All Alone with You

May 15, 2023
A misanthropic loner's community service starts off motivated by self-interest but ends up changing her life. Seventeen-year-old gamer Eloise Deane's dream is to attend the University of Southern California's computer science program. But since her father was recently laid off, Eloise needs to both apply for admission and try to get a generous scholarship, forcing her to pad her impressive academic resume with community service. She begrudgingly agrees to volunteer with LifeCare, a nonprofit that matches volunteers with older people in need of regular conversation and companionship. Friendless after ghosting her best friends during a difficult episode with anxiety and depression the previous year, sarcastic and introverted Eloise is taken aback by Austin Yang, LifeCare's smiley, outgoing star teen volunteer who's assigned to train her. Eloise joins Austin for his regular house visits to Marianne Landis, a lonely 73-year-old who's no stereotypical senior; she's the former lead singer of The Laundromats, a famous 1970s and '80s rock band. As Eloise and Austin, who is an open and kind musician with surprising layers, begin regularly visiting Marianne together, Eloise grows unnervingly attached to both her new friends. The slow-burn, grumpy-sunshine romance develops organically, as does Eloise's strengthening sense of self-worth. The author convincingly details Eloise's family dynamics (unemployed dad, self-employed mom, pesky 11-year-old sister) as well as the MMORPG game she's mastered. Austin is Korean American in a main cast that otherwise presents White. A delightfully compelling coming-of-age romance. (Romance. 14-18)

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May 29, 2023
Seventeen-year-old Eloise Deane has been a loner ever since her friends ditched her for emotionally withdrawing during a depressive episode. But she’s not going to let her lack of friends, or her anxiety disorder, stop her from getting accepted into her dream school: the University of Southern California. After her father loses his job, however, her only hope of affording USC is to receive a scholarship. To help pad her transcript, her school sets her up with community service hours at LifeCare, a program that matches volunteers with seniors in need of companionship. There she meets her teenage trainer Austin Yang, whose sunny disposition puts introverted Eloise on high alert. Together, they visit 73-year-old Marianne Landis, a notorious recluse and former rock star. As Eloise learns more about Marianne’s past and grows closer to Austin, her two new friends’ kindness and vulnerability help her grow more confident in herself. This simmering romance by Coombs (Exactly Where You Need to Be), narrated in Eloise’s sarcastic yet sincere first-person voice, realistically portrays the risks and rewards of stepping outside of one’s comfort zone and learning to accept oneself for all their perceived flaws. Most characters cue as white; Austin is Korean American. Ages 14–up. Agent: Melanie Figueroa, Root Literary.

September 1, 2023

Gr 8 Up-Pragmatic perfectionist Eloise is a classic academic overachiever. Unfortunately, USC's admissions process is so competitive that without something to make her application stand out, her chances of getting a scholarship are slim. After spending her high school career cynically uninvolved in anything remotely community-oriented, Eloise takes the only option available: a volunteer position with an organization that provides companionship for the elderly. Eloise arrives determined to put her head down and just get through the work, but then she meets her sunny co-volunteer, Austin, and Marianne, the elderly musician he cares for, and their combined energy is infectious. As she begins to develop deeper relationships with each of them, the cost of her anxiety and depression becomes clear and Eloise must decide whether being vulnerable is worth the risk. Coombs's descriptions of Eloise's internal struggle with her mental health and how it makes it difficult for her to ask for the help she needs is realistic and important, though her decision to engage in therapy comes a little too easily and too late. The steadfast softness of Austin is a perfect balance to Eloise's sharp wit and snarkiness, and supportive parents on both sides are a comforting touch. Readers looking for an emotional, feel-good, slow-burn romance will find much to love in this one. VERDICT A witty, charming rom-com with a frustrated and frustrating yet imminently relatable heroine.-Allie Stevens

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October 6, 2023
Eloise is fine with being alone. After getting ditched by her best friend, she's content to go through senior year without anything that could get in the way of her dream: getting a full scholarship to USC. So she isn't thrilled when the volunteer opportunity she needs to impress USC's scholarship committee involves talking to seniors dealing with loneliness. That trepidation only increases when she meets Austin, fellow volunteer and perpetual optimist, and Marianne Landis, a former rock star who's both funny and sad. As time goes on, it gets harder for Eloise not to consider Marianne and Austin her friends. But is opening up worth the potential pain of relationships lost? All Alone with You is a cleverly funny look at the painful realities of loneliness and isolation. Eloise is compelling because she straddles the line between self-aware and deep denial about how keeping people at arm's length could protect and hurt her. Her story will delight readers who enjoy slow-build romance and stories of intergenerational friendships.

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