Caleb + Kate
Imagine a Romeo and Juliet tale set on the beautiful Oregon coast. Kate’s dad is a wealthy hotel owner, and Caleb, newly arrived from Hawaii, works at one of the hotels. There’s some generations-old bad business between the two families that the two teens do not quite understand, but their elders do and work mightily to thwart their romance. The social scene at Kate’s posh school often slips into Gossip Girls parody mode, but the characters generally maintain their integrity well enough to propel the intriguing plot forward. Romance readers will thrill to the beautifully wrought raw emotion resonating in the two teens’ love for each other. Expect no Romeo and Juliet ending here, though, just some commonsense, satisfyingly realistic resolutions to a lot of complex issues with the families, and a chance for hope in the star-crossed lovers’ tale. Grades 7-10. --Anne OMalley