THE SUMMER OF NO REGRETS

This novel about the search for "the Great Cosmic Mystery" has too many plot elements and coincidences to throw light on the subject.

Brigitta Schopenhauer is high-minded but secretly reads tabloids and writes a blog about celebrities finding faith. When her best friend Natalie spots a lookalike for bad-boy teen actor Trent Yves, Brigitta dismisses her. After all, it's not really Trent Yves, but a boy named Luke Geoffrey. She's more occupied with mourning her deceased grandparents and adjusting to the recent changes in her father's behavior, as revealed by awkward flashbacks. An unnecessary and overdramatic plot twist features a cougar that nearly attacks Luke until Brigitta chases it away; when it is shot, it leaves behind two kittens. Luke and Brigitta grow closer as they care for the kittens, culminating in an overnight road trip on which Luke kisses Brigitta. The road trip is a tipping point for more than just Luke and Brigitta's relationship. The rest of the novel unravels into a string of clichés and impulsive acts by the immature Brigitta. 

The implausible romance takes away from the strongest aspect of Bond's novel: Brigitta's search for something bigger than herself. (Fiction. 14 & up)