The Lifeguard

April 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-The longing to hook up with a hottie is what fuels many a teenager's angst. The Lifeguard starts off hot: the French idiom la petit mort and how it corresponds to the English "orgasm" drives an early conversation between Sirena and her best friend, Marissa. Artistic Sirena has a crush on gorgeous lifeguard Pilot, whom she meets when her divorcing parents ship her from Texas to her Aunt Ellie's Rhode Island beach house for the summer. Marissa's humor and common sense make her a believable antagonist to Sirena's swooning and self-absorption through her letters. But her crush on Pilot gets lost in other subplots involving haunted houses and haunted pasts that strain credibility. Connections between teen love and previous heartbreak seem forced. The past rests heavily on Pilot, and waiting to find out just what it reveals is Sirena's preoccupation, rendering her so passive that it's not really her fault that she isn't more compelling. Aunt Ellie, a writer with a handsome and empathetic boyfriend, becomes the most interesting character by default. Her casual lifestyle translates into an acceptance of her somewhat uptight niece as an adult: that's one challenge Sirena's needed all along.-Georgia Christgau, Middle College High School, Long Island City, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2012
A girl spends the summer at her aunt's beach house and falls for a fascinating, handsome lifeguard with supernatural healing powers. Sirena can't help but be drawn to the seemingly magical lifeguard, who turns out actually to be named "Pilot." She also finds Antonio, an 80-year old-beach artist, quite magnetic. Sirena's obsession gets out of control when she steals Antonio's painting of Pilot, then confesses to the old man. She's jealous when she sees Pilot with a blond bombshell of a girl she assumes is his girlfriend. She dips a toe into the ocean during a time of dangerous riptides and nearly drowns, also getting stung by a stingray. When doctors want to amputate her leg, Pilot heals it. Antonio dies and leaves Sirena his magic paintbrush and, apparently, his painting talent. And aha! Perhaps the blond isn't a girlfriend after all! Blumenthal writes suspenseful episodes, but she tends to abandon them and move on to the next one, which adds up to a narrative that doesn't flow well. For example, readers see Sirena, just after Antonio's death, painting with newfound, zealous ability until the wee hours, but there is no description of the resulting painting. Throw in clichéd phrases such as "Would I ever feel I'd taken in enough of his face? His being? His touch?" for an undemanding beach read. Fine for diehard romance fans. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

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March 15, 2012
Grades 8-12 With her parents divorcing, 16-year-old Sirena travels from Texas to Rhode Island to spend the summer with her Aunt Ellie at her seaside home. Though she misses her friend Marissa, she is soon distracted, and later obsessed, by gorgeous, enigmatic lifeguard Pilot, and she is puzzled by his inexplicable gifts: he resuscitates a seemingly drowned man and weirdly appears whenever he is needed. There are other mysteries, too, like Sirena's vivid, disturbing dreams and her possibly haunted bedroom. While at the beach, Sirena meets elderly artist Antonio, who provides friendship and inspiration. But the ocean holds secrets and unforeseen dangers, including an incident that jeopardizes Sirena's life. Ultimately, her summer experience proves transformative in diverse, sometimes mystical ways. Incorporating suspense, fantasy, and romance, this entertaining read interweaves issues of self-esteem with family issues and coping with change. Though events can be confusing chronologically, and occasionally elements are predictable, the descriptive prose and some well-drawn supporting characters, especially nature-lover Ellie and Antonio, make for an escape that paranormal romance fans will especially enjoy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)