Love at First Fight

Well, we knew it would happen. The Geeks got caught doing something wild and the cool kids posted a pic of it for the entire school to see. Then the geeks found embarrassing pics of the cool kids and created a website all about it. And through it all, star QB Jason and first chair clarinetist Margo get stuck in the middle as the voices of reason inside their respective camps. Oh, and there is that tiny little thing about each having crushes on the kid next door - each other - as kids... and those feelings are about to flare as they begin their Senior Year of high school...

Great introduction to another new series from Maggie Dallen, and a solid introduction to her writing style for those who have never read her before. Very much looking forward to the next book in this series!

Even though it's been a while cough since I've seen my teen years, I always enjoy reading Maggie Dallen's YA stories. Love at First Fight is no exception, and it's a little special to me, because... geeks. :)

This time, we're following band geek Margo and star quarterback Jason in a former-friends-now-sort-of-frenemies to lovers story on their way to their Happy End. As always, I can relate to the characters Maggie has created - though, TBH, I'm rooting a little more for the geeks than for the popular crowd (although I absolutely get Jason's eagerness to play nice with everybody).

What feels a bit different compared to the other YA books by Maggie Dallen I've read so far, is that it's not quite so focused on the main characters, but also on the whole group dynamic at school. (Cyber-)bullying plays a prominent part in the story, and the “us vs. them” adds another, external, conflict on top of the usual teenage angst and overcoming of internal stumbling blocks and misconceptions.

Despite the serious topic, it's still a fun read.
And I'm honestly looking forward to reading Suzie and Luke's story!