Little Miss Red

Little Miss Red
By Robin Palmer
Speak, 2009. 254 pgs. Young Adult

Sophie Greene is getting frustrated with her boyfriend of three years, Michael. However, when he tells her he wants to press the pause button on their relationship, she's miffed that he has beaten her to the punch. On the plane ride to Florida, where she'll be spending spring break with her grandmother, Sophie meets Jack, who is older, wilder, and seems like fun. As she spends spring break with him, certain he's her soul mate, she can't quite forget about Michael and starts to wonder if Jack is as good as he seems.

This is a quick read and following the tradition of Robin Palmer's other books is loosely related to a fairy tale. While this book has its funny parts, Sophie's obsession with romance novels and her expectation that life should be like those novels, while a parody of life, can get annoying. While she does make some important realizations about life and love, readers should make sure they're in the mood to stomach a lot of teenage cluelessness along the way.

AE