Small Town Hearts by Lillie Vale
Published by Swoon Reads on March 19, 2019
ISBN: 1250192358
Pages: 336
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Babe is a recent high school grad with no plans to move on from her small seaside town. Just as her high school friendships fall apart, she meets summer boy Levi.  Babe spends her summer navigating drama from all sides–friends, exes, and new loves. The fact that Babe is bisexual is casually discovered as she moves between love interests.  In fact, the word itself is only mentioned a couple of times and it’s toward the end of the book. To have a book where the character happens to be LGBTQ instead of that being the focus of the book is a breath of fresh air.  However, the book is all about relationship drama, and Babe isn’t necessarily the most likeable character. This is the first book from the young author, and I expect more to come from her in the future. Recommend to LGBTQ (particularly bisexual) teens interested in reading about a character like themselves moving through life. Best for grades 9-12.

Reviewed by Kara  Reiman, Maine State Library