Wicked Sweet

Gr 8 Up—Nerdy best friends Chantal and Jillian made a pact in ninth grade that they would focus on grades instead of boys. Now, the summer before their senior year, Jillian wants to start dating Parker, a good-looking study-group friend. But unknown to the girls, he and his friend Will have devised a contest and whoever kisses the girl he's paired with first wins. When Chantal finds out that she's been played by a boy who has bullied her throughout school, she devises a plan to humiliate him by sending him desserts from a secret admirer. Meanwhile, a real romance develops between Jillian and Parker that threatens the girls' friendship. The story is told from the points of view of these four characters, and Jillian's insightful narration stands out as the most compelling and developed; her mother is emotionally absent, which leaves the teen to raise her six siblings. The revenge plot allows for a lot of revelry over baking as Chantal channels a British celebrity chef, but it's hard to imagine that her plan could actually humiliate Will. The boys never have to answer for what they did to the girls, and a romance for Chantal seems pasted into the story. Despite these small annoyances, this is still a sweet, light read.—Shawna Sherman Hayward Public Library, CA