I think I have a new favorite MG book. 😍

It might actually be my favorite take on the “You’ve Got Mail” but make it modern tropes. It was SO CUTE and a love letter to the invisible girls, knitters, gamers, and the kids who find their people in fandom. ❤️

100/10 no notes whatsoever I WISH IT WAS LONGER because it’s literally THE CUTEST.

I received an advance copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own and a review was not required.

I think I expected something very different so that’s on me. I was expecting more gaming and less middle school drama

This. is honestly the cutest thing ever.
This is such an adorable intro to : meet-cute, friends to enemies to partners, secret lives romance book!!
Honestly, it's really relatable, and not forced. The language isn't forced and feels like how real life people talk, and real life teens speak and gloss over certain things (like all the silly questions I as an old lady have about where were all the teachers in this? Why wasn't anyone paying more attention to Rachel's mean girl shenanigans!?!) but like.... omg it was cute.

10/10 will recommend!

THIS WAS ADORABLE! Ingrid's social awkwardness and overthinking and hyper-fixation are so relatable - and woven into the story without making By Forever ever feel like an "issues" book. I wish I'd had a book like this in upper middle school to help me navigate the very real circumstances of toxic friendships and clique girl groups. This modern take on the "You've Got Mail" premise felt fresh yet familiar!

Thanks to NetGalley and Holiday House for this eARC.

Bye Forever, I Guess was a wonderful surprise. Middle grade is not a genre I read much of, but this book was charming and sweet. We follow Ingrid, a thirteen year old girl that lives with her grandma. Ingrid struggles a lot with social anxiety, and at the beginning of the book, we see Ingrid making the decision of cutting off her best, and pretty much only friend, at school. She's suddenly feeling alone, insecure, and shy, however, Ingrid has support. At home, she has the best relationship with her grandmother. It is not only lovely, but refreshing to see such a healthy relationship between a young teen and her parental figure. There's open communication, there's a lot of trust, but also grandma is great at setting a lot of boundaries. Ingrid, also, is a very nerdy girl. She loves to read and re-read her favorite book series and every afternoon she gets to play her favorite MMORPG with her long distance friend Lorren.
Ingrid also has a secret. She has a famous blog, a Scrollr, where she posts chat conversations going wrong. For some mysterious reasons, she gets a lot of misdirected texts. One of them starts a new friendship that will make Ingrid face some fears and insecurities, but that will blossom into something beautiful.

I really loved this book. For a younger audience, I think it depicts and examines important topics, like toxic friendships, first love, social anxiety, learning to communicate and speak up, with much care and subtlety.
Like I said before, I loved Ingrid's relationship with her grandmother. Though Ingrid lost her parents in a car accident years before, this book is not about that. Sure, it is a forever wound in Ingrid's life, but this book is not about grief. Ingrid has worked on it, has had therapy, has had years building a trusting relationship with her grandma, she's okay. It was just the beautiful depiction of a different kind of family and I loved it.
I think the theme of toxic friendships and learning to identify the signs of them is an important theme for kids to read about, and this was handled very well.

All in all, Bye Forever, I Guess was charming, sweet and fun and a perfect book for young nerdy kids to read about. The romance was very innocent and wholesome, and Ingrid's struggles were treated with care. I'd recommend it without a doubt.

This book was super cute! I loved all the characters and world building. I think that this book was a great blend of video games, friendship, and middle grade fun!

Really sweet middle grade novel exploring all aspects friendship, toxic, healthy, old, new, real world and online, with all the usual sorts of teen drama one would expect. I loved the inclusion of Ingrid’s online life particularly, as (especially after Covid quarantine) so much of our kids’ lives are spent virtually hanging out with friends. Recommended for our eternally-online tweens, read it with them and have some interesting discussions!

Thirteen year old Ingrid is an inconspicuous and socially awkward middle grader at school, but online she is the creator of a super popular social media account, a fantasy fandom nerd, and an avid player of her favorite RPG. One day Ingrid receives a wrong number text which strikes up an immediate new online friendship with a boy her age. Ingrid starts to slowly develops feelings for this new friend and can't wait to meet them IRL all while making new friends, giving new people a chance, and letting go of unhealthy friendships.

