The girl next door

Gr 9 Up--High school couple Cleo and Daniel had their lives planned out: direct the school 's soap opera Dazed at Murrow Creek, get into NYU's film program, and move to LA after college to make it big in the movie world. But their plans are thrown off course when Kiki, Daniel's summer fling, enters the picture and steals his heart. Determined to stick to the plan, Cleo reaches out to Kiki's ex-girlfriend and former BFF Marianne to fake date and realign the stars. Set in North Carolina, this romantic comedy follows a cast of high school students who are comfortable in their sexual orientations. Kiki and Cleo are both bisexual, Marianne and their friend Chris are gay, and the characters are represented in a lighthearted way. The story explores the chaos that ensues when relationships get complicated with exes and by feelings. Marianne is noted to be diagnosed with anxiety and OCD, although traits of these are rarely mentioned. This fast-paced story is highly character driven and includes a nod to fans of horror movies. VERDICT Solid choice for fans of Alice Oseman's Heartstopper and Jenny Han's To All The Boys I've Loved Before.--Anna Taylor

Hooking up with your ex-boyfriend's girlfriend's ex-girlfriend? Because reasons. All Cleo wants to care about is getting into New York University to study film and make horror movies. She does not want to care that Daniel, her ex, cheated on her with girly girl Kiki. She is going to finish her screenplay, get into her dream college, and get the heck out of North Carolina. There is absolutely no need to fake-date Marianne, who is Kiki's ex and Cleo's next-door neighbor. Marianne and Cleo were besties back when they were kids, but ever since middle school, Cleo's been in the artsy crowd and Marianne's been popular. Maybe this faux relationship will torment Daniel and help Marianne win back Kiki, but it's painful taking Marianne to homecoming. Gorgeous, funny Marianne, who's like a Brazilian American "Kristen Stewart with her hair slicked back" and "James Dean bathed in vintage cinematography." Marianne, who is funny, loves her family, and has anxiety. The slow-moving train wreck of Cleo's senior year gains momentum and accelerates to the extent that some essential epiphanies are rushed. But Cleo's filmmaker eye frames the entirety of her life like a classic movie, and the rushed ending fits in a world where she's learned she's not the director. In this multiracial setting, race is primarily mentioned only for characters who are not White; Cleo is implied White by default. A warm, charming tale of a horror-loving film buff who's stuck in a romantic comedy. (Romance. 13-17) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.