Long Story Short

by Serena Kaylor

Beatrice Quinn has spent sixteen very serious years studying to get into Oxford University. Homeschooled and a whiz at statistics, Beatrice knows that she belongs at Oxford, where she will finally find people who understand her. She thought the hardest part would be getting in, not convincing her parents to let her go. They've put a halt to her plans until she can prove she's able to make friends with people her own age and function in social situations. Their Shakespearean theater camp and a detailed list of teenage milestones to check off. She has six weeks to show her parents she can pull off the role of "normal" teenager and won't spend the rest of her life hiding in a library.

Unfortunately, hearts and hormones don't follow any rules, and there is no textbook for teenage interactions. When she's adopted by a group of electic theater kids, and immediately makes an enemy of the gorgeous popular son of the camp founders, she realizes that relationships are trickier than calculus. As the summer draws to an end, and with Oxford on the line, this girl genius stumbles through illicit parties, double dog dares, and more than your fair share of Shakespeare. But before the final curtain falls, will Beatrice still feel like Oxford alone is enough?

Serena Kaylor’s debut, Long Story Short, is a fun rom-com with a whole lot of heart about friendship, first love, and learning to take a chance on yourself.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Fiction, Young Adult Romance, Summer

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 26, 2022

About the author

Thirty-something-year-old with a love of all things sparkly, over-dramatic, and pizza-related. Serena writes books about awkward teens, the chaotic world of theater, found families, Shakespeare himself, and a sprinkle of kisses.

Reviews

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

i will never not enjoy a story about characters bonding over shakespeare and making it their entire personality lol (see: ‘if we were villains’ ).

this is such a fun summer read. its light-hearted and cute with just the right amount of growing up and coming-of-age themes. with the fun camp setting, shakespearean drama, first crushes and new experiences, and full cast of characters, its pretty hard to not enjoy this.

my only critique would be the characters are very stereotypical. they are pretty much cookie-cutter clichés from any teen story ever, which was kind of annoying in the beginning. i actually think the way some of the characters are portrayed might be a bit harmful, feeding into that kind of stereotype. but as the story goes on, the characters do lose some of this type casting, which allowed me to better appreciate all of the good things about this book.

i think for a debut novel, this is quite the hit. obviously some room for growth, but i definitely have SK on my radar and cant wait to see what other adorable stories she comes up with next!

thank you so much, st. martins press/wednesday books, for the ARC!

↠ 3.5 stars

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweetest characters, perfectly developed enemies to lovers theme, smart, sarcastic banters and events take place in Shakespearean summer camp! Of course I’m in!

There are few words to define this book: cute, sweet, genuine, smart and PERFECTLY ADORABLE!

Especially the main character, super intelligent, 16 years old math prodigy Beatrice steals your heart from the beginning. It’s so easy to root for her. For most of her life, she’s homeschooled and now she get accepted to Oxford. But her parents have some hesitations to send their little girl: she had limited interactions with her peers throughout her short life so she has to prove them she can make some friends, involving into social circles by attending an acting program of Shakespeare theater camp.

She takes this as a challenge and she accepts to join the camp to prove her parents she may improve her social skills. Thankfully a bunch of eclectic theater kids who were long attending the camp help her to survive at her new surroundings.

Bea realizes there is more to learn about real people in her own than she learned from her books. And let’s forget Nolan factor: the gorgeous and popular son of the camp founders who gives hard time to her heart and hormones.

Their interactions, banters are extremely sweet, entertaining. I loved how the author developed enemies to lovers troupe between those adorable characters.

This book was so much more than I expected! It’s sincere! It’s fun! It’s from the heart! It deserves my five Shakespearean, admirable young adult stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

[laur gluchie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve received an Advance Reader’s Copy of this book through a giveaway hosted by the publisher. This has not affected my rating in any way.

Trigger Warning: Ableism & discrimination

Unpopular Opinion: This book sucked.

Okay, maybe that’s a bit too harsh, but if you were reading a book about changing perfectly fine traits that you have, you’d feel pretty offended too.

I’ll rephrase. Unpopular Opinion: I have some very, very choice words to say about this book.

My rant starts here.

While it didn’t specify, but it was implied that Beatrice is possibly autistic (ex: having a unchanging meal plan for each day- page 21, 86, not understanding most social cues- page, 30, 42, 78, literally stated on 173, sensory processing issues- page 4, 86, 191-192, etc), which made me hate the way her parents, as well as the author, were treating her. I’m not sure if the author intentionally wrote an autistic-coded character, but the plot was about fixing what are seen as autistic traits. As someone who is on the spectrum, I did not feel comfortable with how this was written.

To a neurotypical, this book would read as a young, introverted girl getting help to become extroverted. To a neurodivergent person like me, this reads as a girl being belittled by her parents and peers for not being “normal,” then trying to force her to assimilate into a neurotypical world all so that she can go to a school.

It would be different if Beatrice was stated to be a neurotypical introvert, who didn’t show signs of neurodivergence that seems to be “unacceptable” in society’s- and in her parents and new ‘friends’ eyes. Seeing as they constantly treat her like a child, try to change everything about her, and belittle her, saying that she wouldn’t be able to feed herself if she lived on her own. It’s demeaning to people who can relate to her, and people who have the same traits as her. Also, having a neurotypical girl guide her around the camp to tell her how to act “normal” instead of allowing Beatrice to be true to herself was, quite frankly, offensive. (Also, every time they ridiculed her about her eating/sensory issues made me want to set this garbage book on fire.)

This book tried to be a story about an introverted girl going to summer camp and having a physical and mental changing montage à la Princess Diaries (as Nolan literally states on page 111), while to me this read like an autistic-coded character being bullied and discriminated against by her own family, peers and society.

Rant over.

Outside of what I mentioned in my rant, where were a few other things that I had issues within this book. First, the pacing. I know that I was reading from an ARC, but there were just random scenes missing. Not just from chapter to chapter, sometimes entire paragraphs would feel like there are scenes missing. Like one second Nik is standing in front of Bea and the next paragraph he’s talking to Shelby and Nolan is siting with Bea? Like the entire scene of Nik and Bea finishing their conversation and Nik leaving to sit with Shelby is missing (page 126-128). It was very strange.

This book had some of the most bland characters ever. Other than token-straight white girl (and possibly autistic) Bea, we also have token rich mean boy Nik, token queer(?) woman of color best friend Mia, token gay male best friend Nolan, and Walmart-Regina-George Shelby. These characters were all very one dimensional, and even at 75% of the book, I still didn’t know anything about them.

I was hopeful that there would be a brilliant enemies to lovers story, which is advertised on the back cover. Unfortunately, I only started liking the relationship between Nik and Bea once he started treating her like a normal fucking human being, and that was way past the book being halfway over. And don’t get me started on the falsely-advertised found family trope.

Other than grammatical errors, poor writing, and being an absolute snoozefest, I have no further complaints about this book. And you know what? It’s funny, I honestly don’t have anything good to say about this book. I think this is the first time this has happened to me with any book ever lol. I’m done.

Note: The pages referenced may be incorrect in finalized copies.

[Noi (in & out) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stand by my previous statement, this was cute.

*VERY YA*

Our main girl is a super smart, super anxious, super awkward individual. She was homeschooled and has trouble with emotions, people and adjusting to new things. I could relate to some of this on a certain level.

Her parents decide to challenge her in a way, by sending her to a drama theater summer camp with a list of things to achieve.

