Bye Forever, I Guess by Jodi Meadows

Thirteen-year-old Ingrid’s been living a double life. At school, she’s the Girl With Dead Parents, her popular friend Rachel’s charity case. Online, things are different: she crushes it in her favorite MMORPG, geeks out in her favorite fantasy fandom, and runs a popular social media account. If only real life were that easy.

But when Ingrid finally stands up to Rachel and “starts drama,” it suddenly feels like she has no life at all . . . and nowhere to sit at lunch.

Until she gets a supersweet wrong-number text from a mystery boy at her school, and everything starts to go right. Spending time together playing Ancient Tomes Online as “Stitches” and “Traveler” makes her feel like she’s really connecting with someone. But when she begins to suspect that Traveler may be a popular classmate who is WAY above her in the cool-kid food chain—and whose original text was actually intended for Rachel—she faces a difficult choice. Can they be friends IRL? She wants to open up, but getting close to people has hurt her before.

Is making real friends only fantasy after all?

Bye Forever, I Guess is the fresh, funny, and deeply sweet middle-grade debut of New York Times bestselling author Jodi Meadows (MY LADY JANE). Speaking to the messiness of middle-school friendships (and first loves), this is a warm, witty, enormously entertaining book—and a love letter to geek culture, gaming, and the healing power of fantasy.

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Bye Forever, I Guess by Jodi Meadows is a sweet and thoughtful story that touches on the complexities of middle-school friendships, loyalty, and finding your place both online and offline. Ingrid’s double life, balancing her identity as the “Girl With Dead Parents” at school and her popular, confident online persona, is both relatable and compelling. The novel delicately navigates the messy realities of teenage relationships, especially the difficulty of knowing when to walk away from a friendship, as Ingrid eventually does with Rachel.

One of the standout elements of the story is how it treats online friendships. Ingrid’s bond with Llama, someone she’s never met in real life, is treated as just as valid and real as her relationships at school, reflecting the genuine intensity and seriousness of online connections. This is a refreshing and affirming take for young readers who may have similar experiences.

While the story’s tone is warm and witty, the characters—particularly Ingrid and her friends—often speak with a maturity beyond their thirteen years, feeling more like older teens. This doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the novel, but it does make the characters feel slightly older than they are. And though the twist about Traveler and Oliver is easy to spot early on, the journey toward that revelation is still enjoyable, especially as it explores the themes of trust and vulnerability in new friendships.

Overall, Bye Forever, I Guess is a delightful read, full of heart and fandom love, offering a meaningful exploration of friendships in both the virtual and real worlds.

For recommendations:

Book: Geekerella by Ashley Poston
For readers who love fandoms, online connections, and finding friendship through shared passions, Geekerella offers a charming Cinderella retelling set in the world of geek culture.

Movie: Mean Girls
For its sharp look at middle-school and high-school social dynamics, Mean Girls is a fantastic complement to the friendship drama and emotional journey Ingrid goes through in Bye Forever, I Guess.

Bye Forever, I Guess publishes on the 22nd of October, 2024. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.