The Rival

November 15, 2024
Two intertwined "mortal enemies" vie for a coveted college zine position. Sadie is determined to become a staff writer for the zine of her dream school, Virginia's Maple Ride University. After working tirelessly for years, Sadie was accepted to the university, and now she's on her way to theNewsbag interest meeting in pursuit of a staff position. But she collides with Sebastian Adams, her longtime school competitor, and the smoothie he's holding spills all over her. This encounter also reveals unfortunate news: Seb, the Instagram star whose channel, "Adams' Apples," is hugely popular, has been taken off Maple Ride's waitlist. Seb and Sadie have a long, involved history, having practically been raised together since birth by parents who are best friends.Newsbag is highly selective with a national reputation, and the co-editors inform meeting attendees that only one staff writer position is available, setting off a fierce rivalry while simultaneously showing Sadie that her feelings for Seb might be something other than competitive disdain. The college--with its quirky and hilarious student organizations, such as the Sad Bitch Book Club and the Random Acts of Chaos Club--is the perfect setting for the witty snark and blooming rivals-to-lovers romance. Readers will be drawn into the competition while rooting for a happy ending between these nemeses. Sadie and Seb (who's bisexual) are cued white. A clever and entertaining college campus romance.(Romance. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 21, 2024
For Sadie’s entire life, she and “nemesis” Sebastian have been competing in every way. When she’s accepted into Maple Ride University—and Seb is waitlisted—Sadie is convinced that she’s won. Not only that, but she might finally be able to get her first kiss and make a name for herself among the comedy scene without her family drama dogging her at every turn. Then, arriving late to an interest meeting for Newsbag, “arguably the most famous college zine in the country,” she encounters Seb, fresh off the waiting list and newly moved into his dorm. Worse, Sadie’s dream of snagging a staff position at Newsbag is made more complicated by Seb’s assertion that he’s gunning for the spot as well. The protagonists’ childhood friendship and the new and unexpected variables presented in their first year of college are particularly well drawn. Via Sadie and Seb’s rapid-fire jokes, quips, and jabs, Lord (The Getaway List) nimbly plots a cheeky and gentle romance full of murky, unexplainable feelings; depictions of messy burgeoning adulthood; and the excitement of first love. Main characters read as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Lucienne Diver, Knight Agency.

January 1, 2025

Gr 9 Up-Readers trust Lord to bring fun to the contemporary YA romance genre, and here she delivers again. Sadie is a freshman at the college of her dreams, and she's about to apply for a staff position at Newsbag, a well-known, college-published zine. She hopes that joining the staff will open up journaling doors for her upon graduation. However, her hopes and dreams are quickly shattered when her high school nemesis, Instagram star Seb, walks in to compete for the same spot. As Sadie navigates this new college life away from her loud and rambunctious family, she banters, competes, and even flirts with Seb for the coveted writing role, but also begins to come into her own in the process. Between the seriousness of trying to convince college admins to loosen their grip on organizational budgets to scoring invites to their first "Alphabet Party," the main characters are amusing and lovable. Lord has it covered with the enemies-to-lovers trope as well as some noteworthy supporting characters. She offers a sweet, coming-of-age romance that is reasonably predictable. This particular story falls somewhere between young adult and new adult since the main characters are freshman in college, but it focuses mainly on how relationships are developed and/or affected when a teen grows into an adult. VERDICT Recommended for school and public libraries; shelve with books aimed at readers leaving the nest and flying on their own for the first time.-Lacey Webster

Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2025
Grades 10-12 *Starred Review* Sadie is thrilled to be at her dream school, where she's finally out of the shadow of her high-school nemesis and annoyingly cute next-door neighbor, Seb. But when Seb makes it off the waiting list at the last minute and literally runs into Sadie, they are back to their old rivalry as they each pursue writing positions at their college's zine. Sadie is extremely driven by academic success, and her anxiety about achieving that success influences her competitive nature, but she constantly finds herself in situations with Seb that hilariously fuel their rivalry. Readers will see, however, that as they fight for a top academic spot, there's a powerful hate-to-love brewing between them. Then, when they both start uncovering some dark secrets at their school, they realize there's more to life than what looks good on paper. Lord's witty writing style shines in this bantery romance, but she just as adeptly showcases Sadie's gradual realization that it's okay to break away from what others want her to be in pursuit of her own passions, regardless of how successful she appears in the process. In addition to being a satisfying rom-com, this book is an ode to those who feel like rising to the top is the only way to receive accolades and to obtain self-acceptance. Possibly Lord's best work yet.

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