Dating Makes Perfect

Gr 7-10–Winnie’s Thai parents were very strict with her older sisters—absolutely no dating in high school. When the college-age girls fail at finding marriage prospects straight out of the gate, however, mom decides to relax the rules for Winnie so that she can have some practice at socializing. Winnie is secretly thrilled until she discovers her mom’s choice for her practice “fake dates”: her former best friend and now arch-enemy, Mat. But wait, there’s a new flirty kid in town, Taran, and maybe Mat isn’t as awful as she remembered. Cue a confusing triangle of romantic interests. To add to the fun, Winnie’s mom has based all of the fake dates on rom-com movies (it makes sense that the book has a completely rom-com resolution scene). The writing is heavy on readable dialogue, and the pacing makes it a great choice for reluctant readers. Thai culture is sprinkled throughout: Food, holidays, and values are highlighted and smaller details—like the use of Scotch tape to create a double eyelid—add authenticity.