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Afraid of losing her best friend after he transfers to a different school, Cerys dives headfirst into the fandom of his favorite fantasy series in order to maintain their connection. She’s devastated, though, to realize Jake might be replacing her with Max, a friend from the soccer team whom Cerys immediately hates. As her quest to convince Jake of their romantic compatibility continues, Cerys joins a Discord server where she converses with someone she assumes is Jake, rediscovering her love for art, and forging new friendships with girls at her school. Though things with Jake are rocky in real life, on Discord, Cerys and “runicrascal” are stronger than ever—but is it really Jake she’s talking to? Cerys begins the story with a tilted nose, looking down on all things fandom and sincerity, and her journey to realizing that passion isn’t cringy is quite satisfying. The pacing, especially in the first half, feels offbeat, but the compelling side characters and intriguing fantasy world Cerys discovers in her fandom are highlights.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Hoping to connect with her crush through fandom, a Welsh girl ends up finding herself. Sixteen-year-old Cerys has been nurturing feelings for her best friend, Jake; she worries that they’ll grow apart as they move on to different secondary schools. As a way to stay close and convince him that she’s “his dream girl,” Cerys decides to engage with the Of Wrath and Rune fandom—OWAR is Jake’s favorite fantasy TV and book series. She’s disappointed that Jake’s new friend, Max, is always around for their watch parties and con outings and hopes that chatting one-on-one with Jake in the OWAR Discord channel will further her romantic agenda. But somehow, the deeper their online conversations become, the less available Jake seems in person—it’s almost as if he’s two different people. Meanwhile, Cerys is trying to fit in with a group of cool girls at St. David’s, her new school in Cardiff, which means hiding her now-sincere appreciation for OWAR. She slowly comes to realize that she has a lot in common with Anissa, a shy girl in her art class, who also loves OWAR. At the same time, her Discord correspondence with @runicrascal is a source of emotional connection and vulnerability. This solid, well-paced book explores relatable subjects like learning to be true to oneself and finding friends who like the real you. The realistic dialogue and strong character development will keep readers turning the pages. Main characters read white. Fandom fans and romance lovers will rejoice!(Romance. 13-18) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Publishers Weekly
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A lovesick teen will stop at nothing to win over her crush in this frothy meta rom-com by Reekles (Love & Lattes). Everything feels like it’s changing for 16-year-old Cerys: her father moves out following her parents’ separation, and she’s now attending a new school without her best friend and crush, Jake, who recently moved away. Worse, Jake seems fine without her and has even made a new BFF named Max, a fellow superfan of Jake’s favorite fantasy book series and TV show, Of Wrath and Ruin. Determined to cement her place as Jake’s most important bestie—and maybe-girlfriend—Cerys plots to woo him by diving headfirst into the world of fandom, cosplay, conventions, and Wednesday-night OWaR watch parties at Jake’s. The only problem is that Max is always around. As Cerys delves deeper into the OWaR fan sphere, though, she’s surprised to find herself becoming a real supporter of the show, which provides a much-needed distraction from her insecurity about studying art, her father’s sudden reappearance, and Jake’s flaky behavior. Cerys’s exuberant first-person narration keeps the pages turning, while a deliciously tropey romance keeps the tension high in this lighthearted novel about being oneself, pursuing one’s passions, and reveling in life’s many surprises. Main characters cue as white. Ages 14–up. (Nov.)