Daisy and Noah are not exactly friends when they are selected to perform a duet at the holiday concert. But, all of that changes when they play together. After a recording of their performance takes the internet by storm, the two find themselves navigating high school, first love, and viral fame together.
The comments section is flooded with comments about Daisy's cerebral palsy. She becomes a tokenized inspiration, and Noah is seen as a saint for loving her. When they get the chance to set the record straight, and win a scholarship for Julliard on television, Noah ends up uncovering his own unconscious biases.
Author, Melissa See, takes a look at the ways religion, class, imposter syndrome, and the media all have influences in the lives of young people. Daisy's disability is a part of the story, just as it is an integral part of who she is. But it is not a plot point, or a twist. It is not a story in which the characters come to terms with their identities. Rather — this is a story about first love, understanding how we inhabit our bodies, finding our agency, and learning when to leave a community that no longer serves us.
