I put this book under book highlights because I am so biasedly incapable of doing an objective review of this.

This book by Steve Kluger is just wholesomely wonderful. Not in the sacherrine way but in a this is how life and people should be. Characters are everything to me when I read, and I love everyone in this book, I’d want to hang out with them. Plus the romance is legitimately sweet.

The three mains are Tony or T.C. as he prefers to be called is a regular Boston Red Sox fans with an accent that has been called indecipherable. His “brother,” Auguie who is bound to be the next Broadway star as he is able to belt out “Always true to you in my fashion” better than the girls. And Ale, the new girl in school is the Mexican diplomat’s daughter, and activist but her dream of performing is a big no-no to her governmental family that becomes a close friend and something more to Tick.

I love how each has such a distinct voice, and even as they tackle simple teenage stuff in the beginning like trying to ask out their crushes, first love, and school plays, there is a magical addition with Hucky.

Hucky is a even year old deaf kid who has an amazing eye for when to strike a baseball pitch that T.C. bonds with. There is a certain connection between them as T.C.’s mom died when he was little. With seeing Hucky so alone and scared of connection for anyone besides the beloved movie figure, Mary Poppins, T.C. is determined to bring that magic to life for the kid.

For that’s what this book is about when you get down to it, love and magic as each of the teens find out the real advice they’ve been looking for has come from the prim British tone of everyone’s favorite nanny.

There’s more but it’s better to be read without knowing. But I will say, the romance and growth between T.C. and Ale is sweet and doesn’t go through the usual dragging-out of will they or won’t they as teen books are wont to do. Augie also gets his own entertaining romance without the gay angst, everyone is very accepting of his sexuality. So accepting he doesn’t even come out to them, he just bypasses to “how do I know if he likes me,” panic just like any hetero romance.

Plus Hucky is just adorable.

So go on, read this book as soon as you can. And if this doesn’t convince you, I found on goodreads almost unanimously positive reviews. Except one but clearly that guy has no heart. Point is, it’s a feel-good book.