Hi friends and happy Wednesday! I hope you’re all doing well! Today I’m posting my review of Mark Oshiro’s novel, You Only Live Once, David Bravo.

You Only Live Once, David Bravo by: Mark Oshiro: It’s the first day of middle school for David Bravo and his best friend Antoine. They won’t be in the same classes anymore and they’re both bummed about starting this new chapter apart. After a disastrous first day, all David wants is a do-over… which is exactly what he gets. He accidently summons a timeline guide in the form of a talking dog named Fea, who is able to change past events to make sure he’s on the right track. This ended up being a really cute and immersive story; the novel really turned itself around because the reader was really worried they weren’t going to like this. This started off fun and light, a little bit of time travel, with a witty sarcastic side animal, but the more we kept going back, the more the reader kept feeling like we were living Groundhog Day and it got old really quick. Also, on a side note, the fact that ‘you only live once’ was said so many times in this was tedious to read; we got it the first couple times it was referenced, after the fifth time it just felt like we were being beaten over the head with it. As we entered the second half the novel, nearing the end, that’s when things really started to pick up and so many things were kinda thrown at the reader in terms of plot development. The ending felt a little rushed, like we learned a lot about David and his birth parents and their story all within the last few chapters and it felt really info-dumpy; the reader wished it could have been spread out better. In the last half it also felt like the plot got more serious. This really tackled anxiety, especially in children, really well; as someone who has dealt with anxiety as a child, this felt very, very relatable and made this reader feel seen. They can’t speak on the topics of adoption, but this felt very authentic and something kids who are adopted could relate to. The queer representation was also beautiful to see; first crushes are always so cute to read about once you’ve outlived that stage in your life; they’re less awkward to read about and more wholesome. The main character, David, really learned a lot over the course of this novel; the reader had to admit that he was a bit whiney to start, and that combined with the repetitive plot, made this a shaky start, but both the plot and David got better as the novel went on. The side animal, Fea, was a really great side character, she’s lovable in a quirky kind of way. She got on your nerves to start, much like she got on David’s nerves, but you soon grew to love her as she really does care, and the reader could feel that. David’s best friend, Antoine, was a great character, too as he was so supportive and he had such cool views – it’s too bad we couldn’t get his POV, but there was already a lot happening. All of the parents felt so present and active in their kid’s lives, it was a joy to read. In the end, this was a well written, fantasy-like story, full of heart and wit.