Description:

Scarlet spends most of her time worrying about other people. Some are her friends, others are practically strangers, and then there are the ones no else even notices. Trying to fix their lives comes naturally to her. And pushing her own needs to the side is part of the deal. So when her older sister comes home unexpectedly married and pregnant, Scarlet has a new person to worry about. But all of her good intentions are shattered when the unthinkable happens: she falls for her sister’s husband. For the first time in a long time, Scarlet’s not fixing a problem, she’s at the center of one. And ignoring her feelings doesn’t seem to be an option... ** ### From School Library Journal Gr 9 Up–Seventeen-year-old Scarlet, self-appointed savior, learns a lesson in the pitfalls of trying to control the lives of others in this novel (Simon Pulse, 2010) by Deb Caletti. The story begins with her older sister Juliet suddenly returning home, married and pregnant, accompanied by her architect-student husband, Hayden, and his dog. Juliet, Hayden, the girls' mom, various colorful neighbors, and an assortment of classmates all with complicated issues drive concerned, busybody Scarlet to an emotional climax as she tries to fill the roles of matchmaker, social worker, psychotherapist, and marriage counselor while simultaneously having a crush on Hayden. A neighbor's fire and the concurrent loss of Hayden's beloved dog, her sister's disappearance, and the loss of Hayden himself break Scarlet's fix-it track and lead to an epiphany: she cannot continue trying to control everyone's life path. Teri Clark Linden differentiates the characters, but her rendition of teen voices makes them sound unrealistic. Slow speech and odd inflections are not true to today's teen speech; her adult voices are performed well. The retro song excerpts Linden sings are not true to the original tunes. Note that there is plenty of profanity. Barring the odd teen speech, this audiobook should be popular with girls who enjoy adolescent über-drama.*Jennifer Ward, Albany Public Library, NY* © Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. ### From Booklist Seventeen-year-old Scarlet is used to her older sister, Juliet, getting all the attention. Juliet’s the beautiful one who got off Parrish Island, Oregon, and has a job singing in Portland. Then Juliet returns with a new husband, Hayden, and a baby on the way. While Juliