Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl deals with themes of queerness, growing up, coming of age, and friendship. The titular character, Margo Zimmerman is mid-kiss with a girl for the first time when she realizes she’s a lesbian. A high school senior and straight-A student, she recruits her bi classmate, Abbie Sokoloff, to teach her everything there is to know about being queer.
While Abbie and Margo typically fly in different social circles, Abbie agrees to help Margo on one condition: in exchange for Queer 101 lessons, Margo must tutor Abbie in AP History. Margo agrees, and thus begins a very transactional, sort-of friendship.
Though Margo and Abbie need time to figure each other out and get past the other’s bravado, their forced friendship starts to deepen as they spend more time together, studying. Maybe Abbie isn’t as sarcastic and unfeeling as she initially seems. Maybe what Margo wants to learn can’t be taught. And, most importantly as their feelings grow and their lives wind tighter and tighter together, maybe Margo is Abbie’s type after all.
It alternates between Margo and Abbie’s points of view, focusing on both their relationship with each other as well as the individual struggles they’re each facing: Margo, for one, isn’t out to her friends yet, and she isn’t sure when, if ever, she should tell them she’s queer. She already feels like she’s lying by not telling them, and she’s worried she’s too femme to be a “real” lesbian.
Abbie, on the other hand, is dealing with parents who are distant at best, and an AP History grade that has tanked her GPA enough that her future college is threatening to rescind their acceptance. In terms of her own sexuality, Abbie has been out as bi for ages, long before the start of the novel, but her best friend Charlie is a lesbian who refuses to acknowledge Abbie’s bisexuality. It isn’t as simple as calling Charlie out on her biphobia, because Abbie is scared to push Charlie away, though, because Charlie is supportive on other fronts, and Abbie feels conflicted. How much biphobia is Abbie willing to endure to keep Charlie as her friend?
Called “a largely enjoyable story with a spicy queer romance” by Kirkus, Autostraddle praised in particular the novel’s sex scene, calling it “fantastic” and the overall novel “swoony”. In terms of critical reception, Kirkus noted that the points of view were at times confusing and that the characters were “somewhat one-dimensional”.
Overall, Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl balances a larger social critique of stereotypes, including those about bisexuals and lesbians, with banter, humor, and a giant helping of Queer 101 knowledge. It features numerous queer characters as well as neurodiversity representation. It spends significant page time discussing bisexuality, biphobia, and bi erasure, featuring multiple conversations about these topics —reminding its readers that it’s okay to set boundaries and live your truth. Doing so will draw to you the right people for you.