Perfect Ten

Gr 10 Up—High school senior Sam Raines is desperate for a relationship after two years without a date. He's willing to do just about anything for true love, including participate in a Wiccan ceremony at his friend's insistence. The problem is, it seems to work. When eligible boys begin coming out of the woodwork, Sam struggles to make sense of his sudden and seemingly endless set of options on his quest for love. Phillips gets off to a clunky and unpolished start, with prose that sometimes feels forced and characters who validate stereotypes even as they make efforts to combat them. The conversation also occasionally veers into vernacular that doesn't quite feel genuine. However, once past the setup and initial mysticism, the story sheds these issues and finds its footing. Despite the fading presence of ambiguously supernatural elements throughout, this surprisingly tender rom-com explores relationships with an authenticity that's full of heart and poetic splendor. The novel bravely examines some of the pitfalls of young love in a manner that neither makes Sam unlikable nor lets him off the hook for his behavior. His decisions and actions aren't always admirable as he navigates his way through his mistakes and inexperience, yet they will be sure to elicit sympathy from those who have had their own misadventures in love. Realistic recreational drug use and nongraphic discussions of sex are included.