Her mother is in the Army, and Hanna is once again trying to start her life over in a new location: Fayetteville, North Carolina. As an out lesbian with ADHD, Hanna is always wary when it comes to making new friends. As an Army brat, she’s also wary of losing friends. When she first sees Zoe Aaron in Spanish class at her new school, she’s instantly enthralled. Zoe is an autistic bisexual girl “whose personality is eighty percent ballerina”—and who definitely has a boyfriend. But when Zoe meets Hanna, her entire worldview shifts. Hanna begins working as a pianist at the ballet studio where Zoe dances and the two girls connect. They decide to work together on Zoe’s audition for a professional ballet company, something Zoe has conflicted feelings about pursuing. In this self-aware will-they, won’t-they romance, the leads navigate their complex feelings for each other, their dynamics with mutual friends, and their distinctly neurodivergent brains. Written from both girls’ points of view, the hilarious and swoonworthy narrative is a joy to read. The protagonists’ authentic voices are engaging and realistic, and readers will easily identify with them. There are times when the timing of events isn’t completely clear, and some of the inside jokes among characters may be confusing, but the delicious drama and steamy romance more than carry the story. The white-presenting main characters are Jewish (Hanna’s mom is Catholic).
