From the Publisher
"A Disaster in Three Acts is every bit as charming as its title. With a great cast of characters, Kelsey Rodkey has crafted a story that is heartfelt, fun, and dizzyingly romantic, perfectly blending moments that will bring you to tears and double over with laughter." — Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Five Feet Apart
"It's rare that a YA novel so effortlessly transports me back to high school, and A Disaster in Three Acts did it instantly. A perfect balance of humor and heartbreak, filled with crackling romantic tension, vividly drawn characters, and a tender emotional core. This is a book bursting with love." — Rachel Lynn Solomon, New York Times bestselling author of See You Yesterday
"Rodkey explores the messiness of feelings—including growing pains and miscommunication—through flawed characters who don’t always take the easy road... A rom-com that deftly hits many emotional beats." — Kirkus Reviews
"Emotional and mental health and therapy are all addressed in a positive way, and each character feels well-developed. Even the side story lines are well-rounded. A fun rom-com with an emotional punch." — Booklist
“Full of addictive banter, achingly real characters fumbling and faking their way towards self-acceptance, and a thoroughly satisfying slow burn romance that delivers all the feels. An absolute delight that will linger long after the last page.” — Monica Gomez-Hira, author of Once Upon a Quinceañera
“Kelsey Rodkey’s signature wit shines in this hilarious and heartfelt YA romcom. Readers will fall in love with Saine as she navigates her growing feelings for her ex-friend turned friend’s ex, and the often complicated ways we figure ourselves out by letting others in.” — Sonia Hartl, author of Have a Little Faith in Me and The Lost Girls
Praise for Last Chance Books: "Packed with smart humor and sparkling prose, Last Chance Books strikes both the funny bone and the heartstrings. You’ll root for Madeline as old and new relationships thwart her fight to save her family’s bookstore. A delightful read." — Laura Taylor Namey, New York Times bestselling author of A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow
“A charming, hilarious debut that pays tribute to You’ve Got Mail while feeling uniquely modern. Kelsey Rodkey’s banter is what romcom dreams are made of, and Madeline and Jasper are so perfectly matched that I nearly perished while waiting for them to kiss. (And oh, they do.) An instant favorite.” — Rachel Lynn Solomon, New York Times bestselling author of See You Yesterday
"Madeline is quick-witted, bright, and passionate... a lighthearted page-turner." — School Library Journal
"This enemies-to-lovers romance includes a business rivalry, a deadbeat mom, and a last-gasp attempt to save a family store... A solid rom-com." — Kirkus Reviews
"The You've Got Mail-style romance is well-executed in this debut." — Publishers Weekly
"Rooted as much in family as it is in cute banter, book nerdery, and sexual tension... You’ve Got Mail for teens." — Booklist
Laura Taylor Namey
Praise for Last Chance Books: "Packed with smart humor and sparkling prose, Last Chance Books strikes both the funny bone and the heartstrings. You’ll root for Madeline as old and new relationships thwart her fight to save her family’s bookstore. A delightful read."
Rachel Lynn Solomon
"It's rare that a YA novel so effortlessly transports me back to high school, and A Disaster in Three Acts did it instantly. A perfect balance of humor and heartbreak, filled with crackling romantic tension, vividly drawn characters, and a tender emotional core. This is a book bursting with love."
Monica Gomez-Hira
Full of addictive banter, achingly real characters fumbling and faking their way towards self-acceptance, and a thoroughly satisfying slow burn romance that delivers all the feels. An absolute delight that will linger long after the last page.
Sonia Hartl
Kelsey Rodkey’s signature wit shines in this hilarious and heartfelt YA romcom. Readers will fall in love with Saine as she navigates her growing feelings for her ex-friend turned friend’s ex, and the often complicated ways we figure ourselves out by letting others in.
Rachael Lippincott
"A Disaster in Three Acts is every bit as charming as its title. With a great cast of characters, Kelsey Rodkey has crafted a story that is heartfelt, fun, and dizzyingly romantic, perfectly blending moments that will bring you to tears and double over with laughter."
Booklist
"Rooted as much in family as it is in cute banter, book nerdery, and sexual tension... You’ve Got Mail for teens."
Booklist
"Rooted as much in family as it is in cute banter, book nerdery, and sexual tension... You’ve Got Mail for teens."
School Library Journal
09/01/2022
Gr 9 Up—Eighteen-year-old student filmmaker Saine's eye for storytelling is why she knows her friendship with Holden Michaels is over when he rejects her publicly during a middle school game of spin-the-bottle and, years later, dates and breaks up with her best friend. But then Saine needs his help to complete her documentary for a filmmaking program at Temple University when her original subject drops out. With her preliminary application submitted, Saine has to stick to her topic—following a contestant through a series of live-action gaming competitions to win a prototype virtual reality headset—which is where Holden comes in. Following her ex-best-friend around while thinking she's telling a familiar tale about a white boy getting what he wants is hard. Doing that while worrying if her current best friend is jealous is even harder. Saine's fixation on the success of her film makes it easy to put her growing feelings for Holden and crumbling relationships on hold while she tries to shape real life to make sure her documentary wins her a spot at Temple, inventing financial problems and resorting to sabotage. As her lies and manipulations grow, Saine faces a reality check when she realizes that sometimes narrative growth hurts—especially when it comes to facing the consequences of her actions. Saine and Holden are white, with some secondary characters cued as BIPOC. The cast also includes characters across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. VERDICT A fast-paced rom-com with a main character whose singular focus often works against her character development.—Emma Carbone
Kirkus Reviews
2022-04-13
An aspiring documentarian finds her new subject in her estranged ex–best friend.
Eighteen-year-old high school senior Saine Sinclair hopes to secure a coveted spot in a documentary pilot program at Temple University. To complete her application, she’ll need to submit a short documentary. When her original subject, a woman competing in the Vice and Virtual video game competition, drops out and the deadline looms, Saine turns in desperation to another competitor, Holden Michaels. Not only is Holden her childhood best friend, but he’s also the ex-boyfriend of her current BFF, Corrine Baker. Saine has done her best to avoid Holden since an awkward spin-the-bottle incident in sixth grade, but now she’ll be filming his every move. The twosome’s journey plays with rom-com tropes as Rodkey explores the messiness of feelings—including growing pains and miscommunication—through flawed characters who don’t always take the easy road. Saine, who is single-minded about filmmaking and not above manipulation if it’ll make for a better movie, has to reckon with the consequences of her actions. Some plot points are clearly foreshadowed, but with a well-developed secondary cast and lots of places for the protagonists to go, the fast-paced story maintains readers’ interest. Main characters are White; there is some diversity in race and sexual orientation in the supporting cast.
A rom-com that deftly hits many emotional beats. (Romance. 13-18)
