Sophomore novel from Miel Moreland. Still has that Miel Moreland vibe that I got from It goes like this. Surprised that this one has ace rep since I didn't read the synopsis but it was a pleasant surprise.

What a book! In dire need of a physical copy.

It is YA dealing with the politics of highschool and general politics. There is some SA mentioned. there is young love. There is found family. I really did enjoy the story overall! I did feel like some parts were very predictable, but honestly thats something i look for in “pallet cleansing” books and this hit the spot!

If These Witches Don’t Burn and She Drives Me Crazy had a baby it would be this book. Madison is a headstrong and spreadsheet-savvy teen with larger-than-life political aspirations. From behind the scenes that is. But when her girlfriend and junior class president nominee breaks up with her and subsequently dumps her as her manager she is left reeling. And in her distress ends up hitting her teacher’s car, who just happens to be the junior class president campaign advisor. Which is just the icing on top of everything.
Fear not though, Madison always has a plan. Soon she has a new junior class president candidate to manage and efforts to repair her relationship with her campaign advisor are going surprisingly well. All seems to be going smoothly, despite the pesky crush Madison is getting on her new nominee and a less-than-stellar campaign team. But when a candidate suddenly drops out of the race and the current junior president announces she isn’t running again Madison finds herself in the middle of a true scandal. Can she manage the campaign while avoiding her spiteful ex-girlfriend as this new information comes to light? Or is the world of high school politics more trouble than she expected?
This book! Where to even start. The story is described as a “love letter to ambitious girls” and that it is. Honestly, I have never read a more consistent character than that of Madison. Although she wasn’t the most endearing protagonist I have to admit that she really sticks to her guns. Her predictability and confident nature just make her all the more real. I’ve met people in real life just like her and they’re just as annoyingly charming. Madison’s that person who is so morally upright that it’s painful to be around yet you can’t help but admire them. We all know one. If you need a refresher just look for your high school superlatives under “most likely to succeed.”
Madison’s…personality doesn’t leave a lot of room for internal growth. She doesn’t face a ton of internal conflict. Her character mainly changes as a response to external conflict. Which also left room for another character to shine, her class presidential candidate Victoria. I fell absolutely in love with her over the course of the book. As an adult, I think she is just the most adorable but as a teenager, I’m sure I would’ve swooned alongside Madison. Truly makes you nostalgic for that innocence of high school love.
One aspect of this book I really wanted to highlight was its treatment of queer identities. A fair amount of characters weren't publicly out and I loved how everyone else respected their choices no question. There was no pressure to say or do anything. I wish that more people in general were as accepting and respectful of diverse queer experiences. So for every single character in this book to have their own very individual queer story and not be made to feel “different” just hit right. If you are like me and need to heal your inner queer teen, this book is a great place to start.

The first two-thirds of this book are very classic high school YA romance. Mainly chronicling Madison and Victoria’s campaign with very typical high school problems. Family issues, jealous ex-girlfriends, sabotage, and inter-campaign team arguments. But the final one-third takes a 180. I was suddenly thrown into a totally different story. Full of emotions, harassment, and situations no one, especially not a high schooler should find themself in. I am still processing everything that happened.
The first two-thirds of the book were three-star to three-and-a-half-star material. I enjoyed the romance and campaign antics. The characters shone through and laid the foundation for me to really care about them. Then bam! The last third knocked it up to four stars. The plot really took the lead and ran with it. And because I was already so attached to the characters the events hit so much harder than if the book had started that way. Quite a sucker punch to the gut for an unassuming YA romance.
All in all if you are a a fan of YA romance then I’m just going to go ahead and recommend this book. I have included a few content warnings. Please do read them because I was caught off guard by one and was slightly triggered. And I don’t want that to taint anyone else’s experience of this book because it is really good. This book appeals to fans of sapphic reads everywhere so make sure to check it out. It would look great on your bookshelf.
CW // anxiety, bullying, depression, divorce, PTSD, self-harm, sexual harassment, car accident

The specificity in Miel Moreland's SOMETHING LIKE POSSIBLE is pure magic. Madison, the protagonist, wants--no, dreams!--of being a political campaign manager. Even when she's encouraged to run for office, she declines, knowing that she wants to run a campaign, not govern. I have read lots of YA with characters interested in and/or involved in politics, but never like this. Madison can be frustrating in her sometimes-myopic view and that becomes part of what she has to learn. Everything in this story is perfectly filtered through Madison's perspective and it was a joy to read how that changes through the course of the campaign she runs. The character growth and community that develops throughout the novel is a joy to read.

I will be using SOMETHING LIKE POSSIBLE in my high school creative writing classes as an example of what specificity can do to develop characters and fuel a story. In addition, I'll be recommending it to all of my students (all ages) as an example of a tightly woven character arc.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVED It Goes Like This so naturally I was thrilled about receiving an ARC of Miel Moreland's newest book! Maybe my expectations were a bit high because I liked it, but not as much as I loved It Goes Like This!

