Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Middle schooler Lily shares everything with her best friends Sasha and Maddie, including her secret crushes and a love of soccer. But when Sasha and Maddie are asked to play at an elite athletic level, Lily believes she's been left behind, especially since it means that they'll miss the big school dance for a game. Meanwhile, classmate Will feels like an outsider with everyone except for his best friend Gavin, and spends his afternoons rock climbing and avoiding being a topic of conversation--or worse, a guest--on his father's successful Dr. Dad podcast. When Will and Lily become popular mean-girl Sienna's new targets, they work together to confront her. During their partnership, they each learn to manage their own troubles and grow closer as a result. Through Lily and Will's alternating POVs, Blecher (Camp Famous) spotlights each tween's unique challenges. While the familiar trope of parents being out of touch feels overworked and dialogue rings artificial at times, a plethora of school drama and secondary plots, such as Maddie's crush on another girl, add complexity to the characters' potent journey in developing self-confidence, and Will and Lily's gentle romance buoys the somewhat abrupt ending. Most major characters are coded as white. Ages 8--12. Agent: Alex Slater, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Mar.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
This story of shifting friendships follows two seventh graders: Lily, who feels left out now that Maddie and Sasha are on an elite soccer team together; and Will, who has a crush on Lily and whose every move is fodder for his dad's podcast. There's a dance coming up, and questions of who will ask whom are on everyone's mind, aided by gossipy Sienna, who takes out her own insecurities on both Lily and Will. Entanglements and misunderstandings ensue, largely because, to its credit, the novel allows friend-group dynamics to be complicated. Maddie and Sasha seem to be closer to each other than to Lily, but Lily is the one Maddie tells about her crush on another girl. Sasha and Sienna have a secret of their own, and when it's revealed, so are more aspects of Sasha's inner life. Some of the many characters in the ensemble beyond Lily and Will are touched upon only briefly, but we learn enough about them to understand what they're all learning: that each of them is the main character in their own life. Shoshana FlaxMarch/April 2024 p.81 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Two seventh graders discover each other while learning that middle school changes can be a time for exciting, if sometimes awkward, growth. Lily is used to doing everything with besties Maddie and Sasha, but after they make the elite soccer team and she doesn't, she soon has time on her hands. Popular Sienna is at a turning point, too, and she takes an interest in Lily. Specifically, Sienna wants to set Lily up with her childhood friend Will. Problem is, Sienna wants to dictate Lily's every move. For his part, Will is definitely interested in Lily, but he doesn't want bossy Sienna involved, afraid she'll gossip to the entire student body. It's already bad enough that Will's widowed dad puts his son's every move and mood under the microscope during his Dr. Dad podcasts! The third-person limited narration bounces back and forth between Lily and Will. They begin a tentative friendship, texting and talking in person. Misunderstandings and missed cues are at the root of several clumsy, wonderful moments. As they support each other and learn from others in their lives, the tweens gradually claim their own voices and gain autonomy. This growth enables them to be better friends to others among the well-developed cast, encouraging them to speak up, too. Characters read white. This tender, easy exploration of friendship, family, and first romance hits the mark. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