We have the new friends who instantly adopt her and help her along the way. The ice queen mean girl and of course, the hot guy everyone is a little obsessed with.

I enjoyed it, but it was a little too heavy on the misunderstanding, miscommunication, what if's and how could you's.

Loved what the MMC's said at the very end though.

Also, I loved seeing how the author improved so much between this and her 2nd release that just came out. Excited about what she'll bring out next.

[Kate McMurry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread 2/13/25:

I just experienced this book for the second time via the audiobook version. I still liked it a lot, but it was not a 5-star read for me this time around, though I would still give it at least 4 stars, because of all of the positives that I listed in my previous review, included below, which I still, for the most part, agree with. The second time around, my reading pleasure was interrupted by flaws that I had previously either overlooked or blithely ignored. I also think that I was less willing to experience this story with rose-colored glasses after reading this author's second novel, which I did not enjoy at all, just before rereading this novel.

The main flaws that really bothered me while listening to the audiobook version are the following:

1. Bea is never shown as having gotten over her unwillingness to eat any food at camp but white bread and sugary baked goods. And she doesn't eat a lot of those. After four weeks on an entirely junk-food diet, with inadequate calorie intake, in the real world, she would have been nearly as malnourished as a girl suffering from anorexia. (The negative health results of this sort of dietary disaster for 30 days is thoroughly covered in the 2004 documentary, Super Size Me.) The author glosses over Bea's eating disorder as if it is merely a comic quirk, worthy only of a few careless chuckles from the audience.

2. It is an enormously improbable situation, and an insult to every serious actor on the planet who has dedicated years of effort to perfecting their craft, that Bea is presented as effortlessly becoming an outstanding actor and fencer, with no training at all, in order to save the day as an understudy for the part of Mercutio, in the play Romeo and Juliet.

3. The entire romantic conflict between Bea and Nik, which is stretched out over the length of the novel, is cleared up at the end of the story by a single, 5-minute, straightforward conversation.

Review from 11/7/21:

Fabulous YA, G-rated, romantic comedy with a brilliant STEM heroine

Beatrice (“Bea”) Quinn is the sixteen-year-old daughter of two avant-garde, Berkeley, California, Ph.D. psychotherapists who have a joint practice, operating from a home office, that specializes in sex therapy and marital counseling. Given that professional background, it is not surprising that Bea’s parents have made sure she has had her own personal therapist on speed-dial since childhood to help her deal with what appears to be a generalized anxiety disorder. In addition to talk therapy, her therapist has also taught her CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) techniques. It is not overtly stated in this novel, but much like the character Don Tillman (by author Graeme Simsion), Bea clearly has a milder (AKA “high-functioning”) version of autism spectrum disorder (which mental health professionals until recently called “Asperger’s disorder,” a term that has been dropped from the DSM-5). Also like Don Tillman, Bea is a genius with a photographic memory whose career of choice is genetics. She has been home-schooled since age five because her parents have believed since then that her unique combination of special needs cannot adequately be met in either a public or private, K-12 school. Without any sense of irony, as mental-health professionals themselves who formally diagnose clients on a daily basis, Bea’s parents have refused to ever allow her to receive any kind of mental-health diagnosis because they have never wanted her to be “labeled, judged, and diagnosed into some box.” (Which in and of itself, unfortunately, indicates they have an unadmitted, negative perception of the autism spectrum.)

At age 14 Bea received a high school diploma (presumably from an accredited, online, K-12 school catering to home-schooled students) and, for the past two years, she has been plowing through a huge number of online community college courses in math and physics. Her longtime, passionate goal is to attend Oxford University in England and, on a whim a few months ago, without discussing it with her parents first, Bea applied to attend Oxford the upcoming fall semester. She is amazed and elated when she receives a letter of acceptance. Unfortunately, when Bea informs her parents of this extraordinary accomplishment, they are not convinced she is old enough, emotionally mature enough, or has enough interpersonal skills and basic survival skills to handle being so far from home. Bea is an extreme introvert who has, by choice, never had any friends and spends the vast majority of her time holed up in her bedroom. In addition, she has trouble with any change in her rigid, daily routine of many years which includes, among other things, wearing the same nondescript, wrinkle-free polo shirts and khaki slacks every day and eating the same rotation of bland meals for dinner every week (the latter another spectrum trait that she shares with Don Tillman). Her parents fear she would forget to eat entirely most of the time if they were not around to shop and cook for her.

When Bea begs her parents to reconsider forbidding her to attend Oxford, they relent enough to devise a plan for her to gain some of the vital experience and life skills she would need to effectively navigate Oxford. (Skills which they take no personal responsibility for failing to teach Bea themselves.) They decide a good place for Bea to learn much of what she needs to know would be at a summer camp, specifically one focusing on theater. It will allow her to test out her response to spending extended time away from home, functioning in an alien environment, living with a roommate, relating on a daily basis with a mass of colorfully unpredictable, wildly extroverted theater people, and very likely performing onstage. Bea negotiates with them to allow her to, at the very least, attend a “dignified” theater camp that focuses on Shakespeare, and her parents enroll her in a prestigious, four-week, summer program at the Connecticut Shakespearean Summer Academy.

In preparation for her voyage into the frightening unknown, Bea reads Shakespeare’s entire repertoire of plays twice and, because of her photographic memory, has them all memorized. She also studies articles and books on the rules of modern-day friendship and how to engage in casual conversation. But it becomes clear to Bea’s parents shortly before the day of her departure that they need to spell out concrete objectives that she must successfully achieve in order for them to be satisfied that she is ready to go to Oxford. With very little planning or forethought, and giggling like kids the whole time, they scrawl on a piece of paper the following list: (1) Make a friend. (2) Share a secret. (3) Walk up to someone and make small talk. (4) Accept an invitation you don’t want. (5) Do an outdoor activity. (6) Pull a prank. (7) Execute a dare. (8) Hug three people.

Bea has no idea how she is going to check off every item on this seemingly insurmountable list of goals, but she is determined to give her all to the Herculean task. Because nothing whatsoever can be allowed to get in the way of her going to Oxford!

On Bea’s overwhelming, initial day at camp, she meets four fellow campers who will each have a huge influence on her:

—Mia Parker is an 18-year-old, beautiful, enormously talented, charismatic, warm-hearted, African-American actress who is Bea’s roommate at camp. She generously volunteers to be Mia’s personal coach to help her complete her parental list.
—Shelby Walsh is an 18-year-old, beautiful, enormously talented, white actress, who has been assigned to the same cabin as Mia and Bea, but with her own separate bedroom. She is a classic Mean Girl who is Bea’s main antagonist.
—Nolan Walsh is Shelby Walsh’s twin. He is a handsome, white, gay, clever, uninhibited, enormously talented costume designer who, across many past summers of attending this camp, has always been Mia’s camp BFF. He warmly accepts Bea into their little circle and gleefully volunteers to join Mia in helping Bea fulfill her list.
—Nikhil (“Nik”) Shah is an 18-year-old, handsome, enormously talented, mixed-race actor of East-Indian and white-British descent who is the son of famous actors, Rishi and Miranda Shah, who founded and financially underwrite this theater camp. In an homage to Darcy of Pride and Prejudice, he and Bea start off on the wrong foot when, similar to how Elizabeth overhears Darcy insulting her looks to his friend Bingley at a community dance, Bea overhears Nik insulting her looks to one of his friends at the dance held on the first night of camp at the community hall. This results in the arc of their romantic relationship becoming the ever-popular, “enemies to romance” trope.

