Title: Kat and Meg Conquer the World
Author: Anna Priemaza
Genre & Age Group: Contemporary, young adult
Goodreads Synopsis:
For fans of Nicola Yoon’s Everything, Everything, Emery Lord’s When We Collided, and Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl, Anna Priemaza’s debut novel is a heartwarming and achingly real story of finding a friend, being a fan, and defining your place in a difficult world.
Kat and Meg couldn’t be more different. Kat’s anxiety makes it hard for her to talk to people. Meg hates being alone, but her ADHD keeps pushing people away. But when the two girls are thrown together for a year-long science project, they discover they do have one thing in common: They’re both obsessed with the same online gaming star and his hilarious videos.
It might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship—if they don’t kill each other first.
“Kat and Meg Conquer the World will hit home for anyone who has ever been waist-deep in fandom, doubt, or new relationships; Kat’s and Meg’s unique voices are outstanding, and their friendship brings this story to vibrant life.”—Francesca Zappia, author of Made You Up and Eliza and Her Monsters
Source: Thanks so much to Indigo Books & Music Inc. for providing me with a physical ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Since I’d heard that this book incorporated mental health and friendship, which are two of my favourite topics to read about, I had no doubts in my desire to read it. This book had been on my radar for a while, so when it came as an option to request from the Indigo ARC newsletter, I made sure to do so right away!
Kat and Meg Conquer the World turned out to be everything I thought it would be- fun, diverse, unique, and special. I know that once more readers find out about the beauty that this book is, they will be running to their local bookstores and libraries in no time to check it out.
For a brief synopsis, this story follows the dual perspectives of Kat, a girl with anxiety issues, and Meg, a girl who has ADHD. When Kat moves to Meg’s city and school, she does not know anyone, but when she finds herself paired up with Meg for a science project, the two form a strong- albeit unlikely- bond. The one common interest that allows for this bond is their love for an online gaming star, but will this be enough to help withstand it?
In many ways, this novel was extremely diverse. As mentioned before, Kat suffers from an anxiety disorder that tends to limit her relationships with others, and hence she is also immensely introverted. Being new to a community does not help ease this anxiety, so it is natural that Kat needs someone to count on in order to be successful. That someone is Meg, who is both racially diverse (she is of colour) and neurodiverse (as said, she has ADHD). Despite the differences in temperaments as well as most of their interests, Meg does not fail to make Kat’s life so much better with her hyperactive, extroverted spirit and bubbly attitude.
While reading, I could easily distinguish between both perspectives. I loved that in spite of the fact that both girls are so different from each other, they are still able to find common ground and use it to create a robust friendship. However, I found that the development of their relationship is a bit rushed and that it does not have enough time to fully evolve, but that may just be me.
As for the plot, this novel does not have much of one because of the dominant focus on character development. The majority of the events revolve around the characters and their bond, but as this is ultimately a friendship story, I was completely fine with this.
All in all, Kat and Meg Conquer the World is that fluffy, diverse friendship story that everyone needs in their life. The two protagonists were beautifully and uniquely crafted and make the story an incredibly fun ride. I know that science and video game lovers- or any reader in general- in search of a sweet story with more of an emphasis on friendship than romance will adore this one!
*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc. in exchange for an honest review.*
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