Teenybopper fads and games of love

A will-they-won’t-they teenage romance story that treads along the ups and downs of best friends Matilda (aka Tilly) and Teddy, and their common crush Katherine Cooper-Bunting’s lives. Teddy Booker fancies gorgeous Katherine so he drags his best friend Matilda Taylor (Tilly) to befriend Katherine and help him woo her. Katherine is an aspiring actress, while Tilly and Teddy don’t think they have an artistic bend like their respective families. The two best friends are also dealing with the loss of a mutual friend (Grace).

Also, Tilly is already having enough going on in her personal life, yet she unwillingly agrees to help Teddy. Her grandfather is suffering from Alzheimer’s and has moved into their house. Tilly’s family is reeling under pressure. She looks after her grandfather when her parents are out working.

She goes with Teddy to the local community centre where there are theatre auditions for a local play. Teddy is certain that Katherine will be there and would be the best place to befriend her. But Cupid has his surprises. The moment Tilly sees Katherine, she is jaw-struck by her beauty and grace. Tilly is smitten and has a secret crush on Katherine. What happens next is a comedy of errors and heartburns in this YA romance story. The more Tilly tries to help Teddy get closer to Katherine, the more she gets attracted to her. Celebrated author Wibke Brueggemann’s book is driven by young characters and their witty exchanges. But there are times when the Gen-Alpha love lingo is incomprehensible and comes across as a bit forced. But to be fair to the author, maybe the young target readers may relate easily to the witty one-liners and phrases. However, the author does make an honest and sensitive attempt to weave in intimacy and issues faced by young LGBTQ+ and nonbinary characters in the story. A non-judgmental easy read. A book that sends a strong message that it is okay to make teeny-bopper mistakes but one should also have the courage to make amends and move on in life.