One More Time for the Operator

Expected Publication: March 11th, 2014

Ask Again Later

By: Liz Czukas

HarperTeen

ISBN-13:  9780062272393

Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in a complicated romance.  So when her brilliant plan to go to the prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there's only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.

Heads: The jock.  He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother's best friend be?

Tails: The theater geek...with a secret.  What could be better than a guy who shares all of Heart's interests -- even if he wants to share all his feelings?

Heart's simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates.  But where her prom ends up might be the most surprising thing of all.....

Review

     I absolutely adore anything to do with alternate realitites, two majorly different outcomes to a choice of some sort, or just anything wonky to do with the space time continuum.  I should have known better to read a book about a girl named Heart who doesn't believe in love, and has to choose between two different prom dates!  I didn't really like Heart as a main character, and felt like she was a poseur and a complete pushover.  Instead of going with her friends to the prom in their group of No Prom-a Drama (gag me at that name, ugh) she lets herself be guilt tripped and or coerced into going to the prom with a guy she doesn't really want to go with (depending on your reality).  I didn't mind Heart's friend Ryan all that much, although his secret was such a plot device that he barely existed except to cause drama between Heart and the guy who (not-so-secretly) likes her for real.  I also don't get why he told Heart his secret, because yes she accepted him and didn't tell anyone about it, but she stereotyped him at every turn and was just an inconsiderate d-bag about it.  And her brother's friend is described as a big, dumb teddy bear of a guy but spends the majority of the book drunk and ignoring Heart - when he's not kissing her against her wishes (total sexual assault, and everyone just brushes it off and justifies it - including her brother and "love" interest!).  

     Her actual love interest is a boy from her drama class named Chase, who Heart calls Schroeder (he plays the piano like the Peanuts character), who teases her by calling her other body parts instead of her name (i.e. pancreas, etc.).  He's hot and cold to the extreme, never actually coming out and telling Heart he likes her as more than a friend/frenemie.  Schroeder spends most of the book as a belligerent asshole, treating Heart like crap because he's pissed she hasn't figured out he likes her - what, is she supposed to be a mindreader or something?  How does he not notice how overall oblivious and kind of dumb Heart happens to be?  His behavior throughout the book does NOT endear him to me as a love interest.  Their relationship will NOT be a healthy one, in any way, shape or form.  Also, everytime I read Heart's full name, I was calling her Heart Heart in my head (her last name is LaCoeur - "the heart" in French)!  It was distracting, sickening in it's cutesiness and it made Heart's Mom seem like a complete and utter moron (which might have been the point, to show what a deadbeat, dumb young teen Mom she was).  Yet another stereotype.  Either than or the author was trying to be clever.  In which case, EPIC FAIL.  Overall I really disliked it, and thought it was seriously superficial development wise in character and plot.  This book was a very bad type of shallow.  I spent most of the last half skimming it rather than reading closely.  I do not recommend this unless you are obsessed with Prom and like thick-skulled protagonists.  The only reason this gets as many stars as it does is for the premise, and due to the fact that I managed to finish reading it (barely).

VERDICT:  1.5/5  Stars

**I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication date is March 11th, 2014.**