Darts and Flowers
A funny, heartwarming queer YA rom-com about two childhood buddies who reunite in high school and launch a madcap scheme of blackmail, betrayal, and manipulation – all in the name of friendship and love.
Zack Standish and Josh Bradshaw are best friends, separated at 12 and reunited the first day of their junior year at Watson Academy. But their joyful reunion quickly becomes an epic mess when Josh tells Zack that he’s gay and has his eyes set on Brian, his first love and the school’s star athlete whose beautiful girlfriend is Zack’s secret crush.
So when the two develop a harebrained plan to nab the objects of their affection, Brian’s cunning sister Jamie slips into the game and takes it to a whole other level where loyalties are challenged, betrayal and manipulation ensue, and true identities are revealed – all in the name of friendship and love.
Debut young adult author Dean Backus spins a warm, witty, and clever tale of friendship, identity, secrets, and love in this gay romantic comedy set in the 1990s at a private Seattle high school. Darts and Flowers is inspired by Shakespeare’s comedies and iconic teen films of the 90s, including Clueless and 10 Things I Hate About You.
The perfect discovery for fans of Sophie Gonzales’ Only Mostly Devastated, Simon James Green’s You’re the One That I Want, and Here’s to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera.
“Funny and LGBTQ+ affirming, Darts and Flowers is a story about teenagers who are desperate to be loved, validated, and part of a community.”
— Jeana Jorgensen, Foreword Reviews
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“What if Shakespeare’s ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ or ‘Twelfth Night’ was set Seattle in the 90’s? This funny, wickedly sharp, and often touching YA novel evokes the Bard’s talent for madcap hijinx, misunderstandings, twisted plots, love unrequited, and dreams thwarted as well as coming true.”
— Keshla, Consumer Review
“The author does a wonderful job of encapsulating the joy and pain of adolescence within a group of diverse classmates at a private Seattle high school. This is a very sophisticated and insightful novel for anyone who enjoys reading YA fiction.”
— Cici Polson, Consumer Review