How do I love this book? Let me count the ways:

1. Bea is an absolutely fabulous protagonist. The entire book, as is typical for YA, is entirely in her first-person point of view. This means that we experience every character in the book, including Bea herself, from her perspective as a fascinatingly quirky “unreliable narrator.” Every YA novel inevitably contains a “coming of age” story arc. In this particular novel, Bea has a well-motivated, heart-warming, and frequently hilarious personal transformation as she discovers amazing hidden talents within her that she never knew existed.
2. Mia and Nolan are wonderful, affectionate, compassionate, supportive, loyal friends to Bea. I fell in love with the two of them and enjoyed everything about them. Though they both exist as a “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” version of the stock character, the “Confidante,” neither of them come off as one-dimensional. They both have their own mini-growth arcs across the novel, with a bit more focus on Mia than Nolan.
3. Shelby is also a classic stock character, the “Mean Girl,” but she is not a one-dimensional, cardboard-cutout either. Her bad behavior is believably motivated, and she, too, has her own personal growth arc in the story.
4. Nik is a wonderful romantic hero. He isn’t just a pretty face. He is presented as an extremely talented actor who is passionate about and fully dedicated to his art. And though, like Darcy, the initial impression he gives is that of a bored, privileged, Alpha male, over the course of the story his sensitive, Beta, inner core is carefully and convincingly unveiled. Most of all, the repartee between Nik and Bea is a constant delight.
5. This is a romantic comedy that lives up to its billing—it is both romantic and frequently laugh-out-loud funny. I greatly appreciated the fact that none of the humor is rooted in slapstick—which I personally do not enjoy because it inevitably involves humiliating the person, usually the heroine, who trips and falls flat on her face. Instead, the humor arises from witty internal and external dialogue and zany situations.
6. I’ve read a number of romance novels set in summer camps during this past year (including several set at a summer camp catering to nostalgic adults). This book does, by far, the best job at making that concept entertaining, mainly because the focus is on the performance of Romeo and Juliet, rather than endless scenes of predictable summer camp activities, such as water recreation, crafts, eating s’mores around a campfire, and noisy, buffet meals in a rustic dining hall. Yes, many of those activities do appear in this novel, but there is so much going on with the theater component and with Bea’s seeking to fulfill the items on her list, those activities exist merely as a type of authentic backdrop.
7. The novel as a whole is structured with sophisticated finesse. Every major turning point is foreshadowed sufficiently to feel well motivated, but it is never done so blatantly that any Big Reveal is telegraphed, spoiling the surprise.
8. The basic writing skills of this author are superb. There is sufficient description of the setting and characters to make Bea’s surroundings and fellow campers come vividly to life without ever overloading the story with excess narrative that might bog down the forward motion of the plot.
9. Kudos to this author for performing the rather unusual feat of creating warm, loving, attentive, YA parents who are strongly involved in their daughter’s life. It is essential that YA protagonists be “orphaned” in order to solve the main story conflict themselves. But far too frequently YA authors orphan their protagonists by assigning them horrible parents who emotionally and/or physically abandon their children due to incompetence, callous disinterest, short-sighted workaholism, mental illness or a rigid, controlling attitude. In the case of this terrific story, Bea’s parents have reasonable, “tough love” motivations for insisting that Bea must make her own way during her extraordinary, “fish out of water” adventure.

I only have one small quibble with this story, which I admit is pretty much unavoidable. Though this book, with admirable inclusivity, features a multicultural cast and at least one onstage LGBTQI character, there is a crucial, defining feature that every teenager in this novel has in common: they all come from an equally elevated, prosperous background, which allows their parents to afford the undoubtedly exorbitant tuition for this specialized camp. That kind of privilege creates a socially homogenizing effect such that there are no noticeable, overt cultural differences between any of these teen characters—other than Nik’s having a British accent due to he and his parents’ being British expatriates living in the US.

Parental advisory: In my perception, this book is for the most part fully G-rated. Bea has never been kissed and has never dated. All the other characters are much more experienced, but none of the characters, including especially Nik (thank goodness!), are presented as casually promiscuous. There are no blatant sexual innuendos, no sexual harassment, and no sex (either offstage or onstage), only some fairly mild kissing toward the end of the book. This book is basically the G-rated version of a “slow burn” romance. In addition, the story includes no foul language and no wild parties. There is one scene in which Bea engages in underage drinking, but it is not presented as desirable.

Overall, for me personally, as an extremely jaded reader, this book is a keeper. I am sure I will reread it many times in the future, and I am avidly looking forward to the eventual release of the audiobook version.

I rate this book as follows:

Heroine: 5 stars
Romantic Hero: 5 stars
Parents: 5 stars
BFFs: 5 stars
Antagonist: 4 stars
Romance Plot: 5 stars
Coming of Age Plot: 5 stars
Comedic Elements: 5 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars

Note: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher, MacMillan, via NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hannah B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨🎭Long story short, it was a Bard time🎭✨

As I expected, this had everything I look for in a YA romance. It delivered on both Shakespeare and those impeccable summer camp feels. Somebody get me a campfire, a s’more, and an enemy who wants to be my lover! I was definitely not a theater kid in high school but I’ll always ✨dramatic✨ so it was a natural fit.

While the book took some expected turns, more than once I was surprised by the way it shook up certain tropes! I found the premise to be a fresh take on the “summer camp” storyline. Her friend group was lovely and I really do miss going to the theater.

✨ Nicknames: He called her MOUSE 😩
🎭 Summer camp vibes
✨ Found (friend)family
🎭 True enemies to lovers I was like BOY but I was also like boyyyyy 😏
✨ Shakespearean quote battle sealed with a kiss x2
🎭 Hero with a very hero-worthy accent
✨ Awkwardly likable heroine
🎭 Single POV
✨ Overheard insult (!!!)
🎭 Villain with an arc of her own
✨ Shakespeare quotes as a verbal love letter
🎭 Bucket list items
✨ Slow burnnnn
🎭 When he said “Need a hand there, killer?” 🫠

Fans of Emma Lords’s When You Get the Chance will be right at home at this Shakespearean summer camp! It also reminded me a lot of the new Netflix movie Along for the Ride, but so much better. (I know that one was also based off of a book, but I’ve never read it.) The supremely awkward MC didn’t work for me in the film, but she was translated so well here.

I got a bit worn out by about two-thirds through when Beatrice was still dealing with Shelby. But once I started to be like “okay we can be done with this now!” we were pretty much done with it and it turned into something I actually really liked. Beatrice was prickly but she was loveable and I never disliked her. It was really interesting to see a character who literally had so little social interaction.

Classic and effortless, Long Story Short was a super quick listen that had me hooked as soon as Beatrice arrived at camp. On that note, I totally recommend the audiobook as I loved the narrator and the story translated well for listening. I can’t wait to see what Kaylor comes out with next and let me tell you it BETTER be a sequel with my babes because PLEASE a college arc I beg.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5


Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced audiobook copy! All opinions are honest and my own.

[Lauren (thebookscript) · Rating 5 out of 5]

To read or not to read? That simply is no longer the question.

Love love loved! This is THE delightful summer YA rom com that everyone needs to add to their TBRs immediately.

Beatrice is a self proclaimed awkward homeschool teen who likes things…a certain way. She’s been hurt and bullied and has taken herself out of the social scene. In order to get to her dream school she needs to spend 4 weeks at summer camp doing everything that makes her feel anxious.

