I Like You Like This

Gr 9 Up—An ambitious debut novel that attempts to tackle too many issues. Hannah is a sophomore who is bullied at school and at home. Her father is ultra-religious and shames her for her clothing and appearance. Her mother has eschewed religion and seeks solace by consuming pills. Her little sister is the consummate brat. Hannah has one quasi-friend, Peter, who cares about her but is essentially a cipher himself. He is little protection against the triad of beautiful bullies who make Hannah's life a constant hell. Everything changes when she buys acid from the local drug dealer, a handsome senior with a politically connected father. He gives her too much, suffers a sudden bout of conscience, gains information about where Hannah lives, and rushes to her home to care for her during her overdose. That is just one of many implausible plot points. This first drug deal becomes the basis for a torrid—if unhealthy—relationship with Deacon, her dealer. This work is set in the 1980s, and includes mostly accurate depictions of the decade, complete with big hair courtesy of Aqua Net, but the characters, dialogue, and plot feel flat and forced. The attempt to intertwine body image, LGBTQ issues, substance abuse, bullying, murder, parental abuse and neglect, and coming of age results in a top-heavy title that is crushed under its own weight.