Late to the Party

From author Kelly Quindlen comes a poignant and deeply relatable story about friendship, self-acceptance, and what it means to be a Real Teenager. Late to the Party is an ode to late bloomers and wallflowers everywhere. Seventeen is nothing like Codi Teller imagined. She’s never crashed a party, never stayed out too late. She’s never even been kissed. And it’s not just because she’s gay. It’s because she and her two best friends, Maritza and JaKory, spend more time in her basement watching Netflix than engaging with the outside world. So when Maritza and JaKory suggest crashing a party, Codi is highly skeptical. Those parties aren’t for kids like them. They’re for cool kids. Straight kids. But then Codi stumbles upon one of those cool kids, Ricky, kissing another boy in the dark, and an unexpected friendship is formed. In return for never talking about that kiss, Ricky takes Codi under his wing and draws her into a wild summer filled with late nights, new experiences, and one really cute girl named Lydia. The only problem? Codi never tells Maritza or JaKory about any of it. Don't miss the other YA offerings from Kelly Quindlen, "master at portraying the teen experience." (SLJ) *HER NAME IN THE SKY: Kelly's debut novel that started it all, a sapphic romance about two best friends who fall in love and find the courage to choose—and be—themselves. *THIS MUST BE THE PLACE: a sapphic romance and companion book to HER NAME IN THE SKY about a surprise inheritance and one teen willing to break all the rules for love and legacy. *SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY: a sapphic enemies-to-lovers, fake dating rom-com about a high school basketball player and the pretty cheerleader she gets into a fender bender with.