Love & Leftovers (Sarah Tregay)

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         When Marcie's dad divorces her mom in favor of a handsome bartender, Marcie goes to New Hampshire with her depressed mother for the summer.  She's leaving behind her friends and boyfriend, who call themselves the Leftovers.  Marcie doesn't realize that she's in New Hampshire to stay until Labor Day rolls around and she has to enroll in the local high school.  She feels lonely without her friends and her dad until a classmate starts bringing her coffee and a donut every day, and a romance blossoms.  Marcie doesn't know whether to push him away (she is, after all, still dating somebody else) or start a relationship that will give her the affection she craves.  

         This book, written in verse, was good in a fluffy sort of way.  Marcie's problems were mainly relationship-centered, and she made some pretty terrible decisions, but (against all odds) things worked out for her anyway.  My chief complaint with Love and Leftovers would be that the ending was perhaps a little far-fetched . . . maybe everything just happened a little too soon.  Despite that, it was a good book, especially for summer reading.

         Since I'm going on a road trip over the next ten days or so, I may or may not be able to post for a while.  Internet access is, at best, spotty on this kind of trip . . . Luckily, I can read in the car without feeling sick - we can at least count on a lot of new posts when I get back!

Rating: 4/5

Completed: June 8, 2012