Such a cute story!

Margo discovers she's gay and decides she needs someone to teach her queer culture. Enter Abbie. This dual POV story dives into Margo's self discovery and Abbie's struggles with school and her home life.

I loved this book so much that I read it in a day. The rep was great, and I loved how crappy attitudes were actually confronted.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

I don't usually gravitate toward YA books but I was drawn to "Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl." I found myself grinning from ear to ear as Margo, with some help from Abbie, discovers herself and figures out how to "gay". Filled with snarky dialogue and peppered with heart and a little heat, "Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl" will leave anyone who’s ever kissed a girl and liked it remembering how it felt the first time.
Does Margo figure out how to "gay"? Will she wear plaid? Find out May 2, 2023

This book was cute, but my god, SO preachy. Diatribes about biphobia and polyamory and communism and it’s like… you clearly got all this information from tumblr so please get off your high horse and calm down.
Also “A is NEVER for ally” is not only ahistorical but ignores the need for closeted gay and trans people to find community without outing themselves. Letters in acronyms can mean more than one thing. Please god learn some gay history from sources other than tumblr.

The main romance was sweet and well developed; the payoff was great. But my god. The preachiness.

Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl is definitely a book I needed in high school. The way Margo felt, after realizing that she’s queer, that she has to learn absolutely everything possible about being gay to be gay is the most relatable thing I’ve ever read.

The fact that both girls are gay and Jewish and living in central Florida really spoke to me because there’s not a lot of Jewish people down here let alone queer ones. It was just an absolute joy to read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The plot intrigued me and it delivered! The tropes were well executed and I definitely recommend this book to fans of YA romance!

Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl is a cute book about two high schoolers, one is Margo, she has newly discovered that she is gay and unsure of what to do. Then there is Abbie, out and proud, but has got her own issues. When I first began this book, I thought it was a bit cringey? in a sense. The internal thoughts and conversations between Abbie and Margo were just giving me secondhand embarrassment. But I continued on, it did improve and there is some great pining and angst. The main story is great, Abbie and Margo's both personal and relationship evolution was entertaining to read. However, the second story, or side focus, really stood out to me. And that was the comparison of two people with entirely different support systems. Margo, has a supporting family and good friends, while Abbie has some not great friends and entirely distant parents who do not care about her at all. I think that the contrast was written out very well and I enjoyed the adoption of Abbie into Margo's support system.

This book was a good read, not my favorite, but one that I am requesting my Library purchase. Because I found it to be enjoyable enough and have some great hidden messages about finding a better support system.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was delighted for the opportunity to review this title on my TBR list. I've read Brianna Shrum's books.

Margo Zimmerman has just realized she is gay after a spin the bottle game at a party, where she kisses a girl. She dumps her boyfriend, but being gay is very new to her. It's early in her senior year of high school, and Margo, who is popular on the swim team and on student council, confronts a classmate for help in "being gay". Her classmate Abbie Sokoloff is known for being part of the LGBTQ community, although she's bisexual. They live in Central Florida, and it is somewhat addressed how difficult it has become to be gay in Florida. Margo and Abbie are both Jewish, but their family upbringings are very different. Margo has an older brother, Mendel, who is already out as pansexual and supportive parents. Margo has close friends, who at first don't know that Margo is gay. Abbie's parents are very neglectful and in their own world, fighting a lot with each other. Her freedom to not have a curfew is curtailed by her mother's practice of using her to play therapist for her parents' dysfunctional marriage. There should definitely be a trigger warning for her parents. Abbie hides a lot of her pain from everyone, even her best friend Charlie, who is gay and is biphobic.

Margo and Abbie start off a fairly transactional relationship with Margo tutoring Abbie on US history and Abbie giving Margo "lessons on gay culture". A little tongue in cheek here because of the stereotypes on how gay women dress, walk, sit, etc. Abbie is trying to keep up her grades for college but is struggling. Part of the reason she is struggling is being overlooked by her parents. It made me quite sad /mad for her. Even though Abbie keeps telling herself Margo isn't her type, it's clear she's fighting her attraction to her. Margo does come out first to her brother, then her parents, and at last, her core friend group. Everyone including Abbie's best friend seem to assume Margo is straight and Abbie doesn't want to out her before Margo chooses to out herself. This book was educational to me as a cishet while Jewish woman and I appreciated the Jewish rep. I have a hard time understanding Abbie's parents. She's a great kid but it's almost that her parents didn't want to have a kid. Really very heartbreaking to me even as Margo's family welcomes her with open arms.

TW for biphobia, neglectful parents. 4/5☆ release 5/2/23

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book!

Margo Zimmerman has always thought she was straight, but after a game of spin the bottle, she realizes that isn't true. In an effort to be as gay as she can be, she enlists the help of known gay Abbie Sokoloff. Together, they learn that there's no single right way to be gay.

This was funny the whole way through but the first chapter, where Margo is trying to be as gay as possible, was absolutely hilarious to me. I found it so funny I didn't even cringe.

