In Which Page Powars Gives Readers Everything in “But I Hate Him”
Olivia Lindquist ‘26 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Page Powars’ junior novel But I Hate Him released August 25th after a press tour featuring notable authors like Casey McQuiston and Lyla Sage. After receiving starred reviews from publications such as Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and School Library Journal, But I Hate Him is a triumph in contemporary coming of age romance.
The novel follows Rory, heir to the Prince List Tutoring throne, as he copes with a 36th loss against his sworn academic rival, Luca Melendez, and has a very public breakdown that threatens his whole academic future. After being sent to BRAIN Camp (Bachelor’s Retreat for Advancement, Influence, and Notoriety), Rory battles with the knowledge that he can either continue living as a puppet of his parents and win the Medal of Victory at the end of camp to guarantee an Ivy League admissions, or he can learn who he is without them and find love along the way.
Powars’ works are a masterclass in queer YA literature, taking contemporary trending tropes and making them into something of his own creation. After a home run with And They Were Roommates, Powars comes out swinging with this swooning academic rivals to lovers romance that’s reminiscent of Gilmore Girls and Jenna Voris’ Say a Little Prayer. But I Hate Him is the perfect end of summer novel for teens returning to school and anyone who’s looking for the next #queerjoy novel.
*Spoilers Ahead*
Told through Rory’s perspective, a biting and unreliable narrator, the reader follows his journey through the novel towards his satisfying moment of enlightenment at the end of the third act. The novel itself is riveting and un-put-down-able as readers watch Rory make mistake after mistake to unravel the mess his parents created within him and his identity.
Powars gives readers a beautiful journey of self-discovery and self-love while also creating a toe-curling, feet-kicking romance between Rory and Luca. He proves that the line between “hate” and “love” is often blurred—especially when the subject is always on the mind of the protagonist. Rory discovers the growing crush he’d actually had on Luca throughout the novel, while Luca is finally shooting his shot after being infatuated with Rory since their first academic competition three years before, now that Rory is out of his parents’ grasp.
Rory is messy, rude, and everything an academic weapon stereotypically is, but with his internal narration, readers get to see the side of Rory that Luca fell in love with. They get to see the side that’s passionate about science and astronomy, the side that’s obsessed with puzzles, the side that is kind to others when there aren’t any competitive stakes on the line.
At 291 pages, Powars sets out to do the impossible and put an enemies to lovers in a contemporary setting and he succeeds. Readers can see the hatred Rory has and as that starts to unravel the more Luca gives him attention, they can also follow the thin line of affection that was interwoven throughout the beginning of the narrative. A fanfiction writer at his core, Powars combines the serious narrative with hilarious chapter titles that remind readers of the levity of a summer academic camp.
Powars also wildly succeeds in creating queer characters where their identities are just a small facet of their person and not the focus of the story—a common theme in his writing as seen with And They Were Roommates. Readers don’t have to worry about experiencing transphobia in Rory’s shoes or homophobia either. They can enjoy the story with an acknowledgement of those concepts without it bringing the mood down—still a rare thing to find in queer literature. Readers can see the ghosts of what Rory may have faced in the past—some of which being instilled in him by his parents and their need for control rather than intentional harm—but the story focuses on the budding happiness and love Rory finds in a self-discovery journey he was previously denied in favor of his parents’ life plan for him.
The story is intense and tumultuous and everything a reader would want from something like this as Powars continues to prove his skills in the YA space. Give the novel a chance, and be pleasantly surprised by the epitome of #queerjoy in Powars’ work as it joins the queer literary canon alongside great authors like Casey McQuinston and paves the way for more trans-focused stories in the traditional publishing market.
Olivia Lindquist received an ARC copy of But I Hate Him by Page Powars from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.