• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2019 May #1
  *Starred Review* Lu is ready to graduate from high school without letting anyone, not even her two "bestest apples," Zoe and Maya, get close to her heart's truth. Her quiet pining for a lovely English teacher comes to an abrupt end when simultaneous bathroom dramas reunite Lu with Eve, her long-lost middle-school bestie. The two parted ways when Eve turned gorgeous and soared through high school on a popular-girl trajectory, while Lu bonded with likable fellow misfits. But that doesn't seem to matter now: the intervening years drain away as Lu carefully but ardently schemes a way back into Eve's orbit. Lu's exuberantly original narrative propels the reader through a roller coaster of emotions that includes not only the nerve-wracking pursuit of Eve but also the death of a beloved grandmother and the bittersweet nostalgia of high school's final days. Although Lu's loneliness is in large part due to her closeted sexuality, many teens will relate to the sense of isolation she feels in relation to family and friends. In her debut novel, Bonneau expertly wrangles slang expressions into snappy dialogue and vibrant introspection with an ease reminiscent of Francesca Lia Block. Hand this to teens looking for same-sex romance or offbeat, character-driven storytelling. Grades 10-12. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.

Moe Bonneau is the author-illustrator of the picture book Seven Bad Cats. She lives in San Francisco and works as an illustrator and designer. The Pursuit of Miss Heartbreak Hotel is her first novel.