The Lovely Reckless

August 22, 2016
Frankie Devereux is plagued by PTSD after witnessing the fatal beating of her lacrosse captain boyfriend, but the details of Noah’s death are foggy. After a DUI jeopardizes her Ivy League future, Frankie moves from her upper-class Maryland neighborhood of the Heights to the grittier Downs with her father, an undercover cop. She immediately falls for the first bad boy she sees, an inked-up brawler, and the story leaps headfirst into their melodramatic love story as Frankie swiftly trades her obsession with finding Noah’s killer for her infatuation with the smoldering Marco. Garcia (Unbreakable) gives her characters enough backstory to make them three-dimensional, and themes of class struggle are threaded throughout the novel, but the narrative is so clouded by Frankie’s yearning that other characters, relationships, and plotlines seem to fall away as the story careens toward a too-neat finale. Overblown dialogue, including trite warnings from Marco that he is no good and cheesy promises that their love is “the always kind,” further weakens an exciting but overly formulaic romance. Ages 15–up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.

July 15, 2016
Garcia switches gears smoothly from paranormal into contemporary teen fiction in this fast-paced story of trauma, loss, new love, and high-speed cars. Frankie Devereux cannot remember the details of her boyfriend's murder, though she witnessed the brutal event firsthand. She suffers from memory loss, flashbacks, and insomnia due to PTSD, and she no longer feels like the straight-A, high-achieving, privileged white girl she used to be. When a drunk-driving incident gets her expelled from her private school, she is forced to move in with her father, an undercover cop, and attend public school in the Downs, a rough neighborhood adjacent to her mother's wealthy suburb outside of Washington, D.C. On her first day at her new school, whose student body includes an ethnically diverse mix of rich and poor kids from the surrounding neighborhoods, she has an intense chance encounter with Marco Leone, a tough, gorgeous, tattooed street racer, possibly Latino. The connection between them is instantaneous and palpable, though Frankie tries to deny the attraction out of fear of getting too close to somebody again. Narrator Frankie's vulnerabilities are not the only ones on display, however, as Marco proves himself to be just as sensitive beneath his tough exterior. Though Frankie's character arc is pretty predictable--she learns that the poor are just as complex as the rich--it's still satisfying, and the romantic scenes sizzle. A wild and enjoyable ride. (Romance. 14-18)

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September 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-Last spring, 17-year-old Frankie's boyfriend was murdered in front of her. Frankie has always been a responsible high achiever, but her post-traumatic stress disorder from that incident leads her to make reckless decisions that result in expulsion from her elite private school. At her new public school, the most notorious students come from the Downs, a poverty-stricken and dangerous area of Washington, DC. Against her friends' advice, Frankie begins a romance with Marco, a street racer who is involved in a criminal enterprise. Frankie is in over her head as her attempts to leave behind her past start to endanger her future. Garcia, known for her paranormal romance series, has proven that she can pen a suspenseful plot and a spicy love story. Teens will root for Marco and Frankie, whose romance reads like a mix between Romeo and Juliet and The Fast and the Furious. Unfortunately, the relationship is not always a healthy one. Marco's initial attraction to Frankie is inexplicable, as her behavior toward him is strictly rude and abrasive. When she breaks up with him, he calls and texts her endlessly, refusing to accept the separation. And without Marco, the protagonist becomes self-destructive. Other relationships in the novel, however, like those between Frankie and her best friends, seem much deeper and explore the importance of healthy communication and the consequences of not asking for help. VERDICT This high-stakes, suspenseful romance novel is urban fiction lite for teens. The drama-filled love story, though not the healthiest example for impressionable teens, will keep them turning pages.-Liz Overberg, Zionsville Community High School, IN

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2016
Grades 9-12 Frankie witnessed the death of her boyfriend, a trauma so disturbing that she plunges into a self-destructive free fall. Thinking that her father, a cop, will be better equipped to contain her, Frankie's mother sends her away to stay with him and attend a new school. Things are rougher there, but the new Frankie is too numb for fear. Maybe that's why she doesn't run away when smoldering hot Marco Leone takes an intense interest in her. Or maybe it's because when their lips touch for the first time, heat and desire pull them into each other. This classic opposites-attract story is revved up with class warfare, dangerous criminal activity, and post-traumatic stress, all of which escalates the stakes in Frankie and Marco's impossible romance. Though the plot at times is over the top, there's plenty of momentum found in the passion of the star-crossed lovers. Fans of Garcia's popular series are the natural audience for this stand-alone romance, but it would be a perfect fit for fans of Simone Elkeles, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)