Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Marisa Kanter’s Friends With Benefits, which is out May 6th 2025.

Evie Bloom pays attention to the details. Her very job depends on it—as an aspiring Foley artist, she’s responsible for every crisp footstep, smacking kiss, and distinct sound in film and television. So when she’s selected for a fellowship opportunity that would make all her career dreams come true, she’s quick to spot the catch: there are no health benefits, and for someone with a chronic illness, that’s a non-starter.

Theo Cohen is an elementary school teacher who can’t afford to live on his own in LA, and is facing eviction after his roommates couple up and move out of their rent-controlled apartment. But there is one loophole in his lease: each tenant must meet an income threshold, unless the tenants are married.

For Theo, the answer is obvious. Marry Evie, his best friend since forever. It’s not as if they don’t spend all their free time together anyways. Not only will Theo be able to keep his apartment, but Evie can be added to his insurance plan so she can accept her dream fellowship. It’s such a logical, practical solution. Never mind that Evie doesn’t really want to be married—not to Theo, not to anyone—ever. Or the small, complicating fact that Theo has always been a little bit in love with Evie.

But it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Marriage. It will just give them space to breathe, and much-needed relief from the daily financial stress. It won’t change anything.

It’s . . . going to change everything.

CHAPTER 1

Evelyn Bloom knows she isn’t famous, but it still stings when press photographers lower their cameras the mo- ment she and her sister step onto the red carpet outside the Dolby Theatre. She’d paid for an Uber Black from Pasadena to Hollywood and those thirty-three minutes in a BMW X7 cost as much as the monthly payment on Phoebe. So the least she could get is a photo of her stepping out of the black SUV with the Getty Images watermark stamped across her face. Phoebe is a ten-year-old Mazda CX-3 that she loves with her whole heart, but Imogen called it too embarrassing for the occasion.

Now inside the theater, Evie’s phone vibrates with the Uber receipt.

She winces.

Imogen.

Evie follows her to the line for the bathroom, grateful to Imogen for escorting her without even asking. Living with a chronic illness that fucks with your GI tract, for Evie, means a mandatory bathroom stop before any major event. Some- times two. Just in case. Jules, her therapist, would ask Evie to interrogate if it’s Crohn’s or the anxiety of a Crohn’s flare that triggers this. Does it matter? Evie doesn’t think so.

“How are you feeling?” Imogen asks, examining her lip- stick in a compact as the line moves at a glacial pace.

A bit nauseous, if she’s being honest. “Fine.”

“I, for one, am kind of obsessed with being the plus-one tonight.”

From Uber Black requests to being on a first-name basis with the theater’s security team, Imogen Bloom knows how to navigate a premiere. She works in casting for an unscripted series and networks her ass off, attending premieres and galas and wherever her boss sends her to recruit C-list celebrities and influencers. But Imogen is off duty tonight. She’s here with Evie.

For Evie.

“Gen?”

Imogen spins 180 degrees and squeals. “Portia? Oh my God, you look incredible.”

Portia Devereaux, a supporting cast member in Ginger—the film premiering here tonight—is one of the few reality television contestants who successfully pivoted to a film ca- reer. Imogen discovered them when she was a wide-eyed baby intern in the casting department for Big Brother, and Portia’s success on the show directly led to a full-time job offer for Imogen upon graduating from UCLA.

“Working?” Portia assumes.

Imogen shakes her head, blond curls bouncing around her shoulders as she loops her arm through Evie’s. “Nope! Evie is one of the Foley artists who worked on Ginger.”

Portia’s eyes meet hers. “Amazing.”

Evie’s natural instinct is to downplay what a major deal this is. “I interned for the studio during post. Right place, right time.”

Imogen rolls her eyes. “Annaliese had a scheduling conflict, so Evie stepped in and did the Foley for Ginger. She learned the dances in an afternoon and—”

A stall door swings open, and Evie’s next in line, so she bolts, desperate to remove herself from the conversation be- fore the obvious next question: What are you working on now? Because this night is a total fluke. Evie Bloom is not a working Foley artist. Yet. She spends her days working for a media conglomerate, editing podcasts for former reality dating show contestants turned influencers.

It’s not a dream job, but the benefits are good.

Done in the bathroom, she exits the stall and washes her hands next to Zendaya, who says, “Excuse me,” as she reaches across her for a paper towel and it takes every ounce of re- straint for Evie not to blurt out I love you. Well. Even if to- night isn’t a turning point that marks the beginning of a long and successful career, at least Zendaya spoke to her.

“Ev. Zendaya spoke to you,” Imogen says as they take their seats in the mezzanine.

Evie knew that a biopic about Ginger Rogers was going to be a big deal—big-budget movies about Old Hollywood are certified Oscar porn. But it’s one thing to know it and another to see the caliber of celebrities that showed up to the premiere.

“I just. I cannot believe that the Zendaya Maree Stoermer

Coleman is going to hear my talented sister dance,” Imogen says.

“And she won’t even know it.”

It’s the truth. She’s not the star of the movie. No. Evie Bloom is not the face. She’s every step on concrete, on lino- leum, on carpet. She’s the cadence of Ginger’s movements— the buoyant beat that accompanies running into the arms of any one of her five husbands, the jump of joy when she lands her first film, the crisp, clean shukes that define her as a tap legend. All the sounds that make a movie magic.

In Ginger, Evie is a part of that magic.

Not the face, but the feet.

She loves that magic.

Evie inherited her fascination with sound from Grandma Pep, the beloved host and executive producer of Some Pep in Your Step, a local radio show that featured anyone with an interesting “happy-making” story. Peppy Bloom was on the air for over thirty-five years. Some of Evie’s most formative childhood memories are summer days in the studio with her grandmother, where she asked the audio engineers endless questions and absorbed so many lessons on how to tell a story not just with words but with sounds.

It was one of Grandma Pep’s stories that directly led to her becoming a storyteller with sounds herself. One blistering sum- mer day, she went with her grandmother to interview a team of Foley artists who worked on the Paramount lot. Evie was nine and watched with wide-eyed wonder as these people explained to Grandma Pep that their jobs were to create the sound effects that make a movie—and they used the most unexpected ob- jects. She learned that a celery stick can mimic the sound of a broken bone, that gloves with paper clips on the fingertips are adequate dog paws, that a hand in a jar of mayonnaise is a kiss.

Pey create the sounds that breathe life into a fllm, Grandma Pep explained as her audio engineer recorded a Foley demo for the segment. Evie’s mind near exploded watching them use a bathtub to create the sounds of a boat cutting through water. She remembers that day so vividly—the smell of mayonnaise, the snap of celery, the awe of it all. Afterward, her ears started paying extra close attention at the movies, trying to guess the truth behind the sounds she heard.

Eighteen years later, Evie is seated among the stars at a pre- miere for a film that she breathed life into.

Well.

In the mezzanine above the stars.

Imogen’s elbow nudges her. “It’s still pretty early. You should be out there mingling!”

“I hate mingling.”

“Evie.”

Imogen has always made it look so easy—mingling, net- working, any word that can be defined as speaking to strangers. Evie loves everything about the work that is being a Foley art- ist, but she really hates the people-ing of it all, the reality that opportunities depend on it. An incredible portfolio is useless if no one will take the time to listen to it. Objectively, Imogen is right. She should be mingling.

Of course, she doesn’t tell her sister this.

Or admit that she doesn’t know why small talk is so easy for Imogen yet so impossible for her.

Instead, she sticks out her tongue.

Imogen mirrors the expression, then continues, “Portia is chill. They’re also blowing up in a major way, and I set up the intro and . . . you totally flopped.”

“We were in the bathroom, Gen.”

“So?”

“It didn’t exactly seem like the time to pitch myself.” “Maybe not, but you didn’t have to downplay your contri-bution to Ginger either.”

Evie didn’t downplay anything. It was true, what she said to Portia, that the opportunity was a happenstance of right place, right time. Annaliese Fallon, who stars as Ginger, was meant to dub herself—to come into the Foley studio and re- cord her dances in sync with video. Just like any other sound effect, adding the taps in postproduction guarantees a crisper, cleaner sound and allows more control to the mixers in charge of layering all the sounds together. But then a scheduling con- flict sent Annaliese to her next role, on Broadway, earlier than anticipated, so she never had the chance to record the dances that she’d flawlessly executed on-screen.

