Review Detail

Do teenagers still like The Beatles? This is a question that came to mind as I read The Lonely Hearts Club. Elizabeth Eulberg's novel is brimming with Beatles references, from the awesome cover to the name of the main character, Penny Lane Bloom. I'll be interested to hear my students' response to all the Beatles trivia; honestly, I bet they won't even notice it.

The Lonely Hearts Club is a fun, breezy novel about what happens when heartbroken Penny decides to swear off dating and form The Lonely Hearts Club. Rapidly, many other disillusioned high school girls join up and begin to improve themselves and their school. Penny is happily baffled by the popularity of the club until she realizes she's not ready to swear off dating.

The self empowerment message is fairly simple in this novel, but may be exciting for readers who are experiencing it for the first time. I liked that Penny stood up for herself against an ingratiating ex and a pretty psycho classmate. I can easily imagine my bold eighth grade girls rooting for Penny. It's worth adding to your shelf.