The Me I Meant To Be

Gr 9 Up–Coming up with girl code is an easy task, but following it isn't quite so simple. Willa and Flor have been best friends since elementary school. It's Flor's recent breakup with Zach, Willa's next-door neighbor, star of the Madison football team, and all-around charmer and nice guy, that prompts writing the Girl Code. Flor doesn't think any of her friends, even if they're not particularly close, should even be flirting with Zach. What Flor doesn't know, of course, is that Willa has been in love with Zach for as long as she can remember. Things get really complicated when Zach and Willa share a very intense kiss at a party, and Willa realizes that Zach has feelings for her, too. Any of these things alone could be manageable, but the rest of life makes it all a little harder to deal with. Flor especially feels this since her mom has left, and her dad's new girlfriend, half his age, seems to be competing with Flor for his attention. A story about friendship and high school love, this novel moves quickly and is told from alternating perspectives. Some minimal strong language punctuates their complicated situations. Some intense make-out scenes expressly capture their teen romances. This novel is a positive story about friendship, respect, love, and adolescence with smart, strong female characters.