Reasons to Hate Me

Metallo balances acerbic comedy with insightful prose to present an intimate character study, told via blog posts, that follows an autistic theater kid’s attempts to navigate the aftermath of a friendship-ending error. After 17-year-old Jess Lanza makes out with her best friend Chloe’s boyfriend—and is subsequently dubbed a “boyfriend-stealing slutbag” in a classmate’s blog post—Jess decides to start her own blog detailing “my many embarrassing and/or hate-worthy mistakes.” In rueful, often laugh-out-loud narration, Jess addresses her apparent flaws and vulnerabilities: “I am so awkward that freshmen feel sorry for me,” “I am the Aaron Burr of Chloe’s love life,” “I am weird and pretentious.” Over the course of each entry, Jess additionally unearths personal realizations about her family, her future, and her friendship with Chloe, who is also autistic, and begins to see herself and her relationships in a new light. Characterization is a standout feature of this aching and self-aware novel; through Jess’s appealing first-person perspective, Metallo crafts interesting and realistic teens and adults, and offers a unique and nuanced view of an autistic teen experiencing high school. Chloe is Black; most other characters are white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Susan Hawk, Upstart Crow Literary. (Sept.)