And the studio was fucked.

Ross Snyder, Evie’s boss, scrambled in frantic search of a solution. Put tap shoes on his hands and winged it. The taps were in sync but wrong. A shuke that should have been a scuf- fle, a flap that should have been a ball change. To the untrained ear of the general public, Ross’s hand taps would suffice. But this was a love letter to Ginger Rogers. A movie for dancers.

And Evie’s first dream, before Grandma Pep had spectacu- larly shattered the illusion of sound, was dance.

I’m a dancer, she told Ross, her voice small and palatable.

I can do it.

Ross cocked an eyebrow, skeptical. Ross is an asshole.

Give me the tapes and a day.

Ross sighed, conceding that he had nothing to lose.

Evie didn’t tell Ross that she was a dancer, past tense, or that she’d have to tear her closet apart to find the worn BLOCHs that she hadn’t put on since high school. She didn’t tell Ross that she wasn’t sure if her weakened ankle could han- dle the choreography. Nope. When Ross Snyder looked up at Evie with tap shoes for hands, Evie saw an opportunity—to prove her worth, to get a Foley credit in a major theatrical release, to dance again.

She took it.

Of course she did.

She learned the choreography and perfected it until her feet bled.

After the recording session, her calves burned. Her ankle screamed enough. And Evie loved every minute of that day. She is so drawn to Foley because of the physicality, the musi- cality, the rhythm required. Being in the studio, Evie is almost a dancer again, and it felt incredible to actually dance, to be Ginger’s feet.

Pank fucking God, Ross said when Evie played back her work for him.

It’s the closest she ever got to a thank-you from Ross Snyder. “Well. I tried,” Imogen says with a shrug, then pulls out her phone and starts typing, her eyebrows rising in the amused expression that is for one person only. “It’s Sloane, asking if I need anything from Costco and…… since when are we Costco people? How did this happen?”

“You moved in together after three months like a sapphic cliché, Gen. Of course you’re Costco people.”

Imogen flips her off. “Valid.”

Evie laughs, then reaches for her phone after it vibrates with a new text:

You’re Ginger tonight. I’m so proud of you, Evelyn.

It squeezes her heart, those nine words from her best friend.

“Theo?” Imogen assumes.

Evie nods.

“I sort of feel bad. He would’ve been a better plus-one.” She checks her teeth one final time for lipstick. “Just in terms of, like, appreciating the dance of it all. I would say sorry for calling dibs as your blood, but I’m not. So.”

Evie snorts. “You’re a great date. And anyway, it’s a school night.”

Theo Cohen—Mr. Cohen—would never be out past 10:00p.m. on a school night. He has twenty children that he’s re- sponsible for in the morning, teaching the next generation multiplication and assigning book reports and doing exper- iments to learn about weather systems that don’t exist in Southern California.

“Bitch, I knew you invited him first.”

Evie laughs because of course her extra ticket was Imogen’s first, always, forever.

But she’s just too easy to mess with.

Anyway, Evie will watch Ginger with Theo from the com- fort of her couch when it’s on Netflix next week—when they can rewind and rewatch and analyze the dance routines like they’re seventeen again, in search of inspiration for their next duet. If it’s even good. Evie’s feet had to be approved by so many sets of ears—Ross’s, the sound mixer’s, the music su- pervisor’s, the director’s, Annaliese Fallon’s. Still, she must approve her work with her own ears before she allows the person whose opinion she cares about most in this world to listen, too.

She rereads Theo’s text, then tucks her phone into her clutch as the lights dim and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lion roars. Evie’s feet are the opening beat. Ginger is rehearsing one of her routines with Fred Astaire in Swing Time. Annaliese Fallon looks incredible. Evie sounds incredible. And for the next two hours, she’s lost in the beautiful, intricate sound design. Sound is taken for granted, but Evie loves the art, the science, the magic of shaping an audience’s experience through what is not seen but heard. It’s kind of blowing her mind, that every time the music starts and the dancing begins, everyone is seeing Annaliese but hearing her. Evie’s art and talent are an integral part of this movie.

It’s an indescribable feeling.

It is purpose.

A sort of fulfillment that is notably absent when she opens Pro Tools every day and works on the latest podcast for the reality dating show Ever After. She loves these podcasts as a listener—their smart, feminist, intersectional takes on a fran- chise that refuses to progress beyond the patriarchal founda- tion upon which it’s built. But spending forty-plus hours a week in front of a screen editing them?

It. Is. Torture.

Evie isn’t meant to sit in front of a computer screen. She’s meant to move.

“Evie,” Imogen whispers, dabbing a tissue to her eyes as the credits start to roll. “Holy shit.”

Evie squeezes Imogen’s hand.

“I felt you,” she continues. “Like, I closed my eyes and we were at a competition again.”

Imogen danced, too, following in her big sister’s tap shoes. But she danced for the fun of it, for the costumes, for the unrequited crushes she always had on other dancers. Dance never became Imogen’s identity. It was simply a thing she did, not who she was.

Dance is who Evie was. Until she wasn’t.

Until she couldn’t.

Evie and Imogen stay glued in their seats for the credits to see the name Evelyn Bloom under the Foley department. It’s the credit that Evie believes will jump-start her career, the credit she listed on the union application that’s currently pending. If approved, she can begin to take on more work. In the union, she’ll be paid guaranteed minimums and not be lowballed as most early-career freelancers are. In the union, she’ll have health benefits that will free her from the Pro Tools life. Ben- efits that cover the appointments, the screenings, the medica- tions necessary to manage her chronic illness.

The credits roll.

Evie waits to see her name.

Waits.

And waits. And—

“What the fuck?” Imogen snarls at the credit.

Foley artist: Ross Snyder

As quickly as it appears, it’s gone, and Evie’s eyes sting as if she’s been slapped. She knows Ross is an asshole, but she thought he was at least an asshole with integrity. But of course, he’s just another man in the industry more than happy to take credit for a woman’s work. She bled for Ginger. She deserved this credit.

She needed it.

Her union application is going to be rejected without it.

Evie’s stomach cramps, a dull pain shooting through her lower abdomen, reminding her that the dream that felt so close to possible just two hours ago is once again very much not.

“Ev—”

“Can we go home?”

Ross just . . . erased her from Ginger. Tonight was supposed to be good. Working for Ross Snyder was the worst six months of Evie’s life, but tonight was meant to be proof that his exploiting her passion for unpaid labor was worth it.

Evie exits the theater biting the inside of her cheek so she doesn’t burst into furious tears.

Fuck Ross.

Fuck passions.

Fuck.

Shit.

CHAPTER 2

Mr. Cohen’s winner pick didn’t even make the jury!”

Theo Cohen’s fourth graders erupt in oohs and giggle at his humiliating loss. Every day, he’s hum-bled by a scathing drag delivered by one of his students—be it the way he walks, the color of his shirt, or the total embarrass- ment of losing your Survivor winner pick pre-jury.

Theo covers his ears. “Milo! Spoilers!”

“It’s okay, Mr. Cohen,” Jeremiah says. “We voted for an amendment to the spoiler rule.”

Theo raises a single eyebrow.“Oh?”

“Yep!” Sierra confirms, with a chipped neon-pink nail pol- ish thumbs-up.

Milo stands, his chair screeching against the floor. “The twenty-four-hour Spoiler Embargo may be lifted if Mr. Cohen’s winner pick is eliminated.”

Milo then marches over to Theo’s desk to hand him the amendment, handwritten and signed by the entire class. Embargo was a challenge vocab word last week. Milo genu- inely did spoil last night’s episode for Theo, but he’s way too proud that his kids just correctly used embargo in a sentence to care. Integrating his favorite television show into his cur- riculum has made Mr. Cohen cool. The teacher every fourth grader crosses their fingers and wishes for at Foothill Elemen- tary. Kids live for the challenges. Theo has a collection of Sur- vivor puzzles in his classroom—color pattern, unscramble the phrase, 3D, and, of course, the iconic slide puzzle.

