Review By: Jenna Ballard
Published: 2025
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Humor
Audience: Grades 6–12 (Perfect for 7th–9th)
Goodreads Link: On Again, Awkward Again
Content Warnings: None (Mild medical/embarrassing situations)
Publisher’s Summary
When Pacy Mercado and Cecil Holloway spot each other during the first week of freshman year, it’s love at first sight. Well, more like love at first fleeting, injury-riddled glance, since the moment is ruined thanks to clumsiness and a criminal case of IBS.
Despite their total lack of game, Pacy and Cecil are drawn to each other. Seven seconds of eye contact turns into days of yearning and stress as they make the mistake of following misguided advice from their friends, dysfunctional families, and strangers on the internet. But the universe conspires to bring them together when they both end up on the WADS committee (Wakeville’s Awesome Décor Society) to plan the freshman dance. As they spend more time together, they realize that the other person might be just what they need… if they can figure out how to be themselves and embrace the mishaps, mistakes, and hilariously awkward interactions that make up their imperfectly perfect love story.
Review
Take some classic 1990s sitcom mishaps, throw in modern Gen Alpha main characters, and combine them with the writing talents of young adult literature heavyweights Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia: that’s On Again, Awkward Again. This novel is a straightforward contemporary teen romance—but don’t mistake straightforward for dull.
Pacy and Cecil are two high school freshmen who first meet in the most “romantic” of places: the school nurse’s office. Pacy is being tended to for a bloody lip (water fountain incident), and Cecil is hunting for an inconspicuous bathroom for an impending IBS episode. This first meeting sets the stage for a journey filled with cringey-yet-cute encounters. Both characters are funny and likable, and their well-meaning friends and relatives often end up fanning the flames of awkwardness with their “helpful” advice.
As a middle school librarian, I found it incredibly refreshing to read a YA romance about 9th graders. High school freshmen are often skipped over in literature—seen by publishers as too old for middle grade, yet too young for many YA readers. This novel fits that elusive sweet spot: it doesn’t have highly mature or “scandalous” content, but it also doesn’t feel “babyish” for 7th and 8th graders who are looking for something aspirational. “It was refreshing to read a YA romance about 9th graders… this novel fits that elusive sweet spot.”
