Reviewed by Jess
TITLE: Three Times the Charm
AUTHOR: A.M. Burns, Kimberly Cooper Griffin, and Caitlin Ricci
PUBLISHER: Harmony Ink Press
LENGTH: 139 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2018
BLURB:
Surviving senior year is hard enough. Saving a friend might be impossible.
When longtime friends Raine and Amelia meet new student Mel, a shameless flirt and open lesbian, it casts their feelings for each other in a different light. Soon the affection between the three girls grows into an attraction they’re eager to explore.
But even as new love blooms, a secret Amelia’s been hiding for years demands their attention. Amelia has an eating disorder, and even if she’s in denial, the disease is threatening her health—and her life. She’ll need the support of her friends to recover as the relationship faces its first test… one they must pass before it’s too late for Amelia.
REVIEW:
This book is definitely a first for me—I’ve certainly never read a polyamorous YA romance before, and I’m very excited about it! The authors really nail down a lovely dynamic between shy Amelia, artistic Raine, and bold Mel in a way that makes me root for them on every page. While the romance is excellent, I struggled with some of the other aspects of the story.
The teenage characters felt like real teenagers from the first page. They come from diverse backgrounds and recognize each other’s differences while still being silly, flirty, ambitious, perceptive, and resilient. They worry about the normal stuff—homework, annoying siblings, college applications—while dealing with some heavier issues. I especially like Mel, because I see a lot of my teen self in her, and I can definitely see why she and Raine have a crush on their cheerleader, Amelia.
Poly relationships are still entering the mainstream, and some readers will still be very new to the concept. I like that all three girls take their time to figure out their feelings and talk about it even as they find themselves falling hard. Love is confusing and weird and overwhelming when you’re a kid, and it can be even harder for queer kids, so framing a poly relationship at that age as a little unconventional is totally okay. The girls know it will be hard, but seeing them work through the sticker aspects of a three-girl relationship feels like a totally natural romantic progression. It’s a new dynamic for me, and it is one I hope to read more about in many books to come.
I struggled a bit more when the story got into some of the heavier themes, like Amelia’s severe disordered eating. By the very end of the book, I think older and younger readers alike will get a little bored with the story. These days, eating disorders are not taboo or shameful, and there are a lot more conversations about them and other mental and physical disorders. The storyline involving Amelia’s disordered eating, parental abuse, and hospitalization is very sanitized, even for a young adult book. She’s going through some really heavy stuff, and though she gets a realistic conclusion, it all seems to be wrapped up a little too neatly through the magic of love by the last chapter. Young readers can handle the gritty reality—they are going through it, too. I would’ve liked to see it play out with just a touch less sparkle.
These authors have crafted a story together that shines a light on an unconventional romantic dynamic that makes complete sense for these three lovely characters. I enjoyed many parts of the story, and I find myself wondering where Amelia, Raine, and Mel are now. But it felt like all three authors were a little clumsy when it came to blending adult issues with a YA audience, and that took me out of the story from time to time.
RATING: 
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