If You Still Recognize Me - by Cynthia So (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This summer, Elsie is finally going to confess her feelings to her longtime--and long-distance--crush. Ada's fanfics are to die for, and she just gets Elsie like no one else. That is, until Joan, Elsie's childhood best friend, literally walks back into her life and slots in like she never left alsohe never moved away to Hong Kong and never ignored Elsie's dozens of emails and letters. Then Ada mentions her grandmother's own long-lost pen pal (and maybe love?), a woman who once lived only a train ride away from Elsie's Oxford home, and Elsie gets the idea for the perfect grand gesture. But as her plan to reunite the two older women ignites a summer of repairing broken bonds, Elsie starts to wonder if she, too, can recover the things she's lost."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

This heartfelt, poignant YA debut is a second-chance summer romance that will steal your heart--perfect for fans of Heartstopper, Some Girls Do, and It's Not Like it's a Secret.

This summer, Elsie is finally going to confess her feelings to her longtime--and long-distance--crush. Ada's fanfics are to die for, and she just gets Elsie like no one else. That is, until Joan, Elsie's childhood best friend, literally walks back into her life and slots in like she never left. Like she never moved away to Hong Kong and never ignored Elsie's dozens of emails and letters.

Then Ada mentions her grandmother's own long-lost pen pal (and maybe love?), a woman who once lived only a train ride away from Elsie's Oxford home, and Elsie gets the idea for the perfect grand gesture. But as her plan to reunite the two older women ignites a summer of repairing broken bonds, Elsie starts to wonder if she, too, can recover the things she's lost...

With a beautifully earnest voice and a dash of fandom, this wistful and delightful novel is a love letter to queer coming-of-age, finding community, and finding yourself.

Review Quotes

"Cynthia So leans into the complex fluidity of relationships over time, across generations and communities, shaded by culture and circumstances. Elsie's story is romantic, warm, wise, and disarmingly sincere." -- #1 New York Times bestselling author Becky Albertalli

"A moving and heart-warming story about queer love, family, culture and fandom. So has a uniquely poetic style that sees beauty in the everyday and makes the familiar feel fresh and new." -- Ciara Smyth, author of The Falling in Love Montage

"I loved this cozy book. Like reading a long-awaited comic sequel, eating the perfect bowl of soy sauce noodles, or finally finding the right words at the right time, this book left me satisfied in the way a queer coming-of-age novel should." -- Jaye Robin Brown, author of Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit

"A beautiful story of cultural identity, friendship, and the dizzying and exhilarating experience of young love. If You Still Recognize Me is a triumph." -- Stonewall Honor author Ashley Herring Blake

"A wonderfully heartfelt and joyously queer romance." -- Lauren James, author of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe

"This wonderful book is both a tender coming-of-age romance and?a tapestry of queer identity that spans oceans, generations, and stages of life ... As intimate and revelatory as the first touch of a first crush's hand." -- Riley Redgate, author of Seven Ways We Lie

"A lyrical, complex tale of friendship, family, and all the stories we tell ourselves--true and not--about what it means to love." -- Kelly Loy Gilbert, author of When We Were Infinite

"Just so SO perfect. This is the book I wish I'd had as a queer teen discovering my identity." -- Sarah Underwood, author of Lies We Sing to the Sea

"Tender and true. A worthwhile celebration of love and second chances from a fresh voice." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Crafted with depth, nuance, and care." -- Publishers Weekly