The Love Interest

by Cale Dietrich

Overview

There is a secret organization that cultivates teenage spies. The agents are called Love Interests because getting close to people destined for great power means getting valuable secrets.

Caden is a Nice: The boy next door, sculpted to physical perfection. Dylan is a Bad: The brooding, dark-souled guy, and dangerously handsome. The girl they are competing for is important to the organization, and each boy will pursue her. Will she choose a Nice or the Bad?

Both Caden and Dylan are living in the outside world for the first time. They are well-trained and at the top of their games. They have to be – whoever the girl doesn’t choose will die.

What the boys don’t expect are feelings that are outside of their training. Feelings that could kill them both.

The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich is a gay YA thriller that is non-stop action from start to finish.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250107138
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	05/16/2017
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Cale Dietrich is a YA devotee, lifelong gamer, and tragic pop punk enthusiast. He was born in Perth, grew up on the Gold Coast, and now lives in Brisbane, Australia. The Love Interest is his first novel.

Editorial Reviews

03/27/2017
In this subversive take on the quintessential YA love triangle, two guys—the clean-cut boy next door and the brooding bad boy—compete for a girl’s affections. But nothing is as it seems: the guys are actually secret agents, trained to follow a script and fulfill specific romantic roles, and whoever doesn’t win his target’s love will be killed by his ruthless employer. Narrator Caden is a “Nice,” Dylan is a “Bad,” and Juliet is a genius with a bright future ahead of her. Caden has everything planned out—until he and Dylan fall for each other. As they explore this unexpected desire, they attempt to complete their mission, knowing one of them will die when Juliet makes her choice. Dietrich’s debut is impressive, provocative, and a clever take on well-worn romantic tropes. The emotional connections among Caden, Dylan, and Juliet balance out the artificial nature of the relationships forming, while the thriller elements add tension and numerous surprises. The only downside: the ending and epilogue leave too many dangling threads and unanswered questions about what happens in between. Ages 13–up. Agent: Leon Husock, L. Perkins Agency. (May)

Publishers Weekly

A 2018 ALA Rainbow List Selection

"Dietrich both flips and examines certain stereotypes in regards to gender and sexuality while also serving up some high stakes spy adventures."--Entertainment Weekly

"This sci-fi young adult novel is the answer to all of our cliché love triangle woes. Caden, the kindhearted boy-next-door, and Dylan, a brooding bad boy complete with dark poetry and a leather jacket, are in competition for the genius Juliet’s heart. The winner gets the girl, and gets to live out his life in peace. If you’re looking for something funny, action-packed, and romantic this summer, then this is your next read."—PBS Newshour

" There’s a Hunger Games vibe here to be sure—a deadly teen-on-teen competition—and this is packed with similar questions of morality. High stakes, well-developed characters, and an LGBTQ slant on the classic spy story make it all the more intriguing. Stock up—this one has something for everyone."— Booklist, starred review

"In this subversive take on the quintessential YA love triangle, two guys—the clean-cut boy next door and the brooding bad boy—compete for a girl’s affections. But nothing is as it seems: the guys are actually secret agents, trained to follow a script and fulfill specific romantic roles, and whoever doesn’t win his target’s love will be killed by his ruthless employer. ... Dietrich’s debut is impressive, provocative, and a clever take on well-worn romantic tropes. ... while the thriller elements add tension and numerous surprises."—Publishers Weekly

"Caden is a spy. He’s spent most of his life so far in an underground facility being groomed physically and mentally to become a Love Interest for someone influential. Now he’s finally been chosen. Caden’s been pegged as a Nice, the nerdy-boy-next-door type with perfect abs and ocean blue eyes...fans of spy fiction and LGBTQ titles will find the novel worth reading."— School Library Journal

From the Publisher

04/01/2017
Gr 9 Up—Caden is a spy. He's spent most of his life so far in an underground facility being groomed physically and mentally to become a Love Interest for someone influential. Now he's finally been chosen. Caden's been pegged as a Nice, the nerdy-boy-next-door type with perfect abs and ocean blue eyes. His competition is Dylan, a dark-souled Bad who's the dreamiest boy Caden's ever seen. Each of them must pursue Juliet, a girl destined to be the next great scientific mind. Whoever wins will share Juliet's secrets with the Love Interest Compound, which will then sell them to the highest bidder. Whoever loses dies. Caden doesn't intend to lose—but no one prepared him for the way Dyl makes him feel. The narrative is told entirely from Caden's perspective, and it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate between what's actually going on and Caden's assumptions. This might be overlooked if the story had a lot less exposition. Still, fans of spy fiction and LGBTQ titles will find the novel worth reading. VERDICT A serviceable addition that might appeal to fans of Andrew Smith's Grasshopper Jungle and Ally Carter's books.—Kaitlin Frick, New York Public Library

School Library Journal