Mal spends their days living by their plan as they find it the best way to stay on top of things. But when Collage, the school magazine, is cancelled, everything changes and Mal feels as if their plan is falling apart. Then Emerson suggests launching a zine and putting it together outside of school, and Mal finds the idea terrifying. When MixxedMedia is born, Mal begins to realise that deviating from the plan may not be the worst thing in the world.
Mal is simply trying to find their way. Collage feels like it's where they belong but when it's cancelled that all comes crashing down. It's the only extra-curricular club they attend and they need it for their college application. The change is unsettling to say the least so when Emerson suggests the new, rogue idea, they feel it's possible, but they need to learn to accept that things don't always go the way they want them to and sometimes that's ok.
Mal and Emerson are very different in their temperaments but the pair seem to work well together and the back room in the coffee shop where Emerson works part-time soon becomes a real home for MixxedMedia. The experience gives Mal some confidence in their ability in terms of the magazine but their parents, especially their mum, don't see this. Mal seems to live in the shadow of their sister, a sister who has her back but doesn't always understand when Mal's work on Zine means they can't be there for her football matches.
The diversity in the book was woven seamlessly into the characters so it was very much part of who they were and not forced into the book - I always like to see that. Readers need to see authentic characters they can relate to and I feel that Christen achieves this well. Family dynamics, living in a sibling's shadow and parental expectations are also woven into the plot in this heart-warming, cosy YA read about finding your way, finding your passion and finding love.
According To Plan is out now.
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