You Have a Match

You Have a Match
Emma Lord
320 pages, 2020
Wednesday Books

When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie…although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front.

But she didn’t know she’s a younger sister.

When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it’s hard to believe they’re from the same planet, never mind the same parents—especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself.

The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby’s parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But there are complications: Savvy is a rigid rule-follower and total narc. Leo is the camp’s co-chef, putting Abby's growing feelings for him on blast. And her parents have a secret that threatens to unravel everything.

But part of life is showing up, leaning in, and learning to fit all your awkward pieces together. Because sometimes, the hardest things can also be the best ones.

Emma Lord's first novel, Tweet Cute, has proven to be very popular this year and I even have it on my shelf... unread, though, so this was the first book I've read by Lord. The book is due out in January 2021, which seems fitting because one of the book's main themes is new beginnings. Undoubtedly when you find you have a secret sister you knew nothing about for sixteen to eighteen years, that's the start of something new, but many of the main characters are also facing new beginnings in their lives, whether it be going off to school, closing a family business, starting new relationships, or even under going a personal rebranding on Instagram.

I'm always a little wary of heavy technology use in contemporary novels because they don't always age well, however Lord manages to weave Instagram into her novel thoroughly, both literally and more importantly, metaphorically - and that's why I think this book will age gracefully even if we ever come to a time where Instagram is dead (I hope not, I love wasting time on Instagram!) 

Savannah, the older sister, runs a popular influencer Instagram account focused on wellness. What started out as a hobby has become a bit of drudgery in her life, though she's hesitant to admit that at first. Opposite, younger sister Abby is a wary of Instagram. She's a talented, budding photographer and she knows a good Instagram account can only help her, but she doesn't trust herself to pick the best shots to showcase. Actually, Abby comes off apathetic towards social media in generall. As a gift, her friend Leo set up an account for her a couple years ago, and since then picks the photos himself from a shared dropbox. Since Abby has almost nothing to do with it, she doesn't even know how many followers she has! I think that's the way she likes it and you can see how embedded social media is in this story. The plot cannot stand without it.

But there are so many different interwoven plots to this book. Both Abby's parents and Savannah's adopted parents play a significant role in the book, and not just because they are the protagonists' parents, but because they have their own drama going on related to the adoption. Something contentious between the two couples is mentioned in the beginning of the book, but when we come to the meat and potatoes of the issue, it's bigger than we thought. I was a little surprised by what happened eighteen years ago, and then saddened. Would it be something they could get past for the sake of their girls, or would this strange extended family be a stressful mess? Yikes, this was the part of the story that left me on the edge of my seat.

You Have a Match is also a YA romance. Abby and Leo have been dancing around a relationship for months and I really enjoyed their story. They had a lot of "moments" at summer camp and I just wanted to scream, "Get together, already!" In addition, Savvy (as they call Savannah) is also dealing with her own relationship issues. I really enjoyed the romance aspect of the book and while I wish it had been elaborated on, the more important issue for the main characters was their sister relationship and adoption, so I can't be upset that that's what took the forefront.

The themes in this book are enduring and heartfelt. I really enjoyed reading You Have a Match by Emma Lord, and now I'm looking forward to reading her debut book, Tweet Cute, even more! This book made me smile and even laugh while taking on a tough issue. I definitely recommend it for YA lovers.