A very sweet middle grade romance that indulges in nerd culture!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! This book caught my eye because of the cover and title, and when I learned it was about a shy, nerdy 13-yo girl navigating middle school, toxic friendships, and the duality of feeling like a totally different person online, I was hooked.
When I was 13, I acquired a group of internet friends due to a shared fandom online, and those people are still my best friends to this day. And sometimes it sure did feel like Jodi Meadows had hacked into my instagram DMs to write this book. The dialogue between the characters is SO middle school in the best way. Everyone sounds real, and melodramatic, and genuinely funny. The plot is engaging and, even though the final reveal is guessable from a million miles away, the story stays fun and compelling. Ingrid is easy to root for, and her friendships with Lorren and Traveler are the heart of this book.

I really enjoyed this tween book. I was hoping for more about her gaming/book interests but it was still a good book, and liked the message of not having to stay friends with someone just because you've known them forever.

This is the loveliest middle grade read. Author Jodi Meadows has given us a love note to being awkward and being you, to gettin through it, to the friends that get you, and to the books that have saved us. It is absolutely magical in its gentle truth, and I loved every single word of it.

I went for this book because I felt like I really clicked with it from the synopsis. I remember getting the email for the book cover, loving the art, and realizing that the main character is an introvert like I was when I was younger. Spending time in the library instead of eating lunch, feeling more confident online but being nervous in real life… it all felt so relatable.

The more I read, the more I really related with Ingrid. She had a bit more confidence than I did - I never would have had the courage to leave the only friends I did have in middle school. If she was a real person, I would tell her that. She’s braver than she’s given herself credit for.

I didn’t expect to relate to her completely (after all, I didn’t have a cell phone like her, and it would be weird if I did), but I definitely connected with the awkwardness and introvertness of just trying to get through middle school. Also, she loves reading. Anyone who is passionate about books like me is a win, in my opinion.

Overall, I feel like this is the perfect book for middle scholars! It wasn’t too overly detailed, it was perfectly written and I think introverts would relate to Ingrid. Such a sweet meet-cute, ‘hi, I like you, but I don’t know if you’d like me because I’m so nervous but omg I messed up our meeting it’s too late to fix this’ sort of story. I’m glad it ended well, though.

I really can’t wait to get the published version of this book! I’m not one to read a book twice, but I think this book is well deserving of me breaking this rule I’ve imposed on myself.

I really hope Jodi writes more books like this, because I really felt the love of creating this story!

Your next must read is a "love letter to geek culture and the healing power of fantasy."

Bye Forever, I Guess was utter perfection. I gobbled up this MG story. It was unique, refreshing, downright cozy, and adorable.

It will easily be a gift item for young readers. Diving into middle school relationships from those you need to hold onto and those you need to let go, it resonates deeply to lessons we struggle to learn in our youth, but need to be reminded of in our adulthood. Find your tribe--where you can be you, and still loved.

This was such a fun read. Ingrid’s “friendship” with Rachel feels like such a real one that many a middle school girl has experienced. I love her relationship with her grandmother. As someone who made online friends in middle school as well, I appreciated the way those friendships were portrayed. As an adult, I appreciate the family involvement in ensuring those relationships are safe while never questioning if long-distance friendships are valid. Also, the blossoming friendship between Ingrid and Traveler is charming and has more chemistry that middle grade romances will often portray.

There were some aspects of the plot that felt more rushed than others- there was more I wish I’d known about Ingrid’s past and her relationship with her grandmother. I also had hoped for more dimension to Rachel- a glimpse of the friend she used to be, or a little more time with the revelation that Rachel may be more insecure than she lets on.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this. Ingrid, Lorren, and Traveler were delightful characters, and their gaming dynamic and friendship beyond the game was so sweet. Ingrid’s school vs home/online versions of herself will connect with a lot of readers.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advanced review of such a charming and fun book!

A charmingly cozy, delightfully sassy story about a girl standing up for herself even if it means losing her friends.

Making friends is hard, but sometimes being friends with the wrong person is harder. Ingrid runs the scroll, Bye Forever, I Guess with only a few trusted people knowing she’s the mastermind behind the popular page. Ingrid’s friendship with Rachel comes to an abrupt halt, she doesn’t know where she fits in at school or if her previous BFF can be trusted to keep her secret.

