{"product_id":"the-99-boyfriends-of-micah-summers-isbn-9780593464793","title":"The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers","description":"\u003cb\u003eA charming YA rom-com perfect for fans of \u003ci\u003eRed, White, and Royal Blue \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eWhat If It’s Us.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Micah Summers runs a popular Instagram full of drawings of his numerous imaginary boyfriends (ninety-nine so far)—though he's never had a real boyfriend before. But when a meet-cute with Boy 100 goes wrong, Micah embarks on a Prince Charming-like quest throughout Chicago to find true love—for real this time.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eWill Boy 100 be the One?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eMicah is rich, dreamy, and charming. As the “Prince of Chicago,”—the son of local celebrity sports radio host known as the King of Chicago—he has everything going for him. Unfortunately, he’s also the prince of imaginary meet-cutes, since he’s too nervous to actually ask boys out.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eInstead, Micah draws each crush to share on Instagram with a post about their imaginary dates. Ninety-nine “boyfriends” later, his account is hugely popular, and everyone is eagerly awaiting Boy 100. So is Micah. He’s determined that Boy 100 will be different. This time, Micah will sweep the boy off his feet, for real!\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eSo when Micah flirts with a hot boy on the L who’s wearing a vegan leather jacket and lugging a ton of library books, he is sure this is Boy 100. But right before he can make his move and ask for the boy’s number, the guy rushes off the train, leaving behind his pumpkin-embroidered jacket. The jacket holds clues to the boy’s identity, so Micah and his friends set off on a quest to return it. Along the way, Micah will discover that the best relationships aren’t fairy tales. In fact, the perfect fit—and true love—might be closer than he thinks.\"A charming and hilarious romance—as enchanting as a fairy tale!\" \u003cb\u003e—Robby Weber, author of \u003ci\u003eIf You Change Your Mind\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A touching story about discovering the beautifully messy truth that can blossom out of fantasy. In a sun-kissed Chicago that is, itself, a fairy tale, Micah’s quest for true love will grab your heart and squeeze in the most tender and earnest way possible.\" \u003cb\u003e—Simeon Tsanev, Bookseller at Unabridged Bookstore, Chicago\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Oh my gay! A hysterical and heartfelt sensation in the making, full of drama and authenticity that only the genius Adam Sass could deliver.\" \u003cb\u003e—Ryan La Sala, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eReverie \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eBe Dazzled\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Once Adam Sass pulls you into Micah's world, you won't want to leave. \u003ci\u003eThe 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers\u003c\/i\u003e is a well-balanced blend of wit, charm, and hilarity, tugging at all the right heartstrings in all the right ways. If you love delicious rom-coms with modern flare, Sass wrote the perfect book for you.\" \u003cb\u003e—Robbie Couch, author of\u003ci\u003e The Sky Blues\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBlaine for the Win\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers\u003c\/i\u003e is delightfully entertaining and sincere. Sass has penned a vibrant, big-hearted reminder that every reader is worthy of an authentic love story.” \u003cb\u003e—Julian Winters, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eRunning With Lions\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eRight Where I Left You\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"With clever plotting and charming—yet oh-so-complicated—characters, I was hooked from the very first page! Absolutely packed with heart and humor, \u003ci\u003eThe 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers\u003c\/i\u003e is the queer romcom of my dreams.\" \u003cb\u003e—Phil Stamper, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Gravity of Us\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eGolden Boys\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Hilarious, original, and unpredictable, \u003ci\u003eThe 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers\u003c\/i\u003e expertly explores what it means to find The One, and how that can sometimes look very different to what the fairytales tell you. Adam Sass was born to write rom-coms!\" \u003cb\u003e—Sophie Gonzales, author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eOnly Mostly Devastated\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e and co-author of \u003ci\u003eIf This Gets Out\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e*\u003c\/b\u003e\"This is a well-written, sweet YA romance . . . [that] also explores realistic expectations when it comes to relationships . . . Sass has undoubtedly joined the ranks of breakout queer YA romance authors . . . This is not one to miss.\" \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e*\"Sass does a superb job of . . . injecting fairy tale elements into his captivating, highly readable story of . . . empathetic boys and their respective relationships. Swoons are in order.