Jan 24 2010
Falling in love, in three easy steps!
Your penis will not shrivel up and die if you admit you want an umbrella instead of standing there and acting like a little rain never killed anyone. It’s an umbrella, not a purse.(The Book of Luke 30)
To a teenager, having a How-To Guide on the opposite sex is more than just a privilege, it’s a necessity. And while I strongly encourage members of the male populace to read this book, The Book of Luke is heavily aimed towards females in the 13-17 age range.
Emily Abbott is an eighteen year old senior in high school who has the misfortune of moving from their cozy home in Chicago to their hometown in Boston, a place she hasn’t been to since she left during her middle school years. As if that wasn’t bad enough, her first real boyfriend, Sean, decides to break up with her on the day of their flight home! After experiencing the ordeal, she vows to put an end to her “nice” ways. Maybe then boys would think twice about hurting innocent girls like herself. Upon arrival, she reconnects with her former Boston best friends, Josie and Lucy, who have also faced some nefarious Guy Dont’s. Luke Preston, Heywood Academy’s godliest student, is a well-known heartbreaker, so it comes to no surprise when he chooses to break up with Josie by email. As every girl is wont to do, Emily concocts a plan, an instructional book in which guys learn how to PROPERLY treat a lady. After all, the future generations have them to thank.
“Annoyance factor? They’re all annoying.” Josie glanced down at her own lists piled on her lap. “Listen to this: Eileen says a guy shouldn’t hang his arm around your neck so his hand just happens to hang right over your boob- by accident, of course.” (The Book of Luke 74) With every girl in Heywood working together, the ideas pour out with certain ease. But how effective can a guide be without taking it out for a test drive? Enter Luke: the guinea pig for their scientific breakthrough. Emily’s vow of turning over a new leaf coincides perfectly with her more-than-suggestive attitude. After all, the best way to beat the best is to be the best.
What I found most enjoyable about this book was its sense of realism and comedy. Jenny O’ Connell writes with a passion that portrays true teenage emotions, and I have no doubt that every girl who picks up this book will have trouble setting it aside. However, it maintains its generic storyline, in which girl meets boy, they fall in love, they break up, and they get back together. And yet, through the cheesy dialogue and highly romanticized occurrences, O’ Connell takes a spin on young love.