I loved watching Bea blossom and realize sometimes the most dangerous boxes are the ones we build around ourselves!

Why read this book?
- a wonderful and colorful cast of main AND supporting characters that give you all the feels
- a woodsy summer camp setting
- Shakespeare and drama camp (I have been in performing arts all my life so this spoke to me)
- A little loathe to love action with wit inspired by Mr. Darcy himself
- An engaging inclusive book about learning to love yourself and finding those people who will love you as you are too.

“His voice washed over me, and he was young love embodied…He was secret meetings in a garden…he was yearning and relief and every sticky feeling I’ve ever had rolled up into one.”

This book made me one happy camper (pun intended) and I hope you give it a chance too! Thank you @wednesday_books and @netgalley for the arc. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

My heart is literally smiling. Long Story Short it is a great YA novel that is unputdownable. I loved the setting because it gave it a summery vibe that I appreciate. I adored Beatrice and Nik, both were well-developed, rounded character, and I love the two of them together. The friendships were great too, I especially loved the satisfying ending.
What a hit debut by Serena Kaylor!

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sam I AMNreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as an Arc from Netgalley. This does not effect my review (other than more obligatory plot discussion!)

Beatrice Quinn is accepted into Oxford, but she's been homeschooled and her parents are concerned that she has not lived and learned as a teenager.

So she goes to an acting camp, of all things for an introvert, to prove that she can handle the move. She gets paired with the best roommate a camper could have and the effervescent Nolan-who designs costumes as a part of the camp. She's constantly challenged by Nolan's twin, Shelby, who is so mean no one can dream up how they shared a womb.

There is a not insignificant part of me that resents when genius level brains (especially those tending to the math side of the brilliance) are portrayed this way. There's a bigger part of me that sees a book that has a setting of a camp and feels utter delight because there are some things I will always love. But Bea isn't just socially inept, she's lacking all life experience. She can swim (doggy paddle), she dresses in polos and khakis, can't even pretend to act even though she knows the plays in and out and is smart enough to remember her lines...and you know what I mean?

And then there's this tendency to "fix people" that are introverted. Like at the end, this feeling of triumph that yes "now you have lived,"and that is a moral achievement. What I loved is her friends seeing who she was, what I didn't was the idea she conquered everything she was bad at and in an endearing, frankly socially sophisticated way. Her truths are hard, but well-put, she's assertive. There's a point in the book where she hides away in embarrassment, but rather than having to return on her own and I don't know always explain herself there's a level of radical acceptance that feels too easy, particularly from her love interest-or the guy interested in her? Nik.

To be honest, sure he was a dick at their first meeting. Because would this be suitable YA without it. But after that? I'm not sure he could've been more forgiving, open, or perfect. Meanwhile, she acts like a cornered cat, right down to running and hiding when she sees an escape or is even moderately bested.

Interestingly, I really like this as a book. I mean it's cute, and at times emotional.I was invested in the triumphs. In the romance, I get that Nik is hot and talented, and ultimately really defies our expectations by falling for the hot, funny, smart introvert (see?) who doesn't really believe she could hold that appeal-but his entire character is centered around Beatrice. Don't get me wrong, it kind of makes this lovely, but also, where are his flaws other than his initially shit reaction to Bea, they are no where to be found. If you follow my reviews, you know this will always be a sticking point for me-he's gotta have something or he's pretty uninteresting.

I definitely snort-laughed in surprise more than once, and all in all it was pleasant. But in the end, pleasant isn't enough to be memorable, and in the crowded YA market, there are many other authors I can't miss.

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

LONG STORY SHORT
BY: SERENA KAYLOR

Such a lighthearted and fun read about theater camp and a homeschooled math genius getting ready to go to Oxford. This was such a fun read and I enjoyed the relationship between Beatrice and Nik, the theater camp setting and playing the role of a well developed normal teenager. Better said than done, but the story arc and the way Beatrice developed her character was such an enjoyable read.

[avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

they’re so gold rush

[Kiersten · Rating 1 out of 5]

For the most part, this was a cute fluffy romcom that I probably would have rated 3 stars. It reminded me a bit of When Dimple Met Rishi, which I didn't love, but plenty of people did.

But there were two moments that made me go... what. (Some spoilers from here on out - but it is a romance novel. It's pretty predicable) 

1. A male character forcibly looks down a girl's shirt to make sure he approves of her bathing suit, after she's explicitly told him it's none of his business. (And I'm not even sure what he would disapprove of?? Her one piece is apparently fine - does he fear she's wearing another shirt under her shirt? The horror)
2. Another male character corners a girl who's trying to get away from him, physically blockades her against a wall (hands against the wall with her between them), and asks, "Do you fantasize about kissing me?
2a.This isn't quite on the same scale as the first two (or maybe I was just jaded by this point), but in a similar vein, this character physically corners her again to curse at her for a prank that barely affects him, then when she tries to be vulnerable with him to help him understand, he blows up at her and accuses her of tricking him into thinking she likes him, when all she's done the whole time is sometimes agree to interactions he initiates.
Both of these characters are supposed to be likable, good characters, and these actions (with the partial exception of the last one) were portrayed as completely understandable and stemming from how much they care about the girl.I would hope it doesn't need stating that these things are NOT okay, but apparently that's not the case. Is this really the picture of romance (or even friendship) that teen girls (or any women) deserve? 

This theme of boundary-crossing relationships continues throughout the story. While Bea's friends (well, Mia at least) keep insisting that they're not trying to change her if she doesn't want to, in practice they're consistently patronizing to her, acting as if there's no way she might know herself better than they do, even when it comes to things she's already tried (and the fact that they're usually right is more reflective of an unrealistic story than their approach being appropriate). I don't know, maybe aspects of their approach are a legitimate treatment strategy for autism/anxiety/whatever she may have, but they're not psychologists and... I feel like in general people deserve to be trusted when they express their own preferences. And while some of the things they try to change are in fact real problems (e.g. never making any friends), others are totally legitimate preferences. Apparently, it's not okay to dress masculinely or modestly (poor Bea is constantly yanking on her clothes even after she's "chosen" to dress differently, and it makes me sad. At one point she even says she would have responded to an insult... if she were in her normal clothes. But now she cowers. Yet being comfortable in these clothes continues to be the goal, rather than being confident as her own self); it's not okay to prefer to stay on the fringes of a party (they literally trick her into being the center of attention at a party, where she's expected to sit on a throne next to her frenemy crush); it's not okay to like people for their intelligence more than their appearances; it's not okay to like bedtime...? I'm confused just making this list, because some of the things her friends criticise her for are so totally random and... just normal things. A lot of the things they aggressively pull Bea away from (literally, at times - Nolan is weirdly handsy with Bea despite knowing she doesn't like physical touch) are things I'm proud of in myself.Then at the end, we're apparently supposed to agree  with Bea's mother when she expresses a hope that she'll continue to see more of the Bea she saw onstage. Not even the Bea who's wearing new clothes and introducing her new friends and forging her own path to use her own interests and skills at a camp that she doesn't fit into at all (which gets ZERO respect)... but specifically the Bea on the stage. As an introverted former theater kid myself, one of my biggest pet peeves is when people see me act and then go, "Woah! I hope we get to see you open up more like that in real life." Guess what? That wasn't opening up. It was this thing called acting, ever heard of it? Okay, maybe I'm overreacting a little on this one point - the very fact of Bea acting is a major breakthrough, and maybe it's just that confidence that they hope to see again. But still, everyone just assumes that because Bea manages to push through her discomforts, that must be the real her - because no one could really be introverted/systematic/unadventurous, right?

