Girl, Crushed

By Maggie Horne

Reviewed by Jamie Willis

Maggie Horne is a UK-based author of middle grade and young adult books. Her first novel, Hazel Hill is Gonna Win This One, was a 2023 LGBTQ+ Middle Grade Lambda Literary Award finalist and a Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts (NCTE) and part of the 2024 Read for Empathy collection.

In Girl, Crushed, Noah Frye, 12, is buzzing after an amazing science camp. She can’t wait to tell her best friends that Jessa, her new buddy from camp, will be joining them for grade seven. But when she reunites with Zoey and Luna, they can’t stop talking about the boys they kissed over the summer. Noah feels left out and makes up a story about her own summer romance.

Noah is a lovable, sympathetic character who volunteers at her local animal shelter and cares deeply about animals and people. She mightn’t be quite as into Halloween as her family, but when they have to cut back on their annual Halloween party, she’s concerned about her friends’ reactions, especially as they’re inviting  new friends (boys). Meanwhile, Noah must hurry up and fall in love before the party.

The novel perfectly captures the awkward tween phase of navigating friendships and first crushes. Zoey and Luna dissect their every interaction with boys, while Noah’s anxious attempts to catch up cause complicated situations. She finds refuge in her new friendships with Jessa, who is affectionate and kind, and Archie, who is supportive and witty, except when Noah makes cringe-worthy attempts to turn him into her boy-crush.

Girl, Crushed is an endearing queer contemporary story about friendships, first love and identity. It features heartwarming friendships and an authentic portrayal of queer self-discovery and will appeal to readers 10+.

Affirm Press 2024

Maggie Horne