Where to read
As an affiliate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through these links — at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
The Hardest Ones to Fool
by Christina Li
Our take
This is a con artist thriller first, queer identity second, following a bisexual teen who's juggling three boyfriends who have no idea about each other. When her best friend turns up dead, she has to solve a murder without blowing up her own scheme in the process. A bisexual antihero this unapologetic about lying to everyone around her, rather than a queer character built to be liked, is a fun change of pace for YA. Published in 2026, it arrives as unlikable, morally messy queer leads keep gaining ground in YA. The pacing stays quick and twisty from the opening pages.
Publisher's description
For fans of the hit Netflix series Inventing Anna and The Girls I've Been comes a bold young adult thriller about a teen scammer who won't let boys, friends, or even murder get in her way.
Amelia Wu is great at relationships. So great, in fact, that she’s in three of them. Why choose between the suave debate team captain, the charming indie filmmaker, and the tennis star when she can be with them all?
The catch? None of them know about each other. It works perfectly. They’re in love with her—or the versions of her that they get. Amy. Ellie. Mia. And she’s in love with the lavish dinners, fancy yacht trips, and expensive gifts. Times three.
But schemes always get complicated, don’t they? When Amelia's best friend ends up dead, her alleged murder shocks their placid beachside city. And soon, Amelia's carefully planned relationships start to dangerously unravel.
In a fit of desperation, Amelia teams up with her academic nemesis Jackie, the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and a self-proclaimed true crime junkie, to get to the bottom of this.
After all, Amelia needs to keep her boyfriends close and her enemies closer if she wants to keep her scam—and herself—afloat.
- Publisher
- Penguin
- First published
- 2026
Available formats
- Print — 256 pages · ISBN 9798217053148
Reviews (0)
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.