The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall
CW: Sexism, Transphobia, Queerphobia, Internalized Homophobia, Anxiety, Described Panic Attack, Catcalling, Toxic Relationship, Gaslighting, Money Problems, Past Divorce, Absent Parent, Fatphobia, Ableism, Cheating, Swearing, Gore, Mentions of Alcohol
5/5
One of my best friends discovered Christen Randall's The No-Girlfriend Rule and knew I was meant to read it. I put it on hold as soon as she told me about it and it was my turn before the month was up. It was 100% up my alley! D&D, a fat main character, struggles with anxiety, basically being raised by a single mom, struggles with money, figuring out one's queer identity at the end of adolescence. The only thing I couldn't relate to was the main character's drawing skills, but even that I'm practicing!
At the start of The No-Girlfriend Rule, Hollis is looking for a Secrets and Sorcery game (fictionalized Dungeons and Dragons) to join. It's her boyfriend's favorite thing and she enjoys the art in the manuals. She would join his game, but the leader has a no-girlfriends rule. After a really bad session in a game store, she spots a flier for an all-girls game. She takes a chance on it and falls in love with the game. One of her fellow players is Aini, a girl playing a suave bard. As Hollis and Aini's characters flirt in-game, real feelings start to arise for the players. Hollis will have a lot to figure out about herself, should she choose to.
This book is written in 3rd person limited, and it absolutely captures Hollis' personality and struggles. The author's voice and style come across clearly, but in a way that also lets Hollis shine. I hung on to every word of The No-Girlfriend Rule. The descriptions and comparisons worked really well for me. The pacing smoothly took the audience through over half of Hollis' senior year. If I had to choose my favorite part of the writing though, it would be the way the game sessions are described. It's a treat, so I don't want to spoil too much, but I'll say it feels cinematic. At the end of the story, I was left wanting more. A quick trip to TikTok showed me that I wasn't alone. So, I really hope Randall writes a sequel!
I love how much the queer culture and the nerd culture are intertwined for The No-Girlfriend Rule. This is an intersection that I fully identify with. Things like getting into particular fandoms/buying random prints because the girls are pretty, or making playlists for your characters' romance. I've definitely also experienced Hollis' moment of "Oh wow, the pretty one is a nerd!". Hollis didn't know that she was into girls at the start of the book, but she was able to look back at girl characters she'd liked just a bit too much. Then it was being around other queer nerds (with mental illness too) that helped her start figuring things out. Other nerdy things I enjoyed were the cosplaying, dice for specific characters, and Hollis drawing her party's characters.
Anxiety was an important element of The No-Girlfriend Rule. She was diagnosed sometime before the book started and was already on some meds, but anxiety doesn't go away when it's treated. It becomes more manageable with treatment, but there will still be things in the world that trigger anxiety. Hollis is joining a group of people she doesn't know to play a game she is barely familiar with in order to impress her boyfriend. She's also starting to question what she knows about herself. All this and self-esteem issues are a lot even with the right meds. It certainly doesn't help that Hollis' boyfriend is probably gaslighting her. There is a scene where Hollis has a panic attack, which is well described and a little hard to get through. I appreciate the representation, as Randall's message is that it's good to talk about these things instead of pretending they don't exist.
Whether you love D&D or not, we could all benefit from a story about a group of girls lifting each other up. That's what Christen Randall's The No-Girlfriend Rule is. It's about queer nerdy girls and the good and bad experiences that go along with that. If this sounds like a good read to you, then be prepared; a new campaign is starting!
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