Mischa attends a prestigious private school near D.C., at great personal cost to her single mother. Mischa has done everything she is supposed to do, keeping up her grades, doing well on tests, and getting good letters of recommendation from her teachers. When college acceptance day rolls around, however, things go badly, and in the end, Mischa doesn't even get accepted by her fall back school. Her friend Nate is very supportive and tries to help, but Mischa doesn't want to disappoint her mother, so claims that she got into Paul Revere, just so she doesn't have to tell her. She's so upset that she even visits Revere and talks to an admissions officer, and when she is there, catches a glimpse of her transcript-- which has Ds on it! Since the lowest grade she ever got was an A-, in gym, Mischa starts to investigate. A group of girls in her school who like to dabble in hacking help her out, and they soon uncover (after much fun sleuthing!) a grade changing ring that rewards the students whose parents have donated a lot of money to the school and that penalizes students who do very well but are poor. Even though this ring affects Nate, with whom she has an increasingly close relationship, Mischa manages to team up with her arch nemesis to put things to right.

Strengths: This is blissfully middle grade appropriate, which I appreciated. Mischa is a great character who is focused and really wants to make her mother happy by being successful. Her mother, who has pushed her a bit, is completely understanding when she thinks Mischa has gotten into only Paul Revere. The romance with Nate is great, and the peek into the lives of the wealthy and privileged is fun. The hacking and spying is right up there with Carter's Gallagher Girls, but more realistic. I liked it so much that I am slightly sad I don't work in a high school so I could hand it to every reader who comes into the library. (But not really, because I love middle school!)
Weaknesses: There is some borderline illegal activity, but it's essential for taking down the powers that are unfairly changing grades. There is also just a tiny bit of kissing, although to throw off a principal from finding out they had broken into the school to get records, one of the girls takes off her shirt, and there is also an Instagram account that is hacked and made to look like a girl is taking heroin.
What I really think: This was so much fun, both the grade changing ring and the romance, and I really enjoyed it. I just don't think middle school students in my area will care all that much. I would definitely buy this for any high school library.

The adult world is… built on the shifting grounds of friendship and competition. The double message of this society and economy are to get along and get ahead. We want our children to fit in and to stand out. We rarely address the conflict between these goals.

-Ellen Goodman

Goodman wrote this passage in her article entitled ‘Of Friendship and Competition.’ I remembered these lines as Misha Abramavicious and her friends frantically refreshed their email boxes, looked over each other’s shoulders, and repeatedly asked their friends and themselves, “Did you get in?” A.E. Kaplan’s We Regret to Inform You takes a good hard look at that eternal struggle that is tenuously balanced between hope and fear. At the heart of it is Mischa, a young woman who feels the pressure of her mother’s expectations and the stark judgement of her peers. Yet, when her emails reveal nothing but rejection, Misha is left in a spiral that proves hard to get out of.

Misha finds strength in her best friend and sometime object of her affection Nate, her demanding single mother, and the legacy of her immigrant grandmother. She finds action in a group of young female hackers who see a chance for redemption in some computer evidence. About a third of the way through the book, the tension picks up and Misha finds a little bit of hope.

A.E. Kaplan’s writing is marked by the unique and authentic voice of the main character. Misha’s cynical inner voice and her mostly-filtered sarcastic comments are funny and definitely colorful. I was particular impressed with the characters’ frank and important discussions of mental health. While I found a couple characters to be a bit flat, the vast majority stay true to the teen vernacular and action.

We Regret to Inform You is a piece of YA fiction that is a perfect hybrid of mystery and drama with a bit of romance. Misha takes some hits and questions herself, but ultimately, she escapes rock bottom with the help of her wit and determination. What starts as drama quickly turns to a satisfying caper that twists and turns to great conclusion. I would definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s Books, Alfred A Knopf for Young Readers, and A.E. Kaplan for the advanced copy for review.