Every Friday starts with a Survivor recap and a puzzle.

Theo reads the amendment, his expression serious.

Minor spoilers are worth the collective joy his students take in calling him a loser.

“Fair enough.”

Theo pins the amendment to the corkboard hanging on the wall above his desk, alongside the rules for participating in Survivor Fridays and the list with each kid’s winner pick. Successfully select who wins after the first episode and receive either a homework pass or five extra points on the weekly vo- cabulary quiz. If his winner pick is eliminated pre-jury, the finale party becomes an ice cream party.

Theo chooses a likely pre-jury boot with intention, to give his kids an ice cream party.

It’s been great for classroom management, Survivor Fridays with Mr. Cohen. It keeps the kids on track, looking forward to the puzzles and strategy chats at the end of the week. Theo can make any concept relate back to the show—the science behind some of the physical challenges, the character arcs and storytelling over the course of the season, the compli- cated history of the filming locations and challenging the show’s appropriation of Indigenous culture. During his first year teaching, Ms. Connors spoke to Theo about appropriation being a challenge vocab word after a parent complained that politics have no place in the classroom. He now makes it a point to use it as the challenge word on the first vocabulary quiz of the year.

It’s the easiest way to immediately identify the Problem Parents.

In college, Theo took Classroom Management, a semester- long unit dedicated to tips and tricks for managing problem students—the disruptors who pull focus and derail a lesson with an off-topic comment or an ill-timed fart joke. But Theo learned real quick that nine times out of ten, kids are not the problem. It’s the parents who derail a lesson with a call to Ms. Connors, who question his independent reading list, who dis- credit him because he’s one of the youngest teachers at Foothill.

Parents are the worst part of the job.

Easily.

But the kids are worth it.

Theo crosses his name off the Survivor board, and every- one cheers.“Okay! You’ve had your laugh, so it’s time for mine. Who’s ready to learn how to multiply some fractions?”

“Are you going to sing?” Annabelle asks.

“You know it.”

Cue a collective groan.

They’ll complain about Mr. Cohen’s songs. Call him cringe or corny. But he’ll sing a song about multiplying fractions to the tune of “Let It Go” and it will stick. Even if they mock him, they will have multiply, multiply, the numerators to-ge-ther stuck in their heads until the end of time. Or at least until the statewide cumulative exam. His mom taught him that. She had a song for everything, and Theo can still hear her singing them. It’s in these moments, when he’s introducing a new con- cept via song, that he feels closest to her.

After a somewhat successful lesson, Theo’s students line up two-by-two for gym class. Handing them over to Ms. Walsh begins forty-five minutes of quiet. Usually. It’s his prep period, meant for setting up for the afternoon, for grading Play-Doh dioramas of endangered species, for Clorox disinfecting the surfaces of his classroom. Sometimes, Juniper Delgado, a third-grade teacher whose kids are in art class when his are in gym, will knock on his door and they’ll do some grading to- gether to a compilation of Seth Meyers monologues. Most of the time, he’s listening to a Survivor recap podcast, oscillating between photocopying enough worksheets for the rest of the week and texting his best friend, Evelyn Bloom.

But today?

Today, his precious prep time is booked with the principal of Foothill Elementary.

Theo knocks on the office door. “Ms. Connors—”

“Veronica,” Ms. Connors corrects with a soft chuckle.

Veronica Connors has been the principal at Foothill Elementary since Theo was a student at this same school. It doesn’t matter how many times she insists on being called Veronica—she will never not be Ms. Connors to him. This applies to any educator Theo knew as a student at Foothill. It’s weird, the shift in perspective from student to colleague.

Theo’s positive he’ll never get used to it.

“Veronica,” he repeats, then takes a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

Her eyes shift from her desktop to meet his. “How are you, Theo?”

“Good.”

“What’s on the agenda?”

“I just wanted to share a proposal I put together for a class trip to the Griffith Observatory.”

Her brow furrows. “You know the fourth graders go to Kidspace.”

Kidspace is a rite of passage for a Pasadena kid—be it via a field trip, a birthday party, or a weekend activity. It’s not a terrible place for a kid to spend a day, with its three and a half acres of indoor and outdoor tactile exhibits. It’s just, well, basic, as Annabelle would (and did!) say. While the museum is tech- nically for the under-tens, Theo’s kids feel too old, too been there, done that, for it to be the fourth-grade field trip. He re- members that feeling, once a Foothill fourth grader himself. So every year, he proposes an alternative field trip for his kids.

Theo clears his throat. “I know. But with the focus on earth science and space in the curriculum, we believe that the obser- vatory would be a more educationally enriching experience for the students.”

It’s a more eloquent response than But Kidspace is basic.

“We?”

“The fourth-grade teachers all agree Kidspace is a bit, um, basic.”

Theo swallows.

Shit.

Ms. Connors—Veronica—sighs. “I’m sorry, Theo. Kidspace gives us a generous discount for our annual field trip and we just do not have room in the budget for anything extra this year, with the third graders going to the zoo.”

“What?”

“Juniper made a compelling case. If we cannot educate the kids on the problematic truths of the Gold Rush without parents up my ass . . . then we may as well just take them to the zoo.”

Theo is stunned. The annual third-grade field trip is to a historical reenactment of the Gold Rush. It’s a complex with architecture that emulates 1800s Americana, where the kids have a blast digging for gold nuggets, completely oblivious to the brutal displacement of Indigenous people during this pe- riod. The historical center vaguely glosses over its ugly truths. How American of it. Theo isn’t upset that the third graders of Foothill Elementary will no longer be exposed to history that’s ignorant at best and racist at worst.

But.

He pitched the zoo last year.

“Juniper’s husband is a veterinarian for the LA Zoo, you know. He’s going to take the kids on a behind-the-scenes tour and let them feed giraffes. Really make them feel special.”

He knows.

Last year, Theo asked Juniper if Joey, her then-fiancé, would be down to give his kids a tour of the zoo if his proposal was approved. He shared his pitch with her. Theo always shares his pitches with Juniper. As the only twentysomething teach- ers at Foothill, he believed they had aligning interests.

He believed they were friends.

Theo gives Ms. Connors a terse nod.

“I’m sorry,” Ms. Connors says, apathy in her voice. “Maybe next year?”

It’s her annual refrain.

It’s also Theo’s cue to get out. He pushes his chair back and stands, exiting Ms. Connors’s office with ten minutes of his prep period remaining. Theo has two options. He can knock on Juniper’s door and ask, What the hell? He doesn’t begrudge this win for her kids, but allies aren’t supposed to backstab each other. Now he has to figure out how to explain to his kids that an afternoon at Kidspace is just as cool as feeding fucking giraffes.

There’s no way to explain that.

He already sees Annabelle’s eye roll.

As the mere concept of confrontation makes Theo want to melt into the floor and disappear Wicked Witch of the West– style, he goes with the second option. Doing nothing.

Soft.

Theo hears Jacob Cohen’s voice in response to his inaction, but his dad’s brand of toxic masculinity is a particular trauma that he unpacks with Brian, his therapist, every Tuesday at four. So he pushes that voice, that word, away and Clorox wipes the desks, the smartboard, the pencil sharpener, before he returns to the gym to retrieve his kids. After gym, it’s snack and silent reading time. Theo has a basket of single-serving prepackaged snacks at his desk so that no kid will be snack- less. He makes sure to have gluten-free options for Kaia and Tyler. Over his desktop, he watches his kids silently snacking and reading books selected from the class library. Currently, they’re drawn to the classics—the Percy Jackson series and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Also anything by Kelly Yang or Jason Reynolds. Theo’s classroom library is curated, like his snack collection, with his own funds. He can do snacks and books.

He can’t self-fund a whole field trip.

Theo observes his kids reading and snacking on carrot sticks and Goldfish and can’t believe that this is his life—still living in his hometown, now teaching at the elementary school he attended.

He’s a townie.

Somewhere in the multiverse, Theo Cohen is an activist, working with a New York City nonprofit to reform curricu- lums nationwide. He takes his plans to Washington. Fights for accessibility to technology, for free breakfasts and lunches, for the quality of one’s education not to depend on the zip code in which one lives.