Some other things that bugged me:
Her rapid changes: Others have already addressed the issues with Bea being coded as autistic, and then the entire plot focusing on changing all those parts of her, but what's really bizarre is the fact that... apparently this is possible. (Not 100%, but... she changes a lot.) So does she actually have autism? Or is she just insanely stunted from her parents' complete lack of effort at creating a reasonable social environment for her? (more on that in a minute) But also, apparently when they have tried, she completely shut down (e.g. refusing to ever speak in a class - presumably for an entire semester). What changed? 
Her parents: Either her psychologist parents (and her own therapist) have completely missed her not-exactly-subtle autistic traits or they're aware but have almost completely neglected to support her in it. It seems like her parents have practically just shoved her in a room for the last decade, and expected her to turn out okay. Have they tried to get her to socialize more than like twice? It's unclear. Have they had her do anything at all (besides online classes) for the last two years since she graduated? Even less clear. I could imagine there being parents this clueless, but... they're therapists! And given that it apparently doesn't even take that much to get her to open up to pretty much everything she was previously resistant to (like, she's doing a majorly out of character shopping spree only a day or two after arriving at camp), this is even more horrifying. And when they do finally decide to care about her at the start of the book... there's still no recognition of her challenges potentially being related to an underlying condition, and they do nothing but mock her (e.g. her mom's apparently frequent comments on her clothing) and demand that she change (even as they're confident it won't happen... and also refuse to acknowledge that they may have enabled this situation).
Her relationship with Nik: Honestly... they don't have a lot in common. Sure, they're smart and they can recite Shakespeare. But Nik seems to be legitimately at home in this flashy, extroverted world that Bea has forced herself into... and I guess we're supposed to believe that Bea is now part of that world, too, but I really didn't buy it. I can believe she made it work, and that she made good friends there, but I don't think someone like her would be longterm at home in the same kind of environment as Nik. But even more strikingly, just hours before they finally get together, he expresses a sense of still not understanding Bea at all. And... he's right, at that point he's still misunderstanding fundamental aspects of how she operates. And that doesn't really change within the next few hours. She just gives in to hormones. Which... may be realistic, sure, but not especially touching.

A few good things, though:
Bea was likable and relatable. She had a lot of rough edges that went deeper than your typical qUirKy protagonist, which was refreshing.
I liked Mia too. I did find her overly pushy at times, but she was also genuinely sweet, and she felt like she really did want the best for Bea but just didn't always know the best way to do it (unlike Nolan and Nik, who came across as selfish jerks, and her parents, who felt like bumbling idiots who'd be glad to wash their hands of her).
The Shakespeare references were fun, especially when the plot started to mirror the plays (like when Nik/Oberon was jealous of Bea/Titania flirting with Troy/Bottom).
Bea's list of tasks was funny, and a creative way to structure the plot and move it along.
The ending was hilarious and heartwarming, even as it was super cringy... but in a very teenager-y way that made me shake my head nostalgically at my very ridiculous past self.

I received a free review copy from NetGalley.

[Syndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long Story Short is somehow OK read to me. I am usually not a fan YA book. I tend to get bored with YA book.
However Miss Kaylor made her story simple and sweet. The characters are loveable. The story of awkward girl getting socialize is adorable.

But it is missing the drama. I feel the plot is flat.

3 stars

[Sylvs (NOVELty Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC kindly provided by the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book, put simply, is why so many introverts despise extroverts (with a burning passion).

I know that's a really weird way to start off a book review but trust me when I say it encapsulates the entire story in a neat, succinct sentence. See, Long Story Short follows Beatrice, an introverted, awkward teenage girl who gets accepted into her dream university, Oxford. Getting in was one thing but getting her parents to let her go is another. They want Bea to get outside of her comfort zone, believing she'd always stay inside her shell so to combat this, they sign her up to a Theatre Camp on the other side of America where she'd get to act and perform in the season's play: Romeo and Juliet.

What could possibly go wrong?

To prove her parents wrong, Bea agrees and armed with a list her parents made of "normal teenage experiences," she goes into camp where she meets wannabe directors, actors and costume designers. Most strikingly of all, she meets the camp directors' son, Nik. It's hate at first glance as the two bicker and banter about Shakespeare and start Shakespearean quote competitions to find out who knows their Shakespeare the best. As the competition gets more fierce and the play draws closer and closer, Bea starts to realise her conflicting feelings for her enemy and starts to realise that life may be better and more fun when you're not sticking to the book.

From the very beginning when the proposition of the camp plan between Bea and her parents arose, I was silently staring daggers into the page and silently chastising their opinions. So what if your daughter hasn't had a lot of "normal teenage experiences?" she's only 16... she has the rest of teenage hood ahead of her. I didn't really understand the intense push to urgently mark items off the list. Yes it's great you want to encourage her to get out of her comfort zone but trust me, if this book was real life you would've only caused more of a rift between you all rather than solidifying or strengthening a relationship which apparently was the aim. The fact that Bea was so calm about it all is either a testament to her character or a completely unrealistic portrayal of teenage hood.

But the story had to move forward somehow.

This idea of pushing the main character out of her comfort zone was reinforced not only by her parents but also her newfound camp mates. Instantly from the start, they were trying to get her to explore new things and experience the theatre camp lifestyle which is all well and good but there is a very fine line between encouraging and pushing a person into things and there were so many instances where that line was blurred. For example, Bea might've wanted to stay inside her cabin instead of hanging out with people but they'd try to drag her out and make her do things outside her comfort zone.

As I said before, this must be a testament to her character that she remained calm about this and didn't lash out or feel insane amounts of anger here. But that was just about the relationships and interactions she had with family and friends.

Romance wise, I loved the banter. Who wouldn't love a banter war where two Shakespeare nerds battle it out in a guess-the-play-the-Shakespeare-quote-is-from game? The banter is what made this book. I loved the subtle digs and the way they basically confessed their love to each other through old English but they were oblivious to it all because it was all just a game. I love the oblivious chemistry trope and I was cheering them on the whole time. Seriously, I would read a spin off book with their banter in a heart beat. I. Was. That. Happy!

But then the banter died down and we were left with those all-consuming love confessions of "well I actually liked you from the start." I don't know... I felt like we went from cute banter to BOOM love confession with nothing in between. I wanted more subtle pining where Bea comes to terms with her feelings and I wanted more "them" moments where the two would break their walls down and just talk. I wanted more of that. I think it would've made the main romance all that more believable and shippable.

But apart from those aforementioned things, this book was still a solid debut and I'm excited to see the direction Serena Kaylor takes in the future and I'd definitely will read more books from the author soon. There were a few things to polish up on but the foundations were solid for a well-rounded novel. I would still recommend this book to readers but maybe more so in the early-early mid range of YA (maybe 13-16?).

ACTUAL RATING: 3 STARS

[Rameela (Star) · Rating 5 out of 5]

OKAY NIK I SEE YOU WITH THE SHAKESPEARE QUOTES 👀


Full review:

Oh my goodness I SPED through this book. I couldn’t put it down at all because it was just so much fun! I really felt like I was watching a fun summer rom com, complete with summer Shakespeare camp and absolutely swoon worthy lines!

