Publishers Weekly
05/06/2024
In this sharply rendered rom-com by Woody (They Hate Each Other), queer high school seniors and former childhood friends vie for the same person’s affection. Impulsive Emma is at risk of expulsion due to her penchant for using physical violence to solve problems. She and her mother also haven’t been getting along ever since Emma’s father left. Meanwhile, mild-mannered Caleb endures taunting related to his bartender mother’s employment at a strip club. When cute, empathetic Juliet transfers to their school, Emma and Caleb are forced to reconnect upon discovering that they each have feelings for Juliet. They strike a bet: “Whoever Juliet kisses first, on the lips, can ask her out. And she has to initiate it.” Chapters alternating between Emma and Caleb’s POVs provide insight into their fraught past and present-day, which overflows with amusing teenage antics and awkwardness as they sort out issues of friendship, love, and identity. While the plot trajectory feels predictable, the complexity and subtextual layers with which Woody imbues Emma and Caleb’s relationship keeps a steady and engaging pace throughout. The cover depicts Juliet as Black and Emma and Caleb as white. Ages 14–up. (July)
Kirkus Reviews
2024-04-20
Former friends compete with one another for a new student’s affections.
High school seniors Caleb Daniels and Emma Jones were childhood friends, but they stopped talking after eighth grade. Protecting recent transfer Juliet Higgins (who’s queer and coded Black) from a bully lands Caleb in a fight he can’t handle. After Emma jumps in to rescue him, the two, who find Juliet very attractive, enter a competition for her heart: “Whoever she kisses first gets to ask her out.” Vying for Juliet’s attention brings Caleb and Emma (who are both white and bisexual) into frequent contact; as they repeatedly crash the other’s hangouts, their shared history intrudes, and their romantic feelings for each other become impossible to ignore. Caleb’s also struggling to bond with his absentee dad, while Emma is living out of her car after her tense relationship with her mother came to a boiling point. Caleb and Emma are vividly drawn, each with believable quirks, strengths, and weaknesses. The secondary characters, such as Juliet and Caleb’s mom, are also endearing. Because the narration alternates between the leads’ points of view, readers largely get to know Juliet through Caleb’s and Emma’s idealized, somewhat flattening perspectives. The dialogue, which includes a healthy dose of swear words and snark, rings true. While Caleb and Emma’s evolving relationship is the star of the show, friendships and familial relationships also play key roles.
A funny, heartfelt ride with two lovable leads. (content note) (Fiction. 14-18)
