The Book of Love

October 15, 2013
In this sequel to The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers (2011), Lucy regrets becoming a Heartbreaker, taking power from the tears of the boys whose hearts she breaks. But can she find a way out? Lucy knows she has a magically unbreakable heart, but she has become aware that she feels less and less emotion of any kind. Her singing no longer captivates her audience. She can't get over the guilt she feels after deliberately breaking sensitive Colin's heart in the last book so that she could join the Sisterhood. She learns from an elderly former Heartbreaker that, indeed, she'll never feel emotional pain again, but at the cost of never feeling any emotion. Together with her three "sisters," Lucy joins a contest among the North American Sisterhood to break the hearts of selected celebrities. In the course of their efforts, Lucy learns of someone who might be able to help her escape....Weingarten crafts a clever vehicle for her thoughtful message. The book looks like a romance novel, but it becomes so much more as Lucy's thinking evolves and as she tries to escape the fate she realizes she was foolish to choose. Yes, young girls fear the pain of heartbreak, but could that pain be worth the trouble? A perceptive novel that has the power to capture romance and paranormal fans while delivering real insight into the power of love and friendship. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

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February 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-In this sequel to The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers (HarperCollins, 2011), Lucy is a member of the sisterhood and now, thanks to the help of a little magic, has a heart incapable of ever being broken again. She thinks it's a relief not to feel pain anymore and enjoys the added benefits of confidence and popularity. Unfortunately, Lucy had to hurt her best friend, Tristan, in order to achieve her new power. The teen begins to realize that the cost of being a "Heartbreaker" is truly dear as she starts to feel less and less emotion of any kind. As part of a contest with her "sisters," Lucy strives to break the heart of a celebrity and capture his tears, which are necessary to activate the magic alchemy. When the girls win the contest and are permitted the use of The Book of Love for a year, Lucy realizes all that she has lost and begins to search for a way to escape the foolish fate she had chosen. A friend tells her of a way to cure her impenetrable heart. However, even if the protagonist follows all of the dangerous steps, she may not survive. Romance and magic lovers will be captivated by this book, which has a deceptively lightweight premise but delivers a much deeper message about the power of love.-Susan Riley, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2013
Grades 8-12 Lucy and her Heartbreaker Sisters are back, gorgeous and hard-hearted as ever and gloating with each new boy-toy conquest. It doesn't take long, however, for Lucy to begin having doubts about her role in hurting other people. Trying to escape the seductive ball and chain of power and beauty seems impossible, especially once she learns the horrifying process for reversal. This easy-to-read sequel to The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers (2012) ratchets up both the magical elements and, thankfully, Lucy and brand-new sister Olivia's buyer's remorse, offering readers fluffy, if somewhat didactic, fun.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)