Image: HarperCollins Publishers
I've been very sick and very busy since last Thursday and I'm so-o behind and scattered! I posted this to my school's learning management app yesterday and forgot to post to my blog. So, here I am a day late and a dollar short. I didn't have the energy to post a Middle Grade Monday post. I basically slept the weekend away and went to school on Monday because I had no fever, state testing is going on and there are no subs.
Teen Tuesday features You and Me and Him by Kris Dinnison. This 2015 debut is the first-person narration of self-proclaimed fat girl and high school junior, Maggie Bowers. She's comfortable with her weight even if her mother continually nags her over it. She has a fun job at a record store and a bff in Nash, the only out boy at high school. The two are soul mates who always have each other's back. They are gobsmacked by the arrival of a cute new boy named Tom. Tom is handsome, confident and, when he approaches Maggie and Nash, they can't believe it. Then Nash calls "Dibs!" Tom shows a genuine interest in both of them, choosing to sit with them at lunch over other offers from up-the-high-school-food-chain.
Tom, they learn, has moved a lot. So much so that he effortlessly blends in. He's equally friendly to everyone and Nash can't get a sense of whether he is gay. Maggie falls into an easy friendship with Tom, but when Tom's interest seems to veer toward romance, Maggie panics. She's definitely attracted, but Nash called dibs and he is the most important person in her life. When a former best friend turned popular girl tries to reconnect, Maggie is curious and Nash is adamant about not trusting her.
At turns hilarious and poignant, Maggie's voice is charming as she muddles through the complications in her life. She's self-reflective and likes to keep most people at a distance. This love triange is unique for a couple of reasons: it's mostly unrequited- Nash likes Tom, Tom likes Maggie and Maggie refuses to like Tom out of loyalty to Nash. While there are the usual YA tropes, make no assumptions.
At turns hilarious and poignant, Maggie's voice is charming as she muddles through the complications in her life. She's self-reflective and likes to keep most people at a distance. This love triange is unique for a couple of reasons: it's mostly unrequited- Nash likes Tom, Tom likes Maggie and Maggie refuses to like Tom out of loyalty to Nash. While there are the usual YA tropes, make no assumptions.
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