You Know Me Well

Gr 9 Up—Accomplished YA authors LaCour and Levithan join forces for this coming-of-age story set during Pride Week in San Francisco. Told in the alternating perspectives of Mark and Kate, the book explores the heartbreak of unrequited love and the necessity of taking chances and doing the right thing for oneself. Mark, a junior, loves his best friend, Ryan, who doesn't reciprocate his feelings. Kate, a senior whose art got her into UCLA, is unsure about college—but she is sure she loves her best friend's cousin Violet from afar. Mark and Kate, previously not friends, happen upon each other at a bar (Mark thought going to the city with Ryan would be romantic; Kate fled the house party where she was supposed to meet Violet for the first time) and leave together after Mark watches Ryan dance with a stranger. They end up at an incredibly hip party, and while the details aren't initially revealed, this event sets each of them on a course for realizing some of their dreams and confronting things previously left unsaid. Pages flow quickly throughout, and despite the condensed time frame, a fair amount of character growth occurs. Both authors excel at writing smart, funny, and realistic dialogue. These are characters to whom readers will relate and want to get to know.