July 18, 2022
Seventeen-year-old white Micah Summers has always been too nervous to ask out any of his crushes in Sass’s (Surrender Your Sons) wistful rom-com with a “Cinderella” twist. Instead, Micah runs an anonymous Instagram art account, Instaloves in Chicago, where he draws and posts fairy tale illustrations of every boy he’s failed to ask out, accompanied by captions detailing their imagined first dates. Instaloves is both a secret outlet for Micah’s creative passions and a pseudo-digital diary, until he runs into his own fairy tale prince on an L train. The meet-cute prompts him to enlist his friends Hannah, who is straight and Black, and Elliot, who is queer and white, and Instaloves’ followers to help track down this missed connection following the clues in the pumpkin-embroidered jacket that the mystery boy left behind. But even after he’s reunited with his prince, Micah struggles to balance his idealized interpretations of romance with the realities of cultivating and maintaining an actual relationship. Sass capably portrays complicated teenage interpersonal dynamics through realistic dialogue, and fills this sincere romance with teen pining, madcap shenanigans, and earnest first love. French illustrator Pomel’s b&w line spot illustrations, depicting various Instaloves posts, feature throughout. Ages 14–up. Agent: Eric Smith, P.S. Literary.
July 15, 2022
Swept up by the fantasy of fairy-tale romance, an aspiring artist embarks on a modern-day quest for the boy of his dreams. From the privacy of @InstalovesInChicago, his anonymous Instagram account, 17-year-old White boy Micah Summers, a former reality TV star with a famous father, posts drawings of his crushes reimagined as fantastical romance heroes. After 99 boyfriends, his fans are eager to see Boy 100, but after a disastrous attempt to ask his latest crush on a date, Micah refuses to post yet another secret infatuation without actually making a move. When fate sends him tumbling into a missed-connections encounter with a handsome fashion designer on the train, Micah pushes himself out of his comfort zone by immersing himself in the persona of Prince Charming and going on an adventure around the Chicago Loop to find true love with help from best friend Hannah, a straight Black girl. During his pursuit of an idealized relationship, Micah learns that love requires honest and open communication. His mistakes and growth through his insecurities add meaningful complexity to his romantic conflicts. Micah's wealth also comes up as a subject of exploration. Refreshingly, even when relationships get messy, no one is the villain, and the story pushes back against the idea that young queer people have limited chances of finding love. Some black-and-white line illustrations of Instagram posts accompany the text. Self-reflective with satisfying depth. (Romance. 14-18)
COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from December 16, 2022
Gr 9 Up-Sass contributes a solid addition to the YA romance genre with this fairy tale-esque story of one boy on a quest to find his Prince Charming. Online, Micah Summers is the anonymous illustrator of "Instaloves," an Instagram of illustrations, reimagining his 99 crushes. In person, he is the never-been-kissed son of a famous hockey player, resident of a swanky penthouse (where he sleeps under his perpetually unfinished mural), and former star of his family's short-lived reality TV show. His quest to find Boy 100 (whom, he promises his best friend Hannah, he will finally ask out) takes him and his friends all over the city of Chicago, finding clues, swoon-worthy moments, and finally a happily-ever-after fairy tale kiss with Prince Charming, Grant. However, when Micah finds his bond with his new friend Elliott to be overwhelmingly strong, where does that leave his fairy tale? This is a well-written, sweet YA romance, with a solid foundation and well developed characters. Micah and his love interests (Grant and Elliot) are all white, while his best friend Hannah is Black, as well as one of the few heterosexual characters in the book. There are a few scenes where Micah and Grant participate in safe, consent-positive heavily implied sex. This novel also explores realistic expectations when it comes to relationships and insecurities in juxtaposition with over-the-top gestures and sweet Cinderella moments. VERDICT Sass has undoubtedly joined the ranks of breakout queer YA romance authors such as Steven Salvatore and Jason June. This is not one to miss. Recommended first purchase for all collections serving teens.-Elizabeth Portillo
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from September 15, 2022
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Seventeen-year-old Micah's famous sportscaster dad is called the King of Chicago, which makes Micah a prince, right? But he's a prince without a partner, for whenever he crushes on a boy, he's afraid to ask him out. Instead, he sketches him and posts the drawing to his anonymous art account on Instagram. To date, there have been 99 such posts, but will there be a hundredth? Yes! For riding the el, Micah sees him, Boy 100--a tall, handsome teen who strikes up a conversation and, much to Micah's surprise, begins flirting! But then the boy's stop arrives, and he exits the train, leaving his jacket behind. Nothing daunted, Micah decides to go on a quest to find his Cinderfella, accompanied by friends Hannah and Elliot. Before you can say "Prince Charming," they track down the boy, whose name is Grant, and he and Micah become boyfriends. Cue the happy-ending music. But wait! There is more to come. Sass does a superb job of handling the ensuing narrative, injecting fairy tale elements into his captivating, highly readable story of two--no, make that three (remember Elliot?)--empathic boys and their respective relationships. Swoons are in order.
COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.