[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Darcy Phillips has a secret identity. She’s the one who doles out relationship advice through locker eighty-nine. And she has gone unnoticed for a couple years now. Until Alexander Brougham discovers her secret. In exchange for keeping quiet, Alexander wants Darcy to help him get his ex-girlfriend back.
As Darcy works to get past Alexander’s arrogant attitude to help him out, she’s also working on her own relationship issues. Her crush on her best friend, Brooke, has been going on awhile, but she can’t tell if Brooke might be interested, too. They are both in the Queer and Questioning Club at school. Brooke identifies as lesbian while Darcy identifies as bisexual. So, the potential is there. In fact, Darcy has already used her secret power of locker eighty-nine to keep Brooke from pursuing another relationship. Darcy just needs to figure out how to approach the subject.
But if Alexander spills the secret of locker eighty-nine and Brooke finds out it’s Darcy giving advice, Darcy’s entire world could blow up in her face.
Review
I enjoyed this new story from the author of Only Mostly Devastated (♥♥♥♥½). I liked Darcy and the thoughtful relationship advice she gives. The story was stressful, though. The reader knows almost from the start that there are secrets and lies to be revealed. I felt braced through so much of the book, waiting for everything to fall apart.
My favorite parts were the pieces around the Q&Q Club and Alexander dealing with his parents. Darcy has an interaction with the club about being bisexual and wondering if she’s “queer enough” if she’s in a relationship with a guy that alone was worth the reading experience. I thought it was so well done – this piece would make this a great book for discussion in a book group or classroom conversation, or in a real life queer club discussion. This piece of the book is something I have continued to think about since I first read it.
I also appreciated Darcy’s insightfulness – and the novel’s when Darcy missed things – about Alexander’s parents and the impact of their relationship on him. There are some beautiful moments at the end where Alexander gets some of his emotional needs met that I loved. Readers in the market for a teen romance that centers queer characters and queer voices should be sure to pick this one up. (Language, LGBTQ+, drug/alcohol use)
Rating: ♥♥♥½*
*♥♥♥½ = Good+