Will I ever stop swooning over how adorable By the Book is? Look at that cover! Read that book! Tell me it's not a total gem. I dare you.

By the Book
by Amanda Sellet

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 12th 2020



By the Book is another charming, witty and highly engaging coming of age story. Meaning? It's worthy of a pulsing, romantic, sweet, and at times energetic, soundtrack. As always, there are a little angsty tones, too, for good measure. And a few that feel right for the book, without being one hundred percent lyrically accurate. 

By the Book has this quality to it that makes impossible to not hear specific songs playing at its most pivotal moments. Not only was it fun to read, it was fun to take the time to create a little something for it.

 
As always, a copy of this book was provided by the authors in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. 

Another day, another beautifully written coming of age story to make you grin. By the Book is truly a gift and so, so, so wonderful to get lost in. Although it is uniquely its own story, the warm and fuzzies that come from its pages and rush into your fingertips feel almost nostalgic. By the time this novel was over, my heart felt exactly as it once did in the moments I'd read some of my favourite contemporary young adult books.

Which makes By the Book something utterly, beautifully, special. Not only does it have this hum of electricity throughout, it has realistic characters to get you through the days. By the Book follows a fairly familiar formula, but never falls into the trap that some of its counterparts might. For so many readers, this will be one of those books where they see a lot of themselves in the characters--namely, Mary, our leading lady and fellow book lover.

By the Book will surely speak to readers of all ages. Whether they are directly in the same age range, or nostalgically looking back on yesterdays. There's something (ahem) about Mary, and in turn, there is something about By the Book that feels wholly compelling.

There are so many wonderful things to note about By the Book, and to avoid spoilers I'm going to try and sum it up simply. The most important thing about this book is the standard driving force of all coming of age novels: finding oneself after a massive change. By the Book is at its strongest when it doesn't water down the struggles of girlhood and that includes the many unfortunate bumps that Mary endures at times.

Its bright-spots come in two separate bonds: a friendship, a family and a romance.

I adored the aspects of new friendships that came with By the Book and was constantly rooting for it. It also was fast to devote the same amount of attention to family, too. Novels that showcase the importance of having real, true, friends are always a massive love of mine, as you all know. Double points for the one's that share the stage with character growth, family dynamics and romance; you've got the perfect combination.

Another massive plus: there a hefty amount of cheeky banter between Mary and her love interest, there is a whole lot of heart there. It is the kind of relationship that blossoms in a way that tugs a smile and feels real.

Overall, By the Book is a super fun and sweet novel. If you love contemporary romances with great characters, fun relationships and the like, then this is a must-read for you.



Debut author Amanda Sellet had a previous career in journalism, during which she wrote book reviews for The Washington Post, personal essays for NPR, and music and movie coverage for VH1. These days she lives in Kansas with her archaeologist husband and their daughter.

May 12th

May 12th