Book Review: Overemotional by David Fenne
Published: July 6th 2023 by Ink Road
Rating: ★★★★ (4)
Genre: Young Adult // Fantasy, LGBT
Quick Thoughts: A force to be reckoned with, a wild ride of friendship, escapades to survive and always being true to yourself.
About The Book:
Sometimes, emotions can be a little too powerful…
Seventeen-year-old Steven has a big problem… Whenever he feels intense emotions, weird things happen. Like when he kissed a boy for the first time, and the boy’s head literally exploded.
Fleeing to the miserable town of Grunsby-on-Sea, Steven is determined to not hurt anyone else – but he doesn’t count on his best friend Freya, her boyfriend Marcus and American friend Troy following him. And when agents from the mysterious DEMA organisation show up talking about “neutralisation”, Steven realises that Grunsby-on-Sea might not be the safe haven he’d hoped for…
First Thoughts
When I was offered the chance to read Overemotional, I was intrigued more than ever. Special powers?? Mysterious agents hunting you down?? Friends helping you on the run?? I dived in so fast, especially because it’s been ages since I’ve read a modern Urban Fantasy that sounds this interesting!
My Review
Main character Steven is in trouble. Well, he would be if he hadn’t packed his bags and ran after kissing someone and their head, you know, going poof! He lugs himself and a few things to the dark and dreary town of Grunsby-On-Sea to hide out, trying to find work and keep his head down in a flat with peeling retro wallpaper and more questions than answers. Dubbing himself an emomancer with his new emotion-fueled powers is one thing, but getting a handle on them is another. Any strong, overwhelming emotion and control slips away easily.
Enter Freya, Steven’s best friend (we get to see her POV as well which was really great to see the other side of things) and greatest confidant. When she turns up in Grunsby-On-Sea with her boyfriend Marcus and friend Troy in tow, Steven isn’t sure what to think. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone else, especially not his friends, but it is nice having them for moral support. But when mysterious agents show up, clearly alerted by Steven’s powers, he begins to realise that this gritty, small town might not be the best cover after all. And when Steven and his friends uncover a dangerous rogue plot that threatens to wreck havoc, they find themselves battling against not only people out to get them, but the true intentions behind it all.
Overall, Overemotional was a force to be reckoned with, a wild ride of friendship, escapades to survive and always being true to yourself. I adored the friendships in this story. They felt like an ode to the old types in British TV shows I watched as a teen, the banter and inside jokes never missing. I would love to see more novels set in the Overemotional world because I think that the adventures that Steven and friends began are only just beginning. I would highly recommend this to mid-teens to older who love modern fantasy novels with LGBTQ+ rep. An epic four star novel!
About The Author
David Fenne is an author, actor and improv comedian. Originally from a small village in coastal Dorset, he went to London in 2012 for drama school (studying American Theatre Arts at Rose Bruford College). He also trained abroad for half a year at Syracuse University, NY, an experience that inspired a lot of the transatlantic humour in his writing. Currently, he works as a scriptwriter for an e-learning platform and runs long-form improv theatre company Pinch Punch. From improvised musical pantos to a sell-out Agatha Christie-style improvised whodunnit, he’s entertained audiences the length and breadth of the UK (in many a wig and outrageous accent).
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happy reading!
