The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers

November 7, 2011
After having been away all summer, Lucy’s boyfriend, Alex, dumps her on the first day of her sophomore year, just when she has decided she is ready to lose her virginity to him. Lucy thinks her life is over until three magnetic and beautiful girls with magical powers reach out to her, give her a makeover, and invite her into their Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers. The catch: she must break a boy’s heart within seven days and bring them his tears for a potion. The girls spend their time psychoanalyzing and manipulating boys, as well as offering Lucy advice (“Be confident and believe in your own beauty.... Turns out the deodorant commercials were right”). While Lucy remains hopeful that she can win Alex back and questions the society’s motives, someone is falling in love with her. Set over the course of a week, Weingarten’s (Wherever Nina Lies) second novel is tense yet comforting. As Lucy is challenged to break out of her shell, the author’s meditations on love, heartache, choice, and power will hit home with teens. Ages 13–up.

March 1, 2012

Gr 8 Up-In the first pages of this tale, Lucy Wrenn's heart is broken by her boyfriend, Alex, who has been away for the summer and whose affections have drifted elsewhere. She is shattered by his indifference and feels that she will never bounce back. Soon she is approached by a mature group of girls who offer to help her find a way not only to recover, but also to protect herself from heartbreak again. They are a coven of sorts, girls who use magic to break boys' hearts in order to heal (and numb) their own. Lucy accepts their help, which takes her on an emotional journey that leads to a sort of superficial healing, even if it does not make her any wiser in terms of her relationships. Although Lucy's story might appeal to those looking to avoid the pain of unrequited love, the novel leaves an impression that being mean is good entertainment (in fact, the girls refer to this as "fun mean") and that navigating relationships is best done via trickery. While heartbreak is a universally understood topic, the novel falls short of providing readers with more than a shallow treatment of it, especially because Lucy's subservience to her man is not really overcome, but merely transferred to the sisterhood. Still, fans of Meg Cabot's Jinx (HarperCollins, 2007) may enjoy reading about the sisterhood's magical antics, as well as fans of all things witchy.-Nora G. Murphy, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, La Canada-Flintridge, CA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 1, 2011
High-school temptresses wield magic to emancipate a lovelorn girl from her pain in this finely wrought tale. Weingarten (Wherever Nina Lies, 2010) begins like the Old Testament, an apt reference for a story rich with spirituality and what are for sophomore, Lucy Wrenn, challenges of biblical proportions. Lucy is desperate to win back Alex, who dumps her on the first day of school. In sentient and original metaphors, Weingarten evokes the poignancy of unrequited love so well that readers will cheer Lucy on in her mission to satisfy the mandates of the trio of glamorous girls comprising the eponymous sisterhood. Lucy can thus attain enchantments to use on Alex. The tale has its Mean Girls moments when Lucy's teetering virtues shine through, but nothing is entirely what it seems and readers can determine themselves whether the sisters are friends or foes. Shy and unassuming, Lucy struggles to flirt as instructed, in hopes of joining their ranks, and readers who enjoy fashion and cosmetics will relish her physical transformation. Lucy's journey celebrates the complexities of friendship and family and teaches her to appreciate the ordinary. Surprises and close calls abound as Lucy's priorities evolve and Weingarten raises questions teens will enjoy considering. An exciting and inspirational must-read that begs a sequel. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

July 1, 2012
Lucy is devastated when her boyfriend breaks up with her. Then three mysterious girls offer to indoctrinate her into their magical sisterhood, which entails winning, then breaking, guys' hearts--but only if Lucy can break someone's heart in seven days. The magical aspect seems superfluous; more compelling is Lucy's palpable pain and the strength she finally develops to move on.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)