Confessions from the Group Chat

When eighth grader Virginia Vaughn’s pals tease her about an encounter with her crush Grayson—a social pariah among her classmates—she vehemently defends herself, leading to a friendship-ending blowout between Virginia and her three besties. The next day, screenshots of the mean things she’s said about fellow students in her friends’ group chat are posted online. Soon all her classmates have turned against Virginia. Feeling isolated, the 13-year-old attempts to befriend Grayson while also seeking refuge in an anonymous texting friendship with someone known only as Knight Errant, with whom she connected via a wrong number message. As bullying by her former friends intensifies and as she struggles to navigate the aftermath of her public fall from grace, Virginia is caught between two developing relationships. Through winningly acerbic, tech-savvy narration, Meadows (Bye Forever, I Guess) explores budding first love, the complexities of toxic middle school frenemies, and the potential boons and perils of online friendships and communities in this introspective offering. Characters default to white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Lauren MacLeod, Aevitas Creative Management. (Oct.)