In that universe, he isn’t in the classroom.

Theo kind of loves his classroom—the bright-colored draw- ings tacked onto walls, the beanbag corner he set up so the kids can be comfortable during movies, the library he curated with books he loved as a kid and books he loves as an adult who teaches kids. He loves Maude, the guinea pig that Evelyn bought for his class during his first year teaching who is somehow still alive. He loves the memories of his mom that are in this room.

In this school.

Lori Cohen was a second-grade teacher at Foothill El- ementary for more than thirty-five years. On Theo’s desk are side-by-side first-day-of-school photos. His first day of kindergarten and his first day as Mr. Cohen. One features a toothless grin. Both feature Lori’s arms wrapped around him, so proud. Of course, he sometimes wonders what Multiverse Theo’s life is like—the Theo who works on progressive educa- tion reform, the Theo who lives in a closet-size apartment in Manhattan, the Theo who still has a mom . . .

“Mr. Cohen?”

His name is an inquisitive whisper.

Theo looks up from his computer. “What’s up, Kaia?”

“What does reverent mean?”

She points to the word in her copy of The Lightning Thief.

Kaia O’Connell takes silent reading seriously—both the silent and the reading. If she doesn’t understand a word, she will always ask Theo before she moves on to the next chapter. He defines reverent and Kaia returns to her seat to write it down. She has a whole notebook full of new words and Theo’s defi- nitions. Kaia can look it up in the dictionary or on one of the class iPads after silent reading time, but Theo is always en- couraging his kids to ask for help.

He wishes more adults encouraged him to ask for help.

Theo’s eyes return to his screen, where there is a new email in his inbox.

Subject: this new math is INCONCEIVABLE

He coughs to cover up his snort at the not-at-all covert subject line from Evelyn, aka mommingismylife@gmail.com. She believes it’s a genius way to contact him at work. He keeps his phone locked in his desk while his kids are in the room because if they can’t have devices out, neither can he. What started out as a system for emergencies has devolved into his best friend spamming his inbox with subject lines from the point of view of a disgruntled parent. Subtle, Evelyn Bloom is not.

Theo opens the email.

can we watch at mine tonight? also . . . you may need to talk me out of committing arson.

just kidding.

OR AM I!!

The more momager the subject line, the more unhinged the message. Survivor Wednesday is on Thursday this week, as Evelyn spent last night attending her first movie premiere— and they never watch without each other. Even in college, they watched together from opposite coasts, Theo from his NYU dorm and Evelyn from her UCLA one. She splurged on a VPN so they could watch together on East Coast time. It was a whole thing.

Theo types a response.

Sure. Warning: I have been spoiled.

p.s. if you’re so worried about my emails being screened, you maybe shouldn’t threaten to commit a felony?

(she’s kidding!)

Evelyn answers immediately:

I’M KIDDING.

omg THEODORE. you checked reddit?

Theo replies:

Milo.

Not even a cough can suppress the laugh that escapes at Evelyn’s response—what a butt! deduct ten points from his diorama project. at least. It’s a disruptor. Silent reading time is over, and not only that, but Theo now must explain what’s so funny. These kids don’t let him get away with anything. It’s the start of a chaotic afternoon—Tyler steals Emerson’s favorite marker. Annabelle bursts into tears when she sees a check mark on last night’s homework, not the check plus that she expects out of herself. Kaia asks if Pluto is still a planet. Milo says, Pluto is a dog, Kaia.

By the time it’s a quarter to three, Theo is exhausted.

Jeremiah raises his hand. “My cousin Lola says that Mrs. Delgado is taking her class to the zoo this year.” “Who is Mrs. Delgado?” Milo asks.

“Ms. Garcia,” Annabelle says, like duh. “She got married, so she’s Mrs. Delgado now.”

“That’s so patriarchy of her,” Sierra says.

“Are we going to the zoo?” Kaia asks.

Theo shakes his head. “We’re going to Kidspace.”

He braces himself for the collective groans, and his kids don’t let him down.

“Kidspace is for babies!”

“Mr. Cohen. I had my birthday party there in, like, flrst grade.”

“We never got to go to the zoo!”

“That’s not fair!”

It’s hard for Theo to calm his students down, to assure them that Kidspace will be a great time. They’re right. He won’t gaslight them into thinking that a museum they’ve al- ready visited multiple times in their nine short years of life is better than a day at the zoo—or a visit to a planetarium. He just lets them vent and groan until the bell rings and bus numbers are called. Milo is right, it isn’t fair. And Theo doesn’t want this to be a teachable life isn’t fair moment for his kids.

They’ll learn that—if they haven’t already—on their own. He just wants them to stare up in wonder at the stars.

As the classroom empties and Mr. Cohen becomes Theo once more, he makes a promise to himself that this year some- how, some way, his kids will see the stars.

The post Read The First Two Chapters From ‘Friends With Benefits’ by Marisa Kanter appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The publisher said take five but Marisa Kanter heard change lives.

I don’t even have words for how much I loved this book. I went in with very little expectations and left the story feeling like I just ran a marathon because wowee do these characters go on a emotional rollercoaster.

Kanter expertly portrays just how messy and magical friendship dynamics can be. From those friends that have shaped your development to those new ones you make in the blink of an eye but can’t ever see yourself letting go of again, the beauty of this story is in (re)connecting with the ones that make you feel like you can be yourself around them.

Finally Fitz really hones in on relationships and not just romantic ones. One of the driving forces of Fitz’s desire to make it in the fashion industry is to prove to her family that she also deserves to be a priority for them and that she can make it on her own. Babied by her sisters and often looked over by her parents who are always busy and had to juggle affection between so many kids, Fitz just wants to be valued and seen. While I don’t have siblings, I could absolutely feel how tough it was for Fitz to be left out of all the conversations and, no matter what she did, not getting the chance to connect. It’s a subplot that adds so much to her character and helps you understand why she is the way she is and how she deals with failure and insecurities in her professional life.

Overall, that really seems to be the theme of this book: Making you as the reader feel like you’ve been stabbed. The third act conflict was especially brutal. The way Kanter managed to portray how much the people you love can hurt you precisely because you show them your vulnerable side which they then use to destroy you was so humbling.

Lest you think this is all pain and no fun, though, rest assured that Finally Fitz also has epic moments of friendship, shenanigans and the most wholesome acts of romance that will make your heart flutter. Fitz and Levi have an insurmountable amount of chemistry from the very first time they reconnect and while they’re both struggling with broken hearts, they end up mending them together. Rarely have I seen such a strong connection between two characters as is the case with Fitz and Levi. Every interaction was laced with emotions —good and bad ones—and even when they were fighting, you couldn’t help but notice just how much love was behind it all. The twist to their fake romance and the eventual blow-out was so well done and left me gasping.

I could list five hundred other things I loved about this book but one that needs to be mentioned is the focus on social media and failure. Fitz has created this whole empire with her fashion Instagram and Levi has a plant-focused Instagram and both of them reflected their individual personality to a tee. Fitz wants her life to be picture perfect and is her own worst critic while Fitz wants to be the caretaker that makes this world a bit brighter—yet doesn’t realise that he sometimes focuses on the wrong things to mend. I loved all the discussions surrounding expectations vs. reality when it comes to social media, how you constantly second-guess yourself and what you post and how sometimes, finding your way back to authenticity is extremely hard especially when others use your successes to make you feel bad or tell you you don’t care about what’s real. I think this storyline overall is what makes this book work so incredibly well and what will have readers connect with Fitz and her fight for her voice to be heard.

Overall, I can’t wait to reread this book the moment it releases.

Lovers of the childhood best friends and fake dating trope will devour Finally Fitz, a touching romance featuring insightful discussions on social media’s influence on our sense of self, that is perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Ashley Herring Blake.

Finally Fitz is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of April 23rd 2024.

Will you be picking up Finally Fitz? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

A bisexual teen girl tries to make her ex jealous by faking an Instagram romance that leads to surprisingly real feelings in this hijinks-filled rom-com perfect for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and She Gets the Girl .

Ava “Fitz” Fitzgerald has worked hard to create the picture-perfect life she’s always wanted. She spent her junior year transforming her passion for sustainable fashion and upcycling into a viral online platform, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and spending every free second with her soon-to-graduate girlfriend, Danica. And this summer she plans to take it all to the next level by attending a prestigious summer fashion program in New York City and convincing Dani that they can survive a year of long distance.

But when Dani dumps her before classes even start, accusing Fitz of being more invested in growing her online persona than deepening their relationship, she’s left not only heartbroken, but also creatively blocked.

Fitz will do anything to win Dani back, even if that means taking a break from the platform that she’s worked so hard to build. But just as she decides to go all-in on a hiatus, a chance encounter reunites her with Levi Berkowitz, her childhood best friend that she hasn’t seen since elementary school. Levi is struggling with heartbreak of his own, and this cosmic coincidence sparks a new use for her social media savvy. Fitz offers to help Levi craft a fake relationship online to make his person jealous…if in return he can pretend to be her boyfriend in front of Dani to make her jealous. If all goes according to plan, by the end of the summer they’ll both be reunited with their perfect partners and get to rekindle their friendship in the process.

Sometimes even the most carefully designed plans can come apart at the seams, though. And when real history leads to not-so-fake feelings, Fitz will have to decide if she’s finally willing to let go of what she thought was picture-perfect and choose what might actually be right for her.

The post #ReadWithPride: Finally Fitz by Marisa Kanter appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

From magic, fairytales, romance, and thrillers, to monsters, rebels, pirates, and friends, there’s certainly something for everyone to look forward to amongst the young adult books releasing between January and June 2024! From new releases from the likes of Emma Lord, Brigid Kemmerer, Kacen Callender, Morgan Matson, Tomi Adeyemi, Kalynn Bayron, Rachel Lynn Solomon, and many more, to those making their dazzling debut, you will be spoilt for choice!

Read on to discover some wonderful new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other 2024 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated and our Swoonworthy Romance lists!

JANUARY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa

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A trans boy searches for a future―and a romance―in which he can live and love openly as himself in this heartrending young-adult reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, part of the Remixed Classics series.

The Getaway List by Emma Lord

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Inescapably romantic and brimming with New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord’s signature cheer, The Getaway List is an uplifting and romantic read that will settle into your heart and never leave.

If I Promise You Wings by A.K. Small

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Hold Still meets You’ve Reached Sam in this lyrical novel about one young woman’s journey through the Paris fashion scene as she chases promises, overcomes grief, and falls in love.

Just Happy to Be Here by Naomi Kanakia

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In this YA standalone perfect for fans of Tobly McSmith and Meredith Russo, the first out trans girl at an all-girls school must choose between keeping her head down or blazing a trail.

That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally

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From a gripping new voice comes a YA thriller with amnesia, stalking, abduction and twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat, perfect for fans of Natalie D. Richards and Vincent Ralph.​

A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel

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Circe goes YA in this unapologetically feminist retelling of the Medusa myth steeped in Indian mythology, a YA epic fantasy addition to the Rick Riordan Presents imprint.

The Atlas of Us by Kristin Dwyer

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Following her critically-acclaimed debut novel, Some Mistakes Were Made, Kristin Dwyer is back with The Atlas of Us, a novel about deep grief, found family, and a raw love story that will have readers crying and laughing in equal measure.

Shut Up, This Is Serious by Carolina Ixta

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An unforgettable YA debut about two Latina teens growing up in East Oakland as they discover that the world is brimming with messy complexities, perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Erika L. Sánchez.

Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment by Arushi Avachat

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Save the Date meets Never Have I Ever in this sparkling debut rom-com about a high school senior whose life suddenly gets a Bollywood spin when her sister gets engaged.

Somewhere in the Deep by Tanvi Berwah

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From the author of Monsters Born and Made comes an action-packed South Asian inspired fantasy that will have your heart racing at every turn. 

Out of Our League: 16 Stories of Girls in Sports

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A compelling YA anthology from editors Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli about the trials and triumphs of girls in sports with stories from Carrie S. Allen, Sara Farizan, Juliana Goodman, Maggie Hall, Leah Henderson, Sarah Henning, Naomi Kanakia, Miranda Kenneally, Yamile Saied Méndez, Cam Montgomery, Marieke Nijkamp, Amparo Ortiz, Aminah Mae Safi, and Kayla Whaley.

Destroy the Day by Brigid Kemmerer

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In the thrilling conclusion to the Defy the Night series, New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer crafts heartrending twists and devastating turns that will keep readers breathless to the very end.

FEBRUARY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender

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Infinity Alchemist is a spellbinding fantasy novel about a quest that leads three young alchemists toward dangerous truth, legendary love, and extraordinary power.

My Big, Fat Desi Wedding

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These genre-bending stories focus on the magic (and tension) of the biggest family gathering. Both award-winning and debut authors share stories of broken hearts, rekindled flames, unlikely romances, and one particular auntie who loves to meddle with stories from Prerna Pickett, Syed Masood, Tashie Bhuiyan, Aamna Qureshi, Payal Doshi, Sarah Mughal, Noreen Mughees, and Anahita Karthi.

This Day Changes Everything by Edward Underhill

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Dash & Lily meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in Edward Underhill’s new whirlwind rom-com about two queer teens who spend one life-changing day together in New York City.

Daughter of the Bone Forest by Jasmine Skye

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Two girls reluctantly bound by fate must weather a dangerous courtship as a prophesied war grows ever closer in Jasmine Skye’s high-stakes, queernormative dark fantasy debut, Daughter of the Bone Forest.

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

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From the New York Times–bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame comes the first book in a hotly-anticipated fantasy duology teeming with romance and revenge, led by an orphan girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her self-made kingdom.

The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert

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NYT bestselling author Melissa Albert returns with THE BAD ONES, a supernatural horror novel about four mysterious disappearances in a town haunted by a sinister magical history

Kindling by Traci Chee

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From bestselling and award-winning author Traci Chee comes a standalone fantasy set against a war-ravaged world where kindling warfare—the use of elite, magic-wielding teenage soldiers—has been outlawed. In this rich and evocative novel, seven kindlings search for purpose and identity as they prepare for one final battle. For fans of the classic films Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven.

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang

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Unforgettable, snarky, and romantic, I Hope This Doesn’t Find You is Never Have I Ever meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before if Lara Jean wrote hate emails instead of love letters.

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

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Enemies-to-lovers doesn’t get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli’s latest romantic fantasy

If Only I Had Told Her by Laura Nowlin

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An intensely emotional and gripping companion novel to Laura Nowlin’s USA Today and New York Times Bestselling novel If He Had Been With Me about the love that both breaks and heals us. Perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover and Jenny Han.

With a Little Luck by Marissa Meyer

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After being magically gifted with incredible luck, a boy discovers this gift just may be a curse when it comes to love, in this sweet romantic comedy by #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek

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A girl with dangerous magic makes a risky bargain with a demon to be free of her monstrous power in this young adult fantasy perfect for fans of An Enchantment of Ravens and House of Salt and Sorrows.

MARCH 2024 BOOK RELEASES

The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le

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The tantalising romance of These Violent Delights meets the mechanical wonders of Cinder in The Last Bloodcarver , the first in a two-book debut – with a riveting medical magic system and lush Vietnam-inspired fantasy world.

Bad Like Us by Gabriella Lepore

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Two friend groups collide when someone turns up dead over spring break in this heart-thumping YA thriller for fans of One of Us Is Lying and We Were Liars

The Summer She Went Missing by Chelsea Ichaso

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From the author of Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets and They’re Watching You, a compelling new thriller!

Icarus by K. Ancrum

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Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, this suspenseful queer YA romance from critically acclaimed author K. Ancrum reimagines the tale of Icarus as a star-crossed love story between a young art thief and the son of the man he’s been stealing from—think Portrait of a Thief for YA readers.

Promchanted by Morgan Matson

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Modern-day teens wander into Disney’s Sleeping Beauty in this enemies-to-lovers rom-com from New York Times bestselling author Morgan Matson.

