THAT'S NOT WHAT I HEARD

Chaos descends upon William Henry Harrison High when seniors Kim Landis-Lilley and Teddy Lin break up.

Under-the-radar freshman Phil Spooner becomes the key eyewitness to the historic moment that is the end of Chinese-American Teddy and white Kim’s six-year romance. Eager for attention from his crush, Kim’s best friend, Jess Howard, Phil blurts out a fabricated reason, namely that the relationship ended because Teddy didn’t like any of Kim’s Instagram posts. Phil’s lie spirals out of control as the entire school begins to gossip over what really transpired between the it couple. Students and teachers alike take sides, joining either the red-wearing Team Kim or the Teddy Bears, a group founded by Sophie Maeby, who just broke up with her boyfriend and now pines after Teddy. The plot depends on the development of more ridiculous miscommunication and rumors, resulting in the birth of two more groups, the HeartBeats (who want Kim and Teddy to reconcile) and the AntiKaTs (who are fed up with the whole drama), an all-out cafeteria food fight, and the division of prom into four separate themes. The constantly shifting points of view, though whiplash-inducing, allow for an assorted range of humorous insights into an already absurd situation. Although following a white default, there is ethnic diversity in the student body and school staff.

For fans of Mean Girls and other high school comedies.