Boys Like You

April 1, 2014
A contemporary romance-with-a-conscience presents three teens who have erred but are worthy of redemption. Hot girl from out of town; hunky, vulnerable hero; alcohol-troubled ex-girlfriend; conflict and regrets...there's nothing wrong--and a good deal that is right--with the romance formula when it's handled this well. Emotionally damaged and painfully remote, New York teen Monroe is spending her summer in Louisiana with her wise and loving gram. There to heal after an initially unspecified tragedy, Monroe quickly meets local kindred-tortured-soul Nathan ("the pain that I saw there let me know I wasn't the only one...who hated herself"). Their tragic tales emerge in alternating chapters; Nathan must deal with catastrophe or its fallout daily and faces it head-on, while Monroe circles around her pain. In their world, thoughtful, caring friends and a wise grandmother are better than therapists, and despite Monroe's assertion that Nathan is not her type, hot days, Southern swimming holes, steamy nights and boozy teen parties out in "the bush" prove her wrong. Conveniently naive parents and Gram's upfront insistence on birth control create space for tender, consensual, responsible intimacy. Several layers of complexity (grief, guilt, the search for healing) nudge this toward the general fiction category even as it maintains familiar characteristics of the standard romance. The as-happy-as-it-could-be-under-the-circumstances ending will definitely satisfy, and Stone writes it with confidence and style. (Romance. 14-18)

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June 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Nathan and Monroe are both attractive, well-adjusted teens with involved families and all the right friends. Their story begins some months after they are each knocked out of their pleasant lives through direct involvement in separate tragedies. Monroe's parents send her from New York to Louisiana hoping that a summer with her grandmother will pull her out of her malaise. Nathan spends the summer working for his contractor uncle at the home of Monroe's grandmother. When they meet, they can't ignore the spark between them, despite their private grief. Over the summer they fall in love and help each other come to terms with their pasts. Chapters alternate their first-person perspectives. This works nicely, allowing readers to observe their growing attraction. Unfortunately, other aspects of the characters are not as well developed. The story handles challenging subjects like sex, drunk driving, and faith after tragedy in a sensitive and age-appropriate way without veering into melodrama. The ending is a bit too happy, but that might be just what readers need after going through this emotional wringer.-Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Grades 9-12 New York City native Monroe Blackwell has been sent to rural Louisiana for the summer to give her some much-needed distance from a tragedy involving her younger brother. There she meets Nate, who is likewise responsible for a serious accidentin his case, a car crash that sent his best friend into a coma. Both are profoundly affected by these events: she can barely muster the motivation to get dressed in the morning, and he hasn't touched his guitar since the fateful night. The tension between remorse and a desire for closure successfully propels the narrative forward, and readers will want to discover whether Monroe and Nate will ever find redemption. Stone concentrates a lot on the physical appearance of her characters; numerous descriptions of Nate's six-pack and Monroe's curves occasionally seem forced or out of place. However, the intensity of the couple's sexual relationship and the dramatic experiences they have faced will attract teens, and many will find this a gratifying read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)