Teen Reviews: Romance

Posted on 19 September 2017

Our Teen Reviewers Clodagh and Katy have been reading some fantastic romance novels and want to share their thoughts with us.

Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index by Julie Israel

Reviewers: Clodagh, 13 years old
Recommended age of book: 12+
Genres: Mystery, Romance and Adventure

Clodagh’s plot summary:
Sixty-five days the death of her older sister, sixteen-year-old Juniper Lemon decides to find out more about her sister. But when Juniper finds a break-up letter addressed to ‘you’ that her sister wrote the day she died she is shocked. While trying to find out who ‘you’ is she comes across other notes and secrets and that might be all she needs to fill some holes and sort out her own mess.

Clodagh’s thoughts on why this book is worth reading:
I really enjoyed this book, it really made you feel like you really knew the character personally. I felt a lot of emotions both happy and sad, it was really nice to see how Juniper and her family get through such a devastating occurrence (the death of Juniper’s older sister) and seeing how it helped her make new friends. I couldn’t stop reading it and I would definitely pass this book on and recommend it to people. It really made me appreciate my family and friends.

What is the hook for new readers?
Love Pretty Little Liars? – then you’ll love this!

Find out more about Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index here.

Stargazing for Beginners by Jenny McLachlan

Reviewer: Katy, 19 years old
Recommended age of book: 11-14
Genre: Romance

Katy’s plot summary:
Meg is in love with science and has a dream of being an astronaut. First step, win a competition to NASA headquarters by facing her fear of public speaking, and beating Ed, the boy she has known for years and has been in love with her whole life. Then disaster strikes, and suddenly she is left caring for her baby sister. Can Meg juggle it all, or will her dream of reaching the stars escape her?

Katy’s thoughts on why this book is worth reading:
I did enjoy this book, however I found it very predictable. It was a typical romantic story. However, I absolutely love stories like that, and I found myself empathising with Meg, and really wanting her to succeed; her emotions felt very real, almost as though the author was writing from experience. The story wasn’t far-fetched, it was something that could easily happen in a person’s life, which is perhaps why it felt so relatable. Overall, a good read, but definitely suited to someone younger than myself.

What is the hook for new readers?
Are you a dreamer and a hopeless romantic? If yes, then you’ll fall in love with this.


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