Bite me, Royce Taslim by Lauren Ho is a really unique and enticing book, it’s a romance/romcom that follows deeper themes as well, like how individuals can influence other people, how certain people can make you flourish while others might turn you hateful, how you shouldn’t close yourself off to those who love you, and so much more! The story mentions some heavy topics such as depression and how that can influence a household. The story itself follows Agnes Chan, a student who’s only wish is to get into a university abroad to follow her dreams in track and running, however her opportunity gets crushed and she has to find another way to get into a good college (with a partial scholarship or full ride as her family struggles financially). Agnes Chan then turns to a different hobby which turns out that it can help her catch and make new dreams, she meets a plethora of new personas and people. Two characters who really stood out to me were Vern and Zee. Vern is a struggling student, working multiple jobs to keep his aunt and him afloat, he met Agnes in her previous school and throughout the book they grow closer through stand up comedy. However, Verns prejudice against those who are more fortunate than him is obvious, he grew up not having a lot of opportunities and struggling to keep his family together (his
Mother and father leaving and his uncle dying),leading to him to have to take up a lot of responsibilities, and while this helps us understand his hatred towards the upper class, it doesn’t justify his manipulative view of individuals, life and the way he scorned people who Agnes held dear just because of their titals. Zee on the other hand is one of those upper class individuals, however she always try’s to help and support Agnes throughout the story, being an understanding friend. Zee wants to make a name of her own and not rely on her families influence for everything, she goes through a time where she starts to doubt her authentic self and whether she truly can become someone not just known for their last name. Overall the books is written with a lot of modern slang, however I think it might have been a little bit over used, additionally i don’t think there was enough chemistry between Agnes and Royce (the male lead), on the other hand the addition of “showing” the text messages was a good detail and really helped you relate to the characters. I would recommend this book to people with aspiring dreams, people who want to show others that they’re more than just their stereotypes, and to those struggling to trust people, this book will explore why it’s important to let people in for your happiness and how this can help you become a better person!

Reviewed by Soph