Emma Lord | The Rival

The Book: 

The Rival by Kate Spencer
Published: January 21, 2025 by Wednesday Books
Date read: October 26, 2024

Find more January 2025 releases here.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The Characters: 

Sadie and Seb

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The Plot (from Goodreads):

At long last, Sadie has vanquished her lifelong academic rival — her irritatingly charming, whip smart next door neighbor, Seb — by getting the coveted, only spot to her dream college. Or at least, so she thinks. When Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again, this time to get a spot on the school’s famous zine. Now not only is she dealing with the mayhem of the lovable, chaotic family she hid her writing talents from, as well as her own self doubt, but she has to come to terms with some less-than-resentful feelings for Seb that are popping up along the way.

But the longer they compete, the more Sadie and Seb notice flaws in the school’s system that are much bigger than any competition between them. Somehow the two of them have to band together even as they’re trying to crush each other, only to discover they may have met their match in more ways than one.

My Review:

The Rival is a cute YA academic rivals story. Sadie and Seb grew up with parents who were best friends, and have just started college at the same school. They’re competing for the same spot on the school newspaper, and Sadie is understandably frustrated after having to compete with Seb throughout her whole high school career.

The campus shenanigans were quite fun (even if I spent a lot of time wondering how Sadie was managing to keep up with classes!), and I felt for Sadie’s overworked roommate Christina. There’s a lot of apt discussion about leaving home and your family for the first time. I enjoyed Sadie and Seb’s backstory, even if I didn’t quite buy their relationship.

I always look forward to a new Emma Lord book, and The Rival was no exception. For everyone wondering what Emma Lord’s signature sweet treat fixation will be in this book, it’s pancakes!

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