School Library Journal
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 8 Up-Molly is soon to be high school valedictorian in her small town of Le Sueur, MN. She is a genius at science, hopelessly unpopular, and desperately in love with her angsty and mysterious lab partner, Mark Dahl. At first, it appears that he only pays attention to her when he needs to copy her chemistry test answers, but when she announces that she'll be attending Columbia in the fall, Mark starts to take an active interest in her, knowing that he will be living in nearby New Jersey. Life in New York City is a completely different world for Molly. She has two loyal and loving dorm mates who make it their mission to help her come out of her shell. So when Mark asks the new-and-improved Molly if he can crash in her room one night, she thinks that they will finally have their romantic moment. Then she learns that Mark is gay. Although she is crushed at first, the teens are able to build a strong friendship. This breezy novel chronicles the 12 months from graduation to the end of Molly's first year in college. Lovable characters and fun scenarios keep the story moving, and more serious issues regarding the difficulties of coming out elevate this novel from being pure chick lit. Readers are left with the message that the love of a true friend can be just as meaningful as the love of a boyfriend.-Michelle Roberts, Merrick Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

A self-described fool for possibilities, Molly is elated when, first, she is accepted to Columbia and, second, her lab partner tall, sleepy-eyed Mark, on whom she has a major, though unrequited, crush announces he, too, is moving to New York. Will all her dreams come true? In a word: no. Because it turns out Mark is gay, but, still, there's Columbia and a new friend, Simon, who shares Molly's passion for physics. There is even a shaky friendship with Mark until he betrays Molly in the cruelest way possible. Or does he? Malloy's first YA title (he won an Alex Award for his 2003 adult novel, The Year of Ice) is a creditable piece of character-driven fiction. Mark and Molly are appealing, well-realized characters struggling to find love and, believably, not always succeeding. Yes, the book is too long; the plot, a bit meandering; and the pace, sometimes slow. But the thematic treatment of the many meanings of love is successfully and even subtly handled, inviting thought and discussion.--Cart, Michael Copyright 2008 Booklist