Not Here to Be Liked

Ages 13 And Up, Grades 8 And Up

In this cheeky and whip-smart YA contemporary, debut author Michelle Quach follows an ambitious Chinese-Vietnamese American girl who finds herself trapped between leading a feminist movement and falling for her patriarchal enemy. Emergency Contact meets Moxie in this thoughtful unpacking of gendered double standards. 

Eliza Quan doesn’t need you to like her. She puts in more hours than anyone else and isn’t afraid to speak her mind, which makes her the perfect candidate for editor-in-chief of her high school paper. At least until ex-jock Len DiMartile decides on a whim to run against her. Suddenly, her vast qualifications mean squat. Eliza tries too hard (and somehow also not hard enough), while the inexperienced Len, who is tall, handsome, and male, just seems more like a leader.When Eliza’s frustration about the sexism spills out in an essay gone viral, she finds herself at the helm of a feminist movement she never meant to start, caught between two camps at school: those who believe she’s a gender-rights champion, and others who think she’s simply the girl who cried misogyny.Amid this growing tension, the administration asks Eliza and Len to work side by side to demonstrate civility. But as they get to know one another, Eliza feels increasingly trapped by a horrifying realization—she just might be falling for the face of the patriarchy himself.In this modern romantic comedy, debut author Michelle Quach brings sharp humor to the story of an ambitious young woman who proves that you don’t have to be likeable to be loved.

About the Author

Michelle Quach is a Chinese Vietnamese American who also spent a lot of time working for student newspapers—including The Harvard Crimson at Harvard University, where she earned a BA in history and literature. She is currently a graphic designer at a brand strategy firm in Los Angeles, and this is her first novel.