Brief Chronicle of Another Stupid Heartbreak

After high school graduation and a breakup with her boyfriend, New Yorker Lu develops writer’s block, leaving her at risk of losing her job as a weekly love and dating columnist for a big online teen magazine, and the journalism scholarship to NYU that goes with it. Instead of taking her best friend’s advice to write about herself, she distracts herself by observing other people’s relationships. She overhears Cal and Iris, also recent graduates, planning to break up in anticipation of the separate paths they’ll take come fall—but the teens later decide to stay together for the summer. After hearing the news of their reunion and becoming better acquainted with Iris, Lu becomes obsessed with learning the secret of their seemingly perfect relationship. Having decided their story would be the perfect subject for an article, she is all too happy to accept their invitations to accompany them on their escapades, but Lu’s writing block remains, and things get complicated when she forms a crush on Cal. While the novel offers a strong New York City vibe and a relatable situation, Lu’s procrastination and one-note focus on perfect love eventually grows tedious. Snappy dialogue provides relief, but the characters exhibit less substance and fewer dimensions than those found in Alsaid’s North of Happy. Ages 12–up. Agent: Peter Knapp, Park Literary & Media. [em](Apr.) [/em]