My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan (Justin Goldblatt, #1) by Seth Rudetsky

My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan (Justin Goldblatt, #1) Reviews

• 
  TheBookSmugglers

  Originally posted on
  The Book Smugglers
  
  Justin Goldblatt has had enough of being the unpopular fat kid at school. He is fed up with being bullied, tired of his circle of friends and so he decides to start anew and become the New Justin. His goals are to become popular by mingling with the in-crowd and to date Chuck, the hottest guy in school. Does he care that Chuck is straight? No. Does he care that he doesn’t actually knowhow he is going to achieve these? NO! For Justin is a blindly optimistic guy.
  
  He is also very, very lucky because the perfect opportunity arises when he decides to help popular girl Becky going around her father’s back to continue dating Chuck (whom her father abhors) by pretending to date her himself. The idea is that this plan will help him spending time with the popular kids (and therefore become popular by association) and with Chuck as well and who knows? Maybe Chuck will realise that he is actually gay and hook up with Justin.
  
  Never mind that he will break Becky’s heart in the process; never mind that he will become a douchebag; never mind his best friend Spencer (who is also gay) won’t understand his need to be popular and will distance himself from Justin. Justin will be happy no matter what.
  
  Unfortunately the same cannot be said about this reader. I was not a happy person reading My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan (emphasis on the awful) as I took issue with the execution of the story as well as the writing.
  
  Starting with the writing which I think, is where the book really stumbles. There is confusion and indecision about whether the book is present tense or past. Often I felt lost about which point in time Justin us. At times, he would refer to things happening in the recent past (“Ok, so this afternoon around four, Chuck and Becky arrived”) and then they would happen right now (“Oops. I have to pass a note”).
  
  And then, there were the super awkward, artificial transitions. For instance, Justin sits down during a period break and point blank says he will remember something that happened a few weeks ago. Cue to flashback, followed by: “That’s right – it took me almost an entire period to think through what happened that afternoon”. Another time he says “But here’s the backstory quickly.” Cue to backstory. And so on and so forth.
  
  And although I do agree that are some funny moments in the book, I did feel some of the jokes were very forced. And at least one of them was downright dismaying: when considering the lies he was telling, Justin thought about the Nazis and how people bought their lies and started believing them and he says:
  
  "Wow. I never imagined I would one day say this, but…thank you, Nazis!"
  
  Does the fact that the main character is Jewish excuse the joke? I am not sure but personally, it made me feel really uneasy.
  
  Furthermore, the book is filled with stock characters that are never truly developed beyond “popular” or “bully”. The storyline is contrived (the book is about a plan that doesn’t even exist until someone else conveniently gives the main character the chance he needs) and despite all the thoughtless decisions he makes, in the end Justin is actually the happiest person ever without any real consequences to his actions. Everything is magically resolved very predictably by the end of the book: everything is peachy, everybody is accepting, Justin realises something really important in about 2 seconds, and even the “bully” conveniently has a change of heart just because.
  
  I have nothing against uplifting stories. I LOVED My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger with its exuberant happiness and optimism. I obviously completely support the basic premise of acceptance and anti-bullying that the story proposes. The thing is: whilst I agree with the sentiment, I vehemently oppose the execution. I believe you can have the good message and the optimism and also have substance and good technique. It is not one OR the other. Basically, we should be able to have the cake and eat it too.
• 
  Randee

  I listened to this on Audible and found it charming, amusing and uplifting in a goofy sort of way. Seth Rudetsky wrote and reads the role of Justin Goldblatt, a gay sophomore, who has a crush on the star quarterback of his school; the good looking, straight, Chuck. I think Seth did a perfect job of narrating the character. His best friend, Spencer, is narrated by Jesse Tyler Ferguson, of Modern Family. He does a nice job as well. If that wasn't enough, Ana Gasteyer from SNL fame and Josh Gad from Book of Mormon on Broadway and Olaf's voice in Frozen, also are characters. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for stories whose characters wise up and leave their shallow ways behind when they realize what the important things are in life. Regardless of age, sexual preference, gender, nationality, etc...stories where someone takes a step forward on the road to enlightenment are deeply satisfying to me.
• 
  Diane Adams

