WITH OR WITHOUT YOU

Jordan and Cindy hate each other—or do they?

Seemingly caught in the throes of a long-standing family feud, Jordan Plazas and Cindy Ortiz do their best to keep up appearances in public, often hurling insults at each other across a park where their respective families have rival Philly cheesesteak food trucks. The truth, however, is weirder than that. Because the conflict attracts good business, the pair of Latinx teens must keep their romance a secret. With high school now over, Jordan and Cindy plan on leaving their alleged feud behind in pursuit of dreams of their own. But those plans get derailed when a producer offers to turn their family squabbles into a reality TV show pilot. Truthfully, both families could use the extra money, but can Jordan and Cindy’s relationship survive postponing what they truly want? Smith sets up a delightful secret lovers romance plot, but unfortunately one never quite believes that the young lovers are actually in love. The story, told in their alternating perspectives with reality TV–style confessionals interspersed, gives readers a lot of interiority about why their relationship doesn’t work but not enough reasons to root for them as a couple. The reality show elements are initially thrown in without enough explanation, which may cause confusion. Nonetheless, the prose and subsequent pace are solid and are supported by excellent food descriptions.

Stay for the cheesesteak but not the love story.