Title: Mismatched
Author: Anne Camlin
Publisher: Little, Brown Ink
Publication date: September 3, 2024
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop | Goodreads | StoryGraph
Summary
Evan Horowitz is an Instagram influencer, an excellent matchmaker, and isn’t afraid to be himself. He’s gained a reputation for playing cupid with his fellow classmates, and so far, he hasn’t missed. So when a new girl starts at the beginning of the school year, he’s found a himself a new opportunity.
Evan quickly befriends Natalia, setting up the perfect relationship opportunities for her. But when Evan accidentally takes it too far, things start to get messy. And Evan starts to wonder–has he messed up his own chance at romance?
Review: Mismatched
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Ink for an advanced copy of Mismatched by Anne Camlin to review! This is a queer retelling of Emma by Jane Austen, which is actually the second queer retelling of Emma I’ve seen in YA in the last year or so. I always wonder what brings certain things into popularity; though Austen always seems popular for retellings!
The story was pretty well executed, following most of the major plot points of Emma. Evan isn’t the most likable character at the beginning, but part of his journey is learning how he affects other people. Especially those that he calls friends. He has a satisfying emotional journey throughout the book, even learning a bit of humility by the end. This was probably the best aspect of the book; that and the side characters. There’s a colorful cast here, and they make the story entertaining to read.
At times, it is a bit difficult to actually follow what’s going on, and I think that’s partially due to the placement of panels throughout. The art style was cute and a bit simplistic, but it fit the overall tone of the writing. A bit of clarity in the layout, though, would have helped with the general flow of the book.
All in all, not a bad retelling! If you’re an Austen fan, definitely pick this one up when it comes out in September.
3.5/5 stars