Smart and witty.
This sharp-witted debut pours on the wry comedy as a brainiac girl tries to hide her intelligence so she can be popular.
In middle school, Nora was not only the teachers' pet, but “their teacup Chihuahua.” With both parents university professors, excelling in school is a family priority. Nora wants to be popular as a sophomore at her new high school, so to her feminist mother’s dismay, she turns her gymnastics training into a spot on the cheerleading squad. Even better, she attracts the attention of dumb-as-a-post football-hero Jake and sits at the popular table in the cafeteria. But she instantly loses her heart to handsome Adam, another newcomer who’s as smart as she is. Having already dropped her AP classes, Nora traps herself in a tangle of lies to get into Adam’s. Her schemes predictably backfire, and she becomes a pariah in the school. Can Nora turn things around to win her friends back and, more importantly, win Adam’s heart? Valentine has a bright sense of humor, pitching it at those readers who can identify with Nora. Although the book gets a tad preachy, readers will discern that Adam is attracted to Nora and laugh as her efforts to get closer to him work against her in a continuing comedy of errors.
Smart and witty. (Fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 13, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-399-25771-1
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2013
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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