This book offers appealing options to a variety of readers, including themes of fitting in, friendship, crushes, and influences of social media (both positive and negative). Endearing characters make the read very enjoyable. The plot moves along smoothly and includes lovely touches of humor.

Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for sending me an ARC in Exchange of an honest review.
I really liked this one! A sweet journey into the emotional complications and volatility of early teens and their relationships, not anymore always in person. I found the incorporation of text messaging interesting and well placed within the main text and the plot line.
I also loooved the cool granny!
Recommended for the age 11+, I’d certainly get this for the kids.

There is a lot of fun to be found in the pages of this YA rom-com. A tale of finding friends, ending old friendships, video games and content creators plus first crushes there is a lot going on here but it all moves along quickly with a sweet ending.

I loved this book unconditionally. I binge-read this in a single day, I simply couldn't bear the thought of putting it down for any length of time. One of my favourite books of the year. A wonderful story of a girl who finds herself seen only in books and through online acquaintance, is finally seen in the world outside. Touched my very soul with a gentle "hello, I see you".

Bye Forever, I Guess is a story about a 13 year old girl who makes up for her shortcomings in real life with online popularity. Ingrid is a great representation for you girls who will inevitably find themselves struggling to fit in at some point and desperate for approval from their peers.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as an adult and i know i would’ve loved it even more when i was younger. The pacing was fantastic and i was rooting for Ingrid the entire time.

Without a doubt, this book was one of my favorite reads of the year! In fact, I finished it in just one sitting!

This was an adorable, coming off age/middle school romance that accurately depicted all of the awkwardness that comes with being a teenager dealing with fake friends, middle school drama, and a promising crush. It’s hard not to to love and connect with Ingrid, who enjoys spending her time either knitting, playing online games, or re-reading her favorite fantasy series.

Additionally, as a mom, I was very appreciative of the internet safety and responsibility that’s displayed by Ingrid’s grandmother/caretaker throughout the novel. I would feel incredibly comfortable with my daughter reading this.

All of the characters in this book were adorable and felt very realistic for awkward tweens. I was a bit confused by the summary but the plot ended up being fairly simple, the various secret identities were very obvious to the reader but it didn't feel like the main character was being annoyingly obtruse, which can be really bothersome in books with a lot of miscommunication (though im still not sure how she didn't recognise his voice).
The character dynamics and relationships felt natural, the friendships were enjoyable and I found the romance pretty compelling.

The charcters were well-rounded and their hobbies made them feel like real people with actual interests. The main character acted like an awkward tween and her friendship with Rachel was an accurate depiction of what it feels like to be manipulated and taken advantage of by a friend (I was friends with a girl exactly like Rachel when I was Ingrids age) but I loved her dynamic with Lauren.
Honestly at first I was hoping it would be sapphic with Olivers sister and was a little disapointed, but I still loved the romance (even if Oliver was suspiciously nice for a 13y old boy).

Overall, a super cute book with loveable characters and wholesome relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for the arc!

This was such a cute read!! I read it basically in one sitting and smiled all the way through. Very sweet and fun. Definitely would give it to my kids to read someday.

Ingrid is a likeable and relatable character. She lives with her grandma, who is awesome and so is their bond.
She meets someone while playing a game.
The themes are important, relatable and timely.
Plotline 4 (the pacing, the layers, the romance (my subjective taste though) and the ending are not 5/5, but the rest is)
Characterisation 4.5
Prose 4
Themes 5
Relevance 5
As a MG book, 4.5.

An absolutely adorable and grounded book filled with online vs. offline friendships, handling manipulative friends, first romance, fandom, and knitting! I loved this book. It was cute, and it made me feel all the things. I think it will speak to kids who are just learning to navigate this world of friendships and relationships and all that entails. Fantastic and I hope to read more realistic fiction from Jodi Meadows, especially if it addresses this oft-forgotten audience of middle schoolers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for the eArc!

A very sweet story, and indeed a big hug, as the author herself described it in a tweet that was the reason I applied for its ARC on NetGalley.

Even not growing up in more tech up days as Ingrid and her friends, there's so much that still applies for everyone who already went though those years of awakening and self discovery.

Ingrid's anxiety and how is portrayed in the book was well done, as a former anxiety kiddo I did saw myself in her shoes and oh boy, did my heart sunk :(

I loved the way Ingrid's grandmother treated and talked to her, treating her as one equal rather than that not so uncommon condensenting tone used with kids. And the way she is so open do Internet friends and have a channel she edited herself?! Bro, she is the goat!

Lorren is amazing, just loved how she supports Ingrid and also has a very grounding mind. I also got sad she doesn't live near Ingrid.

Keeping in mind that it is a middle age book, I was presently surprised about how much the story got into me. I read through it so quickly! But, a couple notes I would like to adrees, still:

- Rachel is kinda of a cartoon villan, and, although it's possible for that to happen in the real world, I would have liked a more realistic portrait of the bad guy. But, again, I'm aware we're inside a teenager's brain in this book.

- The final scene where Ingrid finally comes clean with Rachel did felt a bit scripted, in the way that we did not see Ingrid anger get developed enough to "justify" the explosion on that expecific moment. Maybe it did made sense in her hormone teenage mind, but as the reader it did not felt like that for me.

- During the reading of this story I was left the impression it's about friendship and how to navigate this time of life and understanding your place in the world, so, when Ingrid and Oliver became a crush/love relationship.... I felt quite disappointed. I mean, they are only 13 years old, it wouldn't hurt to keep the story just about friendships.

- The final scene was quite rushed in my opinion, since the book is all about - as we found out in the end - Oliver being the online friend. Altought I found very interesting that Ingrid went to "omg why I treated him bad?" than "why did he (or her grandma) lied to me?" line of thought, none of the big secrets kept in the book had an actual consequence either to the story or the characters. It just didn't feel real, you know?

Despite those things, it was a very lovely and enjoyable read, very sweet and hug coded. Can see it doing some good to the kids reading it, overall - and to adults too, just keep in mind we're inside the thoughts of a 13 year old, lol!

Thank you Holiday House NetGalley for the ARC!

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this because the title made me chuckle, and the summary sounded like a junior high version of my beloved Fangirl. (Although weirdly I kind of hate the Simon Snow trilogy…) Ingrid has a lot in common with Cath - they both feel most comfortable when they’re invisible, and they both like to escape reality in a fantasy realm. In Ingrid’s case, that’s both an online game (Ancient Tomes Online - which I had to look up because 99% of the time it’s just referred to as ATO) AND a fantasy book series. Ingrid and her best friend Lorren have been waiting for the final book for years, and I feel like if this were a YA series, we’d get a LOT more detail on both the book series and the game. As it is, they’re both kind of…there, but I had zero sense of what the damn game actually was, other than another way for the characters to all interact. I didn’t really mind, honestly, because nothing makes me lose interest in a book faster than a detailed description of some kind of videogame (or art. Please don’t make me listen to people wax poetic about art!).

Ingrid lives with her grandmother because her parents died in an accident a few years prior. We don’t spend a ton of time mining this particular tragedy, since it’s well in the past by the time the story opens. Plus Ingrid’s grandmother truly belongs in the Ideal Parent hall of fame. She has her own YouTube channel where she knits things, she’s super involved in Ingrid’s life, but not in a creepy way. And she’s not that cliched old person who doesn’t get technology and is totally oblivious to what’s going on around her. She’s cool with Ingrid having online friends as long as she gets to talk to them and their parents first, and she even lets Ingrid run an anonymous “Scrollr” account where she posts all of the weird wrong number texts she gets (I guess it’s like a mashup of Twitter and Tumblr?). The account is called “Bye Forever, I Guess” in homage to the very first wrong text Ingrid ever received. I suppose it strains credulity a *little* bit that one person would really get that many accidental texts (I think I’ve gotten like 3 in my lifetime), but she does accept submissions as well. It’s cool that grandma is just in on all of this stuff, as opposed to Ingrid trying to awkwardly “hide” all of it from her. I had cool grandparents of my own - cool grandparents are truly the greatest treasure.

