One or Two Things I Learned About Love

Hildy has always wanted a boyfriend, and at 17 she finally meets Connor. "Just being near him made me feel fizzy," she writes in her diary. The mellow middle daughter in a highly dramatic family, Hildy often feels overlooked, and Connor gives her the attention she craves. He texts and calls all the time, but he's also moody, passive-aggressive, and deeply jealous. Hildy's refusal to recognize the seeds of dysfunction in their relationship is often painful, yet Sheldon avoids demonizing Connor. Despite the differing degrees of concern that Hildy's friends express, she's head over heels and is forming her own opinions about love and relationships. Her thankless job at a farm stand, an oppressive summer heat wave, and an array of quirky friends contribute verisimilitude. Sheldon's (The Crazy Things Girls Do for Love) use of the diary form establishes a strong reader-writer bond, resulting in an amusing, empathetic, and intimate story. An honest exploration of the tumultuous emotions that can accompany early romances. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. Agent: Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency. (Dec.)