If You Still Recognize Me

By Cynthia So | Publisher: HarperCollins

About the book

This heartfelt, poignant YA debut is a second-chance summer romance that will steal your heart—perfect for fans of Heartstopper, Some Girls Do, and It’s Not Like it’s a Secret.

This summer, Elsie is finally going to confess her feelings to her longtime—and long-distance—crush. Ada’s fanfics are to die for, and she just gets Elsie like no one else. That is, until Joan, Elsie’s childhood best friend, literally walks back into her life and slots in like she never left. Like she never moved away to Hong Kong and never ignored Elsie’s dozens of emails and letters.

Then Ada mentions her grandmother’s own long-lost pen pal (and maybe love?), a woman who once lived only a train ride away from Elsie’s Oxford home, and Elsie gets the idea for the perfect grand gesture. But as her plan to reunite the two older women ignites a summer of repairing broken bonds, Elsie starts to wonder if she, too, can recover the things she’s lost…

With a beautifully earnest voice and a dash of fandom, this wistful and delightful novel is a love letter to queer coming-of-age, finding community, and finding yourself.


  • Childhood Friends to Lovers: Joan was Elsie’s best friend before she disappeared for years. Now she’s back, and Elsie has to navigate the ghost of their past and the promise of a second chance she never expected.
  • Long Distance Romance: Elsie is ready to confess everything to her online crush Ada, whose fanfiction has captured her heart. But can a relationship built on screens survive the realities of an ocean between them?
  • Oxford Setting: From comic shops to university gates, this story is a love letter to Oxford in the summer, where a quest to reunite two long-lost pen pals from a past generation ignites Elsie’s own journey.
  • A Heartfelt Coming of Age Story: More than just a romance, this is a moving story about finding your voice, your community, and yourself during one unforgettable summer between high school and university.

Editions of If You Still Recognize Me

Hardcover
ISBN 9780063283268
EBook
ISBN 9780063283282

Read an Excerpt

This heartfelt, poignant YA debut is a second-chance summer romance that will steal your heart—perfect for fans of Heartstopper, Some Girls Do, and It’s Not Like it’s a Secret.

This summer, Elsie is finally going to confess her feelings to her longtime—and long-distance—crush. Ada’s fanfics are to die for, and she just gets Elsie like no one else. That is, until Joan, Elsie’s childhood best friend, literally walks back into her life and slots in like she never left. Like she never moved away to Hong Kong and never ignored Elsie’s dozens of emails and letters.

Then Ada mentions her grandmother’s own long-lost pen pal (and maybe love?), a woman who once lived only a train ride away from Elsie’s Oxford home, and Elsie gets the idea for the perfect grand gesture. But as her plan to reunite the two older women ignites a summer of repairing broken bonds, Elsie starts to wonder if she, too, can recover the things she’s lost…

With a beautifully earnest voice and a dash of fandom, this wistful and delightful novel is a love letter to queer coming-of-age, finding community, and finding yourself.


  • Childhood Friends to Lovers: Joan was Elsie’s best friend before she disappeared for years. Now she’s back, and Elsie has to navigate the ghost of their past and the promise of a second chance she never expected.
  • Long Distance Romance: Elsie is ready to confess everything to her online crush Ada, whose fanfiction has captured her heart. But can a relationship built on screens survive the realities of an ocean between them?
  • Oxford Setting: From comic shops to university gates, this story is a love letter to Oxford in the summer, where a quest to reunite two long-lost pen pals from a past generation ignites Elsie’s own journey.
  • A Heartfelt Coming of Age Story: More than just a romance, this is a moving story about finding your voice, your community, and yourself during one unforgettable summer between high school and university.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is If You Still Recognize Me about?

This heartfelt, poignant YA debut is a second-chance summer romance that will steal your heart—perfect for fans of Heartstopper, Some Girls Do, and It’s Not Like it’s a Secret.

This summer, Elsie is finally going to confess her feelings to her longtime—and long-distance—crush. Ada’s fanfics are to die for, and she just gets Elsie like no one else. That is, until Joan, Elsie’s childhood best friend, literally walks back into her life and slots in like she never left. Like she never moved away to Hong Kong and never ignored Elsie’s dozens of emails and letters.

Then Ada mentions her grandmother’s own long-lost pen pal (and maybe love?), a woman who once lived only a train ride away from Elsie’s Oxford home, and Elsie gets the idea for the perfect grand gesture. But as her plan to reunite the two older women ignites a summer of repairing broken bonds, Elsie starts to wonder if she, too, can recover the things she’s lost…

With a beautifully earnest voice and a dash of fandom, this wistful and delightful novel is a love letter to queer coming-of-age, finding community, and finding yourself.


  • Childhood Friends to Lovers: Joan was Elsie’s best friend before she disappeared for years. Now she’s back, and Elsie has to navigate the ghost of their past and the promise of a second chance she never expected.
  • Long Distance Romance: Elsie is ready to confess everything to her online crush Ada, whose fanfiction has captured her heart. But can a relationship built on screens survive the realities of an ocean between them?
  • Oxford Setting: From comic shops to university gates, this story is a love letter to Oxford in the summer, where a quest to reunite two long-lost pen pals from a past generation ignites Elsie’s own journey.
  • A Heartfelt Coming of Age Story: More than just a romance, this is a moving story about finding your voice, your community, and yourself during one unforgettable summer between high school and university.

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in If You Still Recognize Me?

Children’s, Teenage and Educational > Children’s / Teenage: Personal and social topics > Children’s / Teenage: Social issues / topics > Children’s / Teenage social topics: Migration / refugees

Where can I read a sample of If You Still Recognize Me?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780063283268

Who is/are the Author/s of the book If You Still Recognize Me?

Cynthia So

Who is the Publisher of the book If You Still Recognize Me?

HarperCollins

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

If You Still Recognize Me is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780063283268) and ebook(ISBN 9780063283282)

Where can I buy If You Still Recognize Me online or support local independent bookshops?

You can buy If You Still Recognize Me from below

Where can I buy If You Still Recognize Me?