LOVE ON PAPER

Macy Descanso knows she can be a great writer, if only someone would just give her a chance.

Seventeen-year-old Macy, who’s the daughter of two successful authors who are both Korean and Black, aspires to write as well. She applied to Penovation, an elite four-week writing retreat in Berkeley, but was only able to get in with her mother’s help. Once she arrives, she’s paired as critique partners with Haitian American Caleb Bernard, who’s also the child of famous authors—ones who have a bitter rivalry with Macy’s parents. Macy, who’s still trying to define herself as a writer, is dismayed when another teen refers to her and Caleb as “nepo babies.” The retreat participants learn that recently deceased romance author Betty Quinn has arranged for five students’ stories to be published in an anthology. Quinn also left behind clues about the whereabouts of her final manuscript. Macy and Caleb embark on a quest of discovery all around the Bay Area during which they also learn more about each other and their families. This is a fast-paced, sometimes poignant, teen romance that centers on a coming-of-age journey to claiming your own identity in the face of external pressures and standards. Unfortunately, the lackluster characterization weakens readers’ investment in the leads. The story concludes with the Penovation reading list, which spans a fun range of recommendations from William Shakespeare and Jane Austen to Elise Bryant and Maurene Goo.

An unevenly developed romance with a dose of self-discovery.