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Library | Material Type | Item Barcode | Shelf Number | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Gayton Library | Teen book | 38674118248184 | YA FICTION COTUGNO | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
The latest charming, smart contemporary realistic romance from the New York Times bestselling author of 99 Days, Fireworks, and How to Love. Perfect for fans of Julie Murphy and Becky Albertalli.
Ryan McCullough and Gabby Hart are the unlikeliest of best friends. Prickly, anxious Gabby would rather do literally anything than go to a party. Ultra-popular Ryan is a hockey star who can get any girl he wants--and frequently does.
But somehow their relationship just works; from dorky Monopoly nights to rowdy house parties to the top ten lists they make about everything under the sun.
Now, on the night of high school graduation, everything is suddenly changing--in their lives, and in their relationship. As they try to figure out what they mean to each other and where to go from here, they make a final top ten list: this time, counting down the top ten moments of their friendship.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Told in alternating viewpoints between Ryan McCullough and Gabby Hart, this novel presents their high school friendship and the transition between graduation and college. The two are not likely friends; but somehow their relationship works. He is a hockey player, while she is a bisexual introvert who deals with social anxiety. The ups and downs of their friendship will resonate with readers. Will they end up together despite Gabby's previous relationship with a girl named Shay? Some teens will be drawn to the style of the book-it takes the form of a countdown of the top 10 moments of their relationship starting in present day and told in flashbacks, allowing teens to understand how the pair ended up where they are. Gabby's social anxiety is well-portrayed; her difficulty doing things alone may prove therapeutic for some. This novel will appeal to older fans of YA romance. VERDICT A good choice for most YA shelves, especially where the author is popular.-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Extroverted athlete Ryan and wry, socially anxious Gabby do not have much in common, except their intense, special friendship. The night before graduation, the pals count down the "top ten moments of high school." Issues such as Gabby's bisexuality and Ryan's concussions are timely, complex, and naturally integrated into this smart coming-of-age story told in dual nonlinear narratives. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Cotugno's newest follows a seemingly mismatched duo over the first four years of their friendship. White high schoolers Gabby and Ryan make an unlikely pair. Gabby's intense and untreated social anxiety makes her relatively reclusive, sticking to her family's weekly Friday night Monopoly games and spending time with her one close friend. Ryan is an extroverted hockey player, effortlessly popular with a string of short-term girlfriends. Their chance meeting in ninth grade at Gabby's sister's party leads them to become best friends almost instantly, much to everyone's surprise. With some persistence, Ryan becomes one of the few people who can distract Gabby from her "panickers" and draw her out of her shell, while Gabby becomes one of the few people who's deeply honest with Ryan and looks out for his health after multiple concussions. While both characters find themselves attracted to each other, missed signals and poor timing (including when both bisexual Gabby and straight Ryan have girlfriends at the same time) complicate the potential for a romantic relationship. Their prioritization of their interpersonal relationship, person-to-person and regardless of romance, is endearing and refreshing. The third-person narration, which alternates between Ryan and Gabby, at times feels distant, but the nonlinear narrative structure (divided into 10 interconnected moments in their relationship and beginning with their consummation after graduation) makes a compelling balance. Whether or not Gabby and Ryan make it into readers' own top tens, readers will root for them. (Fiction. 14-17) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Ryan's popular, a hockey star, the only child of a struggling single mom, and a serial dater. Gabby's got a big, well-off family, but her intense social anxiety keeps her housebound, and she's only had one serious relationship. Despite this, the two of them have been best friends since freshman year of high school. When graduation comes, something happens between them that has the two questioning their friendship and its future. In 10 chapters, structured as a list of their friendship's 10 greatest hits, the nonlinear narrative follows Ryan and Gabby through all their big moments: the tentative early steps, heartaches, and family issues. It explores bisexual Gabby's first long-term relationship with a girl named Shay, and the days when Ryan's refusal to deal with side effects of his hockey-related head injuries almost ended their friendship for good. Cotugno (Fireworks, 2017) does it again, offering up a realistic depiction of teen friendship and romance that doesn't sugarcoat the difficulties of teen years. A winning, highly readable exploration of different kinds of love.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2017 Booklist
