pretty quickly in this review, just as a heads-up. Because I mean.

Damn.

GODDAMN.

MAN O’ WAR by Cory McCarthy is such a beautiful, thoughtful, nuanced story. I’m not even sure where to begin with a review. This book is quite literally everything I could hope for in a contemporary YA novel: it’s angsty as fuck, it’s funny, it’s at times unbearably sad, and it’s written with such soul-bearing honesty that you can’t help but feel profoundly moved.

I also feel like, at a time when queer books are being banned from school libraries all over this country, MAN O’ WAR could quite literally be a lifeline to many teens. Real talk, the importance of this book can not be overstated. And more than anything, I hope MAN O’ WAR finds its way into the hands of those that most need it.

The story follows River McIntyre over several years of their life. River is a high school student & swimmer who lives in a small town in Ohio, famous for its aquarium, SeaPlanet.

It’s on a field trip to SeaPlanet that River meets Indy, and everything changes. River is someone who is carrying around a lot of trauma, as they struggle with internalized homophobia and gender dysphoria. Indy is agender, and has a much better handle on who they are.

Over the course of their (really complex) relationship, Indy sort of guides River on a journey of self-acceptance & understanding. Their relationship is not an A to B kind of thing; it stops & starts & meanders a bit & there’s a lot of “will they, won’t they” vibes. It’s brutally sweet & romantic, and captured my heart completely. I’ve seen McCarthy mention once or twice that they structured the story similarly to “When Harry Met Sally,” which is a movie I’ve not actually seen. If you have seen it, it’s possible some of the story beats may feel familiar to you. But there’s really something unique about the way River & Indy’s relationship unfolds over the course of the novel.

I think one of the more complex dynamics in MAN O’ WAR is between River and their Mom. There are some really difficult scenes in the book, as River‘s Mom is not very accepting of River’s evolving identity. There is love there, but it’s messy & painful. Additionally, River’s older brother is asexual, so Mom is just struggling with having two queer children, and this lack of acceptance at home really permeates a lot of the story.

This book just fucking killed me, in all the best ways. While it’s heavy & sad & painful at times, this is a book that is intensely joyful & celebratory, too. It’s weird & quirky & fun & snarky…I just adored every last detail in MAN O’ WAR, and I cannot recommend it enough. I’ve just barely scratched the surface on all the things that this book does so well…this comes out on May 31st, so pre-order it if you are able!

MAN O’ WAR is an absolute treasure of a novel & easily one of my favorite reads of the year!

Massive thanks to Cory McCarthy for sending an ARC my way, and to my incredible friend Delara for organizing an unofficial street team to scream about this wonderful book!

Some content warnings to note: gender dysphoria, internalized homophobia, cissexism, racism, misgendering.