Meg & Linus

February 13, 2017
Best friends Meg and Linus begin their senior year of high school demoralized about their relationship prospects. Meg’s recently graduated girlfriend, Sophia, unexpectedly ends things with her before heading off to college, while Linus spent the summer pining over a cute barista named Danny. When Danny transfers to their school, Linus is a stammering mess, but Meg decides that playing matchmaker is the perfect distraction from her own heartbreak. Despite their overlapping interests, the two protagonists have very different personalities and serve as engaging foils for each other. Reserved Linus is insecure about his appearance and overall nerdiness while Meg is confident and open to new things; it’s only her recent breakup that has caused her to retreat into herself. Meg and Linus’s romantic lives take center stage, but first-time author Nowinski also addresses the difficulty of being queer in a small town, where pursuing a relationship requires confidence, and can involve a fear of outing or offending—all of which comes into play as Meg reflects on her past and Linus considers the possibility of a future with Danny. Ages 13–up.

March 1, 2017

Gr 7-10-A week before senior year, Meg is dumped by her girlfriend. Sad, confused, and in desperate need of distraction, Meg dives into her best friend Linus's love life. As she maneuvers Linus into the path of new kid Danny, Meg has to start dealing with her own emotional fallout. In alternating chapters, Meg and Linus tell their tales. The dynamics of the teens' friendship are intriguing but get lost in the slow storytelling and lack of interaction between the two. Between Linus's angelic perfection (though we are constantly reminded that he is "chubby") and an overall lack of emotional depth, the characters come off as two-dimensional and bland. Scenes with little significance are drawn out, while more compelling emotional moments are told rather than shown. Readers who get past the increasingly obscure geek culture references and repetitive scenes will find a mild romance with a happy ending. VERDICT An additional purchase, potentially of interest to younger teens making their first forays into YA romance.-Amy Diegelman, formerly at Vineyard Haven Public Library, MA

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