One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain

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The New York Times bestselling author of Dark & Shallow Lies delivers another chilling supernatural thriller filled with murder, romance, and a decades long mystery that haunts a small Florida town.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

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In Where Sleeping Girls Lie ― a YA contemporary mystery by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, the New York Times-bestselling author of Ace of Spades ― a girl new to boarding school discovers dark secrets and coverups after her roommate disappears.

We Are Mayhem by Beck Rourke-Mooney

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Filled with messy, complicated characters, We Are Mayhem is a debut YA novel about finding your strength, embracing your weird, and being who you truly are – no matter what.

Ariel Crashes A Train by Olivia A. Cole

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Exploring the harsh reality of OCD and violent intrusive thoughts in stunning, lyrical writing, this novel-in-verse conjures a haunting yet hopeful portrait of a girl on the edge. From the author of Dear Medusa, which New York Times bestselling author Samira Ahmed called “a fierce and brightly burning feminist roar.”

The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall

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Julie Murphy meets Casey McQuiston in this unforgettable queer romance about a teen girl whose foray into fantasy tabletop roleplaying brings her new confidence, true friends, and a shot at real, swoon-worthy love.

The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright

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In this gorgeous stand-alone fantasy romance perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Allison Saft, a rebellious witch undertakes a last-ditch quest to restore magic to medieval Wales—as two princes vie for her heart.

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste

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The Poisons We Drink is a potent YA debut about a world where love potions are weaponized against hate and prejudice, sisterhood is unbreakable, and self-love is life and death.

APRIL 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Something Kindred by Ciera Burch

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Magical realism meets Southern Gothic in this commanding young adult debut from Ciera Burch about true love, the meaning of home, and the choices that haunt us.

We’re Never Getting Home by Tracy Badua

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HBO’s Insecure meets Dazed and Confused in this messy, tender YA novel about a friendship breakup, set against the backdrop of a chaotic night at a music festival, from rising talent Tracy Badua.

The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray by Christine Calella

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The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray follows the asexual daughter of a notorious pirate queen and her anxious half-sister braving the sea and its pirates to find themselves

Fate Be Changed: A Twisted Tale by Farrah Rochon

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What if the witch gave Merida a different spell? This New York Times best-selling series twists Disney Pixar’s Brave into a fast-paced story in which Merida is sent back in time.

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

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From the author of the multimillion-copy bestselling A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series and Five Survive comes a new true-crime fueled mystery thriller about a girl determined to uncover the shocking truth about her mother’s disappearance while filming a documentary on the unsolved case.

Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo

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Not Like Other Girls is a stunning debut that takes a hard look at how we treat young women and their trauma, through the lens of a missing girl and a girl trying to find herself again.

Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens

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A skeptic and a supernatural being make a crossroads deal to achieve their own ends only to get more than they bargained for in this lively young adult romantic adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After.

The Misdirection of Fault Lines by Anna Gracia

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Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants goes to the French Open in an emotionally honest and openhearted novel for fans of Yamile Saied Méndez and Mary HK Choi.

To A Darker Shore by Leanne Schwartz

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A da Vinci-esque teen girl inventor on a Dante-esque journey through hell to save her best friend.

Draw Down the Moon by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

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New York Times bestsellers P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast return with a new duology set in a dark and magickal world filled with incredible danger and irresistible romance.

Finally Fitz by Marisa Kanter

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A bisexual teen girl tries to make her ex jealous by faking an Instagram romance that leads to surprisingly real feelings in this hijinks-filled rom-com perfect for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and She Gets the Girl.

Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin

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Judy I. Lin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Magic Steeped in Poison, weaves a dreamy gothic romance worthy of the heavens in Song of the Six Realms.

MAY 2024 BOOK RELEASES

The Worst Perfect Moment by Shivaun Plozza

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Equal parts tender and edgy, this inventive queer romance imagines what it might feel like to come of age in the afterlife.

A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur

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June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history.

Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams

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A teenager on the run from his past finds the family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical. Enroll in this fresh fantasy debut with the emotional power of Legendborn and the redefined ancestral magic of Lovecraft Country.

The Ballad of Darcy and Russell by Morgan Matson

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From New York Times bestselling author Morgan Matson comes a sweeping romantic novel about love, fate…and that one night that can change everything.

The Only Light Left Burning by Erik J. Brown

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What If It’s Us meets They Both Die at the End in this sequel to the beloved postapocalyptic queer YA adventure romance All That’s Left in the World by USA Today bestselling author Erik J. Brown.

The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe

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Four teens. Three henchmen. Two thousand acres of remote forest. One very bad man. And a whole lot of new secrets to unearth. The unmissable, thrilling follow-up to THE GIRLS I’VE BEEN (soon to be a Netflix film).

I Wish You Would by Eva Des Lauriers

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To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets You’ve Reached Sam in this love story in which explosive secrets threaten to tear everyone apart, including best friends (or maybe more?), Natalia and Ethan.

Bite Me, Royce Taslim by Lauren Ho

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Acclaimed author of Last Tang Standing and Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic in her YA debut: a sharp yet sweet rivals-to-romance romp through Kuala Lumpur—perfect for fans of Emiko Jean, Abigail Hing Wen, and Kat Cho.

The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell

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In a quaint 19th century whaling village, a young woman seeks to expose the dark truth behind the village’s eerie disappearances at the risk of the lives of everyone she loves . . . assuming anyone will listen to a female in the first place.

In the Shallows by Tanya Byrne

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From the acclaimed author of Afterlove comes a beautiful sapphic second-chance love story drenched with longing, loss and mystery.

Keepers of the Stones and Stars by Michael Barakiva

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Keepers of the Stones and Stars is a witty young adult contemporary fantasy about a group of five teens chosen by magical gems to save the world.

Have You Seen This Girl by Nita Tyndall

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Fans of Courtney Summers and Tess Sharpe will devour this standalone YA thriller following a nonbinary teen investigating a series of copycat murders targeting girls in their small town—murders based on their serial killer dad’s MO.

JUNE 2024 BOOK RELEASES

Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

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Tomi Adeyemi’s #1 New York Times -bestselling Legacy of Orïsha series comes to an earth-shaking conclusion.

Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth

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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six (under the penname Olivie Blake) comes Twelfth Knight, a YA romantic comedy and coming of age story about taking up space in the world and learning what it means to let others in.

Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon

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They fell for each other in just twenty-four hours. Now Rowan and Neil embark on a long-distance relationship during their first year of college in this romantic, dual POV sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow.

Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen

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Mulan meets Iron Widow in this thrilling silkpunk fantasy about a girl who must disguise herself as a boy and enter the famed and dangerous Engineer’s Guild trials to unravel the mystery of her father’s murder.

Wish You Weren’t Here by Erin Baldwin

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Pitched as The Hating Game for teens, the story follows childhood rivals Juliette and Priya, who are forced to be summer camp cabinmates, and must decide what they want more: to kill each other, or to kiss.

Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron

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New York Times bestselling author and TikTok sensation Kalynn Bayron returns to fairytales with a lush, thrilling and original YA Snow White retelling that brings a new and exciting voice to this familiar tale. Perfect for fans of Cinderella Is Dead.

Heiress Takes All by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

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The Inheritance Games meets Ocean’s 11 in this thrilling YA adventure about a vengeful daughter determined to pull off the perfect heist in the midst of her father’s wedding.

We Mostly Come Out At Night: 15 Queer Tales of Monsters, Angels & Other Creatures

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An empowering cross-genre YA anthology that explores what it means to be a monster, exclusively highlighting trans and queer authors who offer new tales and perspectives on classic monster stories and tropes. Contributors include editor Rob Costello, Kalynn Bayron, David Bowles, Shae Carys, Rob Costello, H.E. Edgmon, Michael Thomas Ford, Val Howlett, Brittany Johnson, Naomi Kanakia, Claire Kann, Jonathan Lenore Kastin, Sarah Maxfield, Sam J. Miller, Alexandra Villasante, and Merc Fenn Wolfmoor.

Moonstorm by Yoon Ha Lee

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In a society where conformity is valued above all else, a teen girl training to become an Imperial pilot is forced to return to her rebel roots to save her world in this adrenaline-fueled sci-fi adventure—perfect for fans of Iron Widow and Skyward!

