What I Like About You

Plot Summary: Halle has a vibrant online life through her online blog One True Pastry. She has an online best friend, Nash, who she tells everything to. Almost everything. When Halle and her brother move in with their grandfather, Halle doesn't realize she has come to Nash's hometown. When they meet, Halle doesn't mention who she is. You see, Halle, uses a pseudonym, Kels, on the internet. Throughout the story, Halle/Kels has to decide when to tell Nash, and their other friends, who she is as she realizes that both of them have lives on and off the internet.

Halle Levitt is a senior in high school. She has an online blog, One True Pastry, where she bakes cupcakes based on book covers. She considers herself awkward in person, but likable online. She doesn't think people like her in real life which is why she doesn't tell Nash who she is when they first meet. Nash uses a real picture of himself on his blog while Halle doesn't have a straight shot of her face. Halle's parents are documentary filmmakers. Although the family is Jewish, they never went to Shabbat services. Halle and her brother start going with their grandfather who is still mourning the death of his wife a year ago. Besides hiding her identity, Halle is also mourning her grandmother who inspired her to start One True Pastry and work towards attending NYU, her lifelong dream.

Author Background: Marisa Kanter grew up in Boston. She worked in the publishing industry in New York City before moving to Los Angeles. Besides What I Like About You, she has written another YA book called As If On Cue (Kanter, n.d.). 

Critical Evaluation: What I Like About You has mixed reviews. Some readers enjoyed it, others did not. The reviews seemed to be based on age lines. Reviewers that were actually teens liked it more than older readers. That makes sense, however, I felt like the older readers who complained that the book was not written for them should look at the audience the book is written for (Good Reads, n.d.). I'm about twice as old as the intended audience and could still find things I liked about it. The fears that the characters had about being percieved were believable. Although I would have liked it if Halle had told Nash who she was earlier in the story, where would the book have gone if she had? Personally, I thought it was one of the most enjoyable light reads I have done so far.

Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer: What should Helle Levitt do when she runs into her online best friend and recognizes him, but she has no idea it's her? To make matters worse, she uses a pseudonym on her website. As they become closer in real life, how and when will she tell him?

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: There isn't very much in this book that is offensive. There is some mild swearing and one or two references to sex, but that's it. The rise of far-right groups in the United States makes it possible that the open discussion of Judaism in the book could be a reason it is challenged. However, People of all religions deserve to be respected and given representation.

Reason for Inclusion: I decided to include this book because I have not read modern romance books. Since it is a genre I am unfamiliar with, I decided it was an important book to include in my blog.

Resources

Amanda Orlando. (2021, March 15). How to start a food blog in 2021- advice from a decade of blogging. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IRbmiDdSeo.

CupcakeJemma. (2020, January 23). Buttercream piping cupcake decorating masterclass. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdqrJHiTSkk.

Good Reads. (n.d.). What I like about you.  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51932743-what-i-like-about-you.

Kanter, M. (n.d.). About-Marisa Kanter. https://www.marisakanter.com/about.