When she gets yet another wrong number text she strikes up an unlikely friendship (and eventual crush) with Codename: Traveler. Inviting him into her beloved gambling world of ATO, they form a trio with her long distance bestie, Lorren. From there we get to witness the strength that comes from a friendship built on trust and mutual respect and appreciation.

What I loved about this book is it’s perfect for middle grade readers as well as young adult readers. It’s super fun to get a peak into how friendships form in a digital age around the camaraderie that comes from a game that can feel like your best friend. I loved how Ingrid was dealing with a difficult time at school, but never backed down from what she believed in or how she felt. I loved getting to watch the shy awkwardness of meeting your online crush in person and wondering whether or not you’d like them or if they’d like you back. I certainly enjoyed the positive presence of adults in this book and Ingrid’s grandma is amazing.

Bye Forever, I Guess is such a wonderful addition to reading lists this fall! Grab is on October 22! Thanks to @holidayhousebks for the eARC!

Middle grade fiction can be such fun to read, and Bye Forever, I Guess did not disappoint.

8th grader trying to decide if she has outgrown her overbearing best friend. Check.
New kids in town. Check.
Parts of the novel told via text. Check. Did I mention how much I love epistolary novels, because I love them.
Shy main character having an entertaining and realistic inner monologue? Triple check.

Our main character Ingrid is shy IRL, but you see her come alive through her texts. In fact, it’s those accidental texts that made her start a blog. In many ways, she is more real online then she is in real life. How much of that is due to her best friend Rachel? I’ll let you decide.

Enter the new kids, a change in the social dynamics, and a nerdy surprise, and you have a great read for gamer girls, knitters, book lovers, and anyone who remembers what it felt like to be 13.

Thank you to Holiday House and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

#ByeForeverIGuess #NetGalley

This is a book about social anxiety and how social media has become a means for introverted people to find friends. My gut tells me this is only putting a bandaid on a problem rather than fixing it, which is why I’m not personally impressed with this book. However, some kids will definitely identify with the thoughts and actions of 8th grader, Ingrid, and enjoy it.

Ingrid is dealing with several issues. 1) Her best friend uses her social status to gain power over others, since being friends with her is highly desirable. 2) Ingrid would rather remain invisible to people in real life and instead find friends online. 3) Ingrid has a social media account with many followers, but doesn’t want anyone to know she’s the owner of the account. 4) Ingrid befriends a random texter, but has no idea he is the same boy she likes at school.

The story is decent, but very predictable. Ingrid clearly has a witty side, and it’s a shame that she lets her insecurity get the best of her when she’s interacting in real life. In my opinion, hiding behind a screen leads to more hiding behind a screen. Because Ingrid has this crutch, she very nearly misses the real life friend standing right in front of her. I don’t know what point the author is trying to convey, but in any case, things work out far more neat and tidy than they would in real life.

My final analysis is that there is a lack of a satisfying resolution. Sure, Ingrid and Oliver will be good friends now, but what about the popular girl. Are they really going to ditch her rather than give her the opportunity to acknowledge her mistakes and change? Will Ingrid give her online self a chance to shine in real life? I wanted ‘yes’ to both of these and the book is short enough that further development was possible.

this was SO SO CUTE. i love everything about it, and the author did such a good job of portraying the irl/online relationship dynamics. i understood Ingrid so much in how she struggled to talk in person, but didn't run into the same issues online.

the toxic friendship and following breakup was written so well. the subtle trauma of that toxic friendship affecting Ingrid's positive and healthy friendships made my heart hurt in a good way because it was so real.

bonus points for getting Libby Frame to draw the book cover! one of my favourite artists and also one of the main reasons that drew me to this book.

highly recommend if you need a cute, genuine middle grade read!

This book was the breath of fresh air I needed. This spoke to my nerdy tween inner child and I will absolutely buy it for nieces and nephews. Ingrid has an anonymous account on Scrollr where she posts funny wrong number texts. This story follows her navigating the cruel world of 8th grade friendships. Ultimately a sweet, age appropriate romance, I loved the themes of strong family bonds, learning healthy boundaries and community in shared interests. Every middle school library needs to stock this book!!

Thank you to the publishers for this ARC! This was a sweet story that reminded me so much of being the awkward, quiet kid in middle school. It was a feel-good story that hit on many topics, including friendship, first crushes, and growing up. The characters were so sweet, and I loved seeing their messages to each other throughout the story.