I need to be willing to play the game. I need to be willing to put myself out there, and be vulnerable, and take chances, even though I might lose.” For someone who just succeeded in blowing up her entire social life three weeks ago at junior prom, there is literally no worse place to be. Unfortunately, with said social life in shambles, that also means there wasn’t a single thing I could claim to be doing to get out of coming. It’s her eyes, though, that startle me the most. Long eyelashes giving way to a warm, almost liquid honey brown. Ten years ago they were hidden behind a pair of glasses bigger than the state of Texas. Now they’re on full display.

I wince slightly as my eyes trace the familiar crease straight down the center of the card, landing finally on the red splotch in the upper right-hand corner, where I spilled fruit punch when I was six. I hate these moments the most. The moments when you think you are healed just enough, and then something as simple as a bingo card makes every fiber feel raw. Anywho, I think the reason I'm ranking this kinda lower is because I'm just used to action and magic and dragons because as I said, I must be going through a fantasy phase, so I'm not used to everything being chill, so it was just kinda stripping my enjoyment away. That makes no sense, but it's hard to explain.Hey, Em,” a voice says from next to me, as the person it’s attached to slides onto the bench beside me. How many times do we have to read that Blake is very tan!? OKAY, I GET IT SHE'S A VERY TAN CHARACTER YOU DON'T HAVE TO REPEAT IT OVER AND OVER! I think that was one of the parts in this book that drove me nuts. Blake is one of my favorite YA love interests ever. She's charming, she takes charge, and she has a natural swagger that I find super compelling, as well typically only see these traits in male characters. Good thing I got those extra cards!” my dad says to me, letting out a long exhale as he shakes his head. “I’m striking out over here.” This’ll be fun,” my dad whispers to me, turning around in the card-buying line to give me a big, blindingly hopeful smile. A smile that acts like we didn’t just spend the past three years before tonight avoiding absolutely every possible reminder of her.

In this YA novel, Rachael Lippincottexplores some heavy themes, many of which are coated in joy. We initially meet an Emily who has shut herself off from the world (and feelings) after having lost her mother. She can’t explain—or doesn’t want to—why her relationship with her boyfriend Matt doesn’t feel right. Emily used to be adventurous, but now she calculates risks down to the percentile. Her friends miss the person she was before her mom died; so does Emily. This is a book about how the people we meet can be catalysts for growth and change in our lives but reminds us that ultimately, we transform ourselves. The Great, the Meh and the Oh No!

Table of Contents

Any quotes from the book are taken from the advance copy and therefore may not be fully accurate or correctly compare to the final copy of the book. The first number of the night,” Donna calls into the microphone, pausing as a group of elementary school kids three tables over start a drumroll. I catch a glimpse of Sue Patterson sitting in the corner just beside them, actively saying the rosary and sprinkling holy water over her set of four cards. Although, I guess this has kind of been his thing lately. Pretending things don’t have meaning when they actually do. I’m fully expecting to see a slightly taller version of the lanky seven-year-old who wore oversize T-shirts and had apparently never heard of a hairbrush, but that’s definitely not who just sat down next to me. It’s just bingo, Em,” he says to me as we zigzag our way to a free table and sit down across from each other. “Blake can take it if you don’t want it.” He looks down at the cards as he says it, though, refusing to meet my gaze.

Dang. Look at you, Clark,” a voice says from just over my right shoulder. “Still can’t count for shit.” A young man asks a young woman is she wants to “take it to the next level.” She doesn’t know how to tell him no so she doesn’t say anything. This book is the kind of lesbian coming of age that I think is really important for younger readers. I can think of quite a few books I know with gay characters who struggle with the fact they’re gay. I can think of a lot of books with lesbian characters who know they’re lesbian and are out. There are much fewer I know that show the former, but for lesbians. But this is one of those. I think it’s very important to have LGBT lit that covers the full gamut of experiences. Yes, some people know straight away, and are comfortable with it. But we live in a homophobic society still, so it’s necessary to show firstly, that that’s not the only way, and secondly, that it’s just as valid not to feel that way. I’m going to get Johnny’s and Blake’s cards for them,” my dad says, choosing to ignore my skepticism, as he pulls out his billfold. “You know how hard it is to find parking.” Me sacó un par de lagrimitas, dolía ver cómo una persona sufría y temía por amar. Nadie debería pasar por eso. El amor no debería tener generos. Sentí impotencia por Emily, porque escondía una parte importante de ella y creía que no sería aceptada.

Synonym Chooser

A couple more of those out of old Jim over there, and Donna’s gonna purse the lip filler right out of those babies,” my dad whispers to me, his dark brown eyes crinkling at the corners as he gives me one of his smirking grins. The main character, Emily. I really wanted to have this girl, who is struggling with so many things the summer before senior year, find the courage to shed all of it to truly become the person she so desperately wants to be Then again, I guess I was the only thing stopping them from going to bingo night. I guess this is what summer nights can look like without me.

I pull my eyes away as my dad slides card number 505 in front of me. “I’m not going to play,” I say. This whole thing is already starting to feel out of control. This is one thing I can decide. First, I feel the interaction between the characters needs to be more and more personal rather than wishing a lot and not making it happen. Second, the bonding and the chemistry with her father, her friend and best friend, her love interest seem surface level even though I could feel that they are close. The ending seems a little rushed considering most parts seemed dragged in between. The ‘Football Fan Fiesta’ basket, preferably,” he adds, giving me a big wink as Olivia’s mom, Donna Taylor, the head of the PTA and former prom queen (rumored to have literally bought the vote for both those elections) finally comes trotting onto the stage. A captivating, heartfelt love story about learning who you are, and who you love, when the person you've always shared yourself with is gone.

El libro tiene un romance hermoso, bien desarrollado, surge como una amistad que poco a poco va más allá. I don’t, but this book has definitely made me want to put one together! I feel like a lot of my life goals are overarching and vague. Be a good parent. Lead with empathy. Always replace the toilet paper roll. But it would be cool to go to Paris and see the Grand Canyon and try to ride a unicycle. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an Arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts/opinions are my own.