The Code for Love and Heartbreak

Though she’s generally fonder of math than people, high school senior Emma, copresident of her school’s coding club, thinks she has a winning idea for this year’s New Jersey state competition: creating a matchmaking app for her schoolmates. After she and club members complete it, everything works beautifully at first, with those using it finding love, but when matched couples start breaking up—and going out with people who don’t fit the formula—Emma starts to worry. She also surprises herself by becoming jealous when a fellow coder finds a match, suggesting that there’s no algorithm for attraction. Those familiar with Austen’s Emma, on which the novel is loosely based, will know how the protagonist fares from the beginning, but Cantor (In Another Time, for adults) adds enough modern twists to keep things fresh. Meticulous pacing and multilayered characters make this story a good choice for romance buffs looking for a light read. Ages 13–up. [em]Agent: Jessica Regel, Foundry Literary + Media. (Oct.) [/em]