This one was charming and cute. Not two things that normally interest me at all. I give this 3* simply because I was able to make it to the end without giving up.

This is one of my favorite book of 2020. Timely, inspiring, and full of complicated, authentic young women, Most Likely by Sarah Watson is a needed addition to your To Be Read list!

The story follows four best friends, Ava Morgan, CJ Jacobson, Jordan Schafer, and Martha Custis, through their senior year of high school. From beginning to end, and beyond, there are surprises, hard lessons, love stories, and above all, an unbeatable friendship surrounding the girls and their choices. With a mix of backgrounds and ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses and family dynamics, Watson creates fully realistic characters, girls who reflect people the reader will know.

A character-driven plot is my favorite kind, and Watson does an great job revolving through each girl's perspectives, with one grounding side character in the form of Logan Diffenderfer. He touches each of the girls' lives in different ways and at different points; each connection is important to the growth of the girls. Logan is book boyfriend material for sure. And the best part is while he connects the thread of the story, he is not the story. That is left entirely focused on the four besties.

Meeting each other one day in the local park before the first day of Kindergarten cemented their life-long friendship. I can relate to that so much, as I met my best friends on the first day of Kindergarten. And their friendship isn't all rosey, they fight and get annoyed with each other. But the point is Watson always shows them coming back together, protecting and cherishing the strong friendship they have. This focus on female friendship and female empowerment is what makes this book really sing.

There is a little bit of a mystery, so I can't give away too much. But there is so much growth and discovery during this year, written so realistically and in a very satisfying way for each girl. You will come to love all four of them for their individuality, but also their similarities. Ava, CJ, Jordan, and Martha remind me of my tight-knit friendships, and friendship is a love that should be celebrated more! You won't regret diving into the story of this warm, daring, fierce, beautiful group of ladies!

Who here watches The Bold Type? I love that show and I loved this book! Four best friends for life are now seniors in high school and are wondering what the future holds for them. They are all different in personalities and backgrounds, but they are always there for one another in friendship and support. From the beginning of the book, you know that one of the group becomes president. You also know her last name and that she has been with her husband since high school. There are hints throughout the book as to which girl it might be, but it really feels like it could be any of them. And then there's a twist!

There are all kinds of represented populations in this book, including Latinx, biracial, bisexual, disabled, and those with mental health issues, school struggles, and money struggles. I think every teen and adult can find herself in these girls, and even if not, you will root for them and hope they are able to fulfill their dreams.

This is apparently the first in a series, and I am super excited to find out what's next for Ava, CJ, Jordan, and Martha!

Disclaimer: I received an e-arc of this book from the publishing company as well as a physical copy. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Most Likely

Author: Sarah Watson

Book Series: Most Likely Book 1

Rating: 4.5/5

Diversity: LGBTQA+ themes/discovery, depression/mental health rep and discussion of it, disability themes

Publisher: Poppy

Publication Date: March 10, 2020

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 15+ (depression, discovering yourself, friendship)

Pages: 384

Amazon Link

Synopsis: From the creator of the hit TV series The Bold Type comes an empowering and heartfelt novel about a future female president's senior year of high school.

Ava, CJ, Jordan, and Martha (listed in alphabetical order out of fairness) have been friends since kindergarten. Now they're in their senior year, facing their biggest fears about growing up and growing apart. But there's more than just college on the horizon. One of these girls is destined to become the president of the United States. The mystery, of course, is which girl gets the gig.

Is it Ava, the picture-perfect artist who's secretly struggling to figure out where she belongs? Or could it be CJ, the one who's got everything figured out...except how to fix her terrible SAT scores? Maybe it's Jordan, the group's resident journalist, who knows she's ready for more than their small Ohio suburb can offer. And don't overlook Martha, who will have to overcome all the obstacles that stand in the way of her dreams.

This is the story of four best friends who have one another's backs through every new love, breakup, stumble, and success--proving that great friendships can help young women achieve anything...even a seat in the Oval Office.

Review: I thought this book did super well with character development! They were so well detailed without bogging down the story! The plot of the story was intriguing and kept me hooked throughout the book and the world building was well done as well. The book was a great example of modern-day issues being well handled in books.

I did feel like the beginning was super slow compared to the rest of the book. The writing style was also nothing remarkable. I also thought it was weird that the presidency was the forefront of this novel, but there was no real build-up to it. The book began with a prologue from the president and the epilogue was from them too, but nothing in-between about it.

Verdict: A well done contemporary!