City Love

February 9, 2015
In this first installment in a series set in New York City, readers will feel the strong, vibrant pulse of city life as Colasanti (Now and Forever) traces the romantic encounters of three incoming college freshman, who are as enamored with their West Village neighborhood and newfound independence as they are with the boys who steal their hearts. New York native Sadie, thrilled to be away from her “constantly hovering” parents, thinks she’s found her soul mate in Austin, a senior who shares her dream of becoming an urban planner, but his elusiveness is troubling. California transplant Darcy is drawn to a street magician but having been spurned once, she is afraid to let her feelings get too deep. Meanwhile, idealistic Midwesterner Rosanna is inexplicably attracted to a man who works on Wall Street and stands for everything she abhors. The book ends before resolutions are found, so readers will have to wait for the next book to find out whether love conquers all. Ages 14–up. Agent: Emily Van Beek, Folio Literary Management.

February 15, 2015
Three teenage girls take on the Big Apple when they share an apartment during the summer before freshman year in college. Their various quests for meaning and romance in their lives play out against the backdrop of the city that never sleeps. Native New Yorker Sadie, warmhearted and grounded, asserts that "New York City is my boyfriend." An aspiring urban designer, she wants to create spaces in which "people rejuvenate and connect," and she shares her passion with a boy she meets in her internship. Californian Darcy, wealthy, entitled and promiscuous, has trouble figuring out what she really wants. A previous bad relationship has made her wary of commitment, so when she feels herself attracted to a street performer, she backs away and indulges in more casual hookups. Rosanna has more pressing problems. Her decision to come to New York with a huge social conscience but only pennies in her pocket makes it hard for her to stick to her principles when she is romanced by independently wealthy Donovan (who goes by D). Although the street-smart dialogue grates at times, the alternating voices of the three protagonists are clearly differentiated, and some real issues are highlighted through their different circumstances. Dramatic if sometimes-forced plot twists that pop up in the final pages of the novel will presumably be further developed in Book 2. Smart girl chick-lit. (Fiction. 14-18)

March 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-Sadie, Darcy, and Rosanna are roommates in New York City the summer before their college freshman year. Sadie, a native New Yorker, is interning at the Department of City Planning and hopes to pursue a career in urban design. Darcy, from Southern California, has unlimited financial support from her parents, which she uses to pursue her carefree social activities and adventures. Rosanna leaves Chicago with the hopes of starting over in a new city but is plagued with constant worry over her living expenses. Despite their differences, the girls enjoy one another's company and support one another through their budding romances. They each have secrets that are alluded to but will likely be revealed in the planned sequel. Each chapter is told in the alternating, indistinguishable voices of the three girls. Though slow at times, the plot moves along at an even pace. The strength of this work lies in its reverence for New York City culture and its ability to capture the excitement of embarking on a new adventure. Readers with a love of made-for-TV romances will enjoy this series opener. VERDICT Recommended for those who have exhausted most of Sarah Dessen's titles.-Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD

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