There Is a Door in This Darkness by Kristin Cashore

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A magic-tinged contemporary YA about grief and hope from the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of the Graceling Realm novels.

The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde

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A Darker Shade of Magic meets Six of Crows, in this alternate day New York where monsters live among humankind, from USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde.

Storm: Dawn of a Goddess by Tiffany D. Jackson

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Before she was the super hero Storm of Marvel’s X-Men, she was Ororo of Cairo—a teenaged thief on the streets of Egypt, until her growing powers catch the eye of a villain who steals people’s souls.

What YA books are you looking forward to picking up in 2024? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Here’s 72 Of The Most Anticipated YA Books Of 2024 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi Marisa, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and As If On Cue?

Hello! I am a young adult author, amateur podcaster, and reality television enthusiast. I grew up surrounded by books in the suburbs of Boston, and my love of words took me to New York City, where I attended college and worked in a variety of roles within the publishing industry. I’m a recent LA transplant, where I live with my fiancé. We’ve been dating since high school, and our meet-cute was the inspiration for As If on Cue! Not the rivals-to-lovers arc (we were just friends first!), but we did actually write and direct a school play together with a group of friends, and it was an experience that I always thought would be such a fun premise for a novel.

What sets As If On Cue apart from other young adult novels?

As If on Cue is absolutely a romcom and trope-y as heck, but I think that one thing that sets it apart is the origin of Natalie and Reid’s rivalry, and how it stems from a long history that involves their families. Natalie’s dad is a band director, so their rivalry is not merely academic, it’s musical. Natalie truly believes that when Reid picked up the clarinet, he stole her relationship with her dad, which adds a layer to jealousy to Natalie’s character that is so compelling to me (and often leads to questionable decision-making!). Their relationship was a spin on rivals-to-lovers, where I got to sprinkle in the complicated family dynamics that I love to write so much! We also get to see the creative process of building a musical from the initial spark of an idea to its execution. And, of course, Natalie and Reid are both Jewish, which is intentional and important to me because for the longest time, Jewish teens did not see themselves represented in romcoms. I’m so thrilled to be publishing at a time where that is starting to change—and that As If on Cue is now one of many Jewish romcom options for readers to choose from!

If you could choose three songs to describe Natalie and Reid’s relationship in As If On Cue, what would they be?

Ooh, this is such a fun question! I’ll keep it musical themed: “What is this Feeling?” from
Wicked, “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better” from Annie Get Your Gun, and “I Won’t Say (I’m In Love)” from Hercules. I think these three songs capture their dynamic during the first half of the book perfectly.

What is the main message that you want readers to take away from As If On Cue?

As If on Cue is a celebration of the arts and an ode to the impact art can have during these formative periods of our lives. I hope readers, especially teen readers, take away that whatever their relationship to art is, it is valid. There are so many different and fulfilling ways that art (or any activity that brings you joy!) can be a part of your life. Just let your passions lead you forward. And if you stumble along the way? That’s just part of the process.

Do you relate more to the main character in your debut novel, What I Like About You (book blogger and cupcake decorator Halle), or the main character in As If On Cue (play writer and director Natalie)?

Both Halle and Natalie are deeply rooted in and inspired by my own experiences—I was a teen book blogger and writer/director of a school play! It’s hard to say who I relate to more, because there are pieces of me in both of them. I was Halle, a socially anxious rule following teen who made many of her most meaningful friendships online. But I was also Natalie, someone who for the longest time saw their passion as only a hobby because the reality of making it into a career felt like an impossible dream. Personality wise, the scale tips in Halle’s favor, as I would never have spoken to teachers with the bold confidence that Natalie is able to!

Why did you choose to use a retelling of Frozen for Natalie and Reid’s school musical?

It took a few drafts to nail down what exactly I wanted the musical within the book to be. Ultimately, I wanted it to feel perfectly teen, like a concept that my friends and I would have actually come up with in high school. As soon as I landed on Melted, everything clicked into place. Climate anxiety is real, and so many teens feel so much existential dread in relationship to the environment. It felt like a topic that Natalie and her friends would have naturally had a point of view on. Plus, it was just a ton of fun to play with parody from the point of view of these teens who believe they’ve mastered it!

Do you play any musical instruments (e.g., the clarinet or the piano like Reid)?

Not well, haha! I played the clarinet for three years in elementary and middle school, but much like Natalie it wasn’t quite my thing. Instead, I gravitated toward choir (shout out to my fellow altos!) and theater. Recently, I’ve picked up the piano as a pandemic hobby, and I am happy to report that I can now play a super solid beginner version of “A Whole New World.”

What challenges did you face while writing As If On Cue and how did you overcome them?

Writing a book is never easy, but even through the hard parts, everything about As If on Cue felt right in a way that I have never experienced before or since! I wrote As If on Cue in a pre-pandemic world, and it was easily the best drafting experience I have ever had. The entire revision process, however, took place over the course of last year, which became quite the creative struggle. For a while, it felt impossible to write a world that hasn’t been touched by this pandemic, where band concerts and musicals and even something as simple as spending time with friends were happening. A few drafts in, I was finally able to see revising as an escape allow myself to have fun in this world again. I am so thankful to my publishing team for giving me the time and space to make sure that I was delivering the best book I could possibly write.

What was the last book you read?

Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan, which was an instant forever favorite!

What are some things that you do to cheer yourself up when you are feeling down?

Watch television and movies! I find so much joy in television, and some of my favorite comfort shows include Parks and Recreation, Julie and the Phantoms, Schitt’s Creek, Ted Lasso, Diary of a Future President and The Good Place. In terms of movies, I can watch 10 Things I Hate About You, Legally Blonde, and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on repeat until the end of time.

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

In YA, the books I wish I could read again for the first time are: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli, Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon, I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert, Full Disclosure by Camyrn Garrett, The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan, Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey, Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert, and Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers.

In adult, the romance novels that brought me so much joy and comfort in dark times include: People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry, The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan, Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn, Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle, The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon, The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa, and One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London, to name a few!

Will you be picking up As If On Cue? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Marisa Kanter, Author of ‘As If On Cue’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

As If On Cue is a teen enemies-to-lovers rom-com, perfect for fans of Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson, What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter, The Upside of Falling by Alex Light, and Super Fake Love Song by David Yoon, plus inclusion of all the artistic elements makes As If On Cue perfect for anyone interested in music, fashion, dance, drama, or visual arts. It deals with themes such as art and music, power, dreams, fun versus seriousness, love and family, the Jewish faith, fear of failure, trust, greed and selfishness, growing up, injustice, and teamwork. I think that the moral of this story is that art is magical and that your passions (e.g. drama club or playing the clarinet) “can be fun and serious. It doesn’t have to be an either/or thing.” Another one of the main takeaways for me is that you should trust your loved ones and you should also have faith in yourself.

In addition to being a cute rom-com, it is important to note that As If On Cue also brings attention to some more serious topics such as climate change (the real villain in “Melted: The Musical”) and discrimination against Jews or anti-Semitism. For example, after Reid and Natalie’s classmate makes a horrible and discriminatory comment, instead of moving past it as if it were a joke, Reid powerfully states that, “every time we let it go, it signals that it’s okay. It’s never okay.”

The enemies-to-lovers theme in this book was enjoyable and the addition of the school musical was a big hit for me, especially the tap number as well as all the Disney references! Furthermore, there were a ton of hilarious Frozen puns and references since Natalie’s musical is a reverse retelling of Frozen (e.g., fire instead of ice, “Hate is a Closed Window” instead of “Love is an Open Door” etc). There were also a lot of wonderful Lion King references because Natalie and Reid go to a performance of the musical adaptation on a maybe date. Fellow Disney lovers will absolutely love reading all of the Disney references in As If On Cue.

One thing that I wasn’t a fan of was the family drama happening in both Reid and Natalie’s families, such as Natalie competing for her Dad’s attention, Reid seeking his parents’ approval, and Reid’s sister ditching Natalie’s sister for her new friends, mostly because it wasn’t very interesting in comparison to the rest of the story. Another thing was that the pranks seemed quite juvenile, and I felt like the story didn’t really get engaging until after Natalie and Reid form their truce and then also start to develop feelings.

