06/01/2020
The elements comprising this dramatic, jauntily plotted epistolary novel will be familiar to consumers of romantic literature, though they’ve been updated with a modern sensibility. After a video of her singing at the Southern Publix where she works goes viral, 16-year-old Jacaranda Abbott is plucked from foster care by a mysterious benefactor. What begins as a thank-you email to him turns into a diary-style narrative, though it’s never quite believable that she would confess so much to a stranger. “John Smith” provides a full ride to Michigan’s Midwestern Arts Academy, where Jacaranda blossoms into a star and falls in love with her suitemate’s rich, generous cousin, Jarvis. Jacaranda worries that her secret—her mother is in prison for hitting an abusive boyfriend with her car—will alienate her from her peers. Jarvis harbors a secret of his own, one that many readers will guess before story’s end, and the two must confront their differences. Flinn (Girls of July) integrates serious issues such as class dynamics, the myth of meritocracy, and domestic abuse without seeming heavy-handed. For better or worse, she doesn’t investigate them deeply; this novel is best consumed as wish-fulfillment fantasy for any teenager who belts show tunes in the shower. Ages 13–up. Agent: Erica Silverman, Sterling Lord Literistic. (July)
A delicious bonbon of a love story." — Nancy Werlin, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author
“Jacaranda’s voice is quick, witty, and frank, making her an easy…character to root for. Her relationships with her new peers…provide fertile ground for some convincing points about class and stigma. Jacaranda’s romance with Jarvis…is a sweet one… An engaging…tale of underdog triumph.” — Kirkus Reviews
“If you’re looking for a swoonworthy, sweet romance, you need Love, Jacaranda. Well-crafted. Emotional. Good.” — Melissa Marr, # 1 New York Times bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series
"Female-centric teen theater novels are surprisingly uncommon; this one offers a satisfying journey to self-acceptance, a sweet, sincere romance, and a bit of mystery…" — Booklist
If you’re looking for a swoonworthy, sweet romance, you need Love, Jacaranda. Well-crafted. Emotional. Good.”
"Female-centric teen theater novels are surprisingly uncommon; this one offers a satisfying journey to self-acceptance, a sweet, sincere romance, and a bit of mystery…"
A delicious bonbon of a love story."
"Female-centric teen theater novels are surprisingly uncommon; this one offers a satisfying journey to self-acceptance, a sweet, sincere romance, and a bit of mystery…"
06/01/2020
Gr 9 Up—Jacaranda's mother was imprisoned five years ago for attempting to murder an abusive partner, and Jacaranda's only contact with her is the occasional letter. A high school junior and foster child, Jacaranda sings in a school chorus and keeps to herself. When a video of Jacaranda singing goes viral, a mysterious benefactor offers to send her to a boarding school in Michigan specializing in musical theater. With an arsenal of new possessions, she's swept into a world where competition is fierce and soon falls behind in the art-focused high school. As she falls in love with a rich, high-profile boy named Jarvis, she wonders how long she can keep her past a secret and who has given her this new lifestyle. In the epistolary style of Jean Webster's Daddy-Long-Legs, Jacaranda's story is told through emails to her anonymous benefactor, and her voice strikes a balance of enthusiasm, earnestness, and troubles over friends, boys, and school. Many of the characters have strong arcs and believable flaws, but some seem to exist to propel the plot. The romance is sweet and fast-moving, with Jarvis written as a character who has had some troubles in life to explain his over-the-top generosity. There are many small plot points that slow down the story's pacing, but ultimately lead to a frothy conclusion. Flinn adds depth to the plot with several references to musical theater and a subplot about justice for Jacaranda's mother. VERDICT This is for collections where Flinn's other retellings are popular—while the tale's various threads have satisfying resolutions, they may feel a bit unreal, and overly optimistic for some readers.—Liz Anderson, DC P.L.
2020-05-02
Talent trumps disadvantage in this romance about a teen whisked off by an anonymous benefactor to a prestigious boarding school for the arts in Michigan.
Sixteen-year-old Jacaranda Abbott has spent years moving between foster homes due to her mother’s imprisonment for attempted murder of an abusive boyfriend. When a video of Jacaranda singing at the Miami Publix supermarket at which she works goes viral, it changes the course of her life. The admission essay she writes to Midwestern Arts Academy sets up the details of this story, giving way to a long series of confessional, heartfelt, and unanswered emails directed to Mr. Smith, as she dubs the mystery man responsible for the fairy-tale scenario now playing out. Jacaranda’s voice is quick, witty, and frank, making her an easy, if archetypal, character to root for. Her relationships with her new peers, almost all of whom are dramatically more privileged than she is, provide fertile ground for some convincing points about class and stigma. Jacaranda’s romance with Jarvis, the wealthy, kind cousin of one of her suitemates, is a sweet one, predictably weaving its way through some rocky points with a final twist that will be spotted a long way off by many readers. Jacaranda and Jarvis are white; some racial and ethnic diversity is suggested by secondary characters’ names and textual cues.
An engaging but exceedingly familiar tale of underdog triumph. (Romance. 14-18)
