4 stars

This is a cute, quick, charming YA romance with some solid LGBTQ+ rep: a great read!

Amber and Jack share perspectives in this novel, and as a cheerleader and QB at their high school, they might seem like a cliche pair. What's distinct about them is that Jack is the only feminine presence on the football team, and Amber is NOT out; neither is her boyfriend, who is also queer and has a fella of his own. Both central characters experience different kinds of bullying because of their identities, and this is more pronounced because they are in Florida and surrounded by some extremely conservative/religious individuals. They also have the benefit of Amber's mom being openly bi and several other members of her circle being part of the community. In other words, there are folks who support and folks who don't, but as always, the expected hypocrisy of those who don't is one of the greatest rewards here.

The ongoing trend of mega YA novels gets exhausting, and it's so refreshing to encounter a well-devised plot, layered characters, and palatable but difficult social issues in such an appealing and succinct package. I'll be recommending this one to students for the long haul.