Publishers Weekly
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Endearing mean girls keep the pages turning in a fresh and funny sapphic romance by Horne (Don’t Let It Break Your Heart). Bisexual science whiz Stella and her newly out lesbian bestie, film-obsessed Freddie, are dismayed to realize that their former friend, popular lesbian homecoming queen Levi, seems destined to win their California all-girls high school’s coveted college scholarship, awarded annually to one student as voted upon by the junior class. Still bitter that Levi abandoned them freshman year to climb the social ladder, wallflowers Stella and Freddie rebrand themselves as “mythical hot girls” to sabotage Levi’s chances. But when Stella’s schemes start adversely affecting innocent bystanders, Freddie enlists Levi’s help in stopping her—and learns a secret that rekindles her own covert crush on Levi. Freddie’s journey from “quirky sidekick” to seizer of the day (and the girl)—narrated in her breezy, fantastically facetious voice—steals the show, transforming the love-to-hate-’em mean girls into can’t-help-but-root-for-’em protagonists in this snarky and tender love story. Intermittent callouts reference stereotypical tropes (“Hot girls are beloved by their teachers,” “hot girls work out,” “hot girls do brunch”) for a cheeky effect. The trio read as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Claire Friedman, Inkwell Management. (Jan.)

School Library Journal
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Gr 9 Up—Horne's sophomore YA novel has echoes of a queer Heathers, but with social annihilation rather than actual murder. Despite their wealth and privilege, Stella and Freddie are so sick of being nobodies that they decide to "get hot" to rule the school. This conveniently includes getting revenge on the current queen, their former middle school bestie Levi, who no longer acknowledges their existence. But as Stella's plan becomes increasingly ruthless, targeting innocent bystanders, Freddie realizes she's out of her depth. She needs Levi's help to stop Stella, but Freddie is not sure if she can spend time with Levi and ignore the enormous crush she's had on her since day one. This book is compelling and funny. Freddie is an appealing narrator, and while readers may not agree with all her decisions, the social pressure Horne realistically depicts makes them understandable. The book sharply observes rich girl culture and parental neglect: "What we are is bored and unsupervised. That's what leads to all the rest of it: The ability to do whatever we want without someone watching over our shoulder." They frankly acknowledge that consequences are for others. It adeptly portrays the blurry line between obsessive friendships and romantic feelings, the tricky relationship dynamics that accompany the complications of crushes and shifting loyalties. There is a range of queer representation, while the characters' races are not mentioned. Readers will want to see just how low Stella will stoop and if Freddie will stand up to her and get the girl. VERDICT A propulsive, entertaining read about wealthy teenagers behaving badly and trying to survive high school and friendships.—Grace Pickering

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

When a revenge plot goes south, a teen must turn to an unlikely ally for help. Tired of feeling invisible, best friends Freddie and Stella hatch a plan to dethrone their former friend turned popular girl, Levi, and prevent her from winning their school’s prestigious scholarship award, which she’s coveted for years. They adopt new “hot girl” personas, weasel their way in with Levi’s friends, and engage in sabotage to bring Levi down. But when Stella takes things too far, Freddie realizes that the plan is spiraling out of control, and she must turn to Levi for help. As Freddie and Levi spend more time together, old feelings between them rise to the surface, and Freddie faces new questions about her friendship with Stella and what she wants for herself. The novel is witty and, delightfully, draws upon beloved movie tropes, which film-obsessed Freddie points out on-page. Freddie’s journey to becoming her own person outside of her friendship with Stella is satisfying and includes a swoonworthy slow-burn romance with Levi. Unfortunately, the ending feels rushed, with all the conflicts neatly (and unrealistically) resolved. Horne introduces themes of power and privilege but doesn’t fully explore them. Freddie, Stella, and Levi are queer and cued white; there’s some racial diversity among the supporting cast. A fun, banter-filled story about getting revenge and finding love—and maybe yourself—along the way.(Fiction. 14-18) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Sapphic revenge is the name of Freddie and Stella’s game, and they are destined to triumph over Levi Preston. Or more appropriately, that’s the name of Stella’s game, and Freddie is mostly along for the ride. The three girls were best friends in middle school, but Levi fully abandoned them to become Coral Cove Prep’s golden girl. Now, Levi will pay for all the slights since via Stella’s four-step plan to steal the school’s prestigious BG Award from under Levi’s nose. Fully channeling the spirit of Tina Fey’s recently remade Mean Girls in a way that remains authentic to both the film and young, sapphic experiences, Horne successfully balances snarky one-liners with genuine growth and characters who are ultimately endearing, although frequently questionable in their actions. The California prep school setting makes the girls’ shenanigans surprisingly believable without sacrificing an entertaining amount of both setting and genre awareness in narration. Recent callbacks to 2000s teen comedies are bountiful, but this one is notable because every character has motivations that are, to some degree, sympathetic.