Quarantine

January 1, 2019
Despite the title's promise, romance takes too long to blossom.On their way home to Brooklyn from the Dominican Republic, Flora Thornton, who is assumed white, kisses half-Mexican/(presumably) half-white Oliver Russell, and the two teenagers, who are diagnosed with a rare form of mononucleosis dubbed "tropical mono," are forced into quarantine together in a Miami hospital. (It's not clear how tropical mono differs from regular mono.) In actuality, Flora figured that quarantine would be a much-needed break from her life, so she messed with her thermometer reading to make it look as though she had a fever. To help Oliver elicit the attention of his crush, Kelsey, Flora comes up with a hashtag, #quaranteens, to share their experiences on social media. Along with Flora's and Oliver's mothers, Kelsey becomes a regular visitor to the #quaranteens--visitors are permitted (although kissing them is off limits) as long as they wear protective gear. It is clear from the outset that Kelsey is only interested in Oliver because she hopes that he will garner her attention on social media. Chapters alternate between Flora's and Oliver's points of view and are not long enough for readers to fully invest in either protagonist for long. By the time Oliver and Flora finally get together, readers will have lost interest in this novel's obvious conclusion. (Romance. 12-18)

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March 1, 2019

Gr 6-9-Flora and Oliver, high school students traveling from the Dominican Republic, meet by chance on an airplane. Unfortunately, Oliver's original seatmate is ill with a new form of mononucleosis, so when they land, all passengers are detained for testing. In a desperate move for attention, Flora rubs the thermometer to show a fever and impetuously kisses Oliver. The two are quarantined together. Thus begins their flirtatious, push-and-pull romance. Despite the intriguing premise, flaws abound. The voices of the two leads, who narrate in alternating chapters, are indistinct. The young doctor, Joey, is more intent on getting a date or a medical journal write-up than about health care. Kelsey, Oliver's so-called girlfriend, is a one-dimensional, self-centered media junkie. None of these characters have flesh to their skeletal structures. Also, unbelievable situations (and issues of consent) are stretched to the breaking point. VERDICT While younger middle school readers will like the "awwww" factor in this tame romance, they will ultimately be disappointed. Give them Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen instead.-Lisa Ehrle, formerly at Falcon Creek Middle School, CO

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2019
Grades 7-10 Two teenagers heading back to New York from the Dominican Republic find themselves in a surprising situation when there's a case of tropical mono on their flight. Shy, socially awkward Oliver is leaving his service trip early to see his crush. But for Flora, who's been visiting her dad and?ugh?his new wife, home in Brooklyn isn't great at the moment. In fact, she could use some time off from her life. So Flora fakes some symptoms and lands herself in a 30-day quarantine. And since Flora, for some reason, laid one on Oliver after they met on the plane (a dramatic first kiss for them both), he's stuck right there in quarantine with her. They're spending a lot of quality time together, and with the #quaranteens trending on social media, the whole world seems to have an opinion on their situation. Though it strains credulity at times and the limited setting prevents much development, this is a sweet, simple romance with a fun concept. Hand to younger YAs interested in getting started on the genre.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)