You Bet Your Heart

March 27, 2023
Two charismatic teenagers with magnetic chemistry compete to win the title of valedictorian in this hilarious portrayal of academic angst by debut author Parker. For all four years of high school, senior Sasha Johnson-Sun has forgone dates, house parties, and school dances in pursuit of her goal of becoming the first in her family to attend college. She even spends her free time mentoring middle schoolers with her besties via the teens’ unofficial tutoring club. Sasha knows she’s a shoo-in for valedictorian and the accompanying $30,000 scholarship, until she learns she’s tied with her ex–best friend Ezra Philip Davis-Goldberg, whom she views as unprepared, unmotivated, and undeserving of the honor. To break the tie, Sasha proposes a winner-take-all series of academic challenges in which the loser will purposefully tank their own GPA. As she and Ezra go head-to-head, they’re forced to confront their futures, their relationship, and the reason they fell apart. Though Sasha and Ezra’s blossoming relationship takes center stage, Parker packs this earnest tale with memorable supporting characters whose inclusion models stalwart friendship in the face of one teen’s single-minded pursuits. Sasha is Black and South Korean; Ezra is Black and Jewish. Ages 12–up. Agent: Peter Knapp, Park & Fine Literary and Media.

April 1, 2023
A look at the excitement and intensity of high school senior life. Parker's debut sings with intensity and insight as readers follow Sasha Johnson-Sun through the final months of her senior year at Skyline High School in Monterey. All is as it should be as Sasha prepares to clinch the valedictorian title--and the $30,000 in scholarship money that goes along with it, money she needs to help relieve the financial burden her widowed mom is bearing. Enter Ezra Davis-Goldberg, Sasha's former best friend, who is tied for the title--and the money. The duo decides to bet on the best two out of three in key upcoming assignments to see who will win and who will agree to bow out of the competition. Only, as their feelings grow and the end-of-year stakes intensify, Sasha must decide what matters most and what kind of mark she wants to make. Parker deftly portrays Sasha's Black and Korean and Ezra's Black Jewish identities, giving thoughtful voice to their complexity and the pressures placed on the students' shoulders by their parents and themselves. Sasha in particular gives voice to the stress of becoming the first in her family to attend university full time. Parker also writes Sasha's and her mother's grief in a moving and inspirational manner. Secondary characters reflect the multiculturalism of modern California. An insightful and emotional exploration of teen changes and growth. (Fiction. 12-18)

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July 1, 2023

Gr 8 Up-Sasha Johnson-Sun has spent her high school years relentlessly pursuing her goals. She is convinced that her single-minded focus will help her achieve the success she needs to honor her father, whose premature death devastated her, and her mother, who gave up her own dreams to take care of Sasha. The teen seems poised to get everything she wants-namely, the title of valedictorian and the generous scholarship that comes with it. Then Sasha receives shocking news; she is tied for valedictorian with another student-her ex-best friend, Ezra Davis-Goldberg. Sasha doesn't want to wait until the end of the year for this matter to be settled, so she proposes a bet: three academic challenges, after which the loser agrees to intentionally bomb an assignment, ensuring a clear path to valedictorian for the winner. As Sasha and Ezra reconnect during this competition, Sasha has to deal with an unfamiliar feeling: attraction. As Sasha's feelings for Ezra grow, she'll have to come to terms with what she really wants for herself, her relationships, and her future. While romance is at the core of this story, Sasha's two best friends are well-developed secondary characters, and her interactions with them make the story even more robust. The descriptive language, particularly regarding Sasha and Ezra's relationship, immerses readers in the romantic moments of the story. Sasha is biracial Black and Korean, and Ezra is Black and Jewish. VERDICT Hand to readers who enjoy other academic rivals-to-love stories such as Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach and The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson.-Alison Glass

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