I Like Me Better

March 27, 2023
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.

April 1, 2023
A rising senior faces pressures and pleasures. Soccer star Zack Martin's last year at Citrus Harbor High is set to be fantastic. Coming off a state win, Zack's the presumed captain for next year: Helping his team attain victory at the upcoming July 4 charity match will boost his chances of getting his teammates' votes. But then outgoing captain Ryan, afraid of losing his college scholarship after a prank he pulls goes wrong, convinces Zack to take responsibility for it. Zack maneuvers his mandated community service hours into a position at the Marine Institute where he can be closer to Cute Guy--aka Chip, Ryan's environmentalist cousin who doesn't share Zack's admiration for Ryan. Zack develops feelings for Chip, but he must reckon with his place on the team and who he really wants to be. Weber's characters pop off the page in their sunny Florida setting as they deal with a variety of adolescent stressors. Zack and Chip's slow-burn relationship and the easygoing acceptance of their sexuality by their peers are delightful. Zack's emotional turmoil over competing concerns is realistic as he deals with his teammates, his budding relationship with Chip, his divorced parents' expectations, and more. Main characters read White. A sweet story of soccer and summer romance with a lovable protagonist. (Romance. 13-18)

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