The Promise of Amazing

November 4, 2013
First-time novelist Constantine puts some creative twists on the “opposites attract” theme in this well-crafted romance starring good-girl Wren Caswell and “brainathiminal” (combination brain, athlete, and criminal) Grayson Barrett. Told from the teens’ alternating points of view, the story begins when Wren, a waitress at her parents’ medieval-themed inn, saves the life of a choking guest. At this point, she knows nothing of the guest, Grayson, whose shady past got him expelled from his old private school, news Wren later acquires through gossip and confessions. When Grayson lands a job at the inn, the two begin to fall for each other, in spite—or perhaps because—of their different personalities. Conflicts arise as Grayson’s former partners in crime threaten to ruin his relationship with Wren, and Wren, tired of being labeled “bright but quiet,” grows too bold for her parents’ taste. Filled with action, passion, and adolescent angst, Constantine’s novel introduces two believable characters with strong, honest voices who work to find themselves as they chart new territory together. Ages 14–up. Agent: Tamar Rydzinski, Laura Dail Literary Agency.

January 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Wren, a shy, quiet junior, falls for gorgeous bad-boy Grayson in this enjoyable and sometimes surprising romance. Their initial meeting is less than ideal: he chokes on the pastry-wrapped frankfurters she serves him in her family's Arthurian-themed catering hall. She performs the Heimlich maneuver, and he vomits on her shoes-but it's still love (and lust) at first sight. Wren is struggling to find her place in a family of overachievers. Grayson was kicked out of his private school, where he was involved in a dangerous, criminal enterprise, which he's trying to break away from despite old friends who don't want to let him go. The chapters told from his point of view are not always convincing, as this former player describes his sweet, mushy romantic feelings for Wren, but readers will enjoy seeing how love changes him. There are a few subplots, but the focus is on the whirlwind romance. Misunderstandings, secrets, a jealous classmate, and other obstacles get in the couple's way. The pace of the story picks up around the halfway point as Grayson's past comes back to haunt him. This is a mostly light, often funny story. Grayson sometimes borders on unlikable, but the believable characters speak and behave like teenagers, whether they are drinking and hooking up at parties or worrying about college applications. This is a solid choice for readers who like a little more heft than the average teen romance novel.-Miranda Doyle, Lake Oswego School District, OR

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