Book: Pining for You by Stef Ferrari
Reviewed by Anonymous
Rating: 4.5/5
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for the gifted ebook. All opinions are my own. (I paired it with the audio from my library. 🫶)
Such a great YA Holiday Novel with a cute little sapphic romance guiding it along the way.
I personally wouldn’t classify this one as a “Romance” book, as the romance itself felt more like a side plot? Whereas I felt the MC, Bennie, spent most of her time on adventures with her friends, while trying to find her potential love interest (and thinking about the future). BUT, I still thought it was a very enjoyable, holiday-vibe read.
The NYC adventures with her friends were definitely a big highlight for me. Great side characters, and so many things going on with all of them as they grow closer and closer to adulthood/graduation.
The holiday vibes were strong, with a Christmas Tree Farm, snow, present shopping, and a super fun trivia game.
There were also some really emotional bits, especially having to do with Bennie’s feelings regarding her older sister. (TW for mental illness/drug abuse). I thought these tougher bits were handled with care, and thought it was done well for the YA subset of readers.
Overall, a great little YA read, perfect for the Holiday season.
Audiobook notes: Sarah Beth Goer was so good! With the voices and perfectly encapsulating everything Bennie was feeling and going through. Will definitely be on the lookout for more from her!
What this book is giving:
✅ YA Queer Holiday Novel
✅ Single POV
✅ High School Senior
✅ Planning for the future
✅ Childhood Friend Group
✅ Christmas Magic
✅ Sapphic Romantic Subplot
Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ / 5