NOAH FRYE GETS CRUSHED

As soon as Noah gets home from camp, things are different with her two best friends: Neither of them can stop talking about the boys they kissed over the summer.

Noah, Zoey, and Luna were once so in sync that nothing came between them, but now Noah feels pressured to follow her friends into this boy-crazy phase. So, she makes up her own crush on a mystery boy. Really, the most exciting thing to Noah is that Jessa, a friend she made at camp, is moving to their small Canadian town, and she’ll be joining them in grade seven! Still, Noah feels pressured to be excited about her friends’ crushes, although it mostly feels like they’re leaving her behind, which inspires her to undertake a very scientific experiment: “Assessing Friendship Elasticity in Courtship Habits of Twelve-Year-Old Juveniles.” In other words, “If I joined in with the boy talk, could things feel normal again?” All the while, she’s trying to make sure Jessa is included socially—which may be the most important thing of all. Horne skillfully encapsulates the awkwardness of tween friendships and first crushes. Noah is sympathetic and perpetually earnest, even when circumstances fly over her head; she has a lot of realizations that are packed into the novel’s end, but they all feel genuine. The portrayal of strong, lifelong friendships that survive trials is refreshing, as is the positive queer representation. Central characters read white.

Sweet and sincere.