May 25, 2020
High school juniors Caroline “Chuck” Wilson and Beckett Porter were best friends until the year before, when he betrayed her by letting out a secret told in confidence. Chuck hasn’t spoken to him since, and now she’s dealing with another family problem: her father’s business, Bigmouth’s, a bowling alley, is about to go under. Beckett, hired by the alley’s food supplier to make deliveries, overhears the devastating news, and he has a scheme to raise much-needed funds: teach Chuck, a superior bowler, how to hustle at underground games. Despite her misgivings and her grudge, Chuck reluctantly agrees. After her first few successful hustles, she’s ecstatic about her winnings but secretly fears that her impulsive behaviors are a sign she’s inherited the bipolar disorder that afflicted her late mother before she died by suicide years before. At the same time, the crush Chuck once had on Beckett is returning, stronger than ever. Though the progress of Chuck’s illegal activities and her relationship with Beckett are fairly predictable, both protagonists emerge as flawed, sympathetic characters. Capturing the vibe of bowling alley action and the business of betting, first-time author Coombs, herself diagnosed with bipolar disorder, sensitively portrays mental health concerns, including roller-coaster highs and lows. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennie Kendrick, Red Fox Literary.