The Book of Love

Gr 9 Up—In this sequel to The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers (HarperCollins, 2011), Lucy is a member of the sisterhood and now, thanks to the help of a little magic, has a heart incapable of ever being broken again. She thinks it's a relief not to feel pain anymore and enjoys the added benefits of confidence and popularity. Unfortunately, Lucy had to hurt her best friend, Tristan, in order to achieve her new power. The teen begins to realize that the cost of being a "Heartbreaker" is truly dear as she starts to feel less and less emotion of any kind. As part of a contest with her "sisters," Lucy strives to break the heart of a celebrity and capture his tears, which are necessary to activate the magic alchemy. When the girls win the contest and are permitted the use of The Book of Love for a year, Lucy realizes all that she has lost and begins to search for a way to escape the foolish fate she had chosen. A friend tells her of a way to cure her impenetrable heart. However, even if the protagonist follows all of the dangerous steps, she may not survive. Romance and magic lovers will be captivated by this book, which has a deceptively lightweight premise but delivers a much deeper message about the power of love.—Susan Riley, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY