

The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out. But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship.
Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together…
2. I’m a big fan of slow-burn romance, and you might say the theme was taken to an extreme here. What are some other books in which the payoff is excruciating and there’s a “finally” moment?
3. The cast of characters was actually really diverse without the book being “about” any of those issues (cross-cultural romance, disability, sexual orientation). I didn’t mind that, though, because it’s not like the author went into some backgrounds/issues and ignored others. Do you consider this a diverse book — why or why not?
5. What do you think of Swoon Reads’ “YA meets The X Factor” (as Sandy Hall put it in the acknowledgements) approach to crowdsourcing books? If you’re interested in writing a book, would you be willing to participate in a contest to get it published?
Make sure to check out everyone else in the Selective Collective’s features, especially the Author profile and giveaway if you want a chance to win a copy of the book!
Brittany @ The Book Addict’s Guide | A Little Something Different Playlist
Tammy @ YA Crush | Page to Screen: Casting Call
Candice @ The Grown-Up YA | Freebie
Daphne & Kristina @ Gone Pecan | Author Interview & Giveaway
Thanks for sharing a bit about ALSD! We keep seeing things about it and haven’t been sure what to think. Now we have a better understanding of the story and how it got to the bookshelf!