PLUS ONE

An ardent fan of meet-cutes and rom-coms, Lahey, 17, loves matchmaking but has never dated.

When her cousin Summer references this fact to explain why she’s omitted the plus-one from Lahey’s invitation to her Sweet 16 birthday bash, Lahey impulsively lies, saying she has lots of guys to choose from. And now she’s stuck, needing to find a date in the six days before the party. Having brought Summer and her boyfriend together, Lahey is annoyed that her sisters and best friend Poppy aren’t onboard. Laser-focused on payback, Lahey bails on Poppy at a critical moment to focus on her plus-one prospects. However, she initially overlooks Adler, the cute neighbor boy who was irritated by her previous unsolicited matchmaking efforts. Lahey feigns interest and skill in activities her prospects favor, pressing on cheerfully after each failure. Lahey’s smart, self-centered, adept at escaping snafus of her own devising—and on a journey to balancing her outgoing, upbeat, body-positive identity with her acute awareness of the world’s judgment of fat girls like herself. In her quest to best the cousin who’s hurt her, she loses her way for a time. Poppy’s already a working artist, and Lahey’s potential dates have independent goals and interests; Lahey is on a journey toward developing true self-esteem. When she does find love, it’s by recognizing what she needs and deserves. Poppy is Vietnamese American; other major characters read White.

A romantic journey of self-growth.