Dear Wendy - Paperback

by Ann Zhao (Author)

Two aromantic and asexual college students explore friendship, relationships, and queer identities in this bestselling debut described as "The platonic love story of my dreams!" by Alice Oseman, New York Times-bestselling creator of Heartstopper!

Sophie Chi is in her first year of college and has long accepted her aroace (aromantic and asexual) identity. She knows she'll never fall in love, but she enjoys running an Instagram account that offers relationship advice to students at her school. No one except her roommate can know that she's behind the incredibly popular "Dear Wendy" account.

When Joanna "Jo" Ephron (also a first-year student and aroace) created their "Sincerely Wanda" account, it wasn't at all meant to be taken seriously. But now they might have a rivalry of sorts with Wendy's account? Oops. As if Jo's not busy enough having existential crises over gender identity, whether she'll ever truly be loved, and the possibility of her few friends finding The One then forgetting about her!

While tensions are rising online, Sophie and Jo grow closer in real life, especially once they realize their shared aroace identity. Will their friendship survive if they learn just who's behind the Wendy and Wanda accounts?

This book is a work of fiction, but it deals with real issues including depictions of aphobia (discrimination against asexual and aromantic individuals), anxiety/stress from negative social media attention, frank discussions of sex and sexuality, and various diaspora feelings.

Author Biography

Ann Zhao is a graduate of Wellesley College, where she studied linguistics with a minor in women's and gender studies. She enjoys cooking, baking, and knitting, and she does not enjoy cleaning up after herself when she's done with these activities. Dear Wendy is her debut novel.