I'll Be a Home for You

LoveReading4Kids Says

Available from Waterstones

Aang and JJ used to be the closest of friends before a clash led to them falling out. JJ is a Polish-Nigerian cheerleader keen on embracing as much of the American life as possible in the hopes she’ll finally find a place she fits in. Aang was born in America but has parents from Hong Kong and is doing everything possible to feel more a part of the Cantonese community.

A meeting with the overburdened guidance counsellor leads to JJ re-joining the Mathletes, and Aang starting cheerleading to diversify their college resumes. Both have championships on the line, will them being pushed together end in disaster, or let their relationship flourish.

I loved this American high school rom-com. It had all the best bits about teen movie storylines. There’s humour and heart as well as the simmering tension of a friends-to-fallout-to-friends-to-lovers YA first-love storyline. The hidden gem in the story was the guidance counsellor Ms Foster, the exchange with her at the end of the book made me laugh out loud.

The Chronicles of Ms Foster could be a funny read. I loved that the key themes of identity and belonging are echoed throughout the book, not just with the main characters. There is a brilliantly diverse cast of characters that allows the themes and challenges connected to identity to be explored in a range of different ways.

There’s a really powerful section where JJ reflects on the experiences of her friends and that they might all talk about them one day. This seems like the perfect open door to explore these stories in future books. I loved that the coming-of-age themes of identity and belonging are not just restricted to the high-school age characters.

It was great to get the perspectives of JJ and AAng’s parents as they step in to support, each with their own struggles, fears and reasonings. It makes the key focus of I’ll Be a Home for You transcend the YA audience. 

This is an entertaining YA rom-com that I couldn’t put down, and would be a great recommendation for anyone looking for a coming-of-age romance with heart and depth. 

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