Girl crushed /

Baby butch Quinn Ryan just got dumped by girlfriend Jamie, but the good news is that they aren't the only relationship casualties. Suddenly, Ruby Ocampo, the number-one girl from their "Straight Girls We Wish Weren't" list is available. Although her heart still aches for Jamie, Quinn moves on, only to discover that ex-girlfriends, new girlfriends, bands, favorite hangouts, and soccer scholarships for college may be a lot to handle. She's got Ruby, so why is she bothered that Jamie is moving on, too? This classic high-school lesbian first-love story is told with humor and an insider perspective that will keep it gone from your shelves, as friends pass it to friends, who pass it to other friends. Everything is there: the dramatic "is she, isn't she?" straight-girl dance; the lesbian hangout on the edge of bankruptcy, run by two aging dykes; the gay-straight alliance that never quite got going--and then Heaney adds in more mainstream concerns about athletic scholarships and plans after high school. Better get a few copies, just in case.

When rising high school senior Quinn, a soccer player, is dumped by her girlfriend, Jamie, a month before school starts, she's heartbroken and desperately tries to put on a brave front for their mutual friends. As two of the only out queer students at their San Diego school, Quinn and Jamie share a bond that Jamie is afraid of ruining with a relationship that could turn sour. Quinn struggles to recover from heartbreak while navigating her last year of high school (hoping to be named the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Year or Gatorade Player of the Year), her next steps into the future (at the University of North Carolina), and her place in the adult world (where she wants to be the next Megan Rapinoe). As she grows interested in Ruby, "number one on the list of Straight Girls We Wish Weren't," she also struggles to balance friendship with her former girlfriend and her second look at love. Leisurely paced but quietly powerful, this largely internal first-person narrative by Heaney (Would You Rather?) is dedicated to finding one's self, growing up, and learning to compromise and to reach out for what matters. Ages 12--up. Agent: Allison Hunter, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (Apr.)

Gr 7 Up--Quinn and Jamie are the only two openly gay girls in their school, so it makes sense that the longtime best friends would end up dating. But when Jamie suddenly ends things a month before the beginning of their senior year, Quinn is left without her girlfriend and her best friend. Attempting to move on, Quinn recruits her years-long crush Ruby, the charismatic lead singer of local band Sweets, to play at her favorite struggling coffee shop. As she gets closer to Ruby, it becomes clear that both she and Jamie miss each other, even as they try to mend their friendship. Is it the loss of their friendship or of their relationship that leaves them both feeling so empty? Debut author Heaney crafts a well-developed character in Quinn, who also dreams of playing college soccer and wants to make an impression on her absent father. The single-mindedness with which she goes after her goals affects all her relationships, and her growth will resonate with many teens. This charming romance also addresses the all-too-common practice of discounting or ignoring the queer identity of people in hetero relationships, the complicated road back to friendship after a romantic relationship ends, and the importance of adjusting expectations as you go. VERDICT A solid addition to collections where romance and light realistic fiction are popular. Recommend to readers of Rainbow Rowell and Becky Albertalli.--Erin Downey, Boise School District, ID

A San Diego soccer player struggles with life's uncertainties. Quinn knew exactly what she wanted: to be recruited by the University of North Carolina and to have a happy future with her girlfriend, Jamie. But everything falls apart when Jamie breaks up with her right before senior year. The two are close with Alexis (who's never met a piece of news she didn't want to share) and Ronni (Quinn's fellow soccer star), and the four still eat lunch together daily. Quinn and Jamie, awkwardly trying to make their friendship work, have role models in older lesbian exes who amicably run their favorite queer cafe, Triple Moon. A complication arises in the form of a new possible love interest for Quinn: Ruby, classmate and gorgeous lead singer of a local band, newly separated from her boyfriend--and first on the list Quinn and Jamie once made of "Straight Girls We Wish Weren't." Adding to Quinn's stress, her unreliable father pops up, she hasn't heard from college recruiters, Jamie is cozying up to another girl, and Triple Moon is having financial difficulties. The pacing is spot-on, and the exploration of lesbian relationships--particularly post-breakup--is handled deftly. Quinn is a sympathetic character, and her interactions with Jamie feel true to life. Unfortunately, Ronni is a little too perfect and two-dimensional in the role of Black Best Friend. Ruby's surname cues her as Latinx; all other main characters are white. Fresh and charming. (Fiction. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.