The Summer of No Regrets

June 1, 2012

Gr 8-10-The homeschooled daughter of a quirky family that runs a spiritual retreat center, Brigitta is an outsider in Kwahnesum, Washington, and she is on a continuing quest to find God by learning about different religions. Although she and her friend Natalie have a huge case of celebrity worship, Brigitta keeps that part of herself private. When she literally falls into the lap of her new neighbor, Luke, who is a dead ringer for the hottest teen celebrity, Trent Yves, Natalie is convinced that he really is Trent and sets out to get to know him. After Brigitta saves Luke from a cougar attack, they begin a secret relationship. The cougar is ultimately killed, leaving behind two cubs that Brigitta and Luke feed. He is unreliable and mysterious, which has Brigitta questioning whether or not he really is Trent. While some plot elements are interesting, there are too many threads, and none is developed in any significant way.-Adrienne L. Strock, Maricopa County Library District, AZ

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2012
This novel about the search for "the Great Cosmic Mystery" has too many plot elements and coincidences to throw light on the subject. Brigitta Schopenhauer is high-minded but secretly reads tabloids and writes a blog about celebrities finding faith. When her best friend Natalie spots a lookalike for bad-boy teen actor Trent Yves, Brigitta dismisses her. After all, it's not really Trent Yves, but a boy named Luke Geoffrey. She's more occupied with mourning her deceased grandparents and adjusting to the recent changes in her father's behavior, as revealed by awkward flashbacks. An unnecessary and overdramatic plot twist features a cougar that nearly attacks Luke until Brigitta chases it away; when it is shot, it leaves behind two kittens. Luke and Brigitta grow closer as they care for the kittens, culminating in an overnight road trip on which Luke kisses Brigitta. The road trip is a tipping point for more than just Luke and Brigitta's relationship. The rest of the novel unravels into a string of cliches and impulsive acts by the immature Brigitta. The implausible romance takes away from the strongest aspect of Bond's novel: Brigitta's search for something bigger than herself. (Fiction. 14 & up)

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