GOING VIRAL

Everything is harder during a pandemic, especially relationships.

It’s the first few months of the coronavirus outbreak. Claire, a high school junior, is quarantining with her parents in their Brooklyn apartment. What bothers Claire the most is being separated from Vanessa, her girlfriend of several months. They video chat at least once a day, but it’s not the same as seeing one another in person. Plus, they’ve started to argue. Between those frustrations, her mother’s getting furloughed, the ever present warnings about public safety, online classes, and thinking about colleges, Claire is having a rough time. In an effort to distract herself, Claire tries posting on social media about the first thing she sees outside her window—a girl reading on the fire escape across the street. As Claire continues to write about their socially distanced encounters, she rapidly gains followers who demand more content. But even Claire doesn’t know what’s going to happen next. This openly queer novel provides a perspective on the pandemic that centers characters who have the option of working and sequestering in stable home environments. For some readers, it may feel too soon to enjoy this story; for others, it may serve as a cathartic validation of their recent worries and internal struggles during horribly uncertain times, as it captures the anxious mood of this global crisis. The cast defaults to White.

A timely exploration of pandemic-related life stresses.