Getting Over Garrett Delaney

Garrett Delaney is everything 17-year-old Sadie has ever wanted in a boy, but their relationship has never risen above “best-friend” status. Over the past two years, Sadie has become tired of playing second fiddle to a “parade of girls Garrett falls for with heartbreaking regularity.” Now that he’s away at writing camp—and smitten with yet another girl—she decides it’s time to get over him for good. The only problem is that, without Garrett in the picture, Sadie isn’t sure who she is. In this entertaining antiromance, mainly set in the coffee shop where Sadie works, McDonald (The Anti-Prom) turns the tragedy of unrequited love on its head as she traces her heroine’s determined and often comical efforts to find herself and become more independent. Predictably, Sadie’s quest is riddled with self-doubt and setbacks, but she has plenty of advocates to catch her when she wavers. Her supporters, an eclectic group of female buddies and co-workers who have had relationship woes of their own, add color and wisdom to the novel, reinforcing the theme that love (and getting over it) is rarely easy. Ages 14–up. Agent: Stimola Literary Studio. (Jan.)