Most Likely to Succeed

Gr 9 Up—Kaye is senior in a town on the gulf coast of Florida. Everything in Kaye's life seems to be perfect. She's vice president of student council; dates the president, Aidan; is captain of the cheerleading squad; and plans on going to Columbia University with her boyfriend. Aidan is voted Most Likely to Succeed but Kaye is voted half of the high school's Perfect Couple—with Sawyer, the school mascot and resident bad boy. The results change the way Kaye looks at Sawyer, who had a rough start in life, but has overcome the odds and is changing for the better. Longtime friends, the pair have often been on the field together, as she cheers and he performs his playful and flirty antics as mascot. But out of costume, he treats Kaye quite differently, which encourages her to think about him in a more positive light. Echols seamlessly tells this story of how two people come to fall in love, while including themes of bullying, interracial relationships, class, and family strife. The overall pace, plotting, and character development are even, and the narrative frankly touches upon sex and consent.