I LIKE ME BETTER

A rising senior faces pressures and pleasures.

Soccer star Zack Martin’s last year at Citrus Harbor High is set to be fantastic. Coming off a state win, Zack’s the presumed captain for next year: Helping his team attain victory at the upcoming July 4 charity match will boost his chances of getting his teammates’ votes. But then outgoing captain Ryan, afraid of losing his college scholarship after a prank he pulls goes wrong, convinces Zack to take responsibility for it. Zack maneuvers his mandated community service hours into a position at the Marine Institute where he can be closer to Cute Guy—aka Chip, Ryan’s environmentalist cousin who doesn’t share Zack’s admiration for Ryan. Zack develops feelings for Chip, but he must reckon with his place on the team and who he really wants to be. Weber’s characters pop off the page in their sunny Florida setting as they deal with a variety of adolescent stressors. Zack and Chip’s slow-burn relationship and the easygoing acceptance of their sexuality by their peers are delightful. Zack’s emotional turmoil over competing concerns is realistic as he deals with his teammates, his budding relationship with Chip, his divorced parents’ expectations, and more. Main characters read White.

A sweet story of soccer and summer romance with a lovable protagonist.