Spoiler alert: He Must Like You is yet another book I wish I'd had when I was just starting, or the middle of, high school. AND IT'S SO GOOD.



He Must Like You
by Danielle Younge-Ullman 

An authentic, angry, and surprisingly funny and romantic novel about sexual harassment, from the award-winning author of Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined.

Libby's having a rough senior year. Her older brother absconded with his college money and is bartending on a Greek island. Her dad just told her she's got to pay for college herself, and he's evicting her when she graduates so he can AirBnB her room. A drunken hook-up with her coworker Kyle has left her upset and confused. So when Perry Ackerman, serial harasser and the most handsy customer at The Goat where she waitresses, pushes her over the edge, she can hardly be blamed for dumping a pitcher of sangria on his head. Unfortunately, Perry is a local industry hero, the restaurant's most important customer and Libby's mom's boss. Now Libby has to navigate the fallout of her outburst, find an apartment and deal with her increasing rage at the guys who've screwed up her life-- and her increasing crush on the one guy who truly gets her. As timely as it is timeless, He Must Like You is a story about consent, rage, and revenge, and the potential we all have to be better people.


There's something to be said about books that, like He Must Like You, have sharpened wit, rage for days, and tackle serious topics and laughter all at once. Life itself has a tendency to switch between the weight of all things heavier and lightness, so it's always a plus to see that reflected in fiction. With the tone that 2020 has taken on, books like He Must Like You--refreshingly honest and quickly devoured in solitude--are essential.

The title alone caught my attention based on the sheer amount of times we've all heard its phrase. He is only bothering you because he likes you. He pulled your hair? He. Must. Like. You. From a young age, we are programmed to view it as such. The second I read it, I was like, "Oh, yes. He Must Like You is totally going to go there."

And it did.

In so many ways, the first description I can think of when it comes to He Must Like You is simple: it's a balancing act of youthful rage and frustration that any young woman can relate to. It's not just one thing and that's something we can all appreciate. Because, let's be honest: isn't that life in so few words?

Ultimately, Danielle Younge-Ullman's prose is honest in its portrayals of life while still feeling light enough to hold onto. He Must Like You is one of those books that women of any age will read, nod along to, and savor for a lifetime. It's fun, blunt, and so much more than just a fluffy read for the summer.