Publishers Weekly
06/10/2024
Via penetrating prose, Casomar’s fresh debut depicts a teen’s refusal to accept his best friend’s lack of romantic interest. Baseball star Zeke Ladoja—who’s secretly working to help his family pay the bills while his father navigates a cancer diagnosis—schemes to confess his love for his best friend Imogen at the 16th birthday bash he’s planning. But Imogen doesn’t share Zeke’s feelings; instead, she’s begun swooning over Zeke’s nerdy Texan teammate Trevor, who recently moved to Chicago. When Zeke announces his affections for Imogen despite warnings from a peer, she panics and kisses Trevor in front of the whole party. Embarrassed, Zeke begins engaging in uncharacteristically cruel behavior, causing friction with his and Imogen’s mutual friends. As Zeke’s demeanor worsens, Imogen’s attempts to go back to how they were before founder amid the taunts directed at her for rejecting Zeke and for her budding relationship with Trevor. In this sure-footed portrayal of contemporary teen romance, Casomar utilizes Zeke and Imogen’s alternating POVs to candidly capture the social systems that uphold the inherent entitlement of the friend zone myth as well as the costs of railing against its toxic messaging. Main characters are Black. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jess Regel, Helm Literary. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
A refreshing and honest exploration of the pressures a culture of toxic masculinity places on teenagers that tenderly portrays its effects, not only on young women, but also the negative impact it has on young men. An important and necessary book for our time.” —Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be
Kirkus Reviews
2024-06-15
Zeke thinks it’s destiny that they be together, but his best friend, Imogen, disagrees.
Sixteen-year-old Zeke Ladoja is tall, handsome, and a star baseball player. His dad is fighting cancer, and Zeke has to put baseball on hold so he can help the family out financially, but he still has bestie Imogen Parker, who’s smart, kind, beautiful, and an unabashed lover of historical romance books. Everyone has told them since they were kids that they’re meant for each other. Imogen isn’t allowed to date until she’s 16, so Zeke bides his time, showing her what a great guy and perfect boyfriend material he is. Imogendoes love Zeke; she’s just never had romantic feelings for him, and Trevor Cook, the new kid, has caught her eye in a big way. With Imogen’s 16th birthday approaching, Zeke plans a grand romantic gesture that backfires. And when he refuses to take no for an answer, the consequences are disastrous. Told in Zeke’s and Imogen’s alternating first-person perspectives, Casomar’s debut features energetic, engaging dialogue but relies heavily on dramatic soap opera moments to drive the narrative. While the novel explores important themes around self-esteem and listening to others, the character development fails to make the leads endearing enough to fully invest in. All main characters are Black or Latine.
A strong start, youthful vibes, and an important message, but over-the-top theatrics keep this one from soaring.(Fiction. 14-18)
