Language: R (56 swears, 11 ’f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (References to underage drug and alcohol use; 23 mentions of kissing); Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULT - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
17yo Macy wants to be a writer--well, maybe. But her own kind of writer, not the same as her famous novelist mom or picture book author dad. Even though her mom might have pulled some strings to get her in, Macy is determined to find her voice at Berkeley’s prestigious Penovation writing retreat. This summer’s focus: Romance. While searching for inspiration, Macy finds a few other things: the swoon-worthy son of her family’s enemies and a tantalizing mystery left behind by a famous romance writer. As the story progresses, Macy and boyfrienemy Caleb try to figure out their feelings in the face of their families’ ancient grudge and their own complicated relationships with their parents. Everyone at the retreat, Macy and Caleb included, is trying to write a story to win a spot in a published anthology. And when introspection, budding love, and writing sprints fail to inspire, the clues leading to Betty Quinn’s unfinished manuscript are the perfect distraction. This is a lot of ground to cover in four weeks--but of course, Macy is about to discover that all of these paths are connected.
This was a fun, sweet, swoon-worthy read, but the characters still had complexity and depth. The writing was engaging and full of current lingo and pop culture references, and the story had a satisfying ending. While I wish the language were cleaner, the profanity use felt natural and was used with humor.
Main character Macy is mixed race Black and Korean, love interest Caleb is Black, and roommate Fern is nonbinary and Latinx.
Lindsay Blowers, ELA Teacher
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