Day’s YA: WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE

WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE by Emma Lord
9781250783349
1/4/22
Wednesday Books
Ages 12-18

E-galley is available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

“And when you get the chance . . . You are the dancing queen.”

When seventeen-year-old Millie gets into the Madison Pre College program for musical theater, she just knows that her Broadway dreams are about to come true. The only thing standing in her way is her dad, who is hesitant to let his teenage daughter move across the country by herself. So when Millie accidentally stumbles across her dad’s LiveJournal from 2003, she decides she’s going to try to find her mother with the hopes that she will be on Millie’s side. There’s just one problem: according to the LiveJournal entries, there are three women who fit the bill. Between Steph, Farrah, and Beth, one of them is sure to be Millie’s mom . . . but who?? Determined to figure it out, Millie spends her summer getting to know all three, while also butting heads with her enemy-turned-maybe-crush, Oliver.

In true Emma Lord fashion, this Mamma Mia-inspired rom-com is joyful, endearing, and laugh-out-loud funny. Millie’s over-the-top personality is balanced perfectly with the steadiness of the supporting cast, such as her dorky and introverted dad, her tech nerd best friend Teddy, and her nemesis / stage manager Oliver. Rife with musical theater references and Abba quotes, WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE is a Broadway lover’s dream and will have you cheering for Millie until the final curtain call. Hand this sweet rom-com to fans of musicals, Sophie Gonzales, and Erin Hahn.

“Chock-full of musical theater references and humor, the novel includes high-stakes emotional drama that is balanced by supportive friendships and strong, deep family connections . . . An entertaining personal journey with plot twists galore.” —Kirkus Reviews

Happy reading!
<3 Emily

YA Resources:
2021 Books for Teens
2022 Books for Teens
Day’s YA archives
2021 Adult Books for Teens