This book is basically the epitome of what I hope for in YA high school stories — light, fluffy, balanced, diverse (to some extent), funny without being too obnoxious too much of the time. Megan herself is relatable and likable, unapologetic yet empathetic; that rare genuinely-flawed-but-a-good-person heroine even from the book’s beginning who undergoes realistic but significant development. It’s true that there are only two explicitly-identified (secondary) characters of color, one of whom pulls double duty as the gay best friend, but they both have distinct storylines and motives and personalities, and neither plays into stereotypes — they’re treated exactly like all the other characters.

This novel’s biggest strengths are probably its balance and relatability, keeping the narrative interesting without resorting to shock value or sacrificing character development/integrity. The plot is multifaceted without being overly complicated. Megan’s family and friends are not neglected; they’re such an important part of her life despite her deliberate focus on relationships and theatre (and to a secondary extent, academics), which I appreciated for its realism.

It’s definitely mainstream rather than capital-L-Literary, in that the symbolism is pretty overt and the character development is obvious too (though, again, pleasantly surprisingly organic), the realizations explicit and repeated a few times as if to make sure the audience caught it, the plot “twists” fairly predictable (though I admittedly didn’t see all of them coming, none of them were quite original). For me it was also very much a feel-good read: being past the college apps struggle and in a long-term relationship, I sympathized but simultaneously felt big-sisterly (not quite old enough to be motherly!) toward Megan: Everything will work out, you’ll see.

Addendum: this book reminds me a little of Up to This Pointe, which I also loved for its protagonist’s genuine passion for her performance art (in that case, ballet; in this, directing plays) — and, coincidentally, also features an Asian-American love interest named Owen.