Review: Bananapants by Penny Reid

Bananapants by Penny Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own.

This reads as a complete standalone, but if you have been a Penny Reid fan for a long time you will recognize some of the characters that make appearances.  This follows Ava and Desmond, who happen to be children of Fiona and Greg and Janie and Quinn from the Knitting in the City series.  If you have read and loved that series, their are appearances from some of the other characters from that series. Ava and Desmond were best friends until he ghosted her at 15 and they haven't spoken in years.  They run into each other at a party where Ava is impersonating a friend of hers, and Des is working a job.  This kicks off a series of events full of comedy, discussions about mental health, and action packed Robin Hood type shenanigans as Ava and Des reenter each others lives.  As they get to know each other again, they fall right back into their best friend roles, only this time there is undeniable attraction between them.  Their romance is a little unorthodox, especially as they are both inexperienced in different ways, but they figure it out especially when they realize communication is key.  I loved getting to know them.

I'm not sure if this is going to be a new series with the second generation of Knitting in the City characters, but if it is I'm here for it.  I absolutely adore Penny's books and will read whatever she writes.  Her books are always a mix of comedy, romance, emotion, and thoughtful subject matter.  In this installment we get the very real topic of bipolar disorder.  The author is very open about the representation in the book and the neurodiverse nature of her characters.  Make sure you read the author's note.  I always love the amount of research and care Penny puts into her books because I always learn something new and I get an entertaining read with wonderful characters.  I loved this and I loved that we got to revisit with some favorite characters from the past.

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