TELL IT TO NAOMI

Sophomore scrub Dave Rosen falls head over heels for bohemian senior Celeste Fanucci at first sight. Decked out in long, flowery dresses with Birkenstocks on her feet, Dave immediately knows Celeste is “the one,” and yearns for a way into her heart. Enter the cunning brain of his 20-something sister, Naomi, a struggling journalist hunting for both a job and infamy to go with it. By convincing Dave to tack her own name to his advice column in the school newspaper, she unknowingly helps him devise a scheme to worm his way into Celeste’s heart. Of course, not everything goes as planned, and Dave eventually finds he must answer both to the school faculty and the student body that he advises. Articulate, interesting, yet somewhat stilted, Ehrenhaft’s abundant exposition, high number of central characters, and lilting plot may try the patience of less persistent readers. However, hangers-on will definitely relish his easy style, well-conceived characterizations, and Dave’s humorous insight and plight as he balances changing friendships, first love, and his notorious, new-found alter-ego. (Fiction. YA)