A Junior Library Guild Selection A Georgia Center for the Book Book All Young Georgians Should Read
The moment Spencer meets Hope the summer before seventh grade, it’s . . . something at first sight. He knows she’s special, possibly even magical. The pair become fast friends, climbing trees and planning world travels. After years of being outshone by his older brother and teased because of his Tourette syndrome, Spencer finally feels like he belongs. But as Hope and Spencer get older and life gets messier, the clear label of “friend” gets messier, too.
Through sibling feuds and family tragedies, new relationships and broken hearts, the two grow together and apart, and Spencer, an aspiring scientist, tries to map it all out using his trusty system of taxonomy. He wants to identify and classify their relationship, but in the end, he finds that life doesn’t always fit into easy-to-manage boxes, and it’s this messy complexity that makes life so rich and beautiful.
From School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up—Spencer has Tourette's syndrome, a perfect older brother he can't live up to, and a love of trying to understand the world by creating his own scientific taxonomies for everything and everyone around him. Then Hope moves in next door. This story takes readers from Spencer's seventh grade to his senior year of high school; the teens become best friends, fight, and their friendship changes into something more. They deal with tragedies, relationships, and growing up. This charming romance skims across time, often dipping only briefly into each year, yet it doesn't feel rushed or forced. While the romance is at the center of the novel, the other relationships and characters' growth are well developed. The multiple plotlines and character arcs lead to a delightful multifaceted novel. Further depth is added by using different formats of storytelling effectively, such as prose, emails, IM chats, and more. Tourette's syndrome is part of Spencer's life but its portrayal doesn't overwhelm the narrative. Instead, the chronic illness is handled with sympathy and empowerment. The sexual content, which occurs primarily through discussions of teens having sex and a description of arousal from a teenager's perspective, isn't gratuitous and is handled in an age-appropriate manner. VERDICT A multilayered and charming novel that blends humor, romance, tragedy, and other universal coming-of-age themes; a strong choice for most collections.—Elizabeth Nicolai, Anchorage Public Library, AK
Review
STARRED REVIEW
" This book is groundbreaking in its demonstration of the complexity of human emotion." ― School Library Connection
"In this sincerely charming account of one friendship in flux over the course of six years—eons in adolescence—the pair wrestle with their relationship. Simple summer crush? Tireless support through family strife and personal illness? Lovelorn confidante? Through sparkling prose (and Spencer’s clever doodles), Allen depicts how debasing unrequited love can feel, and just how consuming that connection can be when shared at long last." ― Booklist
"Allen (The Revenge Playbook) presents an honest look at adolescent attraction and life with a neurological disorder in a story populated by fully believable characters who are trying to figure out who they are and how they fit in the world." ― Publishers Weekly
" A multilayered and charming novel that blends humor, romance, tragedy, and other universal coming-of-age themes" ― School Library Journal
"Hope and Spencer are realistic and experience events most teens live through. Like two orbiting planets, they are both drawn to and repulsed by each other as they age and mature . . . Light-hearted, joyful, and yet serious, it bring up topics such as suicide, mental illness, and medication research and side effects. This story, which includes interesting taxonomies, will enthrall readers, bringing them into the life of a struggling and love-ridden teen." ― VOYA Magazine
"There are things that happen in these pages that just gut the reader . . . There's so much emotion packed into these pages." ― YA Books Central
"Serve as refreshing reminders that the complexities of adolescent friendship and relationships take place in the context of whole lives, making this a pleasant change from usual teen romance fare." ― The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
About the Author
Rachael Allen is the winner of the 2019 Georgia YA Author of the Year Award, whose books include 17 First Kisses , The Revenge Playbook , and A Taxonomy of Love , which was a Junior Library Guild selection, a 2018 Book All Young Georgians Should Read. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, two children, and two sled dogs. Visit Rachael at rachaelallenwrites.blogspot.com.
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Georgia Center for the Book Book All Young Georgians Should Read
The moment Spencer meets Hope the summer before seventh grade, it’s . . . something at first sight. He knows she’s special, possibly even magical. The pair become fast friends, climbing trees and planning world travels. After years of being outshone by his older brother and teased because of his Tourette syndrome, Spencer finally feels like he belongs. But as Hope and Spencer get older and life gets messier, the clear label of “friend” gets messier, too.
Through sibling feuds and family tragedies, new relationships and broken hearts, the two grow together and apart, and Spencer, an aspiring scientist, tries to map it all out using his trusty system of taxonomy. He wants to identify and classify their relationship, but in the end, he finds that life doesn’t always fit into easy-to-manage boxes, and it’s this messy complexity that makes life so rich and beautiful.
From School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up—Spencer has Tourette's syndrome, a perfect older brother he can't live up to, and a love of trying to understand the world by creating his own scientific taxonomies for everything and everyone around him. Then Hope moves in next door. This story takes readers from Spencer's seventh grade to his senior year of high school; the teens become best friends, fight, and their friendship changes into something more. They deal with tragedies, relationships, and growing up. This charming romance skims across time, often dipping only briefly into each year, yet it doesn't feel rushed or forced. While the romance is at the center of the novel, the other relationships and characters' growth are well developed. The multiple plotlines and character arcs lead to a delightful multifaceted novel. Further depth is added by using different formats of storytelling effectively, such as prose, emails, IM chats, and more. Tourette's syndrome is part of Spencer's life but its portrayal doesn't overwhelm the narrative. Instead, the chronic illness is handled with sympathy and empowerment. The sexual content, which occurs primarily through discussions of teens having sex and a description of arousal from a teenager's perspective, isn't gratuitous and is handled in an age-appropriate manner. VERDICT A multilayered and charming novel that blends humor, romance, tragedy, and other universal coming-of-age themes; a strong choice for most collections.—Elizabeth Nicolai, Anchorage Public Library, AK
Review
STARRED REVIEW
" This book is groundbreaking in its demonstration of the complexity of human emotion." ― School Library Connection
"In this sincerely charming account of one friendship in flux over the course of six years—eons in adolescence—the pair wrestle with their relationship. Simple summer crush? Tireless support through family strife and personal illness? Lovelorn confidante? Through sparkling prose (and Spencer’s clever doodles), Allen depicts how debasing unrequited love can feel, and just how consuming that connection can be when shared at long last." ― Booklist
"Allen (The Revenge Playbook) presents an honest look at adolescent attraction and life with a neurological disorder in a story populated by fully believable characters who are trying to figure out who they are and how they fit in the world." ― Publishers Weekly
" A multilayered and charming novel that blends humor, romance, tragedy, and other universal coming-of-age themes" ― School Library Journal
"Hope and Spencer are realistic and experience events most teens live through. Like two orbiting planets, they are both drawn to and repulsed by each other as they age and mature . . . Light-hearted, joyful, and yet serious, it bring up topics such as suicide, mental illness, and medication research and side effects. This story, which includes interesting taxonomies, will enthrall readers, bringing them into the life of a struggling and love-ridden teen." ― VOYA Magazine
"There are things that happen in these pages that just gut the reader . . . There's so much emotion packed into these pages." ― YA Books Central
"Serve as refreshing reminders that the complexities of adolescent friendship and relationships take place in the context of whole lives, making this a pleasant change from usual teen romance fare." ― The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
About the Author
Rachael Allen is the winner of the 2019 Georgia YA Author of the Year Award, whose books include 17 First Kisses , The Revenge Playbook , and A Taxonomy of Love , which was a Junior Library Guild selection, a 2018 Book All Young Georgians Should Read. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, two children, and two sled dogs. Visit Rachael at rachaelallenwrites.blogspot.com.