First of all, I think it was really interesting to read about a character who is not labeled as having Autism Spectrum disorder, despite being coded neurodivergent. The author recently tweeted that that was on purpose and I think it was really well done, especially with the themes of needing to fit in with “normal” teenagers and how there’s not actually such a thing as normal.

Beatrice was such a force of a character. She has the wit and charm as well as the smart and sarcasm that I really enjoy reading. She was a really fun POV! I loved the sort of Taming of the Shrew mixed with Pride and Prejudice vibes the book gave off without being an obvious retelling!

The banter between the two love interests was so much fun to read! I especially loved the Shakespeare-off where she was giving quotes that sort of represented hate while he was just charming and it had me SQUEALING.

I especially loved the friendships and how supportive they were of her without forcing her into some box of “normalcy”. The characters were a delight to have and I wish we’d gotten more of them!

Honestly, this was just a vibe to read and I really enjoyed the ride!

[ursula ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

{4 ☆} If you’re looking for a great summer read, you should definitely consider picking this book up!!

This was such a cute and cheerful book that had a very good plot and that was filled with all these amazing different characters. It would be an amazing summer read and I highly suggest you read it when it comes out on July 26th.

Long Story Short is different from the books that I am used to reading starting off with the main character. Beatrice Quinn (the statical genius and mc of this story) just got accepted the Oxford University at the young age of 16 after being homeschooled her entire life. (I don't usually read books like this because they usually don't interest me, but this one was amazing!!) Bea's parents are concerned that she hasn’t fully experienced the ins and outs of a normal teenage life, so they decide to send her to acting camp, a place for her to socialize, make friends, as well as memories. If you’re interested in seeing what the camp experience is like, make sure to check this book out on July 26th :)

Amazing debut by Serena Kaylor!! I will DEFINITELY be buying myself a copy of this book just so that I can have it foreverr :)

Thank you so so much, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for giving me my very first ARC. It means the world to me.

[akacya ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023 reads: 80/350

bea is a genius, but she doesn’t have much social experience. so when she’s accepted into oxford, she has trouble trying to convince her parents to let her go, as she’s sixteen and oxford is in a different country. her parents make her a deal: if she goes to theatre camp and checks off certain tasks, such as making a friend and pulling a prank, they’ll feel more comfortable letting her go. acting is way outside bea’s comfort zone, but she’s determined to do it for oxford.

as someone who graduated high school at sixteen and had to convince her parents to let her go just six hours away for school, certain parts of this book hit home for me. i really enjoyed reading about bea and her journey toward becoming less socially awkward. i think she learned and grew a lot throughout the course of this book.

[zahraa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.85⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!
release date: july 26 2022!

this was overall a really entertaining read. i mean, an enemies to lovers that takes place in a theatre camp? where they’re producing romeo and juliette?? i mean come on!!

i loved both the characters, their banter was great! nik, you are one of a kind, i love you ❤️‍🩹

i also love the genius trope so having the mc as one was really cool! seeing her learn to adapt to the “regular teenage life” was incredibly entertaining & i love seeing her character develop & change!

i do however wish the ending wasn’t so rushed!

[Steph (Teacups & Tropes) · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, for providing an ARC of Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor.

When I first read the premise, I was instantly intrigued. Outsider, Beatrice Quinn, who is too smart for anyone her age (and beyond) is told that in order for her to attend Oxford University in England, she needs to have some normal teenage experiences. Her parents make a list for her and send her off to Shakespeare camp in Connecticut where she has to complete the list or stay home another year. Beatrice - who becomes known as Bea - is determined to finish the list and more to show her parents that she can not only live her life, have normal teenage experiences, but that's responsible enough to attend her dream university.

The characters in this book were standouts. Beatrice was so relatable. Although I'm not a math genius (in fact, math was my worst subject), I always felt a little bit like an outcast. I preferred books to people and most of the time, I still do. I also didn't have any serious relationships until I was older and it was great getting to see Beatrice come into her own over the course of the story. Mia and Nolan - her BFFs - were hilarious, amazing, and supportive. Shelby, Nolan's sister, and the antagonist for the majority of the story, was less intriguing. She makes a move to make up with Beatrice at the end of the book, but I still found her extremely unlikeable.

And then we have Nikhil, or Nik, Shah. His parents own the camp and are famous stage actors. He, of course, wants to follow in their footsteps. When a rogue, and frankly rude, comment on the first night pits Nik and Bea against each other, you might think they won't ever get over their differences and become friends... Or something more. I LOVED Nik's character. I'm always a sucker for a character with a British accent, but I loved his personality and how he constantly teased Beatrice to try and bring her out of her shell, or, how he tried to protect her. There were several instances where he tries to go after her that had my heart swelling in size.

I honestly can't find fault with any part of this book. I didn't even know this was a debut novel until I did some research on the author. Whatever she writes next, I'll read. This was fantastic in every way. Although YA sometimes lacks the spice I'm used to reading, there is something so thrilling about the crush and the chase. And that is the reason I still read YA. That is the reason this book worked so well for me. It wasn't angsty by any means, but it made me feel and that is the most important thing to a reader like me.

[gabby ☽ · Rating 1 out of 5]

every part of this sucked.

other reviews have talked about the main character being autistic-coded but it did feel like beatrice was given autistic traits (sensory issues, routine, not getting social cues, etc.) as things about a person that needed to be fixed. i cant speak to this but it did make me really uncomfortable and upset for her.

i hated all of beatrice’s “friends.” mia and nolan were so annoying. they were constantly trying to push beatrice out of her “comfort zone” but it just felt like they didn’t understand boundaries and that there was something wrong with her. then whenever beatrice did change something about herself, she was so uncomfortable and it didn’t feel like it was her choice. but then closer to the end she’s suddenly comfortable? it didn’t make sense to me. there was also a part where nolan (who is gay i think?) forcibly looks down beatrice’s shirt to approve of her bathing suit? i’m not sure what the point was here but it felt like the author thought it was okay for him to do that because he couldn’t have any attraction toward her. it’s still disgusting. there was never any consequences or discussion around this so it was made to seem like it was okay.

nik was the classic “he’s teasing you because he likes you” love interest. i thought we left that shit behind because what?? i didn’t like him at all and i felt like he never truly understood her and just wanted her to change like the rest of her “friends.” he was pushy, annoying and really rude and i don’t think this sends the right message to readers about someone who’s supposed to be the love interest.

don’t even get me started on her parents. her disgusting therapist parents who don’t understand her and force her to try new things because they think it’s best. it blows my mind that they’re therapists (sex therapists but i don’t think it matters) and they didn’t want to “diagnose her and put her in a box” so they thought homeschooling was the best option. like yes putting her in her room with no contact with people her age is definitely the way to go 🙄. and by the end they’re proven “right” because beatrice “came out of her shell” at the theatre camp she was forced into. disgusting.

i hate any concepts or story lines of changing the nerdy, introverted, shy main character because it insinuates that there’s something wrong with them that needs fixing. if i had known this book would fall into that trope i would’ve never requested this. it’s a horrible message to send to anyone.

thank you to netgalley for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Lydia Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serena Kaylor what a great book. I thought this book would be enjoyed by my teenage or college aged daughters more then by myself. After reading the first page you won me over. Any person of any age young or old will love your book. This story all began as Bea dreamed of going to Oxford, but her parents wanted her to attend a theatre camp to find out if she could deal with new people her own age and function in social situations. This story is about an introverted girl who goes to theatre camp to get out of her comfort zone. I loved Bea the most, but I also enjoyed the other characters. Bea's arc was really well written and I loved seeing her make friends. The romance was also really well done. I found the romantic pacing to be really good and the MC and LI had some great banter. Bea will learn so much about herself. Highly recommend.

