Author: Marisa Kanter
Narrator: Dara Rosenberg
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing
Publication Date: April 2020
Genre: Teens / Young Adult
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: Can a love triangle have only two people in it? Online, it can... but in the real world, it's more complicated. In this debut novel Marisa Kanter explores what happens when internet friends turn into IRL crushes.
There are a million things that Halle Levitt likes about her online best friend, Nash.
He’s an incredibly talented graphic novelist. He loves books almost as much as she does. And she never has to deal with the awkwardness of seeing him in real life. They can talk about anything…
Except who she really is.
Because online, Halle isn’t Halle—she’s Kels, the enigmatically cool creator of One True Pastry, a YA book blog that pairs epic custom cupcakes with covers and reviews. Kels has everything Halle doesn’t: friends, a growing platform, tons of confidence, and Nash.
That is, until Halle arrives to spend senior year in Gramps’s small town and finds herself face-to-face with real, human, not-behind-a-screen Nash. Nash, who is somehow everywhere she goes—in her classes, at the bakery, even at synagogue.
Nash who has no idea she’s actually Kels.
If Halle tells him who she is, it will ruin the non-awkward magic of their digital friendship. Not telling him though, means it can never be anything more. Because while she starts to fall for Nash as Halle…he’s in love with Kels.
My Thoughts: Several things surprised me about this book. First, it is the author’s debut novel. Kudos to Marisa Kanter for crafting such a polished, engaging story—it reads like the work of an author with several published titles to her credit.
I was also struck by the premise. In a world where anyone can create an entirely different identity online, this is the first book I’ve read in which a character’s online persona differs so dramatically from her real-life self—and the two identities are on the verge of colliding. It’s a compelling trope I would love to see explored more often.
From the outset, the reader knows chaos will erupt when the truth about Kels’ identity comes to light. It is easy to judge Halle and insist that she should have told the truth immediately. However, the author gives us a front-row seat to how difficult such openness can be for someone who is highly introverted in real life.
Although I don’t agree with keeping secrets, I understood and empathized with Halle’s desire to protect parts of herself, especially because the internet can be a hateful place. Her reluctance to benefit from the success her grandmother built also made sense. Wanting to know whether her content could succeed on its own—without people knowing who her grandmother was—is a valid concern.
I was also surprised that Halle had virtually no face-to-face friendships. Moving to Connecticut and meeting Nash in person would be overwhelming enough, but he also comes with an established circle of friends that Halle must learn to navigate.
The biggest surprise was how much I loved this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I began, but the author quickly drew me in by showing how distinct Halle and Kels are—and how much they still have in common.
I especially enjoyed the different friendship dynamics Halle experiences, both online and in person. I also loved her banter and chemistry with Nash. How he failed to recognize her sooner is beyond me, but perhaps that is the point: we all spend so much time in our own heads that what is right in front of us is not always easy to see.
My Final Verdict: What I Like About You is a thoughtful, charming debut that explores online identity, vulnerability, friendship, and first love with warmth and insight. Halle’s choices may be frustrating at times, but her fears feel genuine, and her journey toward honesty gives the story emotional depth.
With engaging characters, lively banter, and a fresh take on the complications of digital relationships, this is an easy recommendation for readers who enjoy heartfelt young adult contemporary romance.
Thank you to the publisher, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.
