The Crazy Things Girls Do for Love

October 17, 2011
Going green is initially more about romance than righteousness for high school rivals Sicilee and Maya, but their attempts to do so provide lots of laughs. It all begins when the girls vie for the attention of gorgeous new student Cody Lightfoot (“His are the kind of impossible good looks that make even the least impressionable of people think, My God! Is that what humans are supposed to look like?”). When he shows an interest in joining the school’s environmental club—previously “the most pathetic club in the whole universe”—and starts planning an Earth Day fair, the competition is on. Using drily funny third-person narration to expose various characters’ hypocrisies, Sheldon (My Worst Best Friend) shows impeccable comic timing and a strong sense of irony as she traces Sicilee’s and Maya’s education in veganism and their mostly unsuccessful attempts to persuade friends and family that their newfound desire to
reduce, reuse, and recycle is sincere. Underlying the episodes is a relevant message about dwindling resources, as both heroines begin to realize that their environmental efforts may be more vital than snagging a boy. Ages 12–14.

January 1, 2012

Gr 8-10-When a hot new student with an interest in vegan food and hemp clothing joins the environmental club, attendance at the previously unpopular organization suddenly skyrockets as girls attempt to get his attention. Among those after Cody's heart are slacker Waneeda and the school's reigning and rival queen bees: pretty, rich Sicilee and artsy, hipster Maya. While the title implies that this is a romance, it's more of a humorous, insightful story about characters initially trying to impress a boy but gradually realizing that there is more going on in the world than just their own little spheres of interest. The main characters start out as caricatures but begin to flesh out as the story progresses, facing pressure from friends and peers, exploring their own limits and preconceptions, and gaining confidence in themselves and the choices they make. This book contains a solid environmental message in a lightweight package, encouraging readers to become informed without dictating choices. The author provides resources for following up on issues mentioned in the book, including books, websites, and documentaries. A good recommendation for readers interested in books about friendship, peer pressure, and characters standing up for what they think is right.-Natasha Forrester, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2011
Superior comic writing combined with a major snark factor turns this full-on chick-lit outing into major fun. Fashion addict Sicilee and her despised mega-rival, artsy Maya, dominate the popular set of their high school. Meanwhile, the out group, including frumpy Waneeda and eco-warrior Clemens, live in obscurity, eating at the nerd table in the cafeteria. Enter new student Cody, the most pulse-throbbing, eyeball-popping, drop-dead gorgeous boy anyone at the school has ever seen. Instantly, all the girls fall for him, including, secretly, Waneeda. Sicilee and Maya, however, enter an all-or-nothing war to snag Cody as a boyfriend. Suave, charming Cody, meanwhile, treats everyone the same, including the out group, but shows no interest in anything other than the nerdy environmental club. Sicilee and Maya focus their efforts into working for the formerly scorned club in their attempts to attract Cody, and they begin to find interests beyond their accustomed resolute superficiality. Sheldon lustily lampoons high-school social systems, flinging zinger metaphors onto nearly every page, such as describing the social hierarchy as "slightly more rigid than that of feudal Europe," but she also gets under her characters' skins. Despite the breezy tone, the story ends up with a hint of depth and an emphasis on going green. Plenty of witty merriment for all high-school social sets. (Chick-lit comedy. 12-18)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

October 1, 2011
Grades 7-10 Falling in love blends with saving the earth in Sheldon's latest novel, and both dramas are passionate, urgent, transforming, and hilarious. When drop-dead-gorgeous Cody, an ardent environmentalist, arrives at a new high school, everyone wants to date him: the in-crowd, as well as the nerds, goths, and geeks. Forget hugging trees. They all want to hug Cody. As he leads the big celebration for Earth Day, the details are laugh-out-loud funny, about not only the changes in queen-bee Sicilee (who eshews shopping and gorgeous mink coats) but also the extremes among the vegan crowd (a party with no electricity is a total flop). The free-flying insults are fun, and yet with all the mockery and standoffs, readers will get the go green messages, such as learning to read the labels in their cosmetics for healthy, earth-conscious ingredients. With plenty of wry romance, the story builds to a save-the-trees climax that also brings a change in Cody.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2012
When a cute new boy joins the Environmental Club, hipster Maya, popular Sicilee, and apathetic Waneeda all sign up. As they get more involved, their interest in the environment becomes real, to everyone's surprise. The worthy topic is handled in a unique way (though the characters' single-pointed focus flattens things out). Books, websites, and documentaries about environmentalism are appended.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)