Flawless

June 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-Although Chapman is no Edmond Rostand, this retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac is great fun. Aside from a protruding proboscis, senior Sarah Burke has a lot going for her. She's intelligent and otherwise good-looking. Her too-perfect mother, who had a nose job when she was Sarah's age, keeps bringing up rhinoplasty, but the teen feels confident enough without it. Or so she thinks, until Rock, a hottie who shares her love of literature, moves into town. The two become instant friends but Sarah, who's never dated before, hopes for more from the relationship. The problem is that her best friend is also taken with Rock. No wordsmith, Kristen asks Sarah to send him emails in her name. Sarah is successful at attracting the boy of her dreams-for her friend. Sarah's loyalty is believable, even as she struggles with misleading Rock and her own feelings. It's hard to believe Kristen, who's described as "smart," knows so little about literature but, for the most part, characters are well defined. A subplot about a scheming coworker at the news station where Sarah's mother anchors is not fully developed but plays off nicely against Sarah's dilemma. The ending is predictable but satisfying. Each chapter begins with thoughtful quotes about love. This novel will attract both reluctant readers and literature lovers. A light, but not flawless, read.-Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA

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