I really enjoyed this one! Both girls have a lot to figure out, and it was so lovely to watch them do it on their own and together. I was occasionally thrown by the pacing, but overall it was funny, warmhearted, and delightful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start this review off by saying that the representation is on this book was sooo good. Autism AND ADHD queer girl rep? Fabulous! Jewish rep? Beautiful. This one is also a win for the horse girls. And damn if I didn’t want more of the lovable feminist himbos, Robbie and Manny, I think, if I had to choose, I’d say they were my favorite side characters, along the fabulous queer, agender, communist firefighter Mendel. Perfection.

I greatly enjoyed this book. The pacing was good- not too quick that it wasn’t believable, but not too slow that I ever lost interest. The romance was very nice and fluffy and yes, sometimes I just wanted to shake these two because they needed to sit down and have an honest conversation, but that’s normal (for me). And the characters. Man, they were just so good and lovable and believable and I want to be friends with them? Excellent.

I know the book is called Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl, but I’ll be honest that I was way more invested in Abbie Sokoloff’s journey towards, you know, getting the girl. Apart from being autistic (which, I loved seeing - especially as we get her different masks and also get to see them dropping around Abbie, etc) and Jewish and a Baby Gay, Margo fit the very predictable journey.

Abbie on the other hand had a lot of very subtle growth. She separates from the various toxic people in her life by setting boundaries, she focuses on what she needs to do to reach her long term goals, and she confronts her internal biases through her business partnership then friendship and finally relationship with Margo.

Mendel was a fantastic goofy but supportive rom-com side character. And he was also a great medium for some casual education on the less “mainstream” queerness (since we just get to see him living his best life).

There were also mentions of masturbation and detailed discussions about safe sex, which we definitely need more of in YA. They talked about consent and how straight men aren’t the only people who can be rapists, etc.

Also, the internal monologues were funny. There were some great beats with the liberal use of periods to break up the sentences like one would in texts / on the internet. Felt a little weird seeing those same fragments used in the Queer 101 essays (as if an overachiever would ever write an essay like THAT). Also confused me immensely to see the word God censored (ie G-d) - it took me several times seeing it to figure out what it was, especially since it was only censored when the g was capitalized?? (Might be an ARC thing)

Holy shit, this book is incredible! I requested the ARC on a whim because, well, Queer 101 lessons sounded like a great premise and also maybe informative, ok? But I was not expecting it to be this glorious gem of humor and wit and empowerment! The gay panic is super real and this was just a really great representation of it, and an all-around wonderful coming out story. Also with Jewish and autism rep, lesbian, poly, bi, pan, gender-fluid/non-binary - so much rep but not at all forced. And it was YA without feeling juvenile. This was just hilarious and adorable and I loved it so much.

This book is so fresh and so needed. I absolutely loved the main character's struggle of "figuring out" how to be queer the correct way in a society that wants to punish you no matter how you choose to be--and of course the conclusion that there IS no correct way. The two main characters were charming and easy to root for.

I got an ARC of this book.

Within a few chapters I was recommending this book to everyone who would listen. I was laughing really hard. I was enchanted by how wholesome it was. My issues with the book didn’t start until really late in the book.

First the good! The book is hilarious. The jokes don’t rely on the autistic character not understanding things. Instead, her eager attitude and desire to win make her both relatable and adorably funny. The jokes about what makes you gay enough (everything from how you dress to how you sit) are perfection. I just adored how much both the narrators learned about being queer together. Being queer is whatever you are while you are queer. There is no such thing as queer enough or not queer enough. The people who gatekeep like that are generally terrible people (ACTUALLY ADDRESSED IN THE BOOK!). Bi people are queer, no matter who they are with or not with. A bi person doesn’t stop being queer when they kiss someone. The idea of gold star lesbians is so toxic and gross for so many reasons, but only the gatekeeping aspect was addressed (not the whole some lesbians have penises and bragging about gold star or caring about star status invalidates so many lesbians and people).

