The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love

Tash (Three Day Summer) captures the joy and pain of a 16-year-old writer pining over his best friend and comic book collaborator. Graham and Roxy have been close for years, sharing hopes, dreams, and an undying passion for all things geeky. Both are obsessed with Robert Zinc, the legendary and reclusive creator of their favorite comic. With New York Comic Con at hand, Graham wants to make everything perfect for Roxy so that he can declare his love for her. Nothing goes according to plan, of course, from a British hottie attracting Roxy’s attention to a mob keeping them from getting tickets to Zinc’s only panel. Closely paralleling the John Hughes movies Graham and Roxy love, the plot unfolds amid abundant references to geek culture (at one point, Graham stops a thief using a quote from The Princess Bride). As Tash introduces a cast of charming, goofy, and diverse characters, she uses the hopeful voice of a young man in the throes of first love to gently poke fun at fandom while celebrating the passion and camaraderie of the community. Ages 14–up. Agent: Victoria Marini, Gelfman Schneider. (June)