THE GIRL LEAST LIKELY

A self-aware, meta rom-com with all the tropes delightfully delivered.

High school junior Gretchen is “shiny person adjacent”—older sister Hen, cousin Carmen, and best friend Sam love her and indulge her rom-com habit even if she never wants to join them for activities including other people. But now she’s fallen for Sam, he’s announced he’s moving away to live with his dad in New York City for senior year, and college freshmen Hen and Carmen are too caught up in their new lives to be available. What’s a girl to do? Apparently, accidentally enter a stand-up competition under a false identity, start a flirtation with very cute (if maybe a jerk) business student Jeremy, explore new friendships, and basically discover herself. Although this offers all the beats of the romantic stories Gretchen loves, it’s really a feel-good story about a girl finding herself (and several boys) that’s set in a South Portland, Maine, high school populated by an amazingly nice group of teens. Feminist Gretchen is a work in progress; she recognizes the flaws of the rom-com playbook (the titles referenced include many of the greatest hits from the ’80s and ’90s), but her go-to insult tends to be some form of douche. Gretchen and other major characters are White, excepting White/Filipina Carmen, Brazilian American Sam, and Natalie, Gretchen’s Black/Japanese school friend.

Don’t mind the snowy setting: This is a charming, sunshiny beach read.