[ੈ✩‧₊˚ faithreads *ೃ༄ (inactive) · Rating 2 out of 5]

ehhh this is a weird mix…awkward homeschool girl and theatre 🫣 my favvv things😭 it basically reads like an old man talking!!! the way she talks is so monotone and robot like ugh!! and her parents are so annoying and just like fake cheery! they had a big part to play in her ✨uniqueness✨ too! and the whole romance was so annoying like in no world does the popular hot boy fall in love with the nerdy, smart girl who talks like a robot! not to mention her friends! that was also sooo unrealistic!! Idk this just wasn’t my piece of cake haha

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beatrice Quinn is shocked when she gets into Oxford, but not as surprised as her parents! They didn't even know that their intelligent, shy daughter who loves routines (she eats the same meals on the same day every week) applied and they cannot imagine sending their sixteen-year-old overseas. So they strike a deal: if Beatrice goes to theater camp and completes a series of tasks (make a friend, accept an invitation, get hugged by three people), they'll agree that she's experienced teenage life and is ready for Oxford.

This is rather charming YA story about coming of age and finding yourself. Beatrice is absolutely adorable and a wonderful, feisty, intelligent, heroine that I could get completely behind! I was a little wary about this story because I'm not a huge fan of books where we need to take the plain intelligent girl and transform her into a beautiful person who no longer focuses on the intelligence that she cared about before. Luckily, STORY does not seem to want to change Bea too much, though it hovers on a little too much for me at times.

Bea completely lucks out in meeting Mia, her roommate, who takes her under her wing and has no problem that her shy and awkward roommate is at camp with a checklist. She embraces it completely, as does Mia's friend, Nolan, who is a total sweetie. Like much of STORY, there's a lot of good luck and a bit too much cheeriness, because, let's face it, kids can be cruel. And don't worry, there's plenty of teenage bullying for poor Beatrice, but it's isolated to a couple of kids. Still, I loved the friendship between Mia, Nolan, and Bea, and they are so cute.

Bea's love interest, Nik, offers a great love/hate relationship and they give us palpable (YA appropriate) chemistry. Things drag a small bit as Bea wonders maybe one or two too many times about his intentions and her place in the world. Overall, though, it's a sweet romance and a lovely story. The themes of finding yourself, friendship, and first love are presented in a unique and fun way. And, seriously, Bea is pretty amazing for surviving theater camp--I honestly thought her parents were monsters for that touch.

Overall, this is a fun, touching, and poignant YA rom-com. 4+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Negalley in return for an unbiased review.

Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Smashbomb ~ Instagram

[Kaya Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long Story Short is the quintessential summer read. It’s humorous, inspiring, and romantic. You’re rooting for Beatrice Quinn to come out of her shell, to find joy in theater, to discover the depth of platonic and romantic love, all against the bright backdrop of summer camp. I cannot believe the quality of 2022 debuts this year, like where is all this talent coming from (and can I borrow it?)

We follow Beatrice or Bea Quinn, a homeschooled math genius who wants nothing more than to go to Oxford. Unfortunately, she won’t be allowed to attend if she can’t prove to her parents that she’s perfectly capable of making friends, so she goes to a Shakespeare summer theater camp and meets many new people INCLUDING a guy named Nik who immediately gets on her nerves.

First of all, I would just like to give a shoutout to the fact that Bea wears glasses??? Like, let’s normalize people not wearing contacts??? And her best friend Mia is African-American and Nik is mixed-race with East-Indian and white-British heritage. This is just such a refreshingly diverse read that defied expectations.

Of course, a lot of the characters do read a little…stereotypical. That didn’t bother me but some might feel upset about it. In all honestly, I think that the theater kid/summer camp stereotypes actually enhanced the book, because it makes it feel like an early 2000s teen movie*!

*i just caught a typo where i wrote “early 200s movie” 💀 because we all want that early roman church nostalgia am i right

Anyways, while the book felt stereotypical at times, it was just an incredibly fun ride chock-full of friendship, romance, and Shakespeare. THERE WERE SO MANY SHAKESPEARE QUOTES. In fact, Bea (with her insane memory) and Nik (with his love for the Bard) literally made a bet to see who could recite more lines. It’s so wholesome and fun and sweet! And yes, I am well-aware of how repetitive I’m being but I can’t stop smiling so my only thoughts for this book are composed of “SQUEAL” and “ADORABLE” and “HAMLET*”.

*hmm…one of those doesn’t quite belong

I genuinely don’t have many coherent thoughts regarding this book. It might be a little cliche at times, but it just felt like a funny, sweet, coming-of-age teenage story. Does it do anything special? No. Is it one of my new top contemporary summer recs? Absolutely.

thank you to the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

[drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

edit after my 2nd read:

i truly have never felt so seen by a main character in a book before. i love beatrice so, so much and i love serena kaylor for giving me this character.

also? me caring about men? shocking. ily nolan <3 nik ur cool i support u.

"athena ruth bader ginsburg" made me cringe again but its fine i ignored it

raised my 4-star rating to a 5-star rating; it's prob actually a 4.5 but also i can do whatever i want.

---

tws: on-page panic attack, anxiety / social anxiety, underage drinking, mentions of vomit

“This is what you do. You hide behind your facts and words to avoid being a real person. Tell me, Mouse, do you even feel anything at all?”

I went into this book with little expectations for it, I'll be honest. I had no clue what to expect. And maybe that was a good thing in this case. I was pleasantly surprised by the story, the characters, and even the main romance. This was a cute, light coming of age, summery story.

There were some moments I cringed at (like Bea's alter ego being named "Athena Ruth Bader Ginsburg"), but overall, it was a cute, quick read with a well-rounded cast of characters. I also think for a book named after a Taylor Swift song, there was a surprising lack of Taylor Swift. I think Mia would've been a Taylor Swift stan.

I loved Mia and would die if it meant I was able to protect her. And I loved Beatrice. I loved her with all her little quirks - that were really just traits of autism - and I loved how relatable she felt to me. From living in her own head and expecting people to know what she was thinking, to not knowing how to define friendship or tell if someone is your friend, to talking in extremes with her black and white thinking, to being called a robot and asking if she can feel anything at all, to researching everything beforehand, I felt like Bea was me as a child. I felt so seen by her, and I really think she deserves the whole world.

I'd recommend this to any autistic person looking to find their place in this world, who feels as though everyone except you was given a "manual" for life.

I'll definitely keep Serena Kaylor's name on my mind to check out her future work.

Thank you to Netgalley, Serena Kaylor, and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book would be slightly more enjoyable for a bit younger demographic than me, but aside from that it was so good! Long Story Short is about an introverted girl who goes to theatre camp to get out of her comfort zone. I really liked the premise, but then during the first 25% or so of the book didn't know if I'd love it. Everything seemed really over the top, from the cliques at camp, to Bea's extreme introversion, to some of the situations the characters were in, but from there on out I found myself really enjoying this. Bea's arc was really well written and I loved seeing her make friends. The romance was also really well done. I found the romantic pacing to be really good and the MC and LI had some great banter. As this is a book about a 16 year old girl who hasn't had any typical high school experiences, I do think that readers who read primarily YA or are a similar age to the MC will enjoy it more, but still, it was really well written and I'm glad I read it.

