Book Review: Yes No Maybe So

In the spirit of the upcoming election this November (by the way, go vote!), I've decided to write a review on a YA novel that centers around an election in Georgia. "Yes No Maybe So" by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed follows the two main characters, Jamie and Maya, as they grow closer just as the polls do.

Jamie and Maya are brought together under unusual circumstances. Jamie's cousin has him volunteering for his local state senate candidate, mostly by sending him on snack runs. When the election becomes a tougher battle, Jamie, who has extreme stage fright, is asked to go door-to-door to help with the election.

Maya, who just wants to have a happy Ramadan, is met with the separation of her parents and an absent BFF instead. Her mother, busy with work, offers Maya the chance to earn a car by canvassing for the local candidate.

Maya told her mother that she would try it exactly once, and if she didn't like it, she would figure out a different way to earn money for a car. Jamie is convinced that Maya wants to canvass so that she can do her political part in the election because the two are seventeen and unable to vote until the following year.

Neither of them thought that the combination of canvassing + Target + Fifi the racist, anti-semantic poodle would create such a strong friendship. But as the race to election day gets closer, so do Maya and Jamie. Maya helps Jamie break out of his shell, while Jamie becomes the friend Maya never knew she needed.

But will this friendship blossom into something more? Or will the end of the campaign signal the end of whatever relationship Maya and Jamie have? Overall, this book is a great YA romance. "Yes No Maybe So" by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed is a great book about overcoming differences and being active in the politics that affect everyone every day.

My rating: 4.5/5. Let me know if you guys have any recommendations for YA novels with cross-cultural couples! If you are eligible, get ready to vote this Tuesday! If you are not, consider what you can do to spread the word like Jamie and Maya!