
Reach for this book when your teenager is grappling with the vulnerable intersection of body image, the fear of rejection, and the pressure of first-time romantic milestones. It follows Molly, a seventeen-year-old girl who has navigated twenty-six unrequited crushes from the safety of her bedroom, convinced that her weight makes her a difficult person to love. As her twin sister dives into a serious relationship and her mothers plan their wedding, Molly must decide if she is brave enough to step into the messiness of real-world dating. This story is a compassionate guide for the late bloomer, offering a secular and deeply relatable exploration of self-worth. It is best suited for older teens due to its honest look at adolescent anxiety and the complexities of evolving family dynamics. Parents will appreciate how it validates the pace of a teenager's personal growth without rushing them into adulthood.
Focuses on first kisses, hand-holding, and teenage pining; mild sexual references.
Explores themes of social anxiety, panic attacks, and fear of rejection.
Mentions of panic attacks and body image insecurities.
A self-conscious high schooler who feels like a "late bloomer" in the romance department. This is for the teen who can relate to Molly's struggles with body image and the feeling of not fitting in.
This is a contemporary YA novel that can be read cold. Parents should be aware that the book contains honest teenage dialogue and realistic depictions of panic attacks. Be prepared to discuss anxiety and mental health with your teen. A parent might reach for this when their teenager expresses intense anxiety about their appearance or feels left behind because their peers (or siblings) are hitting romantic milestones faster than they are, or is experiencing panic attacks.
Younger teens (13-14) will focus on the "will they, won't they" romance and the desire to fit in. Older teens (17-18) will resonate more deeply with the nuances of sibling estrangement and the internal work required to overcome a deep-seated fear of rejection.
Unlike many YA romances that treat fatness as a problem to be solved or a punchline, this book treats Molly's body as a simple reality. It captures the specific, quiet agony of being the "responsible" or "careful" twin while providing a joyful, normalized depiction of a multi-generational LGBTQ+ family. """
Molly Peskin-Suso is a seventeen-year-old who has mastered the art of the unrequited crush, preferring the safety of distance over the risk of rejection. As her twin sister, Cassie, falls head over heels for a new girlfriend, Molly feels the pressure to finally secure her first kiss and romantic milestone. She finds herself torn between the person she thinks she should like (her sister's friend's best friend) and the nerdy, comfortable co-worker she actually enjoys spending time with. Against the backdrop of her two mothers planning their wedding, Molly navigates body image insecurities and the shifting dynamics of her closest sibling relationship.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
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