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VIRTUALLY YOURS

A sincere story of self-discovery.

NYU freshman Mariam Vakilian is at a crossroads.

Socially adrift, unsure about her major, and still grieving the end of a three-year relationship with her boyfriend, Caleb, who is attending UC Berkeley, Mariam signs up to try HEAVR, a virtual reality dating app. Reviewing her top three matches, she immediately recognizes—and impulsively chooses—Caleb. Creating an avatar and using an alias to disguise her identity, she goes on virtual dates with him, hoping he will fall back in love with her. Just to complicate things, another one of Mariam’s dating app matches is her new real-life friend Jeremy, with whom she’s becoming increasingly close. Muddling through all this confusion forces Mariam to work through some of her anxiety and self-absorption to truly connect and build honest relationships with family, high school friends, and her college circle. Tash (The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love, 2016, etc.) presents readers with a young woman navigating life’s risks and rewards in a way that will resonate with many readers. Although the pacing lags at times, smooth writing and lively banter elevate this deceptively light novel. Mariam is the daughter of Iranian Muslim immigrant parents, and Persian cultural elements add texture and interest to the story. Caleb is implied African-American, Jeremy is half-Mexican and half-Italian, and Mariam’s white lesbian roommate has a French-Canadian girlfriend.

A sincere story of self-discovery. (Fiction. 14-18)

Pub Date: June 4, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-5344-3666-4

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: April 13, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019

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NOTHING LIKE THE MOVIES

From the Better Than the Movies series , Vol. 2

A worthy second-chance romance.

In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.

After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.

A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024

ISBN: 9781665947138

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024

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IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.

The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.

Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.   (Fiction. 14 & up)

Pub Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013

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