The Lonesome Young

Gr 9 Up—The centuries-old grudge between the Whitfields and the Rhodales burns with all the fiery passion of a Shakespearean feud, although Whitfield County, Kentucky, is a far cry from fair Verona. Everyone knows the Rhodales are criminals. Mickey doesn't sell drugs or carry a gun like his brothers do, but he has a dangerous history of his own. He's desperate to find a way out from under the shadow of the Rhodales before him, but he sometimes worries that he's no different from the rest of the family. When perfect, beautiful Victoria moves to town to live on her grandmother's ranch, Mickey immediately feels drawn to her, even though she's a Whitfield. Her family forbids her to have anything to do with him, but Victoria strikes up a secret romance with Mickey. From the first page, action and intrigue abound in this melodramatic retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Readers will be left with their heads spinning as they try to keep up with the multitude of disastrous situations that the lovebirds are forced to face. Fire, drugs, sex, guns, addiction, kidnapping, horse theft, and violence may keep teens turning pages, but suspense and action are not enough to carry this romance novel. There is little time to connect with characters between catastrophes. The heat between Victoria and Mickey is fast and explosive. However, the voices of these angsty star-crossed lovers fail to ring true.—Liz Overberg, Darlington School, Rome, GA