Thank you to NetGalley, ST. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[elhyza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an e-arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.75☆ — this was simply such a delightful read with everything i expected going into this young adult novel of a girl going about her first teenage experiences and socializations out of her comfort zone in a shakespearean theater camp! bea being a homeschooled sixteen year old who got into oxford, it's pretty reasonable why her parents did this wanting her to get out and experience the real world. she was a bit unbearable to me at times with her overanalyzing, though not as much as shelby was, but bea was definitely understandable due to her upbringing how she expected life to cater to her and thought she could prepare for every possible situation, right off the bat, i adored bea and nik's dynamic instantly. nikhil shah being the resident golden boy with genuine admirable acting talent, whose parents founded the camp, and bea basically being the resident genius made for such an electric banter/argument chemistry that was right up my alley. they truly had me reading with the biggest grin on my face. with bea, with a checklist from her parents and her new friends adding to the list making it more daring, this overall story concept is something i think would be such a good romcom movie. though i do wish we got more from the ending and an epilogue, but that's just a personal preference. long story short is a book i would highly recommend to anyone in need of a quick, teen cliché, leisurely summer read!!

[Christie«SHBBblogger» · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Long Story Short
Series: n/a
Author: Serena Kaylor
Release date: July 26, 2022
Cliffhanger: no
Genre: YA

Beatrice Quinn is a handful for her parents to deal with at the age of sixteen. Not because she's going through the normal rebellious stage that other teens her age do. No, it's because she's a mathematical genius who got her high school degree at fourteen and was accepted to Oxford University two years later. Most parents would be ecstatic for their child to get accepted to such a prestigious school at such a young age, but moving out and becoming independent in a foreign country with very little social skills is a bit of a problem. As a homeschooled student, Beatrice focused more on books and intellect. Her personality is very analytical and straightforward, leaving very little room for building close connections with others. She's been completely happy with that-up until now. Now her inability to pick up social cues and form connections with others may prevent her from her dreams in England.

[...]the entire city of Oxford, a place built by this paragon of learning, was likely filled with people who were similar to me. People who loved books more than people, and nobody thought that was weird.

I have a particular weakness for nerdy/socially awkward heroines and Beatrice certainly fit that bill. I think her awkwardness was more than just the lack of social skills. That plays into it, sure, but this is a girl that has probably never felt as if she never fit in anywhere her entire life. Not only was she far ahead of her peers intellectually and academically, she couldn't be more different from both of her parents. As marriage therapists working in Berkley, their world revolves around messy emotions and how to manage them. Beatrice tends to shy away from uncomfortable feelings.

I rolled my eyes for what was probably the millionth time and once again reminded myself why I’d never really fit in here. Berkeley, California, where even the academia had an emotional component to it. Sometimes I wondered if I had any emotional components at all.

Now that she's free from her high school obligations she just wants to leave the stifling environment of her parents house and find somewhere that she finally fits in. I would imagine it's incredibly lonely and isolating to not have one single person in the world you can relate to. You really feel for Beatrice's intense desire to move on to the next stage in her life where she can grow intellectually and hopefully truly feel at peace. One thing that bothered me a little was that the emphasis was put on her homeschooling being the major cause of her socializing deficiency. This is a stereotype, not a developmental handicap. You are perfectly able to make friends and have normal teen experiences while doing in-home learning.

Getting approval to attend Oxford comes with conditions. She must attend an acting summer camp where she will be forced to engage with other people her age and practice at a variety of skills including making friends. As an introvert, the thought of being forced to act on stage is absolutely terrifying to her, but she's willing to do anything it takes. Once there, Beatrice bumbles nervously through meeting new people and trying to fit in. It's both endearing and awkward to watch her open herself up to new acquaintences and occasionally embarrass herself. She just brushes herself off and keeps trying. The more she persists, the more empowering the challenges become. Because she can see that even if she fails, it's a learning experience. She's learning how to find her own personal fashion sense as she understands who she is a little bit better. It was very sweet how her new friends helped her navigate through her new experiences with so much patience.

Beatrice clashes with the golden boy of camp immediately. She meets Nik at the welcome party and they immediately make a bad impression on each other. She snipes at him and blames nepotism as the reason he gets all of the leading roles. He makes an unflattering comment on her looks. Enemy status achieved. They spend the majority of the book circling around each other with distrust. There isn't a huge amount of noticeable development in their relationship, though it's not for a lack of trying on his part. He does try to understand her a little better but he's always firmly rebuffed by her. She's pretty much completely clueless recognizing his interest in her which did make me a bit impatient. Even when told by her friends, she brushes it off as nonsense and continues to hang on to her misjudgment of him. I do wish that there could have been a bit more tangible romance between the two of them earlier on, but the Shakespeare quote challenge they did was super cute and original.

Beatrice is pushed out of her comfort zone and beyond during the summer. Although she'll probably never be a social butterfly (and that's perfectly okay) she learned that she is capable of much more than she was giving herself credit for. She was no longer trapped by her routines, she adapted to change better, and she realized that people can't be put in neat and tidy boxes. Although she never could have conceived having anything in common with impulsive, creative theater kids, they still bonded. You can celebrate each other's differences rather than allowing them to separate you. They were just as impressed with her intelligence as she was with their creative sides. By the end of the book you see her mature quite a bit, but more importantly, she didn't have a complete personality
transplant. She was still that quirky girl inside, just with more confidence and strength.

Overall, I really enjoyed this debut author's first book and would definitely read more from her in the future. Her writing style is in the same vein as Emma Lord, so if you enjoyed Tweet Cute or You Have a Match, this could be the perfect book for you.

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[alaska]

as an autistic person, this book really rubbed me the wrong way. i know the author is neurodivergent so no hate to her, however… i feel like it is a Not So Good Idea to write an autistic-coded main character and make the whole book revolve around her getting rid (??) of her autistic traits.

idk, it just made me feel really bad and wanted to address that!

[Alexia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

I'm gonna try to keep this short (haha, I'm so funny) but overall, I didn't really have the best time with this book.

Funny enough, I was so hyped for it that I preordered it and requested it on NetGalley the second it became available. Maybe my hopes were too high because of that, but still.

In this story where our MC Beatrice is supposed to learn how to navigate friendships, socializing and love for the first time, I found that everything and everyone felt extremely forced and flat. The two friendships she makes right off the bat are extremely hard to believe, as Beatrice does not put in nearly as much energy into them as they are putting into her. Even when the MC was interacting with the love interest, it felt like she did not want to be talking to him. I know the plot of the story is that she's forced to go to camp, but it felt like everything that Beatrice did was done against her will, even the things that were supposed to be moving the story foward. At this point, just let her go back home or something, you know?

For that reason, I could not see any chemistry between her and Nik. I am still trying to understand how I was supposed to root for them. I love enemies to lovers and I love opposites attract, but... Seriously, there was nothing about their relationship that felt plausible to me. There is no way that they'd last more than 15 minutes in the real world.

All in all, I think this book had a lot of potential and I really wish I had loved it as much as I thought I would. But I didn't end up caring enough about the characters or the plot to be completely immersed in the story. This was a really big disappointment, to be honest. ☹️

As always, don't hesitate giving a book I didn't love a shot if it sounds like something you might still like! Book opinions are subjective and this is just mine! Hopefully you'll get a better experience with it than I did!