Norris Kaplan is clever, cynical, and quite possibly too smart for his own good. A black French Canadian, he knows from watching American sitcoms that those three things don’t bode well when you are moving to Austin, Texas. Plunked into a new high school and sweating a ridiculous amount from the oppressive Texas heat, Norris finds himself cataloging everyone he meets: the Cheerleaders, the Jocks, the Loners, and even the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Making a ton of friends has never been a priority for him, and this way he can at least amuse himself until it’s time to go back to Canada, where he belongs.

Yet, against all odds, those labels soon become actual people to Norris. Be it loner Liam, who makes it his mission to befriend Norris, or Madison the beta cheerleader, who is so nice that it has to be a trap. Not to mention Aarti the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, who might, in fact, be a real love interest in the making. He even starts playing actual hockey with these Texans.

But the night of the prom, Norris screws everything up royally. As he tries to pick up the pieces, he realizes it might be time to stop hiding behind his snarky opinions and start living his life—along with the people who have found their way into his heart.

I can’t remember the last time I laughed out loud so much while reading a book!

I loved Norris’ brand of sarcastic humor, and he’s not afraid to direct it at himself either. He’s so snarky and I just loved his entire demeanor (granted, I’m a very sarcastic person, so Norris felt like my long-lost brother).  In general, he’s a pretty unlikable person, but he’s real… which made him likable and relatable (to me anyway). Even his situation with his parents was relatable. I definitely felt that.

What I liked about the romance element of the book is how authentic it was, angst and all. Oh, and I don’t want to spoil much, but the twist that was pulled… definitely saw it coming, and I was rooting for it too! I also have to say that I love the way the book ended, leaving an open door with major possibility.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars