(2) YA Alex is on top of the world after finally asking her best friend, PJ, to be her girlfriend. The two have been friends since the third grade and are like part of each other’s families -- a welcome circumstance for Alex, who lives with her grand-mother. When PJ’s family moves away and her grandmother’s memory loss worsens, Alex struggles to conceal her anxieties. She has a big heart and spends much of her time worrying about others and how they perceive her, often in relation to her body image. She finds unexpected support in a previously unknown uncle and his partner, who happens to be the leader of the library’s youth council, of which Alex is a steadfast member. Uncle Dean and Alonso take on some of the adult-sized burdens she had previously been carrying, allowing her to finally be a thirteen-year-old. Despite challenging topics, Alex’s humor and hopeless romanticism infuse hope into the story. Ryan thoughtfully incorporates issues of family, friendship, and first love into this heartwarming tale.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(3) YA The summer before college, Battle joins her estranged brother, Nick, who lives in a theater group's communal house. With effort, Battle slowly learns to sync up with her housemates' quirky rhythms and carves out a bumpy romance with her housemate, Meryl. Though the conclusion is a bit underdeveloped, the story delivers drama, complete with realistic tension and characters.

Reviewer: Lauren Maggio

(3) YA At a summer institute for gifted high-school students, Nicola finds herself attracted to another girl. Nic's uncertainty about whether she's either lesbian or bisexual is believably conveyed, and the dialogue is convincingly realistic. Despite a flimsily constructed conflict, YA readers are sure to embrace the believable passions in this summer romance.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2001