ROLLS AND RIVALRY

Can former friends, now members of mutually antagonistic marching band sections, trade rivalry for love?

In Glen Vale High’s marching band, the percussion section and color guard are bitter rivals. Senior Hazel Buchanan, whose mother—a former Glen Vale Marching Knights trumpet player—pours on the pressure to succeed, is captain of the unfortunately mediocre color guard. Recently, her junior high friend and secret crush, Max Coleman, moved back to town—and he’s grown distractingly hot. However, not only does he play percussion, for unknown reasons he’s taken against Hazel. While mean pranks and an ill-conceived bet fuel the band rivalry, at home, Hazel’s parents welcome Max’s mother back into their Dungeons & Dragons game—and the parents assume the two will hang out together like they used to. Can D&D offer Hazel and Max, who present white, a path back to friendship—and maybe more? Fans of both marching band and D&D will find much to love in the detailed descriptions of both activities and how they resonate through the characters’ lives. While the band rivalry feels somewhat contrived, Max and Hazel’s personal challenges ring true. As Max struggles with his parents’ separation, Hazel faces her mother’s crushing expectations, trying to train and bond her rookie team, and being a first-time Dungeon Master. The romance between these two overly competitive ex-friends is sweet.

A satisfying rivals-to-lovers romance played to the beat of marching bands and D&D dice rolls.