Book Review: Raya & Grayson's Guide to Saving the World

29 September 2019

Hello, folks! If you have been hankering for a book to read and you're looking to laugh, cry, gush, and fall in love, then have I got the book for you: Raya & Grayson's Guide to Saving the World by Catherine Dellosa. It's short and compelling enough that you can read it in one sitting, funny in all the right places, charming and relatable, and tear-inducing without being too sappy.

“If I don’t break your heart, the world is going to end.”
When Grayson posts about his girlfriend breaking up with him with that line in an anonymous “Breakup Confessions” thread, Raya recognizes the references and knows that it’s him.
Raya has been dealing with a deeply personal loss, with only her comic books to give her quiet comfort. But thanks to her forum-lurking, she now knows that the guy she’s been crushing on for years is single again. What’s that called, when she might actually have a chance with him but senior high school just ended and they’re heading off on separate paths forever and ever? It’s called a long shot. Right. Only heroes take a risk with those odds and still win.
But when Grayson walks into the hobby shop she works for and asks Raya for a comic book recommendation, Raya realizes that superheroes can come in all shapes and sizes. And as they bond over the summer on all things caped and geeky, Raya discovers that maybe—just maybe—she deserves a chance at a super-powered love story of her own.
Content warnings for readers include grief, off-page death of a parent, accidental death of young person told in flashback, cancer, illness of elderly person, characters kissing and considering having sex.

I feel like if I were part of their universe, I would have totally fit right in and in fact Raya and Grayson feel like my long-lost friends; I would've been a lurker at their online forum who is also a regular customer at Cowls at the Door, Please, the comic book shop Raya works in. I would've bumped into them at Cons. I would've been one of the many who saw Raya's inadvertent confessions and cheered them on from the safety of my keyboard.

Look, I don't want to reveal too many details because you deserve to read it with fresh eyes, in the same way that I didn't pay special attention to the content warnings so one of the twists surprised me. (That's not an invitation to go read the content warnings again, mind you.)

I loved this quote mostly because I related so much:
"There's nothing more exhilarating than having your significant other share the same weird interests with you, and when you find someone like that, well... he's a keeper."
My boyfriend got a long and cheesy text message from myself after I read that line, heh.

Don't mind us, we're just a couple of NPCs in Raya and Grayson's world.

ToyCon 2016
AsiaPOP Comicon 2016
Oreo's Spider-Man: Far From Home Event, 2019
But enough about inserting myself in what was supposedly a book review. If it wasn't clear before, I loved this book and if I could hire someone to write my and J's love story, then it would be Catherine Dellosa.

Can I also say that it's so refreshing to read about people celebrating their fandoms and not being mocked for it. I've had my fair share of this when I was a little younger because I am very excitable when it comes to things I like and I refuse to apologize for it. It's great that being a geek is considered cool now and we have a lot of businesses investing in hosting different types of Cons.

If there's anything that I had a little bit of a problem suspending my disbelief for, it's that a college student can own a comic book shop located inside a mall. Rent for even a kiosk at a mall can rack up to hundred thousands of pesos, and their store is even big enough to host events! I mean, not to say it is impossible, but it could be difficult and very expensive. That, and how there's no other staff aside from the owner Grace and Raya. What if they both need to be somewhere else? What if it's just Grace or Raya there and she need to pee?

That aside, I hope you can let Raya and Grayson into your bookshelves and/ or Kindle Libraries. The ebook is available on Amazon, while you can get physical copies of the book from #romanceclass, or you may contact the author directly on Twitter or Instagram.

One more thing! If you would like to read more romances written by Filipino authors, definitely check out the #romanceclass community! Feels Fest 2019 is happening next week, October 5, and we're having a Slumber Party! Listen to live readings, interact with romance authors and fellow readers, and purchase your next great read/s! Register here. I will be there and I would love to meet you! 

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