Three ex-best friends reunite for one last pre-college adventure in this YA road trip novel full of laughter, healing, hijinks, and butterfly-inducing kisses.
Eighteen-year-old Chloe Torres isn't ready to be an adult. So, when she is gifted three tickets to her favorite band's reunion concert, she knows exactly who she wants to invite: her ex-best friends from middle school. Added bonus? They'll drive across the U.S. to get there and complete their old BFF bucket list along the way. It's a rocky start: Chloe tries not to think about the crush she had on Sienna or about the kiss she and Ramona shared at 14; meanwhile, Ramona and Sienna both have other motives for agreeing to this plan. After impromptu Niagara Falls and Indy Zoo visits, the girls hit a groove that might itself carry them to the concert. But the confusing moments Chloe has with Ramona--"she touched my elbow last night and i FELT THINGS????????"--kind of have her freaking out.
Get Real, Chloe Torres by Crystal Maldonado (Fat Chance, Charlie Vega) is a joyfully adventurous friendship story and a thrilling sapphic rom-com told in Chloe's charming first-person voice. Refreshingly, the girls avoid repeating their breakup mistakes by stopping to communicate when tensions soar. Maldonado is excellent at showcasing a teen doubting their college path ("Ever since I committed, it feels like there's been this cloud hanging over me.... Is that what I want to spend every day doing for my job?") and remarkably depicts ADHD, including time blindness and scatterbrained thoughts. All this, plus the breathtaking kisses, make it a validating story about queer love and joy. --Samantha Zaboski, freelance editor and reviewer