There were a few times where it felt like Margo's character seemed like two different people, but I don't think it really bothered me at all.

Rep: MCs who are a combination of Jewish, autistic, ADHD, lesbian, and bisexual. Side character who identifies as pansexual, polyamorous, and genderqueer/nonbinary/agender. Queer side characters.

CW: biphobia, parental neglect, "crazy" as a slur

As soon as I heard this was a sapphic romance with Jewish, autism, and ADHD rep, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC!

You’ll love this book if you’re into:
😍 young adult coming-of-age stories
💞 dual pov romance with mutual pining
🐶 pets with ridiculously cute names

Content warnings: biphobia, toxic friendship, child emotional neglect

I’m sorry but this book brought me so much joy. The representation was great. Loved seeing lesbian/bi rep and autism rep. Loved seeing open talk about biphobia. I loved the banter and loved the internal monologue. I laughed out loud. I geared up. I wished I had this book growing up. It was a sweet romance with awkwardness and humor.

This was excellent. I love these kinds of sapphic stories - they are so refreshing and enjoyable to read. Margo was an excellent character, and I was rooting for her the whole time. Highly recommend this one!

In the head of a seventeen year old on the spectrum who just discovered she likes girls !
You really in the head of the heroin here and I have to say it's not comfortable to be in a teenage head for me anymore ! However I think it's a good book for someone who is going through this discovery or parents of this young one. So glad to be in my thirty ! Keep going !

Margo Zimmerman has realized she is attracted to girls. However, she has no idea how to be "gay" -- dress, act, signal to others that you are gay, etc. Margo is also neurodivergent (autistic), and the way her particular brain works means she is most comfortable when she has a set of instructions or information to guide her. She wants to be a large animal vet, so she has learned everything she can about horses, cows, and other animals she might treat in that job (and can talk, excitedly, for hours about subjects such as horse gestation). That is how she approaches life.

Of course, there is no "correct" way to be gay and no guidebook for being gay. Like any other aspect of one's identity, it differs from person to person and is a process of trial and error to figure out what "fits" best. Abbie Sokoloff knows this, and once she gets over the shock of Margo announcing to her that she is gay (because it doesn't make sense for Margo to be gay), she tries to tell Margo that. But Margo, knowing that Abbie is openly lesbian (actually bisexual, which will create issues of its own in this story), wants Abbie to teach her how to be gay. Abbie does not really want to do this, but the same day Margo makes her strange request, Abbie learns that FIU is threatening to revoke her offer of admission because her GPA has slipped below acceptable levels. She knew she was struggling in AP History but did not realize that she was failing the class. Margo is also in the class and is almost certainly excelling. So, Abbie makes a deal -- help me pass the class, and I will teach you how to be gay.

These lessons are both funny and sweet, as Margo and Abbie get to know each other better, and as the authors play off numerous "queer" stereotypes, and as Abbie has a little fun with Margo and the lessons. There is also plenty of angst, as Margo and Abbie's sudden friendship seems strange to their respective friends. Margo is afraid to tell her friends she is gay -- not out of fear that they won't accept her but out of fear that they will not believe her, and with her uncertainty as to how to be "gay", she could not handle it if her friends, especially her best friend, did not believe her. [These fears, while certainly realistic for Margo, are unnecessary, as her friends are accepting, and her best friend has known for years (recognizing it long before Margo did).] Margo is convinced that Abbie is not romantically interested in her, so does not believe her friends when they say Abbie is flirting with her and warn her to be careful not to give Abbie the wrong impression. Abbie's friends, especially best friend, are puzzled by how much time she is spending with Margo, more than necessary for history tutoring, as Margo is "straight" (or so they believe) and also not Abbie's type (which Abbie would agree with and keeps telling herself). Abbie is not willing to "out" someone else, so she cannot tell her friends that Margo is a lesbian.

The dynamic between Margo and Abbie is great. In addition, Margo's family is one of the most enjoyable storybook families you will likely find, with the royal animals -- dogs Dame Julie Andrews and Sir Sean Connery, cat Sir Anthony Hopkins, sugar glider Sir Michael Caine -- and her older brother, Mendel, the pansexual communist, and the way the family members interact with each other and support each other.

So... I completely loved this. Margo is a character pulled straight from a suburban high school stereotype - until she realizes that she's gay and her world flips. She's suddenly reckoning with confusion and uncertainty, and reaches out to Abbie - the out and proud skater - for a little quid-pro-quo. I loved Margo's journey throughout this book, including her recognition that there is no one way to be queer - that it's different for everyone, and that's part of what makes it such a beautiful community. Margo and Abbie have amazing chemistry, and the dialogue pulls the reader in completely. Overall an exceptionally fun YA coming of age.

•ARC REVIEW•

Title: Margo Zimmerman Gets The Girl
Author: Sara Waxelbaum & Brianna R Shrum
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgallery and Inkyard Press for this lovely ARC.

