LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
March 2024 Debut of the Month
Finding your tribe, finding love, finding the magic of female friendship, and finding confidence — Christen Randall’s The No-Girlfriend Rule has all the finds and all the feels! Following the stirring journey of an avid table-top gamer who discovers she has a place at the table in life and love — alongside being a badass queen at the gaming table — it’s heart- warming, true-to-life and alive with body positivity.
Frustrated by the “No Girlfriends at the Table” rule of her long-time boyfriend’s gaming group, seventeen-year-old Hollis steps out of her comfort zone when she joins a “new girl- friendly, LGBTQIA+-friendly campaign” i.e. a female gaming group led by the creative, inspirational Gloria Castañeda.
Though nervous and initially reluctant to unleash the fullness of her imagination (and self) as the girls play a “story-driven game of Secrets & Sorcery”, Hollis is welcomed with fulsome friendship and understanding. Meanwhile, back at the ranch of the guys’ group, Hollis has to put up with sexist snipes and homophobic remarks about her all-female gaming crew.
As the game intensifies and Hollis finds her flow, her in-game character develops a crush on another character, played by the impossibly cool Aini. When the lines between play and real-life are blurred, Hollis’ world is well and truly rocked.
Unsure of her feelings, Gloria comes to Hollis’ rescue in sisterly style, explaining, “When we can look at things in a different way, sometimes the things that would usually frighten us seem a little less frightening. The game can give us a safe space, with safe people, to explore parts of ourselves we might not be comfortable with”. And these sage words get to the heart of the magic of The No-Girlfriend Rule — it’s a joyous novel about self-discovery in the company of friends you can trust, alongside being a tingly love story.
Joanne Owen
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About
The No-Girlfriend Rule Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Hollis Beckwith is on a quest to conquer the world of tabletop gaming. But her boyfriend's 'No Girlfriends at the Table' rule means that Hollis will have to find her own group if she wants to join in.
Enter Gloria Castañeda and her all-girls game of S&S! Crowded at the table in Gloria's apartment, Hollis finds unexpected friendships and epic adventures. With her character as armour, Hollis starts to believe that maybe she can be more than just fat, anxious and a little lost.
When an in-game crush develops between Hollis's character and the bard played by cool, charismatic Aini Amin Shaw, the lines between the game and reality start to blur-and Hollis is left with a choice: keep pretending, or roll the dice on love.
With a diverse and inclusive cast of characters, epic fantasy world-building and a protagonist who learns to embrace her true self, this debut is a must-read for any YA reader looking for a fresh and engaging new voice in the genre.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781782694465 |
| Publication date: |
7th March 2024 |
| Author: |
Christen Randall |
| Publisher: |
Pushkin Children's Books |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
336 pages |
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Press Reviews
Christen Randall Press Reviews
'A magical, heartwarming story as much about finding love as it is about finding yourself and your people. A natural 20 of a book' - Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of She Gets the Girl and Five Feet Apart
'A stunning story about finding love, friendship, and yourself. This book is pure, brilliant joy!' - Beth Reekles, bestselling author of The Kissing Booth
'The fat, nerdy book of my dreams. A beautiful reminder that if you've ever felt like an 'other,' there is still space for you at the table' - Crystal Maldonado, award-winning author of Fat Chance, Charlie Vega
'A geeky, joyful quest for self-discovery. A gem' - Marieke Nijkamp, #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Is Where It Ends and Critical Role: Vox Machina—Kith & Kin
Author
About Christen Randall
Christen Randall (she/they) is a queer, fat, neurodiverse author of queer, fat, neurodiverse books. When they're not writing joyful stories for the next generation of geeky gay kids, you can find them working at their local library branch or at home planning all the D&D campaigns they'll run one day, they swear. Christen lives in Covington, Kentucky. The No-Girlfriend Rule is her debut novel.
More About Christen Randall
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