The Heartbreak Messenger
Gr 5-8–When his best friend's brother wants to break up with his girlfriend but doesn't know how, Quentin agrees to do it for him for $20. He never expects it to turn into a business, but after being successful and taking the ex's advice to soften the blow with flowers and chocolate, he becomes the heartbreak messenger. Wanting to help out his car-mechanic mother with what he assumes are money problems, he takes on more breakups. However, most of them are not so simple. He gets punched by a girl, has to figure out how to break up with two girls at the same time without telling them about each other, and must comfort an enormous football player whose heart is broken. As he struggles to keep his business and his body safe from harm, he finds himself with conflicting feelings about his other best friend, Abby. When her boyfriend asks for his services, Quentin must decide about his true feelings for her. Quentin is a likable and funny narrator. His confusion over his feelings for Abby is authentic, and his decision that he is not ready to pursue a romantic relationship will strike a chord with other preteens. This clever read will find an audience with both boys and girls.–Kefira Phillipe, Nichols Middle School, Evanston, ILα(c) Copyright 2013.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.