The Boy You Always Wanted

Seventeen-year-old Francine Zhang must convince her conflict-averse classmate Ollie Tran to honor Francine’s A Guˉng’s dying wish in this feel-good novel by Quach (Not Here to Be Liked). After Francine learns that her grandfather worries about not having a male heir to carry on the family traditions, she approaches estranged friend Ollie with “The Plan”: “Could you pretend to be my A Guˉng’s honorary male heir?” Since Ollie is also of Chinese Vietnamese descent, and the teens’ families are old friends, he seems an ideal, if unwilling, candidate. When his concerns surrounding lackluster extracurriculars on his college résumé become prevalent, however, he agrees to the ploy in exchange for Francine’s help in joining a club. As Francine confronts the self-imposed pressure to be a perfect problem solver and Ollie’s membership in the school’s Multicultural Club forces him to connect with his family in new and unfamiliar ways, romantic feelings blossom. While a quick resolution somewhat deflates the protagonists’ arcs, Quach spins, via Francine and Ollie’s alternating perspectives, an emotionally raw portrait of two seemingly opposite teens as they come together to help alleviate each other’s personal challenges and grow romantically closer in the process. Ages 13–up. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (Aug.)