11/27/2023

Bisexual 16-year-old Ivy Winslow adores Hot, Magical, and Deadly, a TV show about superpowered teen models. Feeling lonely and isolated with her parents out of town for a week, Ivy indulges in an angst-driven fanfic writing session, which somehow results in her favorite character, Weston, manifesting in Ivy’s bedroom. Now she must deal with the imaginary guy of her dreams—one shaped by her own writing—hanging around and acting out the plots of her fanfic. She recruits her aromantic and asexual best friend Henry and her former bestie turned mortal enemy, lesbian Mack, to help her send Weston back to his fictional realm. Meanwhile, Ivy and Mack must navigate the ups and downs of their complicated history and potential future, especially with Ivy caught between Weston’s unrelenting affections and her lingering crush on Mack. Gonzales (Never Ever Getting Back Together) adeptly treads a tricky yet insightful balance of real life and fiction to explore the sometimes messy nature of emotions, relationships, and wish fulfillment. A secondary focus on the flaws of common fanfic tropes injects additional cleverness into this good-humored rom-com. Ivy, Henry, and Weston read as white; Mack is Black. Ages 13–up. Agent: Molly Ker Hawn, Bent Agency. (Mar.)

"Readers hooked on Mack and Ivy's journey toward reconciliation—and more—will experience the story's true magic." - Booklist

"Gonzales adeptly treads a tricky yet insightful balance of real life and fiction to explore the sometimes messy nature of emotions, relationships, and wish fulfillment." - Publishers Weekly

"Gonzales’s latest queer rom-com is a laugh-out-loud hit....continues [her] stellar reputation for strong bisexual female protagonists." —School Library Journal

02/01/2024

Gr 8 Up—Gonzales's latest queer rom-com is a laugh-out-loud hit. Fan-fiction writer Ivy is struggling after a break from her former best friend/crush Mack. Despite bonding with Henry (a fellow fan of her favorite TV show, H-MAD), Ivy still feels the sting without Mack. One night, Ivy wishes her favorite H-MAD character, Weston, were real. The next morning, she wakes up next to Weston himself! Well sort of…Ivy and Henry soon realize this version of Weston is one created from Ivy's fan fiction and have no idea where he came from or how to make him go back. When Mack accidentally discovers Weston, Ivy finds herself turning to Mack for help and wondering if they might be able to fix what's broken. This latest title continues Gonzales's stellar reputation for strong bisexual female protagonists. Through past/present alternating chapters, readers watch Ivy come out bisexual, as well as learn that Henry is asexual/aromantic and Mack is a lesbian. Despite being much more satirical comedy than her previous titles (with of course, the magical realism sprinkled in), Gonzales still manages to weave queerness into the fabric of the book. There aren't many references to race, but Mack is a person of color. Weston is an over-the-top character (true to his fan-fiction origin) and provides nonstop laughs throughout. The dialogue is sharp and witty, providing a fun, quick read. Fans of Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Jennifer Dugan's Verona Comics, or Cherie Priest's I Am Princess X will devour this one. VERDICT Watch out Simon Snow, there's a new swoony-worthy fan-fiction boy in the YA-verse. A first purchase for all YA collections.—Elizabeth Portillo

Jeremy Carlisle Parker's lively performance and emotional connection bring a teen fan fiction writer and her favorite fictional character to life. Ivy wakes up to find Weston, the gorgeous magical boy from her favorite show, in her bedroom. With the help of her ex-best friend and crush, along with a new friend, she investigates what brought Weston to life and how he's able to manipulate the world to ensure that Ivy gets her perfect ending with the boy of her dreams. Weston's unconditional love for Ivy as he cycles through fanfic tropes, along with Parker's perfect comedic timing, makes for a laugh-out-loud performance that is perfect for fanfic listeners and writers alike. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

2023-12-06
Ivy is obsessed with the television show Hot, Magical, and Deadly, and she has a huge crush on Mackenzie, who, due to a recent argument, is unfortunately now her ex–best friend.

After she became captain of the volleyball team, Mack no longer seemed to have time for Ivy; now, she has absolutely zero patience for Ivy’s obsession with the H-MAD fandom. But when Ivy’s home alone during a thunderstorm, she manages to magically manifest Weston Razorbrook, the dreamy main character from the show, directly into her bed. She’s forced to team up with Mack and Henry, a new fandom friend, to figure out what to do next. The trio soon learns that this version of Weston is directly taken from Ivy’s self-insert romantic fanfictions, tropes included. Unfortunately for Ivy, the tropes she loves in her stories are a lot less romantic in real life. Despite Weston’s volatile nature, Ivy wants to keep him in her life, against Mack’s constant insistence otherwise. This nerdy love story with queer protagonists is enjoyable, although at times it feels superficial: The plot-driven story would have benefitted from further development of the characters and setting. Ivy’s reactions to the manifestation of a turbulent man from her fanfictions doesn’t always seem believable. Ivy is cued white; Mack reads Black.

A cute, if lightly developed, queer friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance. (Romance. 13-18)