Another Little Piece of My Heart

Gr 9 Up—When she was 15, Claire loved Jared. They had a lot in common, including an obsession with music. Their dream was to compose and perform together professionally, but her parents were not pleased with the relationship. When her mother, who had cancer, asked her to break up with him, Claire did so in the hope that it would reduce her mom's stress. Two years later, her mother is dead, her dad's company has folded, and college is no longer an option. Jared is famous for songs about her dumping him, and Claire is spending the summer with her immediate family and other relatives in New Hampshire. When Jared appears in the same beach town, much to Claire's horror and embarrassment, she discovers she still has feelings for him. "Some people are like a venereal disease," Claire thinks. "Just when you think they're gone for good, they return to irritate the hell out of you." Days filled with drama follow as the former boyfriend and girlfriend deal with their past mistakes and figure out if their future is together. This YA debut is a light and accessible romance that is easy to put down and pick back up. [e-original]—Rita Vernon, Jacksonville Public Library, FL