NOT IF YOU BREAK UP WITH ME FIRST, by G.F. Miller, Aladdin, June 4, 2024, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 10 and up)
Two friends who end up accidentally dating try to get each other to call things off in Not If You Break Up with Me First, by G.F. Miller.
Childhood friends Eve and Andrew are destined to be together—everyone says so, especially their friends and classmates who are all suddenly crush-obsessed. So, when Eve and Andrew’s first eighth-grade school dance rolls around and Eve, feeling the pressure, awkwardly asks Andrew to go with her, everyone assumes they are Officially Dating and Practically in Love. Overwhelmed, Eve and Andrew just…go with it.
And it’s weird. Neither of them wants this dating thing to mess up their friendship, and they don’t really see each other that way. But they also don’t want to be the one to call things off, the one to make things super awkward. So, they both—separately—pledge to be the worst boyfriend or girlfriend ever, leaving it to the other person to break up with them. It would be genius…if the other person weren’t doing the exact same thing. —Synopsis provided by Aladdin
Not If You Break Up with Me First captures the changing landscape of friendships in middle school. No longer can a boy and girl just be friends. There has to be more to it. At least that’s the going theory. And when you consider the added peer pressure, it can be overwhelming.
Author G.F. Miller captures the awkward time when dating and “liking” someone collide with childish pranks and lots of emotions.
The story is told from the alternating points of view of Eve and Andrew, which provides readers with a lot of context and builds more appeal across gender lines. Both are dealing with a lot of feelings, and their confusion will be familiar to readers.
Not If You Break Up with Me First is a good sort of intro to romantic comedies without going too hard. While the suggested age range is 10 and up, this book feels less age specific and more interest specific. It’s got short, easy chapters, but would hold absolutely no appeal for my 10-year-old, who thinks even holding hands is gross. But I can see it appealing to other kids in her grade who, this year, were looking for their very own “Valentines.” It sits well in the upper MG and lower YA categories.
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