DBF 2025: Trung Le Nguyen

Being a teenager is no fairy tale . . . but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a little magic. A high schooler’s journey to recover from burnout leads to a surprising romance with a twist from the bestselling author of The Magic Fish.

Angelica was the girl who could do it all—until suddenly, she couldn’t. Burnout hit hard.  Now, after some very low moments, she’s ready to get her life back together, thanks to her friends, and one very surprising source of comfort. 

A bear.

Peri is the mascot of the local theater. He’s been sending Angelica supportive messages from his social. They’ve become friends, and Angelica might even have . . . a crush?

Determined to find the human behind the bear costume, Angelica gets a summer job interning at the theater. She might never go back to being the girl who can do everything, but perhaps she is becoming the girl who can magically have it all.