There was a lot of little details about the side characters. There was the older brother who was super queer, but who annoyed me by the end. He was just a characature of a left queer by the end. His lines were all basic buzzwords and of course the pan poly (not polyam like within the community) character sleeps around and has threesomes. It felt so weird to have that when the biphobia was being addressed constantly. So this was one of my issues in the book. The other involves the ending so I will try and be vague. The autistic character becomes a punching bag for trauma out of nowhere and she just sort of takes in for weeks to give someone time to come to terms with stuff. I am really annoyed that she did that. It made sense within the story, but I didn’t like it. The rest of the book was generally wholesome and gentle between these characters. So it going into this immediately after they confirm things with each other felt like a betrayal of the rest of the book.

Those are my two issues though. I loved the book otherwise. I adored how it showed healthy and unhealthy relationships. I adored the addressing of biphobia and gatekeeping. I loved how the autistic character was a social high femme, that was woah. I am so happy to see autistic characters stimming and existing that aren’t just white cishet boys. Girls can be autistic. Adults can be autistic. Seeing a character who was not the stereotype of autism warmed my heart so much.

So yes, please read this book. It is wholesome. It is funny. It is one of my favorites this year.

4.5 Stars, rounded up.

This book was such a cute, easy read that made me want to keep turning the page. Even as this book discusses hard topics (unhealthy family life, biphobia, etc), it found the balance between a light-hearted read and still being real on the topics.

Margo kisses a girl during spin the bottle and it changes the world - she realizes that she's a lesbian. But she doesn't know what to do. Margo needs to know everything there is about being a lesbian, about being a queer woman, so she seeks the internet's help, but it's not enough. She runs into Resident Queer Girl Abbie at a night out at a Sapphic Teen Night, and wants to recruit her to be her personal Queer Tutor. Abbie, needing to get out of this town and can only do so with her college acceptance, needs help in APUSH or else her admission may be revoked. And so starts their mutually beneficial tutoring.

Told in alternating perspectives, we get to see the inner workings of both of their minds and their thoughts as they navigate through life with this new friendship. We see the similarities and the differences between them, from their home lives to their friends to their goals in life, and how they make this unlikely pairing work for the sake of being tutored .

I thought it was interesting how this book dives into the stereotypes surrounding queer people, specifically sapphic people, and thought it was genuinely funny and just a lighthearted read for that. I think if you take it too seriously, it may be less enjoyable, but with the fun tone, I think it's harder to read it harshly. I do wish there was slightly more character growth - toward the end there is a bit of a lesson that ties around from the start, but I wish it was just a bit more emphasized.

I enjoyed the book and thought it was a cute, quick, YA read with some important topics that are seldom talked about. It was wonderful to see different representation, including a lesbian and autistic MC, bisexual MC, queer (in so many ways) main SC, lesbian SCs, trans SC, and that it didn't feel forced, just genuinely queer!

<i>Thank you so much Inkyard Press & Netgalley for this eARC</i>

I loved this book! Loved it, loved it, loved it!

I found myself reading two books dealing with neurodiversity essentially at the same time, but in different ways (the other being the arc for [book:Cleat Cute|65214313]). And obviously, the settings and scenarios are different, as well, but still I found it interesting that these two books both dealt with neurodiversity (<i>I think of the Tiktok sound 'Oh, you're a queer couple? Which one of you has ADHD and which one is autistic?'</i>).

This book was also just so, so refreshing about just how plainly the characters talk about everything, ever. It's both no-holds-barred, and yes also thoroughly accurate when it comes talking about queer identities, biphobia, autism, sex, all of it. The authors have a note at the start about how they they wanted to be able to write a book about messy people and they nailed it! No one is a stereotype (apart from a few perfect moments of disaster queer mentality). The popular kids are necessarily the bad guys, the queer outcasts not necessarily the good guys, they're all just people, with flaws and virtues enough to feel real.

I love how much Margo knows herself. Not necessarily about being gay, per se, but knowing that she needs to know things to be able to be comfortable with them. Abbie as the expert about something that says right off the bat no one can be an expert about. The two of them together, with their start as fairly antagonistic, then friendly, and steadily building to love felt earned, and honest! The care they have for one another, not just when it comes to other people but also when one of them is being a dumbass, is great! They communicate!

