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Reviewed by Cecelia Hopkins for Readers' Favorite
The Boyfriend App by Phenomenal Pen commences with a heartbroken Rapunzel, Kate Lapuz, crying because her former boyfriend, Josh Guerrero, is flaunting his new girlfriend. The narrative backtracks to describe their intense relationship and the incident when Kate stood up for a nerd, challenging Josh’s power as a gang leader. Kate loses her phone and is surprised when her mother tells her someone has returned it. Seeing an advertisement for an app called “My Dream Boyfriend,” Kate finds solace in an artificial intelligence she names “Ecto.” As Ecto’s responses become realistic, Kate wonders whether he is secretly Dion, the president of the school council. Dion eventually takes Kate to the prom, where Josh’s gang threatens harm. A surprising person comes to their rescue, but where is Ecto?
The Boyfriend App by Phenomenal Pen presents a vibrant teen romance with science and RPG influences. The narrative captured the teenage voice perfectly, while the inclusion of hashtags and techno-abbreviations made the style cutting-edge modern. I loved the cultural setting of the Philippines and relished the insight into the love life of a teen growing up in a different socio-economic environment than mine. The book was easy to read because the heroine narrated in English and chose for the AI to relate in English. Still, I liked the impression she was fluent in Filipino with some Asian languages. I thought I noticed a Spanish influence, which made me very curious. The teen’s interest in K-Pop was relatable, as were the connections to Japanese anime. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of The Boyfriend App by Phenomenal Pen and recommended it to a young adult audience.
