Waiting On…Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz & Kat Helgeson

Waiting On Wednesday is a regular feature on Pop! Goes The Reader in which I highlight forthcoming titles which I’m particularly excited about and looking forward to. This weekly event is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Title Gena/Finn
Author Hannah Moskowitz & Kat Helgeson
Pages 345 Pages
Intended Target Audience Young Adult
Genre Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, LGBT
To Be Published April 5th, 2016 by Chronicle Books
Find It On Goodreads ● Amazon.com ● Chapters

The story follows the unlikely friendship of two young women forged via fan fiction and message boards, and is told entirely in texts, chats, and blog posts.

Gena (short for Genevieve) and Finn (short for Stephanie) have little in common. Book-smart Gena is preparing to leave her posh boarding school for college; down-to-earth Finn is a twenty-something struggling to make ends meet in the big city. Gena’s romantic life is a series of reluctant one-night-stands; Finn is making a go of it with long-term boyfriend Charlie. But they share a passion for Up Below, a buddy cop TV show with a cult fan following. Gena is a darling of the fangirl scene, keeping a popular blog and writing fan fiction. Finn’s online life is a secret, even from Charlie. The pair spark an unlikely online friendship that deepens quickly (so quickly it scares them both), and as their individual “real” lives begin to fall apart, they increasingly seek shelter online, and with each other.

There is so much to love about this novel, I hardly know where to begin. The colourful, clever cover. The style in which it’s written – Dual perspectives and a fresh, modern twist on epistolary fiction, composed entirely of emails, text messages, message boards, etc. The emphasis on female friendship (and potentially something more?). The celebration of fandom. The portrayal of ‘internet relationships’ as real, true, and valid forms of connection. This book has everything, and is everything. Though I can’t help but feel I’ve barely scratched the surface in regard to what excites me about this forthcoming title, it’s more than enough to have me counting the months, days, and hours until Gena/Finn‘s release. Is it April yet?