The Disability Book Archive

[ID: A book cover. The title “Top Ten” is written in the upper centre of the cover, on the right, in large white capitals. Small white lines surround it in a circle. The author’s name “Katie Cotugno” is written in the bottom right corner of the cover in black capitals. Text above this reads “New York Times Bestselling Author” in smaller black capitals. The background is white with various photographs around it. From top to bottom, the photographs are: a blonde woman wrapped around a man’s back. He is wearing a grey t-shirt. She has her arm around his neck. Both are smiling. The second photograph is a close shot of a neon arcade sign, that reads “Arcade” in large pink capitals, with colourful rainbow lights underneath it. The third photograph shows the man and woman inside a building. She is drinking from a yellow cup. The fourth photograph is behind the title and shows them both in a close embrace. The fifth photo shows the man and woman in front of a black and red statue of some kind. She is smiling, his face is blocked by his hand. The sixth photograph is a close shot of a metal fence, with lights shining through the holes. The final photograph, next to the author’s name, shows the feet of someone sitting outside on a bench. They are wearing red sneaker shoes with white laces that are untied. /end]

---

Content Warning:

• Swearing
• Sexual Content
• Panic Attacks
• Concussion
• Hospitalisation

---

Summary:

Ryan McCullough and Gabby Hart are the unlikeliest of friends. Introverted, anxious Gabby would rather do literally anything than go to a party. Ryan is a star hockey player who can get any girl he wants—and does, frequently. But against all odds, they became not only friends, but each other’s favorite person. Now, as they face high school graduation, they can’t help but take a moment to reminisce and, in their signature tradition, make a top ten list—counting down the top ten moments of their friendship:

10. Where to begin? Maybe the night we met.
9. Then there was our awkward phase.
8. When you were in love with me but never told me…
7. Those five months we stopped talking were the hardest of my life.
6. Through terrible fights…
5. And emotional makeups.
4. You were there for me when I got my heart broken.
3. …but at times, you were also the one breaking it.
2. Above all, you helped me make sense of the world.
1. Now, as we head off to college—how am I possibly going to live without you?

---

Notes:

There is an audiobook.

There is an ebook. There is a kindle edition.

Here is a link to the author’s website.

---

Archivist Comments:

One review said that the episodic nature of this novel gave it a feeling akin to a, quote, “Buzzfeed top ten list”. The structure seems to have been a bit divisive- some liked it, some thought it was a bit confusing and hard to follow. The response to the ending seems to have been a bit mixed as well.

The anxiety representation of the MC seems to have been quite well received, as well as her bisexuality and the fact that the relationship between the two characters doesn’t just follow the plot line of “oh they’re destined to be together so they’ll never be with anyone else”. They actually have relationships with other people. People thought the characters overall could have been a bit more developed, though.

---