Review Detail

HEARTACHE AND OTHER NATURAL SHOCKS by Glenda Leznoff was an unexpected surprise. Set in 1970s Canada, Jules Epstein and Carla Cabrielli are teen girls who are navigating all of the usual high school stuff. Jules is new to the school they both attend having recently moved from Montreal, and Carla is what appears to be the standard mean girl who doesn't like the competition Jules brings to the stage (they're both in theater and want the same roles) or to her love life (they both catch the eye of Ian, a new boy at school).

What could have been a 377 page cliche had enough twists and turns and good character development that I stayed interested and engaged throughout the novel. Leznoff does a nice job with the teen girl voice. She's less adept with the young men in the story, but that's okay. It's the girls who steal the show anyway.

I recommend this book to teens--boys and girls alike. It's less a love story and more a story of family relationships and friendships, and the interesting time period makes it even more intriguing to both genders. I'll be looking for more books from the author in the future.

Thank you to the publisher for a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.