REVIEW: Noah Could Never by Simon James Green

Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Scholastic
Topics: Humour, Teen Love
Release Date: June 7th 2018
Buy The Book: Book Depository

Noah and Harry are now officially boyfriends, but is Noah ready to go all the way? It's no help that a group of cosmopolitan French exchange students have descended on Little Fobbing - including sexy Pierre Victoire, who seems to have his eye on Harry! Meanwhile, Noah's paired up with a girl ... who, most outrageously, is not even French. But that's not all: the police are monitoring Noah, and he can't tell if it's because his dad and secret half-brother, Eric, have made off with his gran's fake diamonds; because his PE teacher is receiving mysterious cash infusions from Russia; or because drag queen Bambi Sugapops is hiding out at Noah's house in the midst of a knock-down, bare-knuckled drag feud. Will Noah ever catch a break?

Listen. You have no idea how much I've been looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of this sequel. In case you didn't already know, I adore Noah Can't Even. I love it so much that I scream about it online and recommend it whenever I get the chance. You can officially consider me to be a Noah Grimes Enthusiast. So to say I was pretty damn excited for this book is a bit of an understatement.

Noah Could Never picks up a little while after the events of the first book. Noah and Harry are now officially a couple and all is going well, apart from Noah's constant self doubt, that is. Obviously, I'm not going to go into the plot too much because I really don't want to spoil any of the amazing and completely wild surprises that get thrown at the characters, so I'll keep my fangirling spoiler-free. Just know that I loved the plot very much and it's just so FUN. You literally cannot predict anything that is going to happen in this book. It's impossible. It's also a very difficult book to review because honestly all I want to do is ASDFGHJKL;

actually me trying to write this review

You probably don't need me to confirm for you that this book is as hilarious as the first one, maybe even more so. Honestly. I was almost in tears laughing just a few pages in. I CAN'T COPE WITH THE HUMOUR IN THESE BOOKS.

Things I have learned reading Noah Could Never:

1. Try to avoid reading it surrounded by family who are going to question why you keep grinning down at the book in your lap like the biggest dork in the world.
2. READ WITH CAUTION ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT. I sincerely hope the poor commuters sitting across from me on the train didn't catch me fighting back the giggles. There are just certain scenes in this book that CANNOT be read in public. IT'S JUST TOO FUNNY FOR THAT, OKAY?

You also don't need me to reiterate how much I love Noah. I can't help but adore him, even when he's making huge mistakes which you know he's going to end up regretting. I didn't expect to relate to him, but the feelings of self doubt that he has really hit home more than I was ready for! He goes through a lot of moments when he feels like he doesn't deserve Harry, and believing he needs to be a better version of himself, trying various ways to change himself to what he thinks is deemed 'perfect'. Something that I really loved about this book is how, despite all of the laughs and wild situations, there were genuinely heartfelt moments between characters, and some very real issues were dealt with in a lighthearted way. Noah Could Never has a very cute message within its pages.

Whilst I'm talking about characters. Bambi. An incredible edition to this series. Just when you think this story couldn't get any better, we get introduced to the greatest drag queen Little Fobbing has ever seen, with perfect comedic timing and a wonderful catalogue of innuendos (though Pierre might just win the title of Best Innuendo Provider). 

• Cutest characters you will ever meet. Honestly. How do people get through life without reading about Noah and Harry.

• LITERALLY THE FUNNIEST. We all need a good, funny story every now and then. No matter what genre you usually read, it's always a good idea to pick up a book that's guaranteed to make you smile.

• French exchange students because every good YA story needs French exchange students at some point.

• Millie and the Dickheads. That's all I'm saying.

Noah Could Never is the perfect sequel. It really is. After all this waiting, it didn't disappoint. From a dodgy protein shake business to a road trip with a drag queen, this book throws so many unexpected yet utterly hilarious situations at the characters, and it's glorious. Hands down my favourite book of 2018 so far. If you haven't had a chance to read the first book, Noah Can't Even, but happen to be reading this review anyway: PLEASE PICK IT UP. It's the perfect read for Pride Month, and trust me when I say that it will make you smile. 

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