Meg & Linus

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. (Apr.)