Madison is a great campaign manager and she won't let her breakup and layoff as campaign manager of her now-ex girlfriend stop her from achieving her well-deserved success. Soon, she has a new candidate, even though history might be repeating itself and finds a pattern of harassment within the student government that makes her question everything.

I could really relate to Madison's character and I adored her relationship with Victoria. Both characters were well-rounded and I particularly loved Madison's intensity and dedication.

The queer solidarity was everything and I strongly believe this is a book every high schooler should read.

Towards the end, Miel talks about the sensitive topic of harassment and I appreciate how delicately this was handled.

I highly recommend it to people who were always told they were too intense or their dreams were unrealistic. This is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an early copy.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I didn’t care much for the direction of Miel Moreland’s debut, but I was willing to give her work another chance, and Something Like Possible sounded promising. And while it wasn’t entirely what I expected, there was a lot to like here.
The protagonist, Madison, is very flawed, and has her unlikable moments. But I appreciated reading about a girl who was a little “too much,” and seeing her fight to succeed.
I also appreciated the generally positive portrayal of queerness, especially in terms of acceptance in a charter-school environment. The story showed queer girls supporting each other, and how that was more important than the competition at the end of the day.
I also appreciate the inclusion of various other issues, from homophobia and biphobia to bullying and even a prominent subplot concerning advocacy for sexual assault. Given the political slant of the book, it was great to see these issues discussed, even if the main event is just a school election.
The romance was a bit meh for me, as while they had some cute moments, I wasn’t super-blown away. It definitely was overwhelmed by some of the other more prominent elements, which I felt were better fleshed-out.
While I had some issues with this book, they are relatively minor and specific to my preferences. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for queer YA contemporaries.

Trigger warnings for this book: non-graphic depictions of sexual assault and self-harm, bullying, homophobia, biphobia, and nonconsensual outing.

I adore Miel Moreland's writing.

I'm not quiet about the fact that Moreland's debut, IT GOES LIKE THIS, is one of my favorite books of all time. So, needless to say, this was a highly-anticipated release for me.

These days, I don't often find myself gravitating to many stories that take place in high school, especially earlier high school (as the main characters in this book are sophomores), but Moreland's writing has a way of making these characters feel like authentic teenagers while still making them relatable to someone in her mid-twenties.

I adore Madison and would defend her with my dying breath. She's passionate and knows what she wants and determined and, yes, a little intense, but I connect with her. Anyone who's ever been told they were "too much"--Madison is for you. She is unapologetically herself, and I feel like a part of younger-me healed by reading her story.

The story starts by focusing on Madison, who is chasing her dream of becoming a campaign manager by managing her girlfriend's campaign to become junior class president. But when her girlfriend dumps her and fires her, Madison needs a new candidate.

We start by following Madison and Victoria on their campaign journey, but along the way, a pattern of harassment by one of the school's teachers is uncovered, and the story becomes about something so much bigger.

It's an intense story, but these issues are handled delicately and with the care they deserve.

I loved everything about this story: the romance, the friendships, the queer solidarity, and I think it's an important story to read, especially for high-schoolers. However, make sure you're aware of the trigger warnings before starting the book, and make sure you're in a healthy space to handle these difficult discussions.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It makes me so happy to see a character who is as much into politics as I was as a kid as Madison is in Something Like Possible. I love how hard Madison works for what she wants. The lists, the plans, the plans behind the plans…I was Madison in school. Mind you, not for anything related to school activities but to the world outside. Madison is a very real character for me.

The growth process that Madison has to go through in becoming a more aware person is something I wish I had gone through much earlier in my life. Victoria ends up teaching Madison a lot more about politics and handling people than I think Madison expected.

The fact that she actually has time for dating? (chuckle) Go Madison! Miel Moreland gives Madison the “perfect” partner in Victoria. I love the chemistry between these two characters. How they balance each other out and promote each other.

I don’t think I have a favorite secondary cast member. I love the supporting team members of both teams. I think this becomes very important when Moreland introduces a darker subject matter into the storyline. The author does a wonderful job with the writing of this and the addition of support resources at the back of the book for those who may need it.

I adore Something Like Possible. I wish this book had been around when I was kid because Madison is so me.

what a beautifully written story. It made me think. I loved the rep in this one and the writting style. I would read more by this author.

Thank you to MacMillan and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Miel is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. Her ability to write compelling stories along side complex characters is astounding. I love the way she is able to craft such a compelling story and really pull you in. To no one's surprise, I absolutely loved this. Moreland crafted a story that's relatable, heart wrenching, and so important. Being yourself truly never goes out of style, just like Moreland's writing! 5 stars, easily.

When Maddison’s girlfriend dumps her at the beginning of campaign season in her sophomore year of high school, she needs someone else to help and fast. Enter Victoria. Victoria is campaigning for Junior Class president and when Maddison offers to run her campaign, Victoria agrees. Over the course of a month, Victoria and Maddison grow closer as they campaign to get Victoria the win she needs to be Junior Class president. But when it feels like the campaign may be drawing to a satisfying close, Maddison unearths a chain of harassment, and her skills are put to the test once again.

