Review: The Other Five Percent by Quinn Anderson

Logan Vanderveer has a joke he’s been telling since college: he’s ninety-five percent straight. He did some experimenting in school, but none of the men he fooled around with inspired him to abandon “the plan”: meet a nice girl, get married, and settle down, just like his parents always said.

None of them except Ellis Floyd, who aroused desires and feelings that scared Logan. So much so that he abandoned their burgeoning relationship just as it might have become something. But four years later, Ellis is back, and Logan finds himself questioning his sexuality in a big way.

Ellis doesn’t fit into Logan’s plan. He’s happy being a starving artist, whereas Logan has sold his soul to corporate America. Ellis is ripped jeans, and Logan is tailored suits. And, most notably, Ellis is out. But seeing him again is dredging up memories—like how it feels to kiss Ellis, and that time they almost went all the way. With chemistry like theirs, Logan isn’t sure he can—or should—keep ignoring the other five percent.

I got an e-ARC of this book through Netgalley.

Well, this one was disappointing.

I can’t even begin to explain why it was disappointing because… well, nothing about it worked for me, which was a (very sad) surprise. Even thought I hated the ending of Hotline by the same author, that book had awesome writing and really interesting characters. Reading it was pleasant, fun. But reading The Other Five Percent was almost painful.

First, because it’s too short. There is no time to develop the characters & their relationship, no time to really get to know them. Second, what we get to know about the characters isn’t that interesting. Logan and Ellis have no depth and I couldn’t care less about them & their past relationship.

But what made me really dislike this book was how condescending Ellis was about Logan’s sexuality. Now, don’t get me wrong: I completely understand why Ellis was angry because he had every right to be, but there is line between being pissed off your ex-boyfriend won’t even admit he likes men and using his denial to be condescending about his sexuality with other people in front of said ex-boyfriend. The whole thing was so unnecessary it was a bit cringey.

Logan’s eureka moment about wanting to be with Ellis/accepting he’s bi also came out of nowhere, so I also can’t blame Ellis for not believing it at first. Honestly, this book had no payoff whatsoever and was almost completely unsatisfying.

There’s also been criticism of this book’s title by bisexual readers.

2.0 stars for The Other Five Percent.