In this wry and hilarious queer YA romantic comedy, fifteen-year-old Phoebe realizes that falling in love is maybe not just for losers. Did you know you can marry yourself? How strange / brilliant is that? Fifteen-year-old Phoebe thinks falling in love is vile and degrading, and vows never to do it. Then, due to circumstances not entirely in her control, she finds herself volunteering at a local thrift shop. There she meets Emma . . . who might unwittingly upend her whole theory on life. This is a laugh-out-loud exploration of sexuality, family, female friendship, grief, and community. With heart and hilarity, Wibke Brueggemann's sex-positive YA debut is perfect for readers who love Heartstopper and Casey McQuiston. Gr 8 Up-Fifteen-year-old Phoebe has an endless list of tasks to complete. She has to study for her all-important end-of-year exams, earn enough money to pay back her godmother, and-most importantly-figure out how to fall out of love with fellow thrift shop volunteer Emma. Phoebe is once again living with her godmother, Kate, because Phoebe's mum is off saving the world for months at a time. Again. Phoebe loves her godmother, but doesn't understand why her mom doesn't want to spend time with her. Phoebe can't even complain to her best friend Polly because Polly has a boyfriend now, and Tristan consumes all of her time. Told in diary format, readers see the world through Phoebe's sarcasm-rimmed glasses. Phoebe's wit is sometimes funny, but her story is mostly mundane. While her frustrations are real, honest, and understandable, the presentation leaves Phoebe coming across as whiny, particularly as each day seems to drag into the next. The story takes place in London, with main characters coded as white. Phoebe's grandparents are from Hong Kong, and she learns that her dead dad was Jewish and from Israel, but these facts are only mentioned superficially in passing. VERDICT While the everyday queer romance is cute, Phoebe's sarcasm won't hold the attention of readers as they relive the tedium of her day-to-day life.-Annamarie Carlson, Westerville P.L., OHα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. A Lambda Literary Most Anticipated LGBTQ Book of the Month! A Junior Library Guild Selection! A Capitol Choices Selection! "A sarcastic 15-year-old records angst―about her parents, first love and loss, and failure―in six months of achingly universal journal entries. Via journal entries told in Phoebe’s no-nonsense tone, debut author Brueggemann details the snarky, socially awkward protagonist’s growth as she experiences the messiness of attraction and love, and comes to appreciate the joy and pain of connection. Phoebe’s frequent internet searches and frank narration style manage to both entertain and inform on a wide variety of topics pertaining to sexuality and identity." ― Publishers Weekly, starred review "This is ultimately a thoughtful, funny, deeply emotional coming of age story, perfect for readers looking to commiserate with someone puzzling their way through life and love." ― Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books "The novel is told in daily diary entries, from New Year’s Day to Phoebe’s birthday in July; the entries reveal an endearing vulnerability under a (very funny) layer of snark." ― Horn Book Wibke Brueggemann grew up in northern Germany and the southern United States, but calls London her home. She originally studied acting at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts but ended up becoming a writer. She has a Master's in Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University, where she was the recipient of the Bath Spa University Writing Award. Wibke enjoys traveling, and is a clandestine lover of romantic poetry and Rennaissance art. She is the author of Love is for Losers and Cupid's Revenge .