Darcy Phillips runs an anonymous locker-based relationship advice service at her high school, charging small fees to solve her peers' romantic dilemmas using data and observation. Her strictly controlled system fractures when Alexander Brougham catches her mid-collection and blackmails her into helping him win back his ex-girlfriend. While navigating Brougham's coaching sessions, Darcy struggles with her unrequited feelings for her best friend, Brooke, and the social complexities of being bisexual. Her reliance on logic fails when she realizes her advice business was built on a need for control rather than an understanding of human connection.
High school students and young adult readers look to this story for a realistic depiction of queer identity and the pitfalls of intellectualizing emotions. The narrative suits anyone interested in the friction between friendship and romance or the ethics of manipulating social dynamics. Readers finish the book with a clearer perspective on the difference between seeing a partner as a project versus an equal. It provides a grounded look at setting boundaries and the importance of visibility within the LGBTQ+ community.
Practical, clear-cut and escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Escapist Adventurer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2021
- Language
- EN
