In today’s catfishing world, you would expect a YA novel written entirely in text messages between two people who, though classmates, really know nothing about each other, to be a cautionary tale. Complicating this texting relationship is the fact that the guy in the equation (Martin Nathaniel Monroe II) has a first cousin in the same class who has the same name (long story with a quirky explanation). The girl, Haley, thinks she is texting one Martin, when in fact she is texting the other.
As Haley and Martin trade messages about group projects in their shared class, they become fast friends, finding it easy to discuss all kinds of things they can’t talk about in person with their real-life friends and family members. Shakespearean misunderstandings arise because of the confused identities, but all is resolved satisfactorily by book’s end.
What makes this book useful is its thoughtful look at the adolescent worry about being “correctly” and permanently classified sexually because of a few same-sex crushes or low libido or whatever (although this is not the predominant theme of the book). Gradually advancing a friendship towards a romantic relationship without throwing in sex scenes and provocative language is something rare in YA literature and worth noting.
This is a highly readable and enjoyable book that belongs on your library shelf.
Categories: Books We Recommend, Books with No Objectionable Content, LGBTQIA, Navigating through High School, Peer Relationships, Social Media, Sports Teams, Summer Camps, Theatre & Film
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