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Reviewed by: Becki Truelson, High School Librarian Title: Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling
Author: Elise Bryant Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: 9-12 Genre/Type of Book: Romance
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: Mature language, but very few times
Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I hadn't read a teen romance in a while and this one sounded interesting. If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: "I remember being so scared last year. I remember feeling like I hadn't earned my place - that I didn't belong. Now I know I belong wherever I want to be. The only person who can count me out is myself."
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Review:
Teens struggling with self-confidence – a daily, sometimes hourly, occurrence. Add in the confusion of crushes and the dating rituals and you have yourself a story about Reggie and Delilah. Reggie spends his free time with his buddies deep in the Dungeons and Dragons world. He also writes about the game anonymously online and is gaining quite a following. Reggie’s older brother torments Reggie relentlessly and Reggie plans carefully to avoid his brother’s judgement.
Delilah is a ball of anxiety as she has agreed to be the lead singer of a punk rock band. Musically, she has always been in the shadow of her younger sister who is an accomplished singer and performer.
A chance meeting on New Year’s Eve leaves them both curious about each other. They begin to form romantic feelings, but soon discover that they are both trying to be a cooler version of who they really are.
This is a very sweet love story about the modern rules of dating – for a start, double texting is no-no! It is also the story of two young people who are trying to learn to love their authentic selves. I loved both Reggie and Delilah and watching them learn what to value in others. This book will help students identify healthy elements of relationships such as mutual respect, friendship, and sharing feelings.
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For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website