Gr 8 Up —Sixteen-year-old Hannah Taylor has had a secret crush on Seth for months. The only problem: he is dating her popular best friend, Brae. Hannah has been living in Brae's shadow for a decade, and the two of them have a friendship pact that they follow to a tee, including a rule to never date each other's ex-boyfriends. So when Seth dumps Brae, Hannah sets her mind to helping Brae get over Seth, while secretly trying to do the same. As tensions fly, Hannah remains steadfast in her resolve to not date Seth for fear of upsetting Brae, but his repeated admissions of love eventually weaken her determination. All three main characters (who read white) are bland and unoriginal. The plot is formulaic and predictable, to the point where readers can guess every plot progression and will be more frustrated than engaged when they finally reach the climax. The fact that this novel is a quick read is its only selling point. VERDICT Trite and unsatisfactory, this angsty teen romance does nothing to set itself apart from the rest of the genre.—Candyce Pruitt-Goddard