Junior Eliza Quan, who is Chinese and Vietnamese American, is running unopposed for editor of her high school paper . Just before the election, biracial Len DiMartile (Japanese American/white), former baseball player and current staff writer, decides to run too. Hardworking, experienced Eliza is not a people person; Len is a good writer with natural warmth. He wins. She writes a private rant on misogyny and the patriarchy. The following Monday she’s shocked to see it on the front page of the online school paper, launching a feminist movement at her school. To Eliza’s surprise, popular Serena Hwangbo joins the cause. To her even greater surprise, Len is one of their allies. To her dismay, she starts falling for him in this romcom distinguished by the depth of the characters as well as the ideas they are exploring. Is Eliza compromising her values in being with Len? It’s a question she examines deeply. Serena projects a shallow façade for a reason. Len is a nice guy figuring things out and he messes up sometimes, as does Eliza. The interactions and relationships, including what we see of Eliza’s family, where she’s always been “the smart one,” her older sister Kim “the pretty one,” explore how people label and judge and limit one another in many ways, but especially with regard to gender, in this funny, insightful novel. (Age 13 and older)

“A smart romance with heart and guts and all the intoxicating feelings in between.” —Maureen Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of 13 Little Blue Envelopes

Emergency Contact meets Moxie in this cheeky and searing novel that unpacks just how complicated new love can get…when you fall for your enemy.

Eliza Quan is the perfect candidate for editor in chief of her school paper. That is, until ex-jock Len DiMartile decides on a whim to run against her. Suddenly her vast qualifications mean squat because inexperienced Len—who is tall, handsome, and male—just seems more like a leader.

When Eliza’s frustration spills out in a viral essay, she finds herself inspiring a feminist movement she never meant to start, caught between those who believe she’s a gender equality champion and others who think she’s simply crying misogyny.

Amid this growing tension, the school asks Eliza and Len to work side by side to demonstrate civility. But as they get to know one another, Eliza feels increasingly trapped by a horrifying realization—she just might be falling for the face of the patriarchy himself.

New York Times New and Upcoming Young Adult Book to Watch For * A Junior Library Guild Selection * Parents Magazine Best Books of the Year * NPR Best Books of the Year * Kirkus Best Books of the Year * Rise: A Feminist Book Project Book of the Year * A CCBC Choices Pick of the Year * Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year *