Margo Zimmerman is very popular, girly, high femme character and the story follows her as she is realizing she’s gay and needs all the help she can get. Abbie Sokoloff is a tomboy skateboarder who's been out and proud being bisexual ,and Margo thinks she’d be the perfect person to teach her to be gay in exchange for help with Abbies history class she’s been struggling in. It’s not like they like each other or are each others type.. it’ll be fine right?

This is a such an amazing Queer YA book. I was instantly pulled into the writing and the hilarious and witty characters. It’s just the rom-com that I needed to get out of my reading slump. The Bisexual representation is so important to see and I’m here for it. It’s hard enough being queer anyways, but being Bisexual is a whole other level. I feel like the authors handled it perfectly though Abbie in this story.

I couldn’t get enough of the playful banter Margo and Abbie had. I was laughing so hard that I was tearing up. All of the queer references were so amazing. I like how Margo realizes that she can’t really be taught how to be gay, that just being herself is enough.

This story was written in such an enjoyable way to read. I struggle with ADHD myself so it was really nice to see it on the pages like how relatable the characters are to how my brain works.

I couldn’t recommend this book enough. I loved it so much and I’m sad that it’s over.

Book release date: May 02, 2023

I love a coming-of-age queer angsty story that's cute, easy to read, and has the perfect cherry-on-the-top kind fo ending.! also, all the little queer culture etiquette that isn't innate but you stumble into - love how that's explored is so lovely and warm-hearted.

A coming of age story at its finest.

This book delivered. It brought two great diverse main characters (Jewish rep and autistic), a villain (Charlie), and supportive side characters. The author did a great job of handling tough topics and moments and brought the reader back with lighthearted banter.

It was fun, realistic, and truly an enjoyable read.

I'm not sure I've ever laughed *and* swooned, simultaneously, as much as I did while reading Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl, a queer high school romance that features two neurodiverse characters from wildly different worlds.

Margo Zimmerman is one of the most popular girls in school, super femme, super driven, super straight... until she kisses another girl during a game of spin the bottle and realizes she's a lesbian. Rather than dumping her boyfriend and coming out and pursuing one of the many queer girls in her hometown of Ocala, Florida, Margo decides to quell her (hilariously manifesting) gay panic the way her autistic brain has always succeeded before: by studying. Abbie Sokoloff is a tomboy skateboarder who's been out as bisexual before she ever even moved to this town, which, by the way, she can't wait to get out of when college starts. The only problem is her admission to university is on the line because she's tanking AP History. She also needs a tutor. Margo and Abbie kind of know each other from swim team, so they reluctantly agree to be each other's guides. Abbie will teach Margo how to be queer; Margo will teach Abbie about the Constitutional Convention. It'll be fine. They don't really like each other but it'll be fine. They're not each other's types, anyway, even if they did like each other. IT'LL BE FINE.

Sara Waxelbaum; Brianna R. Shrum have created something so special with this book. Margo and Abbie are alive; they feel as real as all my own high school memories. The writing is super voicey, and it only takes a few sentences to morph right into the characters' world. There are so many hilarious queer references, so much celebrating and gently lampooning queer culture and stereotypes (Abbie teaching Margo to "sit wrong" and "lean" had me in stitches), so many important conversations about stuff like bisexual erasure and femme invisibility, and even nods to the absolutely vile oppression facing LGBTQ kids in Ron Desantis' Florida right now. But this is one of those magical books where the queer kids have struggles,. even gay panic, but homophobia isn't one of those struggles. Not internal or external. Margo won't come out yet for the same reason she won't ride a horse (her most favorite animal) yet: she wants to know every single thing about it first.

The cherry on top of the humor and the engaging story is Margo and Abbie's chemistry. I honestly felt like my heart was racing as hard as theirs sometimes and I've been out of high school and married to my wife for about a billion years now. I can't wait until my friends and readers can get their hands on this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Inkyard Press for the chance to read this book and offer an honest review.

So fun, so chaotic and teenaged, believable enough 3rd act drama that i didn't fall out of the thrall of the book with intensive eye rolling. I loved watching the characters get to know themselves more through each other, and the grappling with what queerness means that feels like such a part of coming of age. Seeing how that grappling could look different with people of different gender expressions, queer ages, neurotypes, etc, and how all that interacts and is hard but possible to talk about, was an interesting part of the book for me, too. As someone who was a trying-to-figure-it-out queer teen almost 30 years ago, and works in schools with trying-to-figure-it-out queer teens today, it felt resonant across time.

I would like this to be in high school libraries.

OMG. This is everything a YA novel should be plus some. It grabs you in the first two pages. It has momentum, characters, humor, drama, and I can identify with Margo and Abbie even though I’m not even remotely teen, female, lesbian/bi, a swimmer, Jewish, or autistic/ADHD. Or a horse girl.

Also, this is the best bi rep I’ve read. That is often proud speeches and/or complaining, but this is in-character and essential to the plot.

And I love the unexpected, allyship from the football bros contrasted with the non-support from some gay friends. So real for high school.

The cover is even accurate, with Abbie demonstrating “queer leaning” while Margo sticks with her high femme.

Please write more of these.