Description

This laugh-out-loud debut is filled with hilarious awkward encounters, a supportive LGBTQ organization, and too many cheesy lyrics to count—all with the compulsive readability of Audrey, Wait! and Boy Meets Boy.

Junior Nattie McCullough has always been that under-the-radar straight girl who hangs out in the cafeteria with her gay-straight alliance friends. She’s never been the girl that gets the guy, let alone the girl that gets a hit song named after her.

But when last summer’s crush, smoking-hot musician Sebastian Delacroix—who has recently hit the mainstream big-time—returns home to play a local show, that’s just what she gets. He and his band, the Young Lungs, have written a chart-topping single—“Natalie”—which instantly makes Nattie second guess everything she thought about their awkward non-kiss at that June pool party. That it was horrific. That it meant nothing. That Sebastian never gave her another thought.

To help keep her mind off of Sebastian and his maybe-about-her, maybe-not-about-her song, Nattie throws herself into planning the school’s LGBTQIA dance. That proves problematic, too, when Nattie begins to develop feelings for her good friend Zach. With the song getting major airplay and her once-normal life starting to resemble the cover of a gossip magazine, Nattie is determined to figure out once and for all if her brief moment with Sebastian was the stuff love songs are made of—or just a one-hit wonder.

About the author(s)

Blair Thornburgh is the author of several books for kids and teens. Her first novel, Who’s That Girl, was named a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. Ordinary Girls was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2019 for teens as well as an ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice: Books for Youth. A graduate of the University of Chicago and of Hamline University’s MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults, she lives outside of Philadelphia (in real life) and at www.blairthornburgh.com (online).

Reviews

“Lively and smart, Blair Thornburgh’s debut will hook you like a pop song and then proceed to win your heart.” — Nina LaCour, award-winning author of We Are Okay

“Blair Thornburgh’s debut is the perfect mix of music and heart, friendship and romance. Like a classic song, Who’s That Girl will stick in your head long after turning the last page.” — Elizabeth Eulberg, author of Better Off Friends

“I should write a love song about how much I adore Blair Thornburgh’s fresh and funny debut. Charming, quirky, and full of heart.” — Sarah Mlynowski, New York Times bestselling author of I See London, I See France

“Clever. A light, funny romance that offers a fair degree of satisfaction.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Thornburgh thoughtfully charts the tensions and loyalties among a solid group of friends.” — Publishers Weekly

“Thornburgh deftly balances snark and optimism in this thoroughly delightful [novel]. Readers will root for this intelligent heroine surrounded by terribly clever and articulate friends. The snappy dialogue, extremely likable characters, and daydream-worthy plot make this fun romance with Gilmore Girls-esque humor a perfect summer read.” — School Library Journal

“Charmingly awkward and rooted in the bonds of friendship more than romance, this is a sweet, funny debut. — ALA Booklist