Thanks for Listening

Gr 10 Up–Horan’s second contemporary queer YA novel is a fantastic and much-needed ace romance. Mia, an ace ­senior in high school, navigates dating and friendships while stage managing her school’s musical. Mia often feels unheard by her peers who go to her for advice but don’t listen. She creates an anonymous ­account called HeretoHelp on social ­media ­platform ReelLife with hopes of avoiding further chaos from her peers. Horan does a wonderful job of providing an ­authentic depiction of being ace in an allosexual world and giving realistic insight into ­universal conversations about consent and boundaries for all teens. Readers will relate to Mia’s internal stream of anxiety around her identity. She worries if she’s accidentally flirting or on a date, if a potential partner will think she is presumptuous by trying to establish physical boundaries early in a relationship, and if she values her friendships more than her friends do. The addition of the anonymous account adds tension and humor to the plot as Mia starts giving ­advice to her friends and is able to figure out who they are. V­ERDICT Perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Ann Zhao and for any theater-loving teens who like contemporary romances.