Overall, As If On Cue was a funny and cute read that I would definitely recommend to those who are interested in the arts and music!

As If On Cue is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 21st 2021.

Will you be picking up As If On Cue? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

A pair of fierce foes are forced to work together to save the arts at their school in this swoony YA enemies-to-lovers romance that fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson are sure to adore.

Lifelong rivals Natalie and Reid have never been on the same team. So when their school’s art budget faces cutbacks, of course Natalie finds herself up against her nemesis once more. She’s fighting to direct the school’s first ever student-written play, but for her small production to get funding, the school’s award-winning band will have to lose it. Reid’s band. And he’s got no intention of letting the show go on.

But when their rivalry turns into an all-out prank war that goes too far, Natalie and Reid have to face the music, resulting in the worst compromise: writing and directing a musical. Together. At least if they deliver a sold-out show, the school board will reconsider next year’s band and theater budget. Everyone could win.

Except Natalie and Reid.

Because after spending their entire lives in competition, they have absolutely no idea how to be co-anything. And they certainly don’t know how to deal with the feelings that are inexplicably, weirdly, definitely developing between them…

The post Review: As If On Cue by Marisa Kanter appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Halle Levitt is the granddaughter of a well-known editor from a major publishing house, and after deciding at the age of 14 that she wanted to explore a career in the same industry, she created an alternate persona to avoid her brand being built on the back of family connections. As Kels from One True Pastry who reviews YA books and bakes amazing cupcakes to match, she’s developed a huge online following over the years on her own merit as well as formed important online friendships with a few peers through Teen Book Twitter. Life is looking pretty sweet for Halle!

This book features a diverse cast with Jewish representation in the form of Halle’s family and a few of her peers, plus multiracial representation as her love interest Nash is a quarter-Asian Jewish person. Her brother Ollie is also working out his sexual orientation as he believed he was gay and then experiences attraction to a girl from school, which is a nice acknowledgement of fluid sexuality and that figuring out your identity can be a work-in-progress. While the LGBTQ aspect doesn’t have a major focus in the story, Halle’s Jewish heritage is front and center which is wonderful. As their parents moved around so much while the kids were growing up, she and Ollie didn’t have a chance to connect much with their heritage until moving in with their grandfather in Connecticut to finish high school while their parents shoot a documentary in Israel. Jewish customs and traditions are incorporated into the storyline in a natural organic manner as they celebrate holidays with their grandfather and attend Shabbat services at the local temple where they engage with the rest of the Jewish community.

There is also a fantastic and emotionally resonant arc surrounding the family’s grieving process as this is set six months after the death of Halle’s grandmother. Their grandfather is still struggling with her loss, and while the kids do their best to support him and give him their strength to help him move on, they’re also still affected by losing their Grams. It was really sweet and poignant how big a role Grams played in this story despite not being physically present, as Halle continually reflects on her kindness, wisdom and fond memories of her instilling a love of books in Halle at a young age. I shed a few tears at a couple points because the author’s depiction of their grief felt completely raw and real.

“You can’t even imagine.” Gramps’s voice cracks. “It’s like half of me died.”
I exhale. Twist the key in the ignition and shift the car into drive.
“Me too. But you’re not dead, Gramps. You’re not.”
I’m struggling for the right words to say, the right way to tell Gramps, I am hurting too and I am here.
Instead, I hold my breath the rest of the ride home, thinking for a girl who loves words, I’m pretty much the worst at articulating the first draft.

One of the most compelling parts of the story was the depiction of how Halle managed Kels’ online existence. As a blogger and bookstagrammer, I’m often in awe (and jealous!) of my peers who are massively talented and amass tons of followers, and from the outside, it can look quite effortless. It was so interesting to watch how much time and effort Halle devoted to maintaining her social media profiles, because as much as you theoretically know that it takes a lot of work, reading about a character living this lifestyle and dealing with the daily trials and tribulations was eye-opening. The baking aspect was such a creative touch and added a more fun element to Halle’s book blogging as she frequently experimented with cupcakes and photography set-ups incorporating the goodies she baked!

Unfortunately, there is one main weakness that will be a drawback for some readers. By happenstance, Halle encounters one of her online friends, Nash, in the flesh after moving to Connecticut. What follows is a completely baffling and unnecessary deception as Halle decides NOT to reveal herself as Kels and instead lies to a boy who is meant to be her best friend, giving him a false backstory to avoid being identified as Kels.

This decision may sit better with other readers than it did for me, but Halle’s reasoning to keep Nash in the dark about her identity will never make sense. If there were legitimate stakes to Halle being revealed as Kels, that would have improved the storyline tremendously, but her excuses for keeping Nash in the dark are extremely flimsy. This isn’t the same as a mistaken identity plot where, for instance, a princess poses as a commoner and falls in love – one could understand her agonising over confessing who she really is because it would mean her partner having to come to terms that there is a whole other side to her that was hidden all this time. But in Halle’s case, Nash loves her as Kels and also comes to care for her as Halle, so there is literally nothing to lose. It also reads as slightly sadistic when ‘Kels’ is messaging with Nash online as he confides in her how confused he is about his interactions with Halle, because again, this is her best friend that she is intentionally hurting by blowing hot and cold, but she doubles down on maintaining secrecy at all costs.

“He’s into Kels.”
“Exactly. You are Kels – or did you forget that?” Ollie says. “I’m sorry, but you officially make zero sense.”
“I’m not Kels.”
“Whatever, Hal. You’re literally both sides of this love triangle. You win. But you’re like, determined to sabotage yourself.”

What makes this even more confusing is that after Halle’s decision to maintain two separate personas with her best friend, this results in her ghosting her long-time friends Elle, Amy and Samira because they’re Nash’s friends as well and she worries about compromising her secret somehow. Halle causes a lot of hurt and confusion to multiple people who are important to her, with her brother frequently calling her out on continuing this deception. Her frustration at him for pointing out the obvious makes Halle even less sympathetic because even with the narrative from her perspective, none of her internal justifications for withholding the truth sound remotely convincing.

This is a YA novel that is at its best when dealing with the delicate themes of loss and grief and how it’s okay to not be okay, to take time to figure yourself out and establish a new norm. The book blogger angle is enjoyable, feeling fresh and relevant with the incorporation of multiple platforms like Instagram and Twitter, which is very relatable given how big a role social media apps play in the life of today’s teens. Unfortunately the central conflict falls flat as Halle’s identity crisis felt contrived and makes it difficult to root for her at times. What I Like About You will appeal most to readers who enjoy protagonists involved in the bookish community, stories that have a major focus on social media and fandom identities or who are looking for Jewish representation.

What I Like About You is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of April 7th 2020.

Will you be picking up What I Like About You? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Can a love triangle have only two people in it? Online, it can…but in the real world, it’s more complicated. In this debut novel that’s perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson, Marisa Kanter hilariously and poignantly explores what happens when internet friends turn into IRL crushes.

Is it still a love triangle if there are only two people in it?

There are a million things that Halle Levitt likes about her online best friend, Nash.

He’s an incredibly talented graphic novelist. He loves books almost as much as she does. And she never has to deal with the awkwardness of seeing him in real life. They can talk about anything…

Except who she really is.

Because online, Halle isn’t Halle—she’s Kels, the enigmatically cool creator of One True Pastry, a YA book blog that pairs epic custom cupcakes with covers and reviews. Kels has everything Halle doesn’t: friends, a growing platform, tons of confidence, and Nash.

That is, until Halle arrives to spend senior year in Gramps’s small town and finds herself face-to-face with real, human, not-behind-a-screen Nash. Nash, who is somehow everywhere she goes—in her classes, at the bakery, even at synagogue.

Nash who has no idea she’s actually Kels.

If Halle tells him who she is, it will ruin the non-awkward magic of their digital friendship. Not telling him though, means it can never be anything more. Because while she starts to fall for Nash as Halle…he’s in love with Kels.

The post Review: What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter appeared first on The Nerd Daily.