About the Book:
XO, Kitty meets Dash & Lily in this rom com about two teens falling in love via letters left in their favorite library books – even if in real life they think they have nothing in common.
Lizzie Wei is a huge book nerd, and proud of it. And when she realizes there is a mysterious reader who has been checking out all of her favorite books from the library, she can’t help but get a crush on someone she’s never even met. Her friends make it their mission to find Lizzie’s long lost book soulmate and convince her to leave notes for her crush. But what if the person Lizzie is looking for, isn’t at all what she expects?
Dylan Lin loves reading, secretly anyway. Ever since a bullying incident at his last school, he’s hidden his love of fantasy novels, instead leaning into his jock persona. Now he’s the tennis team captain, runs every day, and actively avoids reading. So, when he decides to start volunteering at a kitten nursery, and his super cute co-volunteer Lizzie asks if he likes reading, he says no. He never expects the look of complete and utter disappointment on Lizzie’s face.
Lizzie is certain her secret crush isn’t Dylan. It can’t be! But when he accidentally makes an obscure reference to her favorite book during their volunteer shift, she’s not so sure anymore. Can Lizzie forgive Dylan for lying? And can Dylan be brave enough to be himself?
Jennifer Chen’s Checking You Out is a contemporary romance about being true to yourself and celebrating what you love, because you just might find the perfect person to share it with.
*Review Contributed by Cherokee Crum, Blog Manager and Staff Reviewer*
Checking You Out was my first introduction to Jennifer Chen’s work. It’s an adorable and cheesy YA romance with a fantastic concept.
I loved the idea of finding love through a secret mysterious admirer at the library. It was so cute that they (Dylan and Lizzie) would write notes back and forth to one another, anonymously. It’s not a big mystery for the reader, since the story is in dual POV it is quite obvious.
Another thing I loved was the Found Family trope. Lizzie’s group of friends were so close to one another, much like siblings. Dylan also found the same thing in his two friend, even if it was slower on the take.
And who doesn’t love kittens? Checking You Out highlights not only volunteering, but the importance of animal shelters and adoption.
A few other things given a highlight in Checking You Out are bullying, sexual representation, and Gender representation.
While I loved several things about the book, there were a couple things that were difficult for me to get around.
These kids, these young adults, were supposed to be just graduating.. but their dialogue was more akin to middle schoolers.
I was super disappointed with the Fellow Fantasy Reader reveal. It was underwhelming when we had been leading up to it that whole time, the climax just sort of flatlined there at the end.
While I have mixed feelings about this book, I do recommend it to young adult readers. There is little to no foul language and the romance doesn’t get much beyond a few kisses.
*Find More Info & Buy It Here!*
