Guarente, G.A. Hook, Line and Sinker: A Novel.

GUARENTE, G.A. Hook, line & sinker, a novel. Penguin, Razorbill. 198p. c2005. 1-59514-011-5. $7.99. J

Fiona is 15 and through with boys, or so she tells Doris and Daisy, her two attentive, if somewhat silent, aquatic friends. Fiona is where she can usually be found after being rejected: the Pet Aquarium. While others may drown their hurt and anger in culinary treats, Fiona buys a fish to add to her aquarium of TCGs: the Tank of Clueless Guys. For this latest rejection, pet shop boy Jonas advises the capoeta tetrazona or tiger barb, a fish he describes as being "nice to look at but [who] kind of live in their own world." After leaving the shop, Fiona runs into her long-lost childhood friend Ty, and her resolve to never love again begins to dissolve.

Guarente's takes a light-hearted yet sympathetic approach to Fiona's string of failed romances and crushes. The depiction of Fiona as she tries to understand her changing relations not only with boys but also with friends and family members is realistic. Guarente's matter-of-fact handling of Fiona's conflicting emotions safeguards this book from becoming an angst-ridden chronicle of the ups and downs of teen love. In other words, while Fiona experiences hurt, sadness and anger, she is never desperate nor does she ever doubt that she will survive rejection. Readers who like Sarah Dessen's Keeping the Moon and That Summer will enjoy meeting Fiona and her tank of clueless guys. Debra Smith, Ph.D. Student, GSLIS, U of IL Urbana-Champain, IL

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.