February 15, 2022
Four Los Angeles teens negotiate their relationships. The Gibson twins and their best friend, Paige Cohen-Chen, are a trio: the inseparable, loyal Imogen and Archer balancing out Paige's alpha-girl attitude. They've fit together as a perfect unit, until Immie kissed Paige's boyfriend, Jackson. But Immie didn't actually kiss Jackson-- Arch did. Arch is gay and hiding it from their abusive father, and his sister has lied for him, straining her friendship with Paige. Now Immie and Paige have their eyes on the same guy, Rohan Singh, a charming transfer student homesick for London despite his crush on Immie keeping him grounded. On top of all that, there's an arsonist loose at school. Amid these complicated connections, the friends hide their personal pain. Immie's desire for independence, Paige's parents' neglect and her toxic struggle for absolute perfection, Arch's secret flirtation with Jackson, and Ro's anger at his father's affair may burn them all down before anything else does. The quartet of vivid characters--in particular, troubled, fierce Paige--is a strength of the book, and the romances, one straight and one queer, are sweet. But the narrative never quite gels, trying as it does to balance too many plotlines and shifting in tone between melodrama and slice of life rather than blending both into a cohesive whole. Immie, Arch, and Jackson read as White; Paige is Jewish and Chinese American, and British Ro's name implies Indian descent. A soap opera with real issues told with earnest heart. (Fiction. 14-18)
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Starred review from April 18, 2022
Four 16-year-olds’ emotionally tumultuous junior year is further complicated when their Los Angeles high school is targeted by an arsonist. Twins Imogen and Archer Gibson, cued white, and Paige Cohen-Chen, who is Jewish and Chinese American, have been best friends since seventh grade. But tensions rise between them after Arch kisses Paige’s now ex-boyfriend, Jackson. In a desperate attempt to protect her brother, Immie claims the betrayal as her own and resolves to make it up to Paige. So after Paige expresses romantic interest in a new student from London, brown-skinned Rohan Singh, Immie steps aside. But when their school’s east wing is set aflame and Immie and Ro’s feelings toward each other intensify, the friends’ relationships begin to implode under the weight of their combined lies and omissions, concealing acts of self-harm, domestic abuse, and further betrayal. Portrayals of healthy teen romance provide a hopeful backdrop as family trauma and insecurities come to light and the group works to rebuild their friendship. Told from four alternating perspectives, Buxbaum (Admission) employs a limited third-person narrative, illustrating often-striking differences between the teens’ distinct internal monologues in this tender exploration of love and loyalty. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jennifer Joel, ICM Partners.
July 2, 2022
Gr 8 Up-When her twin brother, Arch, kisses their best friend's boyfriend, Immie decides to take the fall. After all, Arch isn't yet out to anyone, and Immie is sure that Paige will eventually forgive her. It's a rocky start to junior year, and things only get more complicated when Rohan, a new boy from London, joins their class. Paige sets her sights on Rohan, reminding Immie, who is also interested in him, that she owes it to her to not pursue the new boy since she's the reason that Paige is now single. But when sparks start to fly between Rohan and Immie, will the trio's friendship survive? Despite the love triangle drama, this story starts off slowly and takes its time building tension. The narrative flow doesn't quite gel, and the alternating points of view of the four protagonists hurt the natural pacing of the plot. Buxbaum develops the four characters well, but that takes time, and some readers might not want to persevere, particularly those who don't connect with multiple leads. Those who do, though, will be treated to a solid coming-of-age story. VERDICT Suitable for most collections, but the sheer number of issues addressed and the novel's slow pacing relegate it to a fairly middle-of-the-road read.-Chelsey Masterson
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