One Step to You

January 1, 2021
A vintage Italian romance of two teenagers from different social spheres, translated into English for the first time. Babi Gervasi is a well-off, well-liked 17-year-old in 1980s Rome. She's got good friends, is doing well in school, and gets on well with her family. When she meets Stefano "Step" Mancini, though, everything goes a little haywire. Step, a young hooligan (as Babi's mother would say), is all about living for the moment, partying with friends, and racing motorcycles. His best friend, Pollo, is dating Babi's best friend, Pallina, so despite Babi's best efforts, she keeps bumping into him. Annoyance turns to interest turns to love, and Babi and Step find themselves head over heels. School, Babi's mother, and the world in general, however, are determined to tear them apart. Moccia wrote this novel in 1992, and it has since been published in 15 languages and has at least two film adaptions. Reading it almost 30 years later, though, it comes off feeling incredibly dated, with the relationships being the most off-putting aspect. Step is cruel to Babi before they begin dating, harassing her and constantly pushing her boundaries. He's also incredibly violent, putting several people in the hospital over the course of the book. Even when he's doing things in order to help Babi, he goes about it in awful ways, especially in the case of one of her teachers. Current readers might find it hard to empathize with this love story, as issues that might have been more easily glossed over in the early '90s are harder to ignore these days. A classic with all that entails--outdated morals and all.

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January 25, 2021
Some of the spark is lost in translation in Moccia’s English-language debut, a trilogy-launching tale of star-crossed teen lovers in 1980s Rome. Wealthy, 18-year-old socialite Babi Gervasi is both intrigued and wary when she meets bad boy Stefano “Step” Mancini, a young man from the wrong side of the tracks. She disobeys her parents and ditches her high-society admirers to embark on a tumultuous relationship with the fiery Step. But can their love transcend their very different social circles and the disapproval of their families? Though the narrative is oddly flat, with banal characters and stiff dialogue, Moccia does capture the turbulent passion of teen love. Step and Babi’s affection for each other and excitement at rebelling against societal expectations is believable, and Babi’s inexperience with sex is realistic and respectfully handled. There’s disappointingly little scene setting, save references to Roman streets that will offer insight only to those already familiar with the city. The cultural references to the 1980s will play on readers’ nostalgia, but it is unclear why this is being marketed to adults rather than teens. Despite some heartfelt moments, this disappoints. Agent: Maria Cardona Serra, Pontas Agency.

February 1, 2021
Step rides a motorcycle and has a hot temper. Babi is a high-society teen with her whole future ahead of her. A chance meeting leads to sparks, and though Babi resists Step's advances at first, the two soon fall in love. After Step and his motorcycle-gang friends crash a party, Babi has to turn to Step to save her from the chaos he started. These star-crossed teens who seem to have nothing in common find themselves in a deep, passionate romance that transcends time and age. Readers will appreciate this highly intense coming-of-age story that shows how much some are willing to risk for love. While Step and Babi find their way in the world as a couple, Babi's disapproving mother tries to end their relationship--which naturally only brings them closer. Babi knows Step can be violent and dangerous, but she forges on with the relationship while Step makes promises to change his ways. Moccia's love story is already a bestseller in Italy and the inspiration for the Italian Netflix drama Summertime. One Step to You has been aptly compared to the novels of Nicholas Sparks and John Green, and will appeal to readers of those highly emotional tales.

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