  I confess that I often found Justin to be rather annoying and self-centered, yet I still cared about what happen to him. The book title says it all--he thought he had an awesome plan to become popular, but most people would quickly see its flaws! I'd like to say this is a book about figuring out who you really are, but Justin is actually pretty clear about who he is--he just wants to change his social status and get a kiss from a very specific person. But perhaps it is about recognizing who your friends are...and about what it's like to be a gay theatre kid out on Long Island. And I like Justin enough to race right into the sequel to this book...
• 
  Jim

  Funny, frantic Justin wants to be popular for all the wrong reasons. After lying his way to the Cool U lunch table, he almost loses his true friends. Through a series of events, this witty tale makes one want to shake some sense into narrator Justin's frizzy-haired gay head. But he does learn how to accept himself in the end; a great read for YA fans.
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  Terri

  I really appreciate that Seth Rudetsky wanted to contribute to the growing list of GLBTQ books for teens, and I really appreciated his very sincere note at the end of the book (these are reasons I gave the book two stars, instead of one), but this book was as bad as the title: "My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan." I picked it up because it promised humor, and finding more humorous books to recommend to my students is one of my goals for the summer. Unfortunately, I groaned in pain more than I laughed at this one.
  
  Justin Goldblatt is fifteen, gay, Jewish, chubby, and unpopular. Sound familiar? He comes up with a plan to survive the remainder of high school happily by becoming popular and dating the high school quarterback. Sound familiar? The plan is convoluted, highly unbelievable, and uninteresting. Rudetsky repeatedly tells rather than shows. This makes the plot lag. In addition, the plot is very predictable. The familiar "look at what you already have before seeking it elsewhere" takes away any element of surprise in the story. It is clear right off that the person Justin should be with has been there all along - his best friend, Spencer. As a result, I kept asking myself why I was wasting my time reading this - but I was hopeful that the book would redeem itself with a great ending.Nope - the ending was rushed and anti-climactic.
  
  Again, I appreciated the effort at GLBTQ literature and encourage the author to keep working, but this just didn't do it for me. Certainly themes of "be true to yourself," "don't bully," "karma," "appreciate what you have," "parenting," etc. are all important and worthy of exploration - but, since they are somewhat tried and true, exploring them in a new and interesting way, and allowing the reader to figure some tings out for him/herself, is also desirable. This was disappointing.
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  Richard

  When I got to the end of the third chapter, I realized I had read this short, amusing teen novel once before, probably soon after its release. I enjoyed revisiting this coming out tale told from Mr. Rudetsky's comic viewpoint. It is a clever story of friendships and the wisdom of showing your true self to the world.
• 
  Andrew

  Justin Goldblatt, a chubby, afro sporting, Jewish closeted High school sophomore has an awesome popularity plan: to get the trust of COOL U (aka the Prep/Jock table) to get close to the hunky football quarterback, Chuck.
  To do so, he ends up serving as the fake boyfriend to Chuck's girlfriend, Becky (whose father disapproves of Chuck). His newfound popularity gets the school bully of his back, so that part of the plan works.
  However, when the plan goes terribly awry with the inner monologues of his best friend Spencer, the disastrous secretive planning of his parents, the strongly developed friendship with Becky, the school play, and the Spring Dance (of course all overly stereotyped and made fun of) has a charming fairytale ending.
  I am pleasantly surprised how well Seth Rudetsky made this book not just a fun (overly thought teen inner monologue of drama of coming out and dealing with stuff like first kiss), but how modern he makes the book feel. I know readers down the road or probably even in a couple of years will say, "That's definitely from the early 2000's", but when YA literature actually doesn't tell readers if the character has an I-phone or which laptop they have (it doesn't date itself).....But the most developed character is Justin and its nice for YA readers to have representation.
  
  Fun read! Don't read too much into it. Imagine a fun (mostly light-hearted) YA Rom Com!
  
  OH, and there's a sequel, Rise and Fall of a Theatre Geek (but BOTH books can be read as stand-alone. I only know that because I read the second one first by mistake and then read this a month or so later.)
• 
  Tom Heeren

  Uplifting young adult novel which shows many human flaws among many characters: Justin, Spencer, Becky and Chuck. They all represents the 21st century youth but we feel the same as Justin when we were in high school or university back in the 1980s.
  
  Justin, a gay sophomore at an unidentified Connecticut high school, jumped too fast in chasing his crush, Chuck in order to be his boyfriend while missing his TRUE main love interest, Spencer. Becky was trying to overcome her father's putting her down all the time. The teen angst in the novel was a big theme as Justin struggled to find his own person as well as falling slowly in love with Spencer. He finally completed the dare suggested by Spencer: kissing his best friend in front of the Spring Fling crowd.
  
  Mr. Rudetsky hasd done a wonderful job developing the teen novel in an attempt to help gay teenagers accept themselves for who they are. The grade? A plus and a recommended reading assignment in high school English class.
  
• 
  Robert

  This earned a third star because I listened to the Audible version, with its full cast presentation. Seth's voice (which I'm very familiar with from his Sirius XM shows) makes Justin feel real, because as he say says in his closing note, the main character is based on Seth's high school self. Unfortunately, the plot is not based on Seth's life and suffers because of it's being "completely made up," apparently from every gayboy novel/movie of the last 30 years. As others have noted, the plot and characters seem lost in time somewhere between 1980 and the present and Justin's dilemma just doesn't work. While the real Seth's "drama queen" persona works on his show, Justin's cluelessness feels unreal and makes him rather unlikeable. It is good that he grows over the course of the story, but, since he is the narrator, it would have helped if he had really appeared to have "gotten" it.
• 
  Ray

  I really like Seth Rudestky's deconstruction videos; his concerts with divas; and I liked his other (adult) novel. This one however fell flat. Justin is just not a likeable person and thus it wasn't a pleasant read. Part of the problem is that a modern day LGBTQ high school student is just different than one in the late 80s/early 90s. So a Broadway obsessed queen in the closet, stringing along a straight girl, perusing an asshole straight guy in the mid-2000s comes off like an asshole vs. confused/scared/etc.
  
• 
  Wendell Barnes

  Short and sweet YA book by a favorite celebrity, Seth Rudetsky, who I listen to nearly every day on XM Radio “On Broadway.” Justin is a great character, like Seth himself. Funny and insightful and there are probably some good lessons to he learned here from struggling teens. My teen years are now more than 50 years ago but I enjoy Seth’s humor and artistry and remain even more of a big fan after reading this first novel!
• 
  Jordan

  After about a year (or more?) of owning the sequel and not knowing it was a sequel, finally obtained this one from the library. Honestly, it was not a book where I was rooting for our protagonist. Not that I wanted to see him fail, I just wanted someone to knock some sense into him. I will say I love Seth Rudetsky’s writing, and I’ll probably be jumping into the sequel really soon!
• 
  James

  A chubby gay kids wants to make the most popular jock in school his boyfriend even though he knows the jock is straight? Is this really humor? Is this really the best message we have to offer our LGBTQ youth?
• 
  Adam

  This was a very funny book, that actually made me laugh out loud at times. While it is not a steamy book, it makes for it in laughs.
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  Jen Ifer's Inklings

  3.5 stars. It was cute and had a good moral/wrap up to it. It was kind of predictable and I felt like it was very junior high-ish. Justin kinda of bugged me, but I really adored Spencer.
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  Sarah Marie

  This book must be experienced in audiobook form
  Found it really good
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  Mary

  Fun and fat-paced, but boy was Justin kind of awful (or maybe just dense?).
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  Michael

  Extremely elementary.
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  Stephanie

  4.5/5
  I have a total talent crush on Seth Rudetsky. I've seen him be hilarious on that Legally Blonde talent search show, I've read his columns for Playbill.com, and I've heard him on Sirius XM on Broadway. He's so funny and so knowledgeable about music and Broadway. However I wasn't sure if he could write a novel with characters I would care about-he's so good at that other stuff; could he be good at this too?
  
  Well, I am happy to say that I found this book immensely satisfying with a likable MC and lots of funny bits, even if it is very predictable. The plot revolves around unpopular Justin, a sophomore with an intense crush on jock Chuck and a burning desire to be popular. However he's awkward with weird friends until he comes up with a brilliant plan: pretend to date Chuck's secret girlfriend Becky since her dad hates Chuck; get closer to Chuck; become insanely popular. Of course, as the reader, you can spot all sorts of flaws with this plan but that doesn't mean that I stopped reading even as I predicted every element of the plot.
  
  First Justin is a sweet kid even if his priorities are a little messed up. He loves piano and he knows every bit of Broadway minutia; I would totally want to be friends with him and like Becky, may even have developed a misguided crush, were I around him. His best friend Spencer is also a great kid even if he's a little frustrating. I also liked that both boys knew they were gay and were pretty comfortable with that despite some of the awful kids around them. The story isn't so much about being gay as about navigating high school pitfalls, which everyone can relate to.
  
