Stephanie M. (stephanie932) reviewed on + 219 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This silly, offbeat novel warns all readers: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR! A.J. McCreary, photographer extraordinaire, lovelorn, and invisible to school hunk, Peter Terris, is unable to capture a fitting cover shot for the school paper's special Valentine's Day edition. Then, she stumbles upon a stuffed cupid who comes to life and offers her one of three alluring choices: artistic, academic, or romantic assistance. In spite of the cupid's vehement protests against the last and his admitted previous failure in the arena of teen love, A.J. follows her heart. After Peter is smitten, and her date for the King of Hearts dance is secure, she finds that his slathering, abject devotion and unrestrained attention embarrass her, and that he is boring. Like Ellie in Bauer's Squashed (Delacorte, 1992), A.J. is a witty, intelligent protagonist whose fresh perceptions of her peers keep readers chuckling. In the end, a brilliant newspaper cover shot convinces her former-filmmaker father of her talent and makes the novel's ultimate statement about young romance.
