I Like Me Better

Weber (If You Change Your Mind) ambitiously blends environmental activism and lighthearted romance in this frothy summer read. When 17-year-old Zack Miller’s soccer captain, Ryan, is caught out for pranking a rival team by hiding a dead hammerhead shark in their locker room, Zack’s entire squad stands to take the fall. Worried that their coach will cancel important summer matches, and hoping to drum up goodwill ahead of the vote for next year’s captain, Zack claims responsibility and is sentenced to community service hours at a nearby seaside conservation center. While running on the beach, he meets and immediately crushes on Chip, an intern at the center. But after Zack learns that Chip is Ryan’s cousin, Zack spins a slowly spiraling web of lies to keep the prank—and the truth about its real perpetrator—secret from Chip. Zack’s insecurities and yearning to fit in, both at school and in soccer, are skillfully juxtaposed against his budding relationship with Chip, with whom he feels comfortable enough to explore new facets of his personality and interests. Accessible prose and a pleasant cast round out this beachy tale. Main characters cue as white. Ages 13–up. Agent: Kristy Hunter, Knight Agency. (May)