\" —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Refreshingly, even when relationships get messy, no one is the villain, and the story pushes back against the idea that young queer people have limited chances of finding love...Self-reflective with satisfying depth.\" \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[In this] wistful rom-com with a “Cinderella” twist...Sass capably portrays complicated teenage interpersonal dynamics through realistic dialogue, and fills this sincere romance with teen pining, madcap shenanigans, and earnest first love.\" \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Micah uses his Instagram page to sketch out fairy tale versions of everyone he’s ever crushed on. He’s been too nervous to ask any guys out for real—until he meets Boy 100 on the train in a fated encounter, rescuing his forgotten pumpkin sweater. If Micah can find Boy 100, will he be the Prince Charming he’s always dreamed of? \u003ci\u003eThe 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers\u003c\/i\u003e is a gay Cinderella reimagining with a twist, perfectly capturing feelings of first love and the ways he tend to lose ourselves in them. An enchanting and emotionally honest coming-of-age novel.” —\u003cb\u003eAndrew King, Secret Garden, Seattle, WA\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eAdam Sass\u003c\/b\u003e began writing books in Sharpie on the backs of Starbucks pastry bags. (He’s sorry it distracted him from making your latte.) His debut YA novel, \u003ci\u003eSurrender Your Sons\u003c\/i\u003e, was named a best book of 2020 by \u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e and Foreword INDIES, a best first novel for young readers by ALA Booklist, and one of the best YA murder mysteries of all time by Pop Sugar. He is also the author of \u003ci\u003eYour Lonely Nights Are Over\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAdam has been featured in \u003ci\u003eTeen Vogue\u003c\/i\u003e and the \u003ci\u003eSavage Lovecast\u003c\/i\u003e. He is also a recurring co-host on the popular podcast \u003ci\u003eSlayerfest98\u003c\/i\u003e, where he recaps Marvel shows, \u003ci\u003eBuffy the Vampire Slayer\u003c\/i\u003e, and other pieces of pop culture. Find him on Twitter at @TheAdamSass and on Instagram at @itsadamsass.How do I know it’s love? Because I’ve already thrown up twice, and I haven’t even asked him out yet. Although my friends could’ve done without that information, they agree that my anxiety-induced stomach issues provide the perfect excuse to skip school and ask out my first boy ever.\u003cbr\u003e Who could focus on imaginary numbers or the Teapot Dome Scandal on a day like this? The signs that I should finally make my move are everywhere: the typical gray soup of overcast skies has finally broken apart over the Chicago skyline, giving way to a hopeful Tiffany blue. It’s the first warm day we’ve had in half a year, which is perfect for my current mission because I\u003cbr\u003ecan slip into my favorite black tank top that makes it look like I have ripped arms (twist: I don’t!). I don’t feel guilty skipping. I’ve already finished most of my finals, junior year is basically over, and half the seniors won’t even be present today.\u003cbr\u003e Like Andy McDermott.\u003cbr\u003e I’ve been circling Andy all through May with the steely-eyed focus of a shark circling a drowning sailor. He’d been dating this girl in my pottery class for almost a year, but she cheated on him during spring break, they broke up, and then Andy started showing up at our school’s LGBTQ+ club meetings.\u003cbr\u003e As secretary of the club, the only meeting minutes I recorded that day were OMIGAWD ANDY IS HERE.\u003cbr\u003e Hannah, my best friend (and best spy), managed to learn that Andy would be ditching class to go to Grant Park to record TikToks for his band. So that’s where I’m headed, as fast as my penny board will take me.\u003cbr\u003e The miniature hot-pink skateboard bucks under the weight of my overstuffed satchel, but I easily correct my balance. I am, after all, a little toothpick boy who is seventeen but looks twelve. Spring wind whips against my face as I glide across the rust-colored bridge between my home on the Gold Coast and the Loop downtown. When I reach the lake, I realize the entire city has chosen to play hooky: sailboat owners, bicyclists, joggers, picnickers—each of us desperate to take advantage of the first hint of warmth since October.\u003cbr\u003e Yet the soothing wind does nothing to quiet the acid bubbling in my stomach.\u003cbr\u003e Today is the day Micah Summers asks out his first boy, win or lose.\u003cbr\u003e It better not be lose!\u003cbr\u003e When I finally stop my board outside of a stone barrier leading into Grant Park, a stroke of luck finds me: Andy McDermott is already here. And he’s alone. It’s unfathomably rare to find Andy without his circle of intimidating friends.\u003cbr\u003e Yet here he is without them, in line at a street-side hot dog cart.\u003cbr\u003e Andy is a boy straight out of a fairy tale—but, like, the vaguely punk kind from Descendants. He has curly dark hair dyed aquamarine at the tips, a smattering of freckles over his lightly tanned cheeks, a stud earring, a flannel shirt tied around his waist, and silver rings on every finger. Ideal retro-music-video vibes.