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Not Here to Make Friends eBook

by Casey Swain

Two swimmers under pressure. One trying not to get close to anyone, the other trying to save their beloved camp. And a growing connection between them that makes everything messier. Ruby Hopkins has had the worst year of her life. Dropped from her high school’s swim team, nearly kicked out of school, and now newly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, she is waiting for an opportunity to show the world that she can still have a future in the water. When a comeback comes in the form of an intensive summer training camp, she takes it with no hesitation. She just has one rule: no friends, no attachments, no chances to get hurt again. Eliana Marsh, team captain and rising social media star, is used to the pressure to perform. But behind their bubbly personality, Eliana is wrestling with their gender identity and what it could mean for their career in swimming. When Eliana learns the camp could close if the team does not place at the upcoming championship, they know it’s now or never to help coach the team to a win. For Eliana’s plan to succeed, they know training one-on-one with Ruby will help both of their times improve. And despite Ruby’s irritability, she agrees, slowly opening herself up to vulnerability that she never expected. With the championship fast approaching and recruitment season starting, Ruby and Eliana must decide what they are willing to risk, both in and out of the pool. Read more

Not Here to Make Friends eBook

Reader reviews

  • Great Representation

    4.5⭐️

    I received an copy from the author and am leaving this review voluntarily.

    "Being strong is how I survive. I wish I didn't have to be strong "

    I really enjoyed this and it really hit home for me in many different ways. While I'm not diabetic, I am chronically ill and I saw a lot of myself in Ruby. The representation in this book all around was beautiful and I just really appreciated that. One thing that was just a little off for me was that the relationship between Ruby and Eliana felt slightly rushed but maybe that's just me wishing the book was longer. I loved the writing style because it made me not want to put down the book!

    Beta

  • YA with Amazing Representation!

    Not Here to Make Friends is such a cute YA! Queer athletes always seem to be a hot button topic, especially GNC and trans athletes, and I think the author addressed this incredibly well.

    There's also some amazing representation! I was super excited to read about a nonbinary character and Eli was SO relatable in their journey! I also loved the Type 1 Diabetes representation and though I don't have T1D, I do have an autoimmune illness and I deeply related to Ruby as well in her journey trying to come to terms with her diagnosis.

    This was such a fun quick read!

    Kelsee Reads

  • Sweet Sapphic Sports Romance

    Warning: Spoilers Ahead

    This is not my first sports romance but it is the first I’ve read with diabetes representation. I really enjoyed the portrayal of the difficulties of practicing a sport with diabetes and how much there is to learn about it. You can tell it’s very important for the author.

    Eliana’s journey managing societal expectations both in their personal life and in their professional life as a competitive swimmer. To read how so many people reacts to trans and gender nonconforming participating in sports and how they could have lost support, sponsorships and opportunities just because of their gender identity.

    Hallie and Aaron were wonderful friends first to Eliana and later also to Ruby. I must admit that I completely forgot about the existence of Vanessa, Teresa and Daria until they raced at States. The time jump to the Olympics games was a really nice addition to the end of the book. I’m glad Eliana got their gold medal and was proof that everyone belongs in sports.

    Thank you to Casey Swain for providing me with an eARC.

    Read more of this reviewShow less

    Montes

Reviews from Amazon.com (opens in a new tab)

Details

Pages

212

ISBN

ISBN-13: 9798996293704

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