11 must-read new YA releases that will capture your heart this February
By Lacy Baugher
Yes No Maybe So – Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed
This politically flavored romance from the authors of Simon vs. the Homo Sapien Agenda and Bilal Cooks Daal feels perfectly timed for the start of the 2020 election season, and just might make you hate politics a little bit less along the way.
Yes No Maybe So tells the story of two teens from Atlanta, a white Ashkenazi Jewish boy and a Pakistani American Muslim girl, who work together on a campaign for a progressive state senate candidate. They’re partnered up during a team during a campaign event and their eventual love story unfolds, one canvassing stop at a time.
The whole set up may feel a bit cliche, but Maya’s and Jamie’s characters are fleshed out as the two slowly grow closer. They bond over issues like their divorced parents and their dedication to activism, and their devotion to a cause larger than themselves will remind you of a time before you despised every donation email you got from a candidate. This story is maybe not going to reinvent the wheel, but it’s also maybe one we all really need to hear right now.
"The official synopsis describes the story as follows. Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone), Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya. Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her. Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural romance of the century is another thing entirely."
Yes No Maybe So is now available everywhere.