LET ME LIST THE WAYS

Two best friends try to make the most of the time they have left together before heading off to different colleges.

Ever since Mackenzie “Zie” Clark was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, boy-next-door (and hot baseball pitcher) Nolan Walker has been at her side as she’s learned to manage her disease. From TP’ing a bully’s home to skipping classes to see a movie (with their parents’ permission), they have been inseparable. As their high school graduation approaches and they begin to date other people, they make a bucket list of all the things they want to do together before summer, including having a campout, going to Disneyland, and getting tattoos. Afraid it could ruin everything, Zie worries over whether or not to add confessing her love for Nolan to the list. While their friendship is sweet (Zie takes care of Nolan when his throwing shoulder aches, and Nolan always carries around Hershey’s Kisses just for her), their romance is bland. White (Our Broken Pieces, 2017) evades tense situations and fast-forwards the plot at its peak to reach her desired conclusion. Zie’s emerging independence is overshadowed by her preoccupation with her seemingly one-sided crush, but her daily experiences as a diabetic are insightful. The cast is assumed white and supporting characters are two-dimensional.

Another light and summery read for fans of the “friends-to-lovers” trope.