SWEETHEARTS
Sara Zarr
Little, Brown & Company
ISBN: 0-316-01455-9
February 1, 2008
Young Adult

Jennifer Harris doesn’t have many friends. In fact, her only friend is Cameron Quick, and as social outcasts, the two have a common bond. Jennifer is overweight with a lisp and Cameron’s home life is far from tranquil. With Cameron, Jennifer feels safe. However, their friendship only lasts till the fifth grade.

One day Cameron doesn’t come to school. When she asks her teacher, she tells her he moved. Jennifer becomes upset because she doesn’t understand why he didn’t say goodbye. A couple of weeks later, a classmate tells her that Cameron is dead. Jennifer asks her mother if it is true. Her mother offers her sympathy, but does not refute the story.

What happens to Jennifer? She no longer exists. Jennifer’s mother remarries and they move, which means a new school. Jennifer loses her lisp, loses a lot of weight and reinvents herself. She is now Jenna Vaughn.

Jenna Vaughn is popular with the perfect boyfriend. Now she has everything she didn’t have in elementary school. Is she happy? Sort of; but she is scared someone is going to be able to see through her, and find out that she really doesn’t deserve what she has. Then one day Cameron reappears and Jenna finds her world turned upside down.

Sweethearts is a novel which has the ability to completely captivate the reader. Never have I encountered a young adult story, which explores the delicate realities of life in such a credible manner. Sara Zarr is an author I have added to my list of favorites!

Charlene McConnell