\u003cbr\u003e Breathing steadily, I lick moisture back into my lips, clip my board to the back of my satchel, and join Andy in line.\u003cbr\u003e He doesn’t see me yet. My heart won’t settle.\u003cbr\u003e The hot dog vendor—a boisterous older white woman decked out in Chicago Bulls merch—waves Andy forward to take his order.\u003cbr\u003e How am I supposed to start a conversation? Once I manage that, how do I ask him out in a way that’s casual enough to not be off-putting, yet direct enough to avoid our date becoming a passionless friend hangout?\u003cbr\u003e In real life, boys aren’t fairy-tale princes; they’re terrifying, unknowable creatures who hail from the woods of mystery.\u003cbr\u003e No time to breathe. I leap to my phone for backup and text Hannah: \u003ci\u003eEmergency! McDermott is in line ahead of me getting hot dogs. What do I do?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Her reply comes swiftly: \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAsk him out!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I nearly strangle my phone. Since seventh grade, Hannah has dated one pristine, popular boy after another—and she’s always the one who gets asked out first—so I don’t know why I think her advice will ever be applicable to me, a gay boy who hasn’t even reached a middle schooler’s dating level yet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e Thank you, Hannah, but how?\u003c\/i\u003e I reply.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e Just ask him if he wants to eat hot dogs together. But, like, make it SOUND like “hot dog” is code for something else.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e You’re making jokes while I drown!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e Offer to buy his lunch!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e At last, a concrete, actionable first step! Hannah is the queen.\u003cbr\u003e “—run it through the garden,” Andy tells the hot dog vendor in his coarse, husky voice.\u003cbr\u003e “That’ll be four fifty,” the vendor says.\u003cbr\u003e I lunge forward, credit card outstretched, before Andy finishes hunting for his wallet. “It’sonme,” I blurt in a single, mishmashed syllable.\u003cbr\u003e Andy staggers backward, shock etched across his scruffy face.\u003cbr\u003e Oh no. I moved too quickly.\u003cbr\u003e “Sorry!” I raise my arms in surrender for some unknowable reason. “It’s, um, on me?”\u003cbr\u003e Andy flutters long lashes, and his startled expression softens into a crafty smile. That’s nice. Breath returns to my chest. “Oh, hey,” he says. “Micah? From the school club thing, right?”\u003cbr\u003e He recognizes me!\u003cbr\u003e “Yes, uh . . .” I say, handing the vendor my card. My gaze leaps around wildly, landing on anything but Andy. The plan is breaking apart fast. To Andy, this twerpy little white kid he barely knows just jumped out of nowhere and isn’t explaining why.\u003cbr\u003e “Are you getting a dog, too, hon, or just buying his?” the woman asks.\u003cbr\u003e The sidewalk is swirling. No way I could eat anything. “Just his,” I mumble.\u003cbr\u003e “Well, thanks,” Andy says, his friendly tone powerless to relax me.\u003cbr\u003e With ungodly effort, I meet his eyes—dark brown and flecked with gold. He’s smiling.\u003cbr\u003eIt’s too much attention. My stomach squeezes.\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eSmile, Micah.\u003c\/i\u003e I obey. \u003ci\u003eToo much teeth!\u003c\/i\u003e I close my lips. \u003ci\u003eNow you look queasy. I am queasy! Andy’s smile begins to fade. You’re losing him!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I don’t know what you’re doing tonight,” I blurt.\u003cbr\u003e Andy’s pierced eyebrow rises. “You . . . don’t know what I’m doing tonight?”\u003cbr\u003e The sentence was supposed to be \u003ci\u003eI don’t know what you’re doing tonight, but if you’re free, do you want to go to a movie\/dinner\/whatever.\u003c\/i\u003e But of course, I chickened out on the important part, so I sound like a creep!\u003cbr\u003e “Here’s your card, sweetie,” the vendor says before handing Andy a tinfoil-wrapped hot dog and bag of SunChips. A woman behind me nudges her children ahead to order, and Andy and I shuffle out of line together.\u003cbr\u003e Literally what am I doing? Do I just follow him around all day like some sad ghost?\u003cbr\u003e “I mean, if you aren’t busy tonight . . . uh . . .” I stammer.\u003cbr\u003e Mercifully, Andy knows where I’m going with this. Wincing slightly, he leans closer. “Hey, Micah . . . I’m super flattered, but—”\u003cbr\u003e “No worries!” I gasp. “Happy graduation, happy hot dog, bye!”\u003cbr\u003e I sprint in the opposite direction with the intensity of a gazelle about to become a jaguar’s lunch. I don’t slow down until the toxic pool of acid inside me disappears.\u003cbr\u003e My heart shrivels inside my chest. Once again, I couldn’t do it.","brand":"Viking Books for Young Readers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303800099045,"sku":"NP9780593464793","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593464793.jpg?v=1767737989","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-99-boyfriends-of-micah-summers-isbn-9780593464793","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}