Starred Review ALA Booklist (Fri Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 1999)

Starred Review John spends weekends with his fair-weather, playboy father and the rest of the week with an emotionally fragile mother, who hasn't touched him since his father left them. She would rather let a jar shatter on the floor than brush against her son's fingers. Although he believes himself to be immune to emotion, he reveals his loneliness and alienation in his zine, Bananafish When he forces a meeting with Marisol, a testy, gifted, and talented senior, who is the author of his favorite zine, Escape Velocity he finds exactly what he hoped for--a kindred spirit. This unique, magical, and sometimes awkward friendship leads to love, at least for John. The feeling is not mutual; Marisol is a lesbian. Through warmth and connection, wreckage and pain, lies and truths, and a whole lot of writing back and forth, John discovers he has feelings after all. Theme, plot, conflict, pacing--everything works in this extraordinarily sophisticated, multilayered book. John's voice is an exceptional balance of wry, caustic wit and aching vulnerability. Both John and Marisol are interesting and deeply attractive young people, replete with quirks, flaws, and complex emotional content. Even minor characters on the edges of the story are wonderfully crafted and convincing. Teenagers should be prepared to laugh, wince, rage, weep, and heave at least one deep sigh when they read this meaningful story. Highly recommended for high school readers. (Reviewed October 1, 1999)

School Library Journal Starred Review

Gr 8 Up-Teen angst is always a popular route for young adult literature, and Wittlinger has successfully created an intense example here. John is a high school junior whose difficult family life has left him feeling lost and confused. He discovers the world of "zines," homemade magazines written and published by people like himself. Soon John meets another zine writer, Marisol, a self-proclaimed "Puerto Rican Cuban Yankee Cambridge, Massachusetts, rich spoiled lesbian private-school gifted-and-talented writer virgin looking for love." These mismatched teens discover that they are kindred spirits, and a close friendship develops. Unfortunately, John finds himself falling for Marisol, who cannot return his love. Together, they discover many truths about themselves and their families. Familiar motifs are part of this story-love, sex, the prom, fights with parents-but Wittlinger's telling and rich characters make them new and different. The dialogue and situations are well crafted, and the story, while a bit melodramatic, is engaging. The world of zine writing is real, and teens reading Hard Love may find themselves inspired to go out and pick up a few, and perhaps begin discovering their own creative talents. This is a smart addition to YA collections and a good recommendation to readers who may be feeling outside the norm.-Dina Sherman, Brooklyn Children's Museum, NY Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Horn Book

John and Marisol have a lot in common: both have issues with trust and truth-telling, both have problem parents, and both like girls. It's zine writing, though, that brings them together. All goes well with their friendship until John professes his love for Marisol, who's made it clear she's a lesbian. Readers won't mind the teen flick cast and will be pulled along by the story and by the pages of zine excerpts, handwritten poems, and letters.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW said of this novel about the complex friendship between high school friends, "The awkwardness of awakening sexuality, a growing preoccupation with identity and crossing the line from friendship to more are themes here with which teens will readily identify." Ages 12-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Apr.)