Synopsis
Project Super Crush follows the college lives of two boys whose paths are about to collide. Jay Johnson is a sensitive, anxious, creative writer, and the son of Ryan Johnson, a former football legend at Eastvale University. Christian Miller is everything Jay is not. He’s tall, popular, and a star quarterback. In most realities, they’d never speak, but college has a way of forcing unlikely orbits to overlap.
Contains minor spoilers for Act One of Project Super Crush
The Story
Act 1 is cozy, earnest, and instantly immersive. With noticeable care, it eases the reader into getting to know each of these boys as they try to figure out who they are while the world keeps telling them who they should be. Each chapter alternates Point-of-View between Jay and Christian. That structure works perfectly as we’re not just looking at each of them from the outside, but getting a peek at their own internal fears and insecurities.
Jay arrives at college as a ball of anxiety. He’s carrying the weight of his father’s legacy, and he wants to make him proud even though football has never been of much interest to him. He joins the team as a writer, recapping and taking notes about practice, even though he’s out of his depth. However, Jay finds himself fixating less on the game and more on Christian Miller, the quarterback who seems to have stepped out of one of his daydreams. It’s a crush mixed with jealousy. Does he like Christian, or does he want to be him?
Christian, meanwhile, has the life everyone wants. He’s an athletic superstar with campus fame and natural good looks. So why isn’t he happy? He loves football and the success it’s brought him, but something is missing. Underneath that perfect exterior, a part of him is restless. Jay’s arrival throws him off balance. How could this anxious, wiry kid be related to his childhood hero, Ryan Johnson? Christian can scarcely believe it, and it’s driving him mad. While he finds himself threatened by Jay’s presence, he also can’t get his adorable face out of his head.
The character work is the heart and soul of Project Super Crush.
It’s obvious that the author knows these characters inside and out and has taken the time to explore each of their vulnerabilities and inner worlds. The way these characters trip over themselves and each other feels honest and relatable. While Act One has only hints of romance, the characters’ interactions are endlessly fun with the slightest bit of secondhand embarrassment mixed in. The back-and-forth dialogue between them is excellent, but the quiet moments these characters spend alone spiraling over one another is where the writing really shines. The supporting cast also feels vivid and alive.
Each of them feels real, like they could jump off the page at any moment.
Although the characters feel expertly written, the world around them could use a bit more life. I found myself craving more details about the campus, the football culture, even the mundane rhythms of college life, and in Jay’s case, being on his own for the first time. Nothing overly elaborate, just enough description to add more texture and grounding to the story. Small and perhaps silly questions kept popping up for me as I read. “What does the football field actually look like? Is it a pristine stadium-style field, or is it all muddy from the autumn rain? Is it a tightly knit campus or is it sprawling across a city? If the cafeteria isn’t open yet, where is Jay eating?”
To be fair, they’re minor curiosities, but I think these small details would really enhance the worldbuilding, and we could see more of Jay’s transition into adulthood beyond the budding romance. Since this is a coming-of-age story, giving the world sharper edges would be grounding and heighten the emotional growth of the characters even more.
That said, when your biggest critique is that you want the author to write more, then the overall experience must be pretty dang good. If you’re up for a slow burn romance with compelling characters, then I think it’s worth reading.
The Details:
Project Super Crush is a novel written by Joshua David King that will be released in three parts. Act One and Two are currently available now. There is also a brand new audio drama that is available for listeners! You can follow all of the author’s exciting creative endeavors on Instagram @JoshuaDavidKing.
