If You'll Have Me

by Eunnie

Overview

“Super sweet and totally heartwarming!”—Alice Oseman, bestselling author of Heartstopper and Loveless


Momo Gardner is the kind of friend who’s always ready to lend a helping hand. She’s introverted, sensitive, and maybe a little too trusting, but she likes to believe the best in people. PG, on the other hand, is a bit of a lone wolf, despite her reputation for being a flirt and a player. Underneath all that cool mystery, she’s actually quick to smile, and when she falls for someone, she falls hard. An unexpected meet-cute brings the two together, kicking off the beginning of an awkward yet endearing courtship—but with their drastically different personalities, Momo’s overprotective friend, and PG’s past coming back to haunt her, Momo and PG’s romance is put to the test.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593403235
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	10/17/2023
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	52,653
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Eunnie is a Korean American illustrator based in Washington. She loves exploring relationships through her art and writing, and finds much joy in the portrayal of queer intimacy. When she’s not cooking up new stories, Eunnie spends her time napping, watching video essays, and collecting hoodies in every color. Follow her @eunnieboo.

Editorial Reviews

09/01/2023

Gr 9 Up—Momo is a shy college student whose closest friends are, like her, queer women of color. She's insecure about dating after being badly hurt in an early relationship. Classmate PG has a reputation as someone who dates lots of women, none seriously. Momo first encounters PG while dropping off class notes to a friend when unexpectedly, a partially undressed PG answers the door. Momo is both attracted and intimidated. She sees PG again at a dance; PG gets slapped while arguing over her mistreatment of someone she dated. Momo follows PG into the bathroom to see if she needs help. Given Momo's insecurities, she's surprised and somewhat distrustful when PG invites her to spend time together. Their relationship blossoms but isn't without bumps. In the end they both understand that putting assumptions aside in favor of honest communication will help them both get over hurts from the past and make room for their own relationship to thrive. The narrative lovingly centers on queer women of color. The art, with its rich color palette and beautiful depiction of distinct characters, makes the story vibrant and engaging. PG is Vietnamese American, and all other characters have a wide range of skin tones and hair textures. Another strength of this book is the inclusiveness of expression, showing women ranging from femme to androgynous. VERDICT This sweet romance will attract many readers, especially queer women of color who will see women like them getting their happily ever after.—Carla Riemer

School Library Journal

★ 08/07/2023

Missed connections and miscommunication abound in this rich and engaging graphic novel by Eunnie (Bestest Friends), a solo debut. Queer college student Momo, who reads as Black, is a wallflower who cares too much about what other people think of her; this awareness stems from incidents in her childhood during which crushes took her kindness for granted. Meanwhile, acquaintance and classmate PG, who cues as East Asian, is a notorious and cavalier flirt. When a string of chance encounters between the two develops into earnest friendship, and potentially something more, Momo—who is convinced she’s reading too deeply into PG’s friendly overtures—worries that she’s falling into patterns from her youth. But when her attempts to curb her growing feelings start pushing PG away, Momo must decide if she’s willing to take a chance on love. Eunnie’s lively, expressive style expertly combines classic shoujo manga flair with visually poppy cartoon elements, depicted in saturated jewel tones, that amplify key moments and the work’s dreamy ambiance. Distinctly designed characters portrayed with varying body types and skin tones, and boasting amicable personalities, bring PG and Momo’s college campus to life, cultivating a rollicking environment in which the girls’ relationship blossoms. Ages 14–up. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Incredibly charming . . . There’s joy, delight, and absolutely unrestrained romantic sweetness on every page. I love it to bits!” —TRUNG LE NGUYEN, author of the Eisner Award nominee The Magic Fish

From the Publisher

2023-08-11
Two beloved characters from artist Eunnie’s Instagram feed get a full-length graphic novel treatment.

Readers meet college student Momo just as she’s about to encounter PG for the first time. It’s not an ideal meet-cute, however. Momo is doing her friend Kayla a favor by dropping off some class notes at Kayla’s friend Lea’s dorm room. When scantily clad PG answers the door, Momo is immediately flustered by how gorgeous she is—but she learns that PG has a reputation for seducing women and avoiding serious commitments, the exact opposite of Momo, who’s never dated anyone. Still, after witnessing a fraught situation at a nightclub, Momo overcomes her shyness to check on PG. They have an open conversation and a romantic dance. Running into each other around town turns into texting, which turns into mutual big feelings. Readers will fall in love with both young women as they fall in love with each other. Their conflicts give them depth and feel believable for their stage of life, their different but equally relatable backstories are fleshed out, and the satisfyingresolution inspires happiness. Well-developed friendships play smaller but still important roles. The appealing artwork features clean, pastel-tinted backgrounds and doe-eyed characters with expressive faces. Momo has dark brown skin and wavy brown hair; PG is Vietnamese American.

Utterly charming and swoonworthy. (Graphic romance. 14-adult)

Kirkus Reviews