TASH HEARTS TOLSTOY

A 17-year-old amateur vlogger must come to terms with sudden internet fame and her own sexuality in this original, compulsively funny novel.

Tash Zelenka has a major thing for Tolstoy—so much so that she and her best friend, Jacklyn “Jack” Harlow, have adapted his sprawling masterpiece Anna Karenina into a modern Web series with a modest following. When their series goes viral overnight as the result of a shoutout from a famous internet personality, Tash, Jack, and their colorful cast must contend with the overwhelming excitement and pratfalls of internet fame while maintaining a rigorous filming schedule and navigating their increasingly complicated personal lives. Tash identifies as romantic asexual but finds it difficult to articulate her feelings to her lifelong best friends, Jack and her older brother, Paul, who may have a thing for Tash. Complications ensue, but through it all, these wisecracking, oft-prickly teens remain supportive of one another in genuine and heartfelt friendship. Ormsbee’s predominantly white cast of characters represents a depth and diversity of sexualities not often featured in teen fiction, including not only a gay and a bisexual character, but a nuanced, trailblazing depiction of a protagonist who identifies as romantic asexual. Whip-smart, funny, flawed, and compassionate, these are characters readers will want to know and cheer for.

A clever, thoroughly enjoyable addition to the growing body of diverse teen literature.