Perfect Ten

April 24, 2017
Sam Raines, 17, is tired of being lonely and single—he hasn’t even kissed anyone since breaking up with his ex, Landon. So he agrees to participate in a Wiccan love spell conducted by his best friend Meg, and he puts together a (mostly shallow) list of qualities for a “perfect ten” of a boyfriend: sexy, “thick hair,” ambitious, etc. Almost immediately, prospective partners start popping up all over Athens, Ohio: Gus, a jazz-playing French transfer student; sweet and artistic Jamie, a sophomore; and bisexual rock star Travis, who can’t keep his hands off Sam. Philips (the author of My Faire Lady as Laura Wettersten) keeps this wish-fulfillment fantasy moving briskly, thanks to the quippy dialogue and Sam’s dalliances with all three boys, as well as Landon. It’s a too-good-to-be-true setup by design, but although pure realism isn’t really the goal of this magick-driven plot, the characters are more types than real people. Philips successfully keeps the conclusion from feeling foregone, however, and Sam and his friends grow plenty along the way. Ages 14–up. Agent: Brent Taylor, Triada U.S. Literary.

April 15, 2017
A quest for the perfect boyfriend is rife with imperfection.Two years after breaking up with his now-best friend Landon (the intensity was unsustainable), lonely Sam is eager for a new beau--a supply of which Athens, Ohio, isn't flush with. So former-Catholic/current-Wiccan Meg (Sam's other BFF) suggests dialing up the Goddess to summon a boy who meets Sam's 10 requirements. After a cemetery incantation, Sam is delivered a quartet of options, one hiding in plain sight. He's not convinced any live up to his expectations--mostly because he's not really sure what he wants in a boy. Carefully positioned as not-a-coming-out book, the novel places homosexuality comfortably center stage. However, longing for love in an upper-middle-class Ohio far-removed from real-world tarnish feels so inconsequential as to make the rom-com narrative positively generic. The most substantial conflict comes three-quarters through; preceding that, not much is at stake in Sam's search for someone "sexy" and "attractive" with "nice eyes" and "thick hair." In Sam's seemingly all-white Athens (besides Sam, Meg, and Landon, all four beaus are white--three being blond), he wonders whom he'll bed, casually smokes pot, drinks occasionally, and fumbles through sexual chemistry and college applications. There is a ring of wit and comedy to Sam's voice, but his told-not-shown intellect and esoteric taste are belied by his shallow list. His enthusiastic references to 1980s film and music only confuse the setting's chronology. Very light, occasionally enjoyable, but insubstantial guy chick-lit. (Romance. 14-18)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 10 Up-High school senior Sam Raines is desperate for a relationship after two years without a date. He's willing to do just about anything for true love, including participate in a Wiccan ceremony at his friend's insistence. The problem is, it seems to work. When eligible boys begin coming out of the woodwork, Sam struggles to make sense of his sudden and seemingly endless set of options on his quest for love. Phillips gets off to a clunky and unpolished start, with prose that sometimes feels forced and characters who validate stereotypes even as they make efforts to combat them. The conversation also occasionally veers into vernacular that doesn't quite feel genuine. However, once past the setup and initial mysticism, the story sheds these issues and finds its footing. Despite the fading presence of ambiguously supernatural elements throughout, this surprisingly tender rom-com explores relationships with an authenticity that's full of heart and poetic splendor. The novel bravely examines some of the pitfalls of young love in a manner that neither makes Sam unlikable nor lets him off the hook for his behavior. His decisions and actions aren't always admirable as he navigates his way through his mistakes and inexperience, yet they will be sure to elicit sympathy from those who have had their own misadventures in love. Realistic recreational drug use and nongraphic discussions of sex are included. VERDICT Once past the first few chapters, fans of Stephanie Perkins or David Levithan will discover much to love about this sweet confection of a tale.-Alea Perez, Westmont Public Library, IL

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