When the story opens, Ingrid is about to return to school from winter break. Her “best friend” Rachel is trying to get her to reveal to the school that she’s Anony Mouse, the person behind the famous Scrollr account (Rachel having kind of bullied her into spilling it a few months earlier). Ingrid is kind of done with Rachel as a friend - she’s one of those bless your heart toxic people, who put on the mask of seeming to be all sweet and nice, while making sure to paint themselves as the victim. She’s an evil mastermind in the way that only 13-year-old girls can be. The day before school starts, Ingrid meets the Archer siblings, Alyx and Oliver, who are about to start 8th grade at her school too. She kind of hits it off with them and then freaks out and makes things awkward (it’s sort of her vibe, deeply relatable), so at school the next day, Rachel introduces her to them - as her best friend with dead parents. Ingrid decides at that moment that she’s had enough and just kind of ghosts Rachel. It’s tough. Even though she didn’t really like hanging out with Rachel and Rachel’s friends (who Ingrid knows were never really her friends at all), it’s left her with nobody. Lorren, her best friend, lives in another state, and they mostly talk online in ATO or through text. The middle school pain of not having anyone to sit with at lunch! It’s truly awful, and I remember it well. Why did I never have the same lunch period as any of my friends??? I swear it was a conspiracy.

Anyway, Ingrid tries to stay as invisible as possible, but then she gets yet another wrong number text. Addressed to someone named Rachel. She’s absolutely positive it’s a coincidence, but she starts chatting with the guy anyway, and realizes he’s kind of cool, and he eventually joins her and Lorren in their ATO guild, but they’re all using screennames. Lorren is Llama, Ingrid is Stitches, and he’s Traveller. She’s excited to finally have another friend, but again, he’s a phone friend. She starts talking to Traveller about all the drama going on in her life, including the fact that Oliver Archer just won’t leave her alone. Ingrid is convinced he’s “spying” for Rachel, since his sister Alyx seems to have basically taken her place.

I really, really enjoyed this. It is extremely cute, and the characters all felt like real middle schoolers (including the fact that there seemed to be an awful lot of texting going on during classes, sigh). The concept of a junior high friend breakup is familiar territory, mostly because it’s a deeply relatable subject. I’ve mentioned before that I’m starting to gravitate more towards middle grade than YA because lately the focus in YA seems to be SO much on romance (in the sense that you’re finding your forever partner, not in the sense that you have a cute little crush). This is a *little* more focused on romance than I expected, but it’s also very cute, and I guarantee middle school me would have eaten this up. I did personally want more focus on the friendship angle, but all of the romance is firmly in the adorable crush territory, as opposed to “we are endgame” (BARF).

In short, super cute! If I still taught 8th grade, I’d be booktalking the hell out of this in October.

Absolutely loved this book! Honestly can't wait for it to come out! The way the storyline played out and the character development was absolutely amazing! I've already recommended it to friends too!

This book was adorable. Our main character, Ingrid, was easy to root for even with all of the emotional pitfalls that come with being 13. Watching her navigate difficult friendships, learn to prioritize herself and her interests, and begin placing more trust in her support system provided for a fun journey. This book did miscommunication between characters well, so, while frustrating to watch Ingrid fumble interpersonally, it didn't feel forced or completely unnatural that she was confused. Overall, this was a fantastic middle grade book that I would include in my classroom library. The only detractor to this book in my mind, is that, while the slang and depictions of technology work for now, I could see kids rolling their eyes at some of the wording in another 5-10 years since those change with time (picture watching Jurassic Park and trying to think of their computers as high tech).

A big thank to NetGalley you for the opportunity to read Bye Forever, I Guess in exchange for reviewing it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Overall, I’d give this book a 3.5, but I decided to round up. The storyline followed the “You’ve Got Mail” trope, but it was well done. As an adult who works with students about internet safety and taking care to not talk to strangers online, I had a few issues with the premise of the book- though the author did attempt to cover her bases by having her grandmother confirm her secret texting buddy’s real identity and other safety concerns. The story involved friendship, loneliness, a bit on grief/loss (though this isn’t a huge part of the main story), finding one’s voice, standing up for yourself, and recognizing superficial friends. I didn’t agree with everything that occurred in the book, but I think the lessons throughout were poignant. It was a cute story with a bit of middle grade romance, no inappropriate language or scenes, etc. I was a little concerned about the main character’s internet activity, but that is likely the mom and teacher in me. I think these elements were likely pretty realistic for the average middle schooler with access to a phone, online gaming, and social media. It was a cute story with a happy ending - I think many middle schoolers would enjoy it.

Jodi's best book to date. Petition for her to write a million more middle grade contemporaries. I hope this sells a zillion copies!

This book is an absolute delight! Ingrid’s story is funny, heartfelt, and so relatable, especially for anyone who’s ever felt like they didn’t quite fit in. Her double life—geeky gamer online and trying-to-survive middle school IRL—makes for a charming and entertaining read. The mix of humor, friendship, and a sweet mystery boy on the other end of a wrong-number text adds just the right amount of excitement. Perfect for anyone who loves geek culture, gaming, and a good middle-grade romcom with lots of heart.

Bye Forever, I Guess is a super sweet upper middle-grade read, and I enjoyed it very much! Lorren is so funny and I love her best friendship with Ingrid, who deserves better than Rachel <spoiler>and I'm glad she got to say her piece at the end!</spoiler> The mystery of Traveller was pretty easy to figure out, but that didn't take away from the meet-cute factor - I loved how they shared fun facts about space and knitting, and Grandma is simply the most lovely and caring maternal figure. When Ingrid got to meet the author of her favourite book series and give her the hat she'd spent weeks on, I was very excited for her and thought the photos & hugs were so cute. Loved the online handles aspect and tidbits about staying safe online while still making friends. Super cute!

Thank you to Holiday House / Peachtree for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thirteen-year-old Ingrid loves gaming, her favorite fantasy series, and running her popular blog “Bye Forever, I Guess” which features wrong-number texts she gets as well as reader submissions. The only thing is, she is doing this all anonymously. Her popular friend since… forever, Rachel, thinks Ingrid needs to come clean and tell the world who she is all while making Ingrid uncomfortable. When two new students join Rachel and Ingrid’s friend group, Rachael isolates Ingrid even further by playing her off as a charity case. Ingrid finally stands up to Rachael, but then everything backfires, and Ingrid is left on her own at school. She leans deeper into her online world and then gets a wrong-number text from a boy her age who thinks he’s texting a “Rachel.” Writing it off as a coincidence, Ingrid and the boy, “Traveler,” continue to send text messages and then start gaming together with Ingrid’s other online best friend. Highlighting the characters’ love of gaming, books, and all things nerdy, the story offers a deep look at relationships spanning from friends to families, to first romances.

THOUGHTS:
I absolutely adored this book. Many of the characters were relatable, especially for middle school students. The relationship between Ingrid and her grandmother is so incredibly sweet, and readers will enjoy watching her online friendships with “Llama” and “Traveler” grow. This story is so endearing and delightful, it could make a cold, bitter heart squee. Bye Forever, I Guess is an absolute must-have for middle school collections.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book so much! It is the perfect mix of gaming, knitting, reading, social media, and middle grade life. I loved the characters and their struggles, it all felt very true to life. Being middle grade, I knew exactly where it was going, but even I was amazed at how it wrapped up at the end. Other fantastic points in this book was the pro-internet safety, the descriptions of texting, and the in-universe book that serves as a catalyst for some of the plot. It is so amazing and I'll be recommending this book all over my socials.