The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love

Tash, S. (2016). The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Graham is a self-proclaimed geek who loves comics, school, gaming, and his best friend Roxy.  Graham and Roxy have been best friends since they were eight years old, but now at sixteen, he has fallen in love with her.  They both love the same comic series The Chronicles of Althena, write a comic series together  they named The Misfits of Mage High, and know everything about one another.  Robert Zinc, the writer of The Chronicles of Althena,  is making a rare appearance at the New York Comic Con, and Graham has decided to profess his love to Roxy at Comic Con.  He is determined to get the wristbands to see Robert Zinc and makes a plan to wait in line overnight with his friend Casey.  Graham and Casey do not get the wristbands however, and Graham needs to come up with another plan to confess his love to Roxy.  Graham, Roxy, Casey, and Roxy's friend Felicia go to day one of Comic Con and Felicia signs then up for a speed dating session.  While there, Roxy meets Devin, who is a tall, blue-eyed artist who is British.  Roxy is smitten with him. Devin hangs out with them the rest of the day and Graham watches Roxy and Devin flirt with one another, which infuriates Graham.  He decides he must do something to win her over and tries desperately to get wristbands for the Zinc panel.   Throughout the weekend, he tries desperately to find some special way to profess his love.  On Saturday night, Devin invites them to a karaoke bar that his cousin owns.  They go, and while there, drink beer for the first time.  After a few beers, Graham gets the nerve to sing a song to Roxy, and she now knows he is in love with her.  She is angry at this discovery because she thinks of him as a brother and doesn't want to ruin their friendship and their comic book series.  He is crushed at the news.   Towards the end of the story, Graham accepts that he and Roxy should just remain friends.  But, he also discovers that Amelia, a girl he met at the speed-dating session likes him and wants to date him.  He is shocked a girl likes him, but also flattered.  He learns just how crazy young love is.

This is a story about first crushes and determination to win at love.  It shows the crazy highs and lows of being in love for the first time and the heartache it can also cause. Teens can relate to Graham and the feelings he has to win his love interest. He doesn't win the heart of his crush, but realizes love is a messy roller coaster ride with twists and turns.   Young love is messy, heartbreaking, and unpredictable.  Teens are facing these new feelings, and this book can show them that life goes on. Fans of comics and pop culture will enjoy all the references the author includes in the story as well.

  The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love made the 2017 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers by the American Library Association.