Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender
Amulet Books
Summary: Lark Winters wants to be a writer, and for now that means posting on their social media accounts––anything to build their platform. When former best friend Kasim accidentally posts a thread on Lark’s Twitter declaring his love for a secret, unrequited crush, Lark’s tweets are suddenly the talk of the school—and beyond. To protect Kasim, Lark decides to take the fall, pretending they accidentally posted the thread in reference to another classmate. It seems like a great idea: Lark gets closer to their crush, Kasim keeps his privacy, and Lark’s social media stats explode. But living a lie takes a toll—as does the judgment of thousands of Internet strangers. Lark tries their best to be perfect at all costs, but nothing seems good enough for the anonymous hordes––or for Kasim, who is growing closer to Lark, just like it used to be between them . . .
In the end, Lark must embrace their right to their messy emotions and learn how to be in love.
My Thoughts: There is so much to like about Lark & Kasim’s story. There is drama, because of course there is drama, but it is also a story that provides some warm, fuzzy feelings and I appreciated that this week.
Like the summary implies, mistakes are made and they lead to more mistakes and lies which gets everyone all tangled up and at odds. Lark and Kasim aren’t the only ones getting all twisted up though. As expected, the people around them also have to deal with the fallout. It is an interesting cast of characters too. I would have enjoyed getting to know some of them even more, but a few do get some extra time on the page and definitely add to the story.
As a frequent Twitter user, I could appreciate Lark’s concerns about how an online presence can sometimes take an emotional toll. Balancing real life and in person relationships with those on Twitter can truly take a lot of thought. There’s a lot of calling out and calling in and discussion about how that works and how one can and/or should do that in a way that is healthy and manageable.
Many ideas beyond social media are contemplated like life, love, how to make change happen and more. Since much of the story happens in writing classes and involves writing, there is also a fair bit of wondering about how the world works, what makes a good story, and how to keep writing new things. All of these things kept me pondering my own beliefs and ideas along the way.
Recommendation: Get this soon especially if contemporaries are your thing and even more if writing is an interest. It’s not strictly a romance, but romance is present so that is an added bonus. I’ve loved all of Kacen Callender’s previous works and this is no exception.
Pages: 336
Availability: On shelves now
Review copy: Physical ARC