SOMETHING LIKE POSSIBLE was a fast-paced, highly enjoyable young adult queer contemporary romance. Maddison’s determination and unwillingness to change who she was to appease the people around her meant I quickly started to love her and her attitude. I also enjoyed how there were other things that took up her attention—like her driving lessons with her cousin—and that she wasn’t completely focused on the campaign twenty-four seven. Her relationship with Victoria was sweet and developed quickly—it almost felt like it developed too quickly. I loved how Maddison and Victoria worked together, both during campaign events and outside of them. The side characters were fun and I enjoyed reading about them, especially Louis.

The harassment plotline seemed to come out of nowhere, but that’ll most likely be because I missed it in the description about the book. I felt like it was a tiny bit out of place, as the book had been almost completely about the campaign at that point and then it appeared with very little warning, but regardless of that I felt like it was well done and I enjoyed reading another example of Maddison’s determination and ability to do whatever it took to get her desired outcome.

Overall, I really loved this. Miel Moreland has a special ability to write queer characters and queer stories in a way that always gets me hooked. I can’t wait to see what she publishes next.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC of Something Like Possible in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I had a great time with this sapphic YA contemporary romance. It packs in tons of charm and gets me quickly invested in Madison's life as she's recovering from a sudden breakup and working as a campaign manager for junior class president candidate Victoria. The dynamic that grows between Madison and Victoria is sweet to witness, and I like the ensemble of teenagers surrounding them, too. Even Jade, Madison's ex, gets a few interesting layers towards the end. Thank god this book includes a trigger warning, though, because it takes a heavy turn in the third act that would have slapped me in the face if I hadn't been prepared for it. I understand some readers criticizing it for being too drastic of a tonal change, but I think the author did a nimble job at handling this shift and giving the material the tact it required.

Overall, I'm rating Something Like Possible 4 out of 5 stars. Moreland's previous book, It Goes Like This, has been on my TBR pile for a while, so now I'm feeling even more motivated to check it out in the future.

The characters were annoying. I cannot get behind a story where the characters are just so annoying. I grown, and I cringed. Meh.

After reading It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland, I was so excited to get into this. It was just “meh.” I often found the main characters very annoying, and the main point of view was just really intense for me. I'm all for queer books about girls in politics, but this was honestly not it for me.

I really enjoyed this book about the politics of high school elections from a queer student’s perspective. Madison really grows throughout the novel and I loved her relationship with Victoria and her best friend Amrita.

I think that my only criticism is that the last part of the book took a different turn and I would have liked there to have been more depth in that part of the story. It felt like 2 stories in one and that part did not get the time and attention I would have liked to see.

3.5 stars rounded down.

The first 3/4 of this book was fine! Everything felt very urgent in it which is not bad, but i didn't understand the urgency. And then the last 1/4 of the book was very good! Everything felt very urgent in it and i GOT IT.

I would read a whole book of the end of this book and would probably not pick up one about the beginning.

This doesn't make a lot of sense as a review and it's the sort of jarring feeling i had reading it, also. Again, it's not a bad book! 3.5 stars is good! It just could have been a very good book if it were maybe better woven together.

I think this book belongs in school libraries.

Whew this book covers so much. Teen break ups, ambitious girls, coming out, falling in love, sexual assault, all wrapped up in a campaign for class President. Madison is going to be a campaign manager and she’s going to get there with a campaign for class President. After her gf dumps her she has to scramble for a new candidate- Victoria. As Madison and Victoria work together they find themselves falling in love too. Toward the end of the campaign Madison suffers an assault at the hands of a teacher when he gives her an overly long creepy hug. When they realize she’s not the only one he’s done this to they have to decide if reporting is worth the trouble.
Well written, funny, sweet while dealing with many tough subjects in a way that’s perfect for teens. Can’t recommend it too highly.

This is a well-thought-out and important book, I hope it reaches the hands of YA readers everywhere. Madison reminds me of the character Josh Lyman in the early seasons of 'The West Wing' TV show, and I mean that in all the best ways. But she and her friends have to deal with many issues that he never did, which is what makes this an important book.

I thought this was brilliant. I adored Miel Moreland's debut and had high hopes for SLP. I thought it tackled issues honestly without the just glossing over issues unrealistically. I identified with the main character's little over-achieving heart and it made it easy to root for her as she navigated life. Miel Moreland is easily becoming an auto-buy author for me.

4.75/5 stars
This is the kind of book I wish I had when I was in middle school and high school. Having a young bisexual character that was strong and navigating high school is so important. The representation in this book is wonderful as well. This is a book that you'll want to sit down and take time to read, it holds such great lessons for young people and even those older than the characters. I may not still be in high school, but reading this book brought me back to then and I loved that.

A piece that I really enjoyed was that Maddie's love life was not entirely the main focus. You get bits and pieces but it's well balanced with the plot of the campaign.


SPOILER STARTS The more intense parts that deal with the assault and the group of students standing together against their teacher were such a wonderful piece to the story. The way it was handled by the students gives me hope for younger people reading this in knowing that they are not alone and that there are others that can be there for them. SPOILER ENDS