The Rival by Emma Lord (2025)
Now here's a challenge that faces any author brave enough to attempt yet another 'childhood-friends-to-adolescent-enemies-to-at-long-last-sweethearts' YA romcom.
How to you make your book distinctly different from the hundreds upon hundreds of similar titles that came before yours?
My reading hat's off to Emma Lord, who somehow arrives at Mission Accomplished.
How did she do it? To start, she makes sure her 'lovebirds-but-they-don't-know-it-yet', Sadie and Seb, are extra vulnerable and impossibly adorable. Next, she places these lifelong neighbors and rivals as incoming freshman in a college that seems like a Cozy Never-Neverland - awash in all sorts of oddball clubs that receive precious little funding from an administration that lavishes donor money on athletics.
Sadie and Seb, both gifted writers with separate career goals, fiercely compete for coveted positions on 'Newsbag', the school's celebrated zine. Extraordinary wits as well, the snap-crackle-pop of their back and forth repartee makes whole chunks of this book a laugh-out-loud joy to read.
I Is it even necessary for me to describe what develops between them as they do verbal battle with each other while upending the college's corrupt overfunding of sports? But when the inevitable kissing finally arrives, you can't help but happily sigh while turning the pages.
I'm even willing to forgive author Lord for tacking on one of those endless, redundant epilogues, since I did find these characters, their families and pals still fun to hang out with. (Which often isn't the case in lengthy wrap-ups I've encountered in books that wore out their welcome.)
Yes, a well worn storyline for sure, but told with genuine heart and plenty of sharp humor.
How to you make your book distinctly different from the hundreds upon hundreds of similar titles that came before yours?
My reading hat's off to Emma Lord, who somehow arrives at Mission Accomplished.
How did she do it? To start, she makes sure her 'lovebirds-but-they-don't-know-it-yet', Sadie and Seb, are extra vulnerable and impossibly adorable. Next, she places these lifelong neighbors and rivals as incoming freshman in a college that seems like a Cozy Never-Neverland - awash in all sorts of oddball clubs that receive precious little funding from an administration that lavishes donor money on athletics.
Sadie and Seb, both gifted writers with separate career goals, fiercely compete for coveted positions on 'Newsbag', the school's celebrated zine. Extraordinary wits as well, the snap-crackle-pop of their back and forth repartee makes whole chunks of this book a laugh-out-loud joy to read.
I Is it even necessary for me to describe what develops between them as they do verbal battle with each other while upending the college's corrupt overfunding of sports? But when the inevitable kissing finally arrives, you can't help but happily sigh while turning the pages.
I'm even willing to forgive author Lord for tacking on one of those endless, redundant epilogues, since I did find these characters, their families and pals still fun to hang out with. (Which often isn't the case in lengthy wrap-ups I've encountered in books that wore out their welcome.)
Yes, a well worn storyline for sure, but told with genuine heart and plenty of sharp humor.
4 stars (****)
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