  Second this book is SO funny. I'm already familiar with Rudetsky's writing style from his columns but I found his fiction writing just as enjoyable. The pacing was pretty good although some parts dragged too much for my taste.
  
  And my last main point is that I loved the representation of the parents. They're pretty aware of Justin's life and a little interfering but with good intentions. They seemed pretty realistic and are responsible for some of the funniest moments. Love good YA parents!
  
  Now I'm not saying that this book is in any way groundbreaking. As mentioned it's very predictable but I think the humor adds a welcome aspect to it and really made me enjoy it. I closed the book with a big smile on my face because I was just so happy!
• 
  Emma

  Characters:
  The main character and narrator, Justin, is portrayed as the lovable yet totally clueless underdog of the high school hierarchy. The guy that would unfortunately never fit in socially at the top, but whose goal is to be popular. Justin’s superficial-ness is balanced out by his all knowing best friend Spencer, who is also gay and the only person Justin has ever come out to. Becky is the ever so sweet girl who is unfortunately in the way, being girlfriend to Justin’s desire Chuck. Chuck is the guy of Justin’s dreams. He’s model gorgeous and the quarterback of the football team, but of course everyone but Justin can tell that they wouldn’t be a match made in heaven.
  
  Plot:
  The plot of this book left a lot to be desired. Things progressed exactly as they appeared early on in the story, **KIND OF A SPOILER ALERT** (Highlight section to read) Boy is at the bottom of the high school food chain and just wants to be popular, by some coincidence he comes up with a scheme to be popular (and get the guy of his dreams), the boy’s plans fail but finds the silver lining (the actually perfect guy that was in front of him the whole time), boy learns life lesson and lives happily ever after, the end. ** There’s no doubt that the plot is clichéd, I just wish that the author would have put some kind of a unique spin on it.
  
  Writing Style:
  The narrative is Justin reiterating the more major events of his sophomore year very soon after the fact, almost like sporadic journal entries. The only thing that really bothered me about the writing was the almost constant reminder that Justin is both Jewish and gay. It was almost as though the author thought the reader would keep forgetting. I heard you the first time!
  
  Overall:
  My Awesome /Awful Popularity Plan is exactly as it appears, a fluff book, plain and simple. It’s not a book that will give you a new idea to ponder, or a plot that will leave you on the edge of your seat with a million unthinkable twist and turns. . Although I would have loved a bit more originality, it’s a book that does what it’s supposed to do. It’s meant purely as a fun, and short, story that may put a smile on your face. This type of story isn’t really my cup of tea, but it wasn’t a completely disappointing change from the norm. I’m giving it 3 of 5 stars, though I probably wouldn’t reread it.
• 
  Kiara Ramirez

  I've been reading this book for about two weeks so far, and I have to say this book is pretty cool to read during my free time and class. From what I read so far the main character Justin is basically not popular because of his choice of the people he surrounds himself with and because of his love for the male gender. Later in the story he basically comes up with a plan to become popular to others (mostly Chuck) he says:
  
  A)start dating someone (please let it be Chuck)
  B)have his first kiss
  C)Become popular
  
  Now he first step was to get along with Chuck, his dream boyfriend who is on the football team.While in french class chuck gets himself in trouble with Becky (his ex girlfriend)and all Justin could think of is how do I end up in detention as well to talk to Chuck.At first Justin didn't know what to do since he is a very diligent person, but after several times of trying to get detention his chance becomes clear.Now during class Chuck then starts some song related to the french teacher who was teaching them, as the rap or song goes on Justin wanted to go on and make himself look cool but get detention at the same time.After Justin's weird rhyming turn he ended up getting detention as he wanted to.As detention finishes he ends up chatting with Becky and Chuck (because he didn't get to sit with them), but later we meet Becky's dad (who disapproves of Chuck and Becky even being near each other after a video was made of them kissing to the public).To save Becky Justin makes Becky's dad think there going out with a stage kiss and since then they have been making a credible lie for everyone to believe this way Chuck's and Becky's relationship says a secret.
  
  So far I really love this book, it's funny,romantic,dramatic,and has me at the edge of my seat when I read it. It also takes place in school which make me understand it more of where he's coming from with his opinions and remarks.I just can't wait till I finish the book and see where Justin ends up in the end. Will he end up with Chuck? Will he get what he always wanted? What will happen with Chuck and Becky? Well I can't wait till I finish and find out.
• 
  Book Twirps

  3.5 stars
  
  Justin isn't exactly what the kids at his school would consider cool. He's short and pudgy, loves Broadway shows and plays violin. His friends Spencer and Mary Ann are pretty out there and don't help his cool factor at all, but Justin is determined to make two things happen his sophomore year: Claim the spot as the king of the cool table in the cafeteria, and date Chuck, the hottest guy in school. The problem is, Chuck isn't gay. In fact, he dates Becky, one of Justin's friends from choir, but that won't stop Justin.
  
  When Chuck gets thrown in detention, Justin makes sure he does too, just to spend a little time with the guy. This is when Justin comes up with the perfect plan. Becky's dad hates Chuck, but he loves Justin. So, Justin decides they will pretend that Becky is dating him, and when he and Becky go out on a date, Chuck will meet up with them which will allow Justin the opportunity to spend time with him. He's sure that once Chuck gets to know him he will find him totally irresistible. In his head, the plan seems perfect, but when does everything always go as planned?
  
  My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan is a cute book, but it felt overly familiar. Instead of the shy girl pining over the hot guy, we have an outcast gay kid pining over a hot guy. Don't get me wrong, the story, while not exactly fresh, it written well and with loads of humor. I found myself laughing out loud frequently. Mr. Rudetsky is a talented writer, and I look forward to reading more from him. I like his style and voice, I just wish the story had been a little less cliché. All in all, this is a cute book and I do recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, light-hearted read.
  
  (Review based on an Advanced Reader's Copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley)
• 
  Amy Lignor

  A great many readers will be reminded of a small movie called, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” as they read through this hysterical novel. Not only has the author combined a character that is fun and full of life, but he has also found a way to bring the gay community a ‘force’ to be reckoned with.
  
  Justin Goldblatt is a nice fifteen-year-old boy who wants what everyone else wants - to find the love of his life, go out on a date, get kissed, and have a future. Of course, Justin has a bit of a problem because he is constantly teased by the ‘jocks and jerks’ for his slightly ‘gay’ attitude. This is a boy, however, who has brains galore, and he makes his own ‘special plan’ on how to get the quarterback, Chuck, to somehow fall in love with him.
  
  Justin’s best friend is Spencer - a young man who is a Midwestern farmer in the looks department - and is a truly calm individual who doesn’t play into the ‘jock’ mentality. He stands up for Justin and tries to make him learn that being who you are is far more important than trying to shrug off the ridiculous ‘label’ that you are given by others. But Justin is not about to stop.
  
  When a plan begins to form that has Justin suddenly dating Becky (the quarterback’s girlfriend), and having Becky’s father dote on him because he’s a bright kid with a good future, the plan begins to grow larger and more out of control as Justin continues to focus on having Chuck be his soul mate for life.
  
  With a little bit of “Glee” thrown in for good measure, the author has done a sparkling job of engaging readers in a fun, well-thought-out book that offers schemes, humor, lessons taught and an all round good time. Enjoy!
  
  Until Next Time, Everybody.
  Amy
  
• 
  Stephanie

  I haven't read many LGTB books and admittedly this is my first that was devoted solely to the LGTB theme. My objections do not come from the content. Rudetsky kept it clean.
  
  I got this book at a book convention and heard Rudetsky speak about the book, his writing process, etc. He strikes me as the stereotypical gay man. His book, he admits, has loose similarities between his life and the protagonist (Justin's) life. I was able to relate to Justin through all the stereotypical gay men in my life. I guess my disappointment came from I was looking for a book that gave me a little more insight in unconventional ways. By this, I mean that depicted what life is like for someone who is homosexual, but is less stereotypical. So, if you're looking for that too...keep looking.
  
  Rudetsky is hilarious in person, but that didn't always transfer well in his novel. This is his first young adult novel and he doesn't seem to have fully developed his craft yet. I got a good sense of how conversations with him must go, but unfortunately random connections that would be funny in a conversation, disrupt the flow of a text. The plot was highly predictable. Just picture any awful high school book or movie. There were these awful jumps in time that made the flow seem choppy too. While not a direct quote, the gist would be: Oh! Got to go now. Everything has to be perfect and weeks have passed. Let me catch you up on everything. At times, it seemed rushed. I would have appreciated if he had put in more work on the front end.
  
