Lovesick Falls

Gr 7 Up–Friendship and longing collide in this loose and lighthearted adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It. Celia Gilbert, an expert organizer, has planned the perfect summer. She and her two best friends, Touchstone and Ros, will be strengthening their friendship before senior year by escaping to Touchstone’s relative’s cabin in the idyllic Californian town of Lovesick Falls. The town is known for its mythic spring that is supposed to make anyone who drinks from it fall out of love, and Celia secretly hopes that spending time near the spring will tamper down her inconvenient crush on Ros. But when Ros meets the pugilistic Jess Orlando, it is love at first sight, and Celia’s desire and jealousy threaten both of her friendships. Add a theater festival and a dreamy British TV star to the mix and Celia’s perfect summer is not going to plan. Drake’s novel captures the heartbreak of unrequited love and avoids easy solutions as the characters navigate complex relationships and ultimately learn the importance of nurturing their friendships. Main characters are white; Ros has olive skin.