Wednesday, May 15, 2024

The No-Girlfriend Rule

Randall, Christen. The No-Girlfriend Rule. 2024. 336p. ISBN 9781665939812. 


Hollis knows she's fat and big. Hollis also knows that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but sometimes life can be hard, and Hollis would enjoy an easy day once in a while. Living as a fat girl with anxiety is not for the faint of heart, and with her senior year starting, things are about to change. Fortunately, Hollis still has her boyfriend Chris. Their relationship is not like the roller coaster she read about in young adult books. It's more of a slow lane, where everything is comfortable and familiar, if a little stifling.

Chris plays Secrets and Sorcery every Friday night, and there's one inviolable rule at their gaming table: No girlfriends are allowed. So Hollis has never had the opportunity to join Chris in his hobby. Hoping to improve her relationship with Chris, Hollis joins a group of girls who play Secrets and Sorcery in Cincinnati, across the Ohio river from Covington, Kentucky. Run by experienced game master Gloria, six girls gather at the gaming table to adventure together through imaginary realms. 

What begins as a desire to impress Chris and rekindle a connection with him slowly turn into an activity Hollis does for herself. As she learns to play and makes new friends outside of school, Hollis realizes that being fat and anxious are not characteristics that define her. Instead, her mind and her outlook on life are what make her interesting to the other girls. Her character develops a crush on one of the other characters, and Hollis is forced to admit that she's attracted to Aini, who gives her stomach butterflies every time she sees her. And Aini seems to feel the same way Hollis does.

But Hollis has a boyfriend. And this whole thing was to try to get closer to him their senior year. When then she finds out that Chris' best friend is now bringing his own girlfriend at their gaming table, Hollis begins questioning everything. Perhaps it is time to stop playing pretend, and act on her feelings ...

Fans of Dungeons and Dragons will appreciate the plot within the plot as Hollis and her friends complete a campaign at Gloria's table. As a character, Hollis is realistic and her relationship with Aini evolves organically. Readers who enjoy a satisfying conclusion will appreciate The No-Girlfriend Rule.

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