Review Detail

GOING BICOASTAL is a YA contemporary with an interesting premise. Natalya has to decide what she is going to do over the summer. Her parents are divorced and living on opposite coasts, where both have high-powered careers and a plan for her summer. The story is told in alternating possibilities, one where she stays in New York and begins to get to know the redhead she has had a crush on (Elly) and the other where she goes to LA and meets a cute fellow intern (Adam). Each possibility is transformative in its own way.

What I loved: This was a really unique idea, and the bisexual rep is great and well-executed. The two potentials were given similar weight, though many readers will form their particular favorites. The story really shows how a decision can change everything and inform the future. Natalya was an interesting character, and the story stays pretty light throughout in showing how her summer is shaped by her decision to either stay where she's been or to go somewhere new.

What left me wanting more: While I thought the idea was interesting in principle, I found it tough to manage the switches mentally. As I would start getting into one of the possibilities, it would switch to the other, and it was tough to invest in both with the switching. For me, I found it to be confusing in places and a bit disorienting as well as repetitive at first, since some of the same stuff is repeated for both possibilities. I found her parental relationships a bit challenging as well, as both were a bit neglectful and it could be really tough to see without much addressing.

Final verdict: Overall, GOING BICOASTAL is an intriguing YA contemporary romance that shows how a choice can change everything.