I don't really have any negatives about the book, really. The closest I can come deals with the ending, thus spoilers: <spoiler>This book doesn't have the traditional forced 3rd act break-up, which is FINE (it's well established how much I hate the trope). But because there isn't that drama, and the ensuing resolution to it, the story just kinda goes until it stops. There's nothing bad about any of it, really, but we see them out as a public couple, and we see Abbie stand up for her needs with her parents, and Margo getting on a horse, and graduation, and they're all fine, there's nothing there that objectively shouldn't be there, it just kind of seems like those last chapters following them becoming an official couple loses a bit of steam, y'know?</spoiler>

My qualms are so, incredible miniscule, I can't even see them as worthy of losing anything from the rating, so I'm happily giving this 5 stars.

A fun coming of age queer love story.
Some real life storylines of having a crappy family, being neurodivergent and learning to lean into who you really are.

This book is so cute! I really love the fact that we follow Margo on her exploration of her homosexuality. The anxiety and the fear that we can feel in this moment are very well written. The relationship who grow between Abby and Margo is so cute and feel very real to me. We absolutely feel the slow burn and wow i really enjoy it. The only reason why this book isn’t five stars is because we don’t see much of the couple Abby and Margo. I really wanted to see more chapters when they’re together. Like what did they do between when Abby go living with margo and the graduation. Otherwise i would 100% recommend this book!

Let me start off by saying that while yes I am a lesbian and I am nurodivergent I do not have an autism diagnosis so please look for autistic reviews first. Also this book does have some trigger warning for biphobia, anxiety, and some others so check warning.
Alright I absolutely adored this! I have never related so much to a character as I did to Margo Zimmerman especially as a teen. I wasn't really a late in life lesbian but I did come out/except myself later. Once I did that I also struggled with wanting to "be properly gay" I didn't know a lot about the queer community and this was also the early 2000s so I felt like a fish out of water.
That said I can also see how this book can really help other queer kids feel seen. I would recommend this to others teens out there who feel out of place in the queer community or just in general. Plus this book is also just a lot of fun.

This was an adorable queer YA rom com. I enjoyed every minute reading this, I think all of the characters had a good dynamic, and everyone was quite diverse. The only thing I wonder about (that I feel like was implied that this would have been a bigger deal than it ended up being) because of the small Bible Belt town vibe of the setting, everyone was really accepting of Margo’s queerness. I think it’s awesome she was so easily accepted (maybe just because she’s pretty ? Just my theory ) but was expecting more people to be upset due to how that was played up earlier in the book.
Overall loved it but wanted more follow up-or perhaps a sequel!

It took me a while to pick this up, but once I started the book and got ino the story I had to read it asap. Finished it in a couple of hours and really enjoyed it.
The story is well thought through and the characters are asily likeable. Always love diversity and that the authors included biphobia and autism.
Overall, Good story, great characters and very nice read!

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The plot and idea of this book interested me, and I was really intrigued at first! As the book went on, I noticed a couple things that really frustrated and confused me.

First off, the stereotype that "all lesbians are biphobic" is just straight up not true, at least for teenagers. It's rare to find gen-z that is like that- maybe it was true in the past, but it was too big of a plot point and honestly made me really uncomfortable.

Next, the book didn't feel like a YA book. The constant mentions of sex were a bit much, and there was a really awkward scene near the end. Personally, knowing that the characters were seniors in high school, it felt a bit inappropriate for a YA book. Maybe in a new adult book, but this was just not it for me.

The next thing to mention is there were a couple pages/phrases that just straight up didn't make sense. Some of the wording was just incomprehensible. The dialogue between teenagers was really awkward- and it didn't feel like real gen-z.

This may be a bit on the nose, but also- AP United States History does not talk about the Monroe doctrine in the second semester. It actually wouldn't contain any of the topics mentioned here in second semester. It's no wonder Abbie didn't pass her AP test if that's what they were covering that close to the test.

The plot didn't end badly or anything, and it overall was ok aside from what I mentioned, so my rating is 2/5 stars⭐

This was a wonderful and enchanting read. I honestly couldn't put it down from the moment I picked it up. Margo and Abbie are relatable and funny and use their POVs well, especially when in opposition to each other (as in how the other sees them and how they see themselves). The supporting cast was interesting but not distracting, and the use of slang and Gen Z turns of phrase makes the world feel real and lived in. I adored the humor in this book, juxtaposed with the more serious subject matter the book dealt with like parental neglect, biphobia, ableism, and internalized homophobia. I thought Margo's autism and Abbie's ADHD were also handled really well, though I am not an expert. It felt like something a real person with those things would talk about and how they would talk about it.

The only issue I had was the pacing was a bit strange in places. I believe it was mentioned about halfway through-ish that only about three months passed (as there is a definitive Halloween party) and then, it only felt like a few chapters had passed and suddenly it was April. I wish we'd gotten to see more of Margo and Abbie's interactions in that time span, as well as more of the reaction to the two of them suddenly hanging out more. Margo is a popular girl, she is stated to be friends with everyone, part of all these extracurriculars, and it's stated that Abbie has a reputation, and yet we really only see reactions from Margo's close friends once, Abbie's best friend a few times, and then only a few other students at the very end of the book. Margo is so concerned by making her energy radiate gay, and yet we don't hear anything from the student body about what it means for her to be hanging out with Abbie, a rumored player.

But all in all I loved this book, I can't wait until it comes out in print because I want it on my shelf so bad!

Thank you to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

First- the fact my last name is on this book gives me an absurd amount of joy. As an aspiring writer, it gives me a glimpse into what it'd be like to have my name on a book. This was so fun, so snarky, and easy to follow. I loved the story, the plot, and the characters. I may be a little biased about my love for Margo because of her last name, but I did think she was relatable and fun! I liked the premise and think this really delivered! Thoroughly enjoyed this one!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I knew I was bound to score Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl, as it has the queer version of one of my favorite tropes, where one partner helps the other explore their sexuality. While there’s no one way to be queer, I like that this book explores coming to a realization of who you are, and confronts the different biases within the LGBTQIA+ community itself, including biphobia. And while neither lead is perfect and immune from their own biases, I think that makes them much more realistic, fully fleshed out leads. The intersection of their queerness with neurodivergence (Margo is autistic, Abbie has ADHD), as well as their shared Jewish faith is also a highlight.
Margo was the lead I related to a lot more. I’ve discussed my own queer journey in other reviews, and while I didn’t have a single “lightbulb” realization moment like Margo, I appreciate the depiction of her attempting to articulate it all.
As for Abbie, I found her interesting as well, particularly in how she managed AP classes with a learning disability, even if she is currently failing. I was also impacted by the contrast of Margo’s close family with Abbie’s more tense relationships with her parents, who don’t even seem to know a thing about her.
Margo and Abbie’s romance is really cute, and I like that they really do complement each other, providing what the other needs.
This is a cute, fairly lighthearted read, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for sapphic YA romance.

This book was fantastic. It was engaging and sweet and funny! I loved both of the characters and they had such a unique voice and narration. I truly enjoyed every moment of this book and it had such a sweet love story at the center. Wonderful!

Well, this book was fun to read in a chaotic sort of way. I enjoyed the story in its entirety. I loved the premise of girl discovers she's gay/person helps her with that discovery and they end up falling for each other. I just was not a big fan of all the stereotypes but I think they were a product of the characters. They were growing and learning so the ignorance in the text was not the author but the characters figuring out that being queer does not have a rule book. I did feel the first half of the read was rushed, for example, margo comes to the conclusion she is gay after a party by page 8, right after that she's asking abbie to help her and then right after that abbie agrees. I really enjoyed the characters as individuals, margo is incredibly awkward, she overthinks everything and is very self critical at times but it was endearing. abbie was a lot more self assured yet she played into the stereotypes more than I would have liked considering she is apart of the community and was supposed to be helping margo figure that out, but she realized her mistakes by the second half and had some sort of development. I am also glad margo did not change her appearance to fit the mold of what a lesbian is "supposed" to look like, she has known who she is as a person for a long time so her sexuality changing shouldn't deter that. I love the way that their home lives were so different and talked about, Mendel was a great character, I loved him. Overall, the book was just a fun and cute read, I am not jumping to recommend it to other people but I would read it again.

This book was an adorable Sapphic romance. I loved how relatable the characters were and all the representation within the book. Loved the main characters. Some of the side characters annoyed me. Overall it was a cute coming of age book.