Most Likely
Sarah Watson, Author
Little, Brown and Company, Fiction, Mar. 10, 2020
Suitable for ages: 12 and up
Themes: Best friends, Friendship, High School, Diversity, LGBT, Romance, Mental Illness, President
Synopsis:
Four best friends. One future President. Who Will it be?
Ava, CJ, Jordan, and Martha (listed in alphabetical order out of fairness, of course) have been friends since kindergarten. Now they’re high school seniors, facing their biggest fears about growing up and growing apart. More than just college is on the horizon, though. One of these girls is destined to become the president of the United States.
But which one?
Is it Ava, the picture-perfect artist who’s secretly struggling to figure out where she belongs? Or could it be CJ, the one who’s got everything figured out…except how to fix her terrible SAT scores? Maybe it’s Jordan, the group’s resident journalist, who knows she’s ready for more than their small Ohio town can offer. And don’t overlook Martha, who will have to make it through all the obstacles that stand in the way of her dreams.
From Sarah Watson, the creator of the hit TV show The Bold Type, comes the story of four best friends who have one another’s backs through every new love, breakup, stumble, and triumph — proving that great friendships can help young women achieve anything…happiness, strength, success, even a seat in the Oval Office.
Why I like this book:
Most Likey is a timely, empowering and suspenseful political novel for teens and young adults. The story’s heart is rooted in strong female friendships and self-discovery that make this story soar. Sarah Watson’s writing is uplifting and her novel is the perfect summer escape!
Th narrative is written in third person with each chapter rotating four different viewpoints. It held me back a bit because I couldn’t keep the details of each of the teens lives straight until I reached the half-way point. By then I was hooked and I couldn’t put the book down.
The character-driven plot weaves together the realistic and complicated lives of the four seniors who are ethnically diverse and from different socioeconomic backgrounds. They tackle a variety of issues in their lives, ranging from depression, adoption, fears of not being good enough, sexual orientation, divorce and concerns about being able to afford college. And they have a male friend, Logan Diffenderfer, who has a unique relationship with each of the besties. Although Logan is not the story, he is a grounding force for the four teens.
The Prologue gives readers a peek into the future — Washington DC on Jan. 20, 2049, the day of the presidential innaugeration. Readers are only given one clue. The president-elects last name is Diffenderfer. The actual story is set in 2019 -2020 in Cleveland, Ohio, with the seniors focused on grades, relationships, work, SAT scores, college applications, loans and community service. The Epilogue fast forwards to the innaugeration day, the big reveal and a satisfying ending about the other three best friends, who are all present. Sorry. I can’t give anything away.
Sarah Watson is the creator of the hit TV series The Bold Type (on Freeform), which the New York Times described as “Sex and the Single Girl for millennials.” Previously she was a writer and executive producer of the critically acclaimed NBC drama Parenthood. She lives in Santa Monica, California. Most Likely is her debut novel.
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*Reviewed from a library copy.
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