  While I was satisfied with who he finally wound up with, it was a little too forced to weave in where everyone fit in at the book's close. If you are self-centered, or keep in mind that at some point all young adults are self-absorbed, you'll be fine.
  
  
• 
  Jeff

  I really enjoyed Seth Rudetsky's humorous Young Adult novel. Awesome/Awful is fun, entertaining read; not a guide for surviving high school. Having spent nearly 15 years in the public school system, I've come to know these student 'types' pretty well. Not to say that all the characters are stereotypical, they each have their own unique qualities, strengths and weaknesses; that set them apart as individuals and make them interesting. Teen angst comes in many forms and Rudetsky does a great job of exploring that here.
  
  Though Awesome/Awful has an overall positive LGBT message, it's not a preachy or agenda-driven book. Are there lessons that can be learned from it? Yes, of course- but I believe Rudetsky's goal here was to tell an entertaining story, not jump up on a soapbox and preach.
  
  It's hard to review it with complete objectivity- being familiar with Rudetsky and his public persona- both on stage and on the radio. The novel is written and reads the way he (Rudetsky) speaks in public. Someone unfamiliar, may find a totally different experience, finding the rhythm and patter of written word. I heard Rudetsky's voice in my head from the first to the last word on the page.
  
  Like Rudetsky, the character of Justin is an original. The way he thinks, what he says and does; always has a perspective that many might not think to see, on their own- or in the same light. Justin is on a journey of self discovery and trying to find his place; or, create his desired place in his school. His wacky perspective and attempts at love and popularity are both engaging and endearing, no matter how misguided they might be.
  
  In the end, the characters learn something about themselves, without letting go of their individuality.
  
  
• 
  Heather

  Justin has two goals for sophomore year: to date Chuck, the hottest boy in school, and to become part of the in crowd. Unfortunately, there are a few obstacles in his way. First of all, Chuck isn't gay; he's dating Becky, one of the most popular girls in school. The outlook isn't that great for Justin's popularity, either. He has the wrong look (short and plump with a "Jew-fro") and the wrong interests (Broadway, violin, choir). His friends aren't exactly helping his social status, either: Spencer is into Eastern religions, and Mary Ann's hippie mom won't let her shave her armpits. Then, with a stroke of genius, Justin comes up with a plan to get his man and cool new friends...but of course things don't go exactly as he expected.
  
  The basic content of this story is pretty standard young adult stuff, but (obviously) the protagonist's sexual orientation gives it a different perspective. It's great that we're seeing more LGBT teen lit these days, but there still isn't a ton. Anyway, Justin just completely cracked me up. I didn't care that the plot is predictable because I was having too much fun getting to know the characters. Sure, Justin is self-centered and kind of selfish, but who hasn't been like that at some point during adolescence? I still really liked and related to him. The ending is a bit too fairy-tale-like, and I think it glosses over the homophobia that would probably be there (especially at the end). However, it's a fun, entertaining story, and I enjoyed every page.
  
• 
  Stephanie (Stephs Stacks)

  Full Review and More on
  Steph's Stacks
  
  My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan is a fun, frothy, frolic that reminded me of some of my favorite “chick-lit” books. Justin finds himself in embarrassing/funny/awkward situations ala Becky Bloomwood and Bridget Jones. You can see that our hero is making bad decisions that will only lead to trouble, but it’s so much fun to see how he’s going to get out of it.
  
  I’ve been a fan of Rudetsky (better known for his Broadway resume) for years. He hosts a couple of my favorite Broadway talk shows on Sirius/XM’s Broadway Channel, writes regular features for Playbill and has been in several Broadway and Off-Broadway productions himself. With that in mind, I knew that Broadway musicals were going to feature in his debut novel and, as a fan, I relished the references, although they might not be for everyone.
  
  This is the first YA romance I’ve read that features a homosexual hero. I loved that it wasn’t preachy or deep. It just was. Justin is funny, sassy and awkward all at the same time and his BFF, Spencer, is a perfect foil to all of his half-baked plans.
  
  In the end My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan wasn’t so much about the differences between people with different sexual preferences, it was a testament to how similar their situations actually are. First crushes and first love are strange territory for any teenager and Rudetsky has shown just how funny it can be too.