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Starred review from April 1, 2025
Gr 6-10-Pacy and Cecil meet in the nurse's office near the start of their freshman year, and it's anything but cute. The nurse is treating Pacy's busted and profusely bleeding lip, while Cecil has rushed to use the private bathroom when his IBS flares up. Cecil, a drummer and Star Wars expert, designs his own clothes. Somewhat-klutzy Pacy adheres to Star Trek: The Next Generation and feels that the whole student body is filled with "Borgs"-assimilated and boring. Neither is looking for love, but each feels butterflies immediately when they meet. When they both get added to the freshman formal committee, they get a chance to know one another better, but the mishaps begin to add up. The twist to this quite adorable novel, told by Pacy and Cecil in alternating chapters, is not will they get together, but how can they possibly get together when the universe seems to be conspiring against them? Collaborators Kelly (a two-time Newbery winner) and Mbalia (of "Tristan Strong" fame) match each other word for word with moments that are both laugh-out-loud and tender. Some subplots might not completely come to fruition, but the lead characters and their supportive friends and family make this book rise above its plot. Readers will want to spend time with these characters, even once Pacy and Cecil become one of "those" couples. Pacy is Filipino American; Cecil is Black. VERDICT Completely charming and pithy, with laughs galore, this romance should be in all middle school and high school collections.-Kate Fleming
Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 15, 2025
Two quirky North Carolina ninth graders navigate the surprises of high school--and their instantaneous attraction--in this YA collaboration by two award-winning authors. Pacita "Pacy" Mercado is over high school before it's even begun. After all, she thinks most of her classmates are Borg--trend-chasers who wouldn't know aStar Trek: The Next Generation reference even if it hit them square in the face. Everything changes after a trip to the nurse's office. The minute Pacy locks eyes with Cecil Holloway, who loves playing West African djembe drums, she's smitten, questioning her self-imposed rules. Pacy is determined to resist the "romantic propaganda" of teenage dating, but the pair are thrown together again when they both join the student advisory committee for the upcoming freshman formal. Aided by Pacy's best friend's scheming, the teens' acquaintanceship deepens into a sincere connection. But the course of true love never did run smooth. If they want a happy ending to this nerdy love story, they'll first have to conquer doubt, miscommunication, and plenty of bad advice that's offered with good intentions. This endearing tale of love-at-first-awkward-glance features alternating chapters from the perspectives of Pacy, who's Filipino American, and Cecil, who's Black and has irritable bowel syndrome. As fellow social outliers, they share a mutual appreciation for the other's unconventional approach to life and passion for niche interests. A sweet rom-com that comedically amplifies the embarrassing, relatable woes of putting yourself out there for a crush.(Romance. 12-16)
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