The No-Girlfriend Rule

Starred review from November 27, 2023
Looking for a way to get closer to her boyfriend Chris, 17-year-old Hollis Beckwith—who is fat and has anxiety—tries joining his friends’ campaign of the tabletop role-playing game Secrets & Sorcery. But Chris’s group has a “no girlfriends at the table” rule, and Hollis’s one attempt to join another campaign proves uncomfortable. Then she finds a girl-friendly, queer-inclusive crowd comprising out and proud Aini and
transgender Iffy. Despite Hollis’s initial reservations, she soon nurtures previously untapped confidence among their ranks. As Hollis comes into her own and flirts with Aini via their in-game alter egos, she also reckons with the cracks in her and Chris’s relationship and must decide what she wants out of life and love. In this dazzling debut, Randall navigates serious topics such as mental health and toxic masculinity alongside joyful themes surrounding self-realization and cultivating genuine camaraderie and affirming safe spaces. A fully realized cast helps to flesh out Hollis and Aini’s developing connection and their individual quests for happiness against a lived-in-feeling gaming backdrop. Hollis and Chris are white, Aini is of South Asian heritage, and Iffy is Black. Ages 14–up. Agent: Becca Langton, Darley Anderson Literary.

February 1, 2024
Radical statement: Girls like nerdy things, too. Covington, Kentucky, high school senior Hollis Beckwith wants to join her boyfriend Chris' weekly Secrets & Sorcery tabletop gaming sessions. But the group has a hard-and-fast No-Girlfriend Rule. Frustrated, Hollis finds another S&S group via a flyer at the local game shop, one specifically billed as a "girl-friendly, LGBTQIA+ friendly campaign." Even though her anxiety disorder makes it hard for her to step out of her well-established comfort zone, the first in-person session goes well, and Hollis comes away with a new character and a new perspective on the game. What began as a desire to have something more in common with Chris becomes an outlet through which Hollis finds valuable things she hasn't had before--confidence, artistic inspiration, and relationships that are more honest and open. Though Randall sometimes casually switches into game play scenes, the focus in this fun story that steadily blooms is very much on the players themselves. The narrative shows a variety of different types of gamers, and it calls out some of the toxic assumptions and gatekeeping associated with the community. Hollis and Chris are white. Hollis is fat and feels good about her body; members of her all-girls' campaign party include a trans Black girl, two Colombian American sisters, and a lesbian with South Asian heritage. Many readers will feel seen in these pages. (Fiction. 14-18)

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Starred review from February 15, 2024
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Hollis Beckwith was just about to give up on Secrets & Sorcery, the tabletop role-play game that her boyfriend, Chris, and his friends are obsessed with. Thanks to their "no girlfriend" rule, Hollis isn't allowed to join Chris' game, and after one too many sexist and fatphobic S&S games with strangers, she's ready to quit trying to find one as an attempt to connect with him. But then comes Gloria's all-girls game, and it's by far the most respectful, consent-forward, and fun that Hollis has ever found. And her in-game flirtation with Aini, an openly queer South Asian girl, begins to feel more real than anything she has ever felt with Chris. As Hollis, initially reluctant to participate because of her anxiety, gets closer to the girls, she starts to lean into her own power and find her voice, both in and out of the game. This sparkling debut is a love letter to queer, fat, neurodivergent girls and to the importance of friendship, chosen family, and LGBTQ-inclusive spaces. The romance between Hollis and Aini is endearing and joyous, and it's underscored by the depth of the friendships that Hollis makes among the entire S&S crew. Hollis starts role-playing to get closer to someone else but finds that it ultimately brings her closer to herself and who she wants to be.

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Starred review from August 16, 2024

Gr 7 Up-Randall's debut is a romance and a fantasy RPG all in one-both stories equally fleshed out and lovely to read. Hollis Beckwith wants senior year to be memorable, but ordinary, so her anxiety can stay under control. She wants to learn more about "Secrets & Sorcery," the RPG her boyfriend Chris is deeply involved with, but his group decides there's a "no-girlfriend at the table" policy. Hollis joins an all-girl group and hidden by the shield of her character, becomes more of her true self as her anxiety begins to take a back seat. Hollis also starts to feel detached from Chris and his group and closer to the girls, especially Aini Amin-Shaw, the girl who is role-playing the love interest to her character. Lines get blurred between the fantasy story and real life until suddenly, Hollis begins to suspect that all the flirting between the characters is something she wants in real life with Aini, too. The banter between the girls is quick and witty, and readers who love Dungeons & Dragons will love the immersive story Randall creates in the fully developed game. At the same time, the novel's characters are so varied in representation and personality that the budding friendships/romance will appeal to those who can't get enough of high school dramas or sweet joyful love stories. The descriptions of what someone with an anxiety disorder feels are well written, which will help those living with the disorder feel seen, and also cultivate empathy. VERDICT Definitely a worthy purchase for library shelves.-Maria Ramusevic

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