Three starred reviews!
"Warm, witty, and wonderfully queer." -Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys
From USA TODAY bestselling author Christen Randall comes a cozy, "authentic, and affirming" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) queer romance about self-discovery, finding your person, and carving out a space for yourself in unexpected places-perfect for fans of Heartstopper and Julie Murphy.
Mal Flowers expected senior year fall to be full of cozy sweaters, good coffee, and copyediting. As the new editor-in-chief of their school's literary magazine, they just want to follow The Plan to graduate and get out of their small midwestern town-a place where, as a broke, fat, queer person with ADHD, they've never really fit in. But when budget cuts result in the lit mag's cancellation, Mal is suddenly left scrambling for something to replace it.
That is, until Emerson Pike-who also has ADHD but is loud, confident, and Mal's complete opposite-suggests the staff go rogue and create a zine instead. Which would be cool, except that making and selling contraband isn't exactly what Mal envisioned listing as the extracurricular activity on their college application. A zine would be unofficial, unapproved, and definitely not in The Plan.
But a zine is also a good way to spend more time with Emerson, whose playful banter and bad jokes Mal can't seem to get enough of. And maybe, with a group of new friends, the back of the charming coffee shop where Emerson works could be somewhere Mal does belong. Because breaking the rules with Emerson-and flirting with her over coffee-is fun.
Maybe The Plan isn't the only way to find happiness, but can Mal let go of something they've depended on for so long? Christen Randall (they/she) is a queer, fat, neurodivergent author of queer, fat, neurodiverse books, including Junior Library Guild selection and instant USA TODAY bestseller The No-Girlfriend Rule. When they're not writing joyful stories for the next generation of geeky gay kids, you can find them making zines about neighborhood cats, nerding out doing readers' advisory as a library associate at their local library branch, or at home planning all the D&D campaigns they'll run one day, they swear. Christen lives in Covington, Kentucky. Visit them online at ByChristenRandall.com and on social media @ByCRandall. * "Mal is a well-realized character, a fat teen who describes their experiences with dyslexia, ADHD, and possible autism in ways that are understandable and relatable. Alongside their sweet romance, Randall also realistically explores Mal's struggles with family pressure and finding their own interests; these relationships are exceptionally well drawn. . . . A rich, authentic, and affirming story about building your community." * "Perfect for autistic, ADHD teens, or list-making overachievers, [According to Plan] captures the slow, steady growth of a character learning who they are beyond their own and others' expectations. Stepping into one's own isn't always easy, linear, or clean, and Mal's journey mirrors that authenticity. . . . A cozy read and perfect distraction from life's stressors." * "Randall's sophomore work will deeply resonate with readers who have felt like there's something wrong with them just because of how their brains work. It's an unapologetic, joyful work about finding yourself when everything about your plan has changed." "Readers will surely resonate with Mal's organically rendered character arc and complex, relatable conflicts, beneath which lies a foundation of optimism and joy." "Warm, witty, and wonderfully queer, this is the joyful, neurodivergent story every anxious overachiever didn't know they needed! Perfect for fans of Felix Ever After and Alice Oseman, and anyone who's ever needed a backup plan for their backup plan." "Whether it's the characters, the feels, the relatabili
