Smash or Pass

by Birdie Schae

For 16-year-old Ellie, beach volleyball camp is a disaster until she's paired with Sierra, an athletic prodigy who teaches her that volleyball...and love are about taking the right shot in this sporty sapphic romance.

Ellie dates the Right Guy, says all the Right Things, and acts the Right Way to avoid being ridiculed for her autism. When that Right Guy unceremoniously dumps her right before they're supposed to go to beach volleyball camp together, Ellie's perfectly curated world comes crashing down and she's labeled the boring, weird girl. 

Desperate to regain her good reputation (and yeah, sure, the boy...), Ellie goes to Camp SMASH, which is nothing like she expected. There, she's paired with Sierra, a mysterious, standoffish volleyball legacy who makes Ellie's quest to get her boyfriend back even more complicated...

Dive into this sporty summer romance full of the a ragtag group of friends, a tense game of capture the flag, and a swoon-worthy sapphic love story.

Genres: Lesbian, Queer, Young Adult, Romance, LGBT, Sports, Contemporary

Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 12, 2026

About the author

Birdie Schae had big dreams from the moment she was born in a small town in Belgium. Now an author and student in the Netherlands, she spends most of her time writing love stories, analyzing all sorts of fiction through tears, or listening to a truly concerning amount of music.

Smash or Pass is her debut novel.

You can find Birdie online as @birdienotabird or at birdieschae.com.

Reviews

[Birdie Schae · Rating 5 out of 5]

dare i say... smash?!

[alaska · Rating 5 out of 5]

autistic sapphics we BALL!!!!!!

[Celine Ong]

hit smash so hard i broke my phone

[Sam’s Sapphic Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

“Nobody has the right to make you feel like you have to become smaller. You have as much right to take up space as everyone else.”

What an incredible read! I am truly so surprised with how much I liked this book. I knew going in it was going to be a YA, a genre I tend to not read, but I am so thankful I picked this up. This is one of my top coming-of-age books!

Ellie is an autistic girl who just got broken up with before going to a summer camp with the same boy who ended things with her. Her plan? Winning him back and proving to everyone she’s not the boring girl that her ex-boyfriend talked about in front of a crowd.

The kicker? She enjoys spending more time with her teammate than trying to get back with her ex. Within two weeks, Ellie has come to learn who she truly is and wants to be, not the mold that others want her in.

Finding your people, the ones who love you for who you are and not what they want you to be, is one of the most fulfilling feelings there are. This book gave me so many warm, fuzzy feelings, and the representation for autism was incredibly done. We’re all just people at the end of the day trying to fit in, but why should we when we should just be ourselves and everything else follows?

I loved all of the characters, I loved their little group, I love the message that this book gave. Be yourself, and who cares what anyone else thinks?

I read this book within 24 hours and two sittings, it never felt boring and it had me sucked in the whole time.

So this one time at volleyball camp… Ellie fell in love.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for the ARC!

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book. Ellie is an autistic high school student who attends a volleyball summer camp, where she learns not only more about the sport but also how to love herself and embrace who she truly is instead of trying to conform. There was a lot of LGBTQ+ representation, which was really nice to see, and the side characters were just as engaging as the main storyline. Overall, this was a cute and very enjoyable read.

Thanks NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for this arc. All opinions are my own.

[Sydney Langford]

Full of heart and fun-in-the-sun, Smash or Pass serves up a diverse coming-of-age story about friendship, self-discovery, and first love—on and off the court.

[Madyson Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

This was a cute LGBTQ YA romance, with summer camp, beach vibes. Ellie is attending SMASH a beach volleyball summer camp after her being broke up with by her ex-boyfriend Daniel. She is paired with Sierra, the camp owners daughter who is lesbian. With Ellie being autistic it is hard for her to be herself so she asks Sierra to help her be comfortable in her own skin.

I really enjoyed this, Sierra was a good friend to Ellie and vise versa. This book has a lot of LGBTQ rep in all the side characters as well as the main characters which i also enjoyed. Ellie learning to be herself with good friends by her side was fun to navigate.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Valentina Veltkamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot wait to read this book!! Everything I have seen so far looks so amazing😋

[caspian]

remind me when it comes out pls!!

[Cadence Boudreaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’m definitely an outcast with my opinion on this book! it’s very cute but i think it’s a little too young for me . For being a YA book i think it reads almost middle-grade, which is not a bad thing it’s just not for me . I just read a different YA that i gave five stars so it really comes down to what the YA author works in and how the story is developed.

Aside from that i really enjoyed their relationship and the story , it was very straightforward and cute ! I like that we saw her heal from the awful breakup, which would’ve traumatized me a lot more than it did her .

I don’t have so much to say other than it was cute !

[Brooke! · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh this is for sure about to be one of THE books of 2026!!! this coming of age story and romance is one of the best i have read!! Eleanore and Sierra you inspire me!!!! The mix of humor and emotions in this book is truly incredible and is written so well. Make sure to read this when it comes out, this is a can’t miss read!

[Daniëlle]

THIS COVER???? stunning.
I CANNOT WAIT
can may 12 come sooner pls 🙏

[rachel x]

"A sapphic YA romance following 16-year-old Ellie, an autistic people-pleaser whose plan to reinvent herself at beach volleyball summer camp takes an unexpected turn when she finds herself falling for her grumpy teammate."

[Merle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a tender, kind, and hopeful sapphic coming-of-age story about a girl who learns that she is enough, that it's okay to be herself, and that she does deserve love and friends. It's one part found family, and one part soft romance. It's one of the best books I think I've ever read. I found myself stopping work to read instead. My coworkers surely wondered why I was crying at my desk.

Ellie is autistic, and for much of her life, she has been bullied for it. She often has a hard time picking up subtle social cues, and she struggles when people say things in layers. In high school, to prevent more, worse bullying, she hides. She hides her real thoughts, her real feelings, her real struggles -- and instead she's constantly overthinking, and does whatever she's observed as the most "normal" thing to do. She even dates a boy because that is what she believes is the most societally normal thing to do.

It isn't until her twin brother Noah, the human incarnation of a golden retriever, invites her to summer camp with him that Ellie begins to let go, and lets herself be... herself... again. She meets a group of friends who pick her up, and begin to show her unconditional love, even and especially when she does struggle with the same things that got her bullied before.

The friend group that Ellie meets at camp are the epitome of found family. They are warm and supportive and very funny. They welcome Ellie and make her safe, and they make her feel like she is actually worth having friends. They describe themselves as sort of like the Breakfast Club, but they're much, much better.

Ellie also meets Sierra.

Sierra actually goes to Ellie's school, but they've never really talked before. Sierra is a volleyball prodigy, and is deadly focused on being the best of the best. However, she is also deadly serious about supporting her team mates, the newest of whom happens to be Ellie. Sierra is an absolute ride-or-die.

She is very patient and caring, and gives Ellie all the time in the world to not only learn how to play volleyball, but also learn how to be herself again. In exchange, Ellie helps Sierra, too. But there lays spoiler territory.

Ellie is a superb character. She spends a lot of time in her head, and worries what others think about her. Ellie is entirely fascinating. She is both playful and introspective, both very funny and very serious. Her POV was so, so interesting. Sierra is, at first, that endlessly cool and beautiful girl. But then you discover just how layered her character is. Yes, she's a great athlete, but she is actually so much more, and on her list of the most important things in her life, I'm not sure if "great athlete" is actually even in Sierra's top 5.

Reading Ellie's and Sierra's interactions was wonderful. They fit together so well, and they had a ton of really great chemistry. We're talking full on, kicking my feet and giggling reading their scenes together. I love Ellie and Sierra together. They were very, very easy to root for.

SMASH or Pass is a deeply emotional book. I cried many times. If I had to sum up this book in one word, it would be that it's kind. It is a kind book. It's a caring and emotionally cathartic book. It is a book about friends being friends, and just showing kindness to each other. It's about support, and about letting the people you love know that you love them. It's really something smashingly wonderful.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for this review!

When I first heard about this book through author Birdie Shae's TikToks about a year ago, I really loved the concept and was looking forward to reading it, even when it was more than a year out. Also, can we say that the cover is absolutely gorgeous?! Let me say, this book was completely worth the wait and even more. Smash Or Pass is an absolute delight. I had such a amazing time reading this, laughing, crying, and feeling so seen by this.

The story follows Ellie, an 16-year-old autistic girl who has been masking heavily in social situations, created a set of rules for herself to try to fit in. She gets broken up by her boyfriend on her way to a party, who then calls her boring there. Ellie goes to a beach volleyball summer camp with her brother and her ex who she goes with the intention of winning him back. She gets partnered with Sierra, daughter of a volleyball legend, who helps Ellie build up the confidence, both in the sport and in unmasking her real self. This is part romance, part coming-of-age story, and it works together so well.

Right from the first chapter, I felt incredibly seen as an neurodivergent person with Ellie's character. Birdie Shae truly portrays the autistic experience so beautifully, that I can't help but relate and root for her throughout. As someone with people pleasing tendencies, it felt amazing watching Ellie's development from self-detrimental people pleasing to becoming and expressing her true self unapologetically. I loved the strong sense of found family within the campers, it makes me really wish I had a summer camp experience like this growing up. The romance is definitely a very slow burn, which I love to see all the sapphic yearning while she hasn't fully figured out her sexuality yet. Sierra's character works so well with Ellie, and it makes me so happy to see them support each other in their journey of self-confidence. Also, shoutout to the chapter titles?? It feels so long since I've read a book with chapter titles that add so much to the reading experience.

While this is a YA novel and I'm definitely quite older than the primary audience, I feel that many people, especially people like me, of all ages can really vibe with this book. But more importantly, this is the kind of book I wish I had growing up, tackling issues like mental health, neurodivergence, and queer positivity.

Like a really great summer camp, I got really sad when I was reading the end. I just really wish there was more, because I wasn't ready to leave these characters just yet. I made a lot of highlights in my ebook and can't wait to be able to share some of these quotes. I had already preordered a physical copy before receiving this ARC, but now I can't wait to get my hands on it and share it with my friends (as well as admire the beautiful cover on my shelf!) I can't wait for what Birdie writes next!!

[Andrea (looseleftlesbian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! I adored this sapphic YA book! And that’s saying a lot because I typically don’t read YA.

Smash or Pass is more than a romance. I would classify it more as a coming of age story with a dash of romance. The author references Breakfast Club and I can see parallels in the two. The found family that comes from the two week beach volleyball camp is amazing. While we all know people are not one dimensional, the way the author portrays this through the characters is genius. The depth even the side characters conveyed had me loving every single one (well, obviously not Daniel). They are a diverse group of friends in so many different ways— sexuality, race, gender, neurodivergence, etc. These differences don’t hinder the group from being able to relate to one another.

I am not autistic, so my opinion might not hold lot of weight, but I think that the author did a phenomenal job at the portrayal of someone who is autistic.
There is a lot of representation in this story and it is done so well! Whether it’s about the heteronormativity of our society or the functional depression that Noah is experiencing, it is done with such care. You can really tell the author took the time to make sure they did it right. I don’t want to assume anything, but it did read like the author could have first hand experience in some of the aspects.

While Smash or Pass is YA, I believe anybody of any age can relate to what the characters are going through, especially Ellie finding herself again.

Sierra is dealing with a lot in terms of thehomophobia from her school volleyball team and the expectations of her father. Again, we wouldn’t know this just by looking at her or what the other characters know about her. But when we dig deeper, ask questions and allow people to tell their truth, it opens our eyes to who people really are.

The way Sierra is there for Ellie is endearing. She never bats an eye about the things that Ellie describes as annoying or hard to deal with. I literally said, “aww!”out loud when I read that she looked up things about autism and how to help someone that is autistic.

Like I mentioned before, The Breakfast Club is discussed in the book and I can see this being made into a movie and becoming this generation’s Breakfast club. I actually told a coworker that I think this book should be made into a rom-com movie. It is a terrific coming of age story about self discovery, acceptance, the love of found family, and the power of being yourself.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredibly sweet, short, and is a fantastic debut.

First off, I didn't realize that there was autistic rep in here and I absolutely enjoyed the hell out of that (with the caveat that I cannot speak to it's accuracy). I also didn't expect to be able to literally read the entire thing in one sitting, but alas, also here we are.

In full transparency, the book doesn't spent as much time on volleyball as it does on the interpersonal relationships. As someone who doesn't particularly care about volleyball, I had no issues with this whatsoever! And I do truly think all the time that was spent on those relationships were needed. I loved the way that author took the time to flesh out different characters with different backstories and conflicts in their own lives.

The main character's story arc, in terms of their sexuality, has aspects that I think are really relatable. Nothing like kissing a man and then wondering why it doesn't feel like much of anything! Further, I think the conflicts going on in her life: with Nina and Daniel, feelings of a sense of self, community, and safety, are all things that, in different ways, are so universal. The usage of the "lists" really added to the story and added to Ellie's characterization. Sierra was also a really fun character to get to know, but I would have liked more time with her (this comes down to the length of the book, mostly). But I really loved their dynamic and their relationship growth and trajectory. I also am a sucker for miscommunication, so I LOVED that aspect. But seriously, the character growth in this book is very well written, considering the book is less than 250 pages, I believe.

One thing that I wasn't quite as big of a fan of throughout the book was the amount of therapy-speak, as most the characters were sixteen. I've had this issue in other pieces of media as well. And not to say it was out of place here, but perhaps used a bit extensively and almost always ended up wrapped up in a nice little bow/with limited conflict or angst. Again, not something that I hated or see as a legitimate issue, but it had been pointed out to me once elsewhere and now I feel like I see it everywhere.

Overall, I think this was a really sweet, really cute book with really good representation, a cute love story, and had pretty solid writing. I definitely wouldn't mind owning a copy of this in the future when it comes out on shelves and would definitely recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing an ARC for honest review!

[mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so beautifully written🤍

This book shows the complexities of being a teenager and navigating high school while trying to fit the mold others deem as "cool", "normal", "popular", etc. Smash or Pass follows Ellie as she changes herself to fit the "Right" mold after being bullied in middle school for being "too much", when she was simply just being herself. She does this by dating the Right Guy, saying the Right Things, and acting the Right Way. For years she follows a list to ensure that no one finds out and ridicules her for her autism, making sure to remain the nice, quiet, and thoughtful girl. Now, it's her senior year of high school and she's managed to remain the nice, quiet, and thoughtful girl everyone knows. Even though she is these things, she has still held herself back from being the true Ellie. After a party gone awry, because of her now ex-boyfriend, Ellie is left reeling and trying to figure out a way to salvage her reputation. She comes up with a plan and goes off to camp SMASH, a beach volleyball summer camp. By going to SMASH she intends on salvaging her reputation and hopefully winning her boyfriend back, showing him that she's not boring or weird. There she meets Sierra, a grumpy and standoffish volleyball legacy who throws Ellie's plans way off course.

This was such a beautiful story of growth, self-love, acceptance, diversity, and inclusivity. Ellie's journey to loving herself for who she is and not who others want her to be was such a joy to experience with Sierra being the person who helps Ellie realize this along the way. I love how much representation was shown in this book—from mental health to gender identity—this story handles these subjects with great care. I absolutely adored this book and had to slow myself down from finishing it in one sitting! Honestly, this was such a beautiful and realistic ya sapphic romance/coming-of-age story that had everything it needed to be a 5⭐️ read. Everything about it was perfect to me, representation in fiction is such a huge and important thing and I saw so much representation in this story. This was perfection in my eyes🩷

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Birdie Schae for this gifted ARC of Smash or Pass!

Release date: May 12, 2026🤍🏐

[vivi ʚɞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋆˙✮ 4

ABSOLUTE SMASH 🏐 !!!

Everything about this was SOOOO cutee. I’m not a typical YA reader, but this absolutely sucked me in— I read it in one sitting. I can’t remember the last time I read a debut novel that turned out this good; I wouldn’t be surprised if Schae becomes a fan favorite for many readers!

WAAA I love Ellie so much. She deserves everything good in the world, and she finds that in Sierra, her brother Noah, and their group of friends. What I really enjoyed was the fact that there were a lot of characters, but I never felt overwhelmed or got confused trying to remember who’s who— they felt really fleshed out and like they each brought something unique to the group. Speaking of which, there was so much representation that made my heart warm and fuzzy. This book takes the cake for being so thoughtful and accurate with the autism representation; it is written extremely well, and the queer rep is always a major yes for me too!!! I would’ve killed to have read a book like this when I was 16-17 because I would’ve really identified with it.

This book tackles a multitude of themes like sexuality, mental health, and self esteem among other things. Navigating relationships, both platonic and romantic, and trying to maintain your status on the social ladder in high school while trying to find yourself isn’t easy, and this book perfectly captures how intense and all-consuming those teenage years can be.

Personally, I would’ve enjoyed seeing more romantic moments between Ellie and Sierra both before and after getting together. The romance is super cute and sweet as is, but this felt more like a coming of age story rather than a focused romance. I also wish it was a bit longer, but that’s just because I’m greedy and could have easily read 100+ more pages of this.

Overall, this was such an enjoyable and quick read. I can’t wait to see what else the author releases in the future!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

[Chance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting so long for this book! I remember seeing a tiktok about this cute little summer camp YA book and stunning artwork, wondering when it would be published. Smash or Pass exceeded my expectations in the best ways possible. While also healing parts of my younger self that could have used a book like this.

There were so many things about Ellie I could relate to, things that I don’t think I even acknowledged doing when I was younger. I was so obsessed with fitting in and masking to make sure people liked that version of myself. And the only time I felt the most like myself was at summer camp. This book brought back so many nostalgic feelings of finding friends that choose the real you around a hot campfire. And the occasional gay panic crisis, like applying sunscreen with trembling hands.

Smash or Pass is genuinely a heartwarming book about finding yourself, found family, and falling in love, butterflies and all. It navigates the pressures of being a young adult in high school, trying to conform to expectations and how suffocating that can be. It also brings the nostalgia of summer camp and how magical that little bubble is. Birdie delivered a phenomenal debut book, that I can’t wait to celebrate my birthday with a physical copy on May 12th.

Thank you to NetGalley and RandomHouse for blessing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’m absolutely SMASHING FIVE STARS

[Cass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Random House Children's Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

Smash or Pass follows Ellie, an autistic 16 year old who goes to volleyball camp with to win back her ex boyfriend but instead falls for the coach's daughter.

This book was so cute! I loved the dynamics of the friend group and how unique and exciting all the people at the camp were. Ellie's budding relationship with Sierra was very sweet and I was rooting for them from the beginning. I think I loved Ellie's relationship with her twin brother Noah the best and the moments between them were very enjoyable to experience.

If anything, I think I would've liked more volleyball? Which is a little crazy as I'm not a huge fan of sports romance but it feels needed in this case. There was just a lot of time spent on other group activities and not as much with the characters actually playing volleyball with each other, besides Ellie and Sierra's practices early on in the book and the competition at the end. I also would’ve loved it to be a little longer as a couple more moments between Ellie and Sierra would’ve gone a long way.

But overall this was a great read that I really enjoyed and can't wait to read again when it officially comes out!

Thank you again to Random House Children's Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this early.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars.

[HF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Books for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My only complaint about this book is that it's SO SHORT! I breezed through this in just a few hours. Don't get me wrong, the short length serves the story well and keeps things at a tight pace, but for selfish reasons I would've liked at least 30-50 more pages dedicated to Ellie and her super cute friend group! For a book with a lot of side characters, everyone feels SO fleshed out and multidimensional. That's a very hard feat to overcome, especially for a debut, so props to the author. A special shout out to Noah because his sibling bond with Ellie was just too precious.

This reminds me of a queer Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor, which I absolutely loved. The autism rep is fantastic, some of the best I've ever read. But this book touches on so many other things just as beautifully: stepping out of comfort zones, identifying toxic friendships, and learning not to care about what others think. Of course the queer rep is a 10/10 as well.

Everything about this was so lovely. I adored the summer camp vibes, reminded me a lot of the friends I made when I was younger. I can see this book being a big hit this summer!

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found out about this book from the author on TikTok and was excited when I got an eARC from NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, so I started this right away and finished it in two sittings.

The story follows Ellie, an autistic teen who heads to a summer camp after a breakup, hoping a change of scenery will help her reset and regain her reputation. At camp, she navigates new friendships, lingering high school insecurities, and a growing romantic connection while trying to figure out who she is outside of other people’s expectations. I really appreciated the autism representation, especially how clearly Ellie’s internal processing and social anxiety are portrayed.

Some of the larger high school moments—especially party scenes and social drama—felt a bit overdone, but the book is strongest in its genuine, more intimate relationships, particularly Ellie’s bond with her twin brother Noah and her friendships at camp (especially with Sierra).

