Book:
LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE by Claudia Recinos Seldeen
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the earc (Feb 1)

LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE was a nice palate cleanser. Following Gabby, a book reviewer. When she gets a new subscriber, known as Ghostboy, she finds someone easy to talk to. But when she learns who it is, she's worries tht he's only talking to her because he runs a popular gossip blog.
I really enjoyed this book. Dare I say, loved it. There was something about this in-verse novel that kept me drawn in, rooting for Gabby, even rooting for Ghostboy. I think my favorite part about LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE was how easy it was to read. Took me less than an hour. Oh, how I would love more about these characters.
I'll definitely be on the lookout for more by this author.

Gabby is trying to find her place in a high school landscape that has changed since her best friend moved away. To make matters worse, her younger sister is now in high school, and seems to have things figured out-- lots of friends and a date to homecoming! Gabby is pouring a lot of energy into her book review video channel, but she has only 2 subscribers, and one of them is her mom! She wishes she could be like Marco, who's school-gossip video channel is very popular. Then she gets a new subscriber who also leaves comments--soon she's writing back and forth about the books she loves with someone who *gasp* goes to her same school. The novel-in-verse does a lovely job of capturing the feeling of seeming invisible in a school/family. The emotion at the core of the story feels very authentic, and I especially liked the relationship between the sisters. I feel confident handing this to a reader looking for a short, realistic novel-in-verse with light romantic undertones.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rosen Publishing Group, West 44 Books, and Claudia Recinos Seldeen for the opportunity to read Like and Subscribe in exchange for an honest review.

Like and Subscribe is a HiLo novel written in a poetic verse style, making it easy to read with high school audience interest. The cover is cute, but slightly misleading in a way. There is something to say about the hand-holding and one follower icon with it. Very clever, that is at least.

This novel follows Gabby as she enters her sophomore year in high school. After her best friend moves away, there isn't much to do in her lonely time...except read and vlog. Gabby is a book vlogger with only two followers. When she gets a new follower, she is excited and intrigued because of the person's interest.

Meanwhile, her sister, a fresh freshmen, starts dating one of the popular guys. How did that even happen?! It's all shared on Marcos' vlog, the most popular guy in school who loves sharing school gossip (to keep everyone informed, of course).

There is some sisterly rivalry and an interesting dynamic that begins between Gabby and Marcos. Hopefully she doesn't mess things up! Just keep vloggin, just keep vlogging, vlog, vlog, vlog.

This book was certainly a quick read that offers some lessons for teens on the selfishness of not noticing changes with others, family dynamics, and friendships both lost and found. After reading many of Seldeen's other novels (Catch Me If I Fall, Definitely Not a Love Story, and a personal favorite featuring the perspective of an autistic teen, Everything I Know) I knew her next one would be just as exciting and brilliant to read.

If you have not read any of Seldeen's books yet, do yourself a favor and go pick one up! With so much revolving around social media, Like and Subscribe is a perfect place to start and makes for a ideal teen read for today's contemporary society.

A very quick, lighthearted read about lonelines and learning to see what's in front of you.

I really enjoyed the premise of a young book vlogger gaining a new follower and trying to find out who it is. I liked how easy to read it is, and I think this would be very enjoyable for young teens.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

***I received a free ebook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review***
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Another brilliant book for C.R.S! I do so admire this author as she seems to be absolutely meticulous with her word choices and it shows. There are so many little nods at the start, to things which will better make sense by the end, but the foreshadowing is so subtle that it makes it all the more enjoyable when you get there! I loved the story, found the characters relatable (despite the fact that half my own teen years were pre-YouTube!! Yikes haha) and as per usual, I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley for the free arc!

This was a quick and easy read written in verse that would be enjoyed by teens.

I liked the exploration of the concept is it easier to like a real person or a ghost. It was interesting to see how this idea unfolded within the world of online profiles and vlogs.

A fun quick read about a girl who feels invisible despite her trying. How you can be so caught up in your own way of thinking that you fail to see the world around you. It's about learning to be unapologetically you, and finding people that will love you for who you truly are.
The story was written in short poems per page, and the subject of each poem was at the top of each one. Even though it was written in a poem format it was really easy to read and still read like a book/complete storyline. I loved that its unique take on the formatting and thought it fit perfectly for the book.

Somehow, even after all these years, I'm still amazed at how many feels that a YA book in verse can hold. But then I'm reminded there is such beauty in the intentionality of the words. This also was just so good at tapping into those "high school never ends" vibes - What I means is there, are just feels from high school that never go away, but with the right book, those dormant emotions come back to life, and goodness, this book did that. This story is about Gabby who struggles to fit in. She has a BookTube channel with just two followers - and then a third. She talks talking to this mystery man and loves the connection. Then, she finds out he's a popular kid with a gossip channel, and she experiences a variety of doubts. As this reveal happens, there are others, and it was just so, so, so good. Yes, this has a social media spin, but the emotions are so timeless y'all. I adored this so, so much and anticipate I'll return to these words again. Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this February 2025 release!

I enjoyed this book and would read another from this author. I liked the poem format of the book. The storyline was very cute.

4 stars
The hidden identity trope is my style. It's cozy and a greatYA, but a novel format would be nicer.

This is a ashort novel that is perfect if you need something light to read between heavy fantasy books or gruesome thrillers. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read this book.