Swoon At Your Own Risk

Polly has a weakness for attractive boys, but while she loves a good hookup, her boy-chasing results in awkward aftermaths and is wreaking havoc on her relationship with her best friend, Jane. Salter (Jungle Crossing) sets the backdrop of this romantic comedy at the decidedly unromantic locale of Polly's summer job at a Wild West–themed waterpark, with repeated reminders that, while cute boys abound, they stand amid urine-infused pool water and snot-nosed children. Polly's half-hearted vow to swear off boys is complicated by the arrival of her advice columnist grandmother—a.k.a., Miss Swoon—who shares Polly's amorous tendencies and whose advice Q&As close out most chapters. While readers may relate to Polly's predicaments, as a character she falls short of fully sympathetic: her encounters with Jane are painful and she has the unappealing habit of correcting people's misuse of the English language. Enter Xander, who's destined to teach Polly a lesson about juggling both a boyfriend and a best friend. Xander may be a poet (Salter scatters his bits of "wisdom" throughout), but why he bothers with mercurial Polly remains unclear. Ages 12–up. (Apr.)