Overall, this felt just as much—if not more—about learning to love yourself as it was about falling for someone else. A strong debut!

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really cute coming of age story about a girl with autism who attends a beach volleyball camp and falls in love with another girl.
Overall, the depictions of autism were nice, I too love making lists.
the camp was a cute setting, it was weird that the camp would accept someone who had never played volleyball and would be for people who were elite? That didn't really make sense to me.
I think if the book would have been a bit longer the romance portion would have made more sense to me. It seemed like Sierra and Ellie got to a spot where it was obvious that they were starting to like each other and then everything was just so accelerated and rushed to hurry up and finish the book.
There was basically zero time between Ellie realizing she liked girls and telling Sierra she loved her. which was crazy.
I also don't really think the issues with Nina were well resolved. Again it felt very rushed just to get it over and done with.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding debut, this book was the warm hug my soul needed in these turbulent times. As soon as I picked it up, I didn’t want to put it down! I immediately loved Ellie and, as someone neurodivergent who’s also overthought social interactions and fretted over saying or doing the wrong thing, I found her infinitely relatable. The entire group of campers was so varied and lovely—with the exception of Ellie's terrible ex Daniel. Sierra and Ellie, though opposite in many ways, were the perfect partner to help each other out of their shells. And it was wonderful to see Ellie reconnect and repair her relationship with her twin, Noah.

I can’t wait to see what the author writes next because I’ll definitely be buying it.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Marlo Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGallery for the eARC!

“Once upon a time, there was a girl with a big heart, and though the many judgmental people around her made it seem like a curse, it was a gift. Because, as she realized, it’s what made her her.”

This was such a sweet and inspiring read. Its target audience is definitely young (think 12-16 year old readers) but very important. Delving into themes of queerness, neurodivergence, depression, and so on, this book includes the importance of diversity in reading. This narrative is all about breaking out of your shell, especially the one forced onto you in society. I needed a book like this in my teenage years, and I’m so glad to see more being published.

If you want a sweet and inspiring story about love and acceptance, this is the book you’re searching for.

[Femke · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank you so much for letting me read this birdie i am blessed

i loved this book so much, YA romance will never fail to make me feel happy and ellie and sierra were so lovely.
i cant believe this book confirmed to me that i in fact probably do have autism since ellie is me and i am ellie (and also strangely anakin skywalker?) everything in this book felt so super realistic and i just felt like a 16/17 year old in high school giggling with my friends while reading this (because yes this book did make me giggle because it was so cute at times but it also made me laugh because it was super funny half of the time next to the trauma)
anyways read this!!!! thank you for giving me an arc i love u birdieee

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

First thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allow me to read this book!!

This book was quite enjoyable! While it is considered a romance and don't get me wrong it is, truly it is about loving and accepting oneself which I think is brilliant. This book has so much representation of the LGBTQIA+ community and the main character has autism, which was done in a way that adds to the story rather than distracts or takes away. The only thing I wish regarding this book is that it was longer and maybe we got to see a bit more of the romance at the end, it seems very abrupt after they get together but overall, it was a very cute quick read!!

[Cally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think this is a really sweet book. I loved meeting all of the characters and watching Ellie come out of her shell. The way her autism was present in the story and constantly talked about was really refreshing.

As well, the interactions between Ellie and Sierra were adorable, and I loved that they actually spent a good amount of time getting to know each other.

The relationships between Ellie and the rest of the group shone through too. Sometimes they'd all get a little cheesy with their interactions, but still sweet. Plus, Ellie and Noah becoming close again was a real highlight of the book for me. This is definitely a story of found family.

Overall, a very cute sapphic summer read with great representation for the queer and autistic! 4.6/5 rounded up!

[gwenn ✩₊˚. · Rating 4 out of 5]

god I love books about summer camps. especially when they are GAY! It is so nice to see more HAPPY YA sapphic books :,) seriously changing the game for so many people. I love a coming-of-age story so so much and I'm pretty sure this is the first book I've read where the MC is explicitly autistic, so that was a really cool perspective to have. Overall, a feel good story and book that made me yearn for experiences like this in my adolescence.
thank you netgalley for the ARC ILY!