Well, That Was Awkward

February 13, 2017
Before Gracie Grant was born, her older sister, Bret, was killed in an auto accident. As a result, Gracie’s parents do everything in their power to make sure that Gracie, now 13, is never anything less than happy, a hard standard for Gracie to live up to. Whether at home or at school, Gracie insists that everything is fine, even when it isn’t. Her social world gets complicated when she develops a crush on classmate AJ, who has a crush on Gracie’s best friend Sienna. Gracie helps Sienna send AJ flirty text messages à la Cyrano de Bergerac, and the results create even more drama. Luckily Gracie has Emmett, her other best friend, but then things get complicated with him, too. Vail (Unfriended) skillfully details the politics of middle school, mean girls, first dates, and best friends in this sensitive and funny coming-of-age story. But it’s the storyline revolving around Gracie’s sister and her parents—and the resulting reflection on grief and the risks of loving another person—that leads to the story’s most profound and memorable moments. Ages 11–up. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House.

Narrator Simone Policano captures the searing self-consciousness and angst of middle school. Featured elements of the story are the awkward first romance and its behind-the-scenes negotiations. In this contemporary retelling of CYRANO DE BERGERAC, eighth-grader Gracie likes AJ, but instead of telling him, she helps her friend Sienna craft admiring texts to him. The story includes other complications such as Gracie's emotional struggles with the long-ago loss of a sibling. Policano handles the story's youthful voices realistically--and is spot-on as the likable but painfully awkward, self-conscious Gracie. Policano captures the humor and poignancy in a quirky story that will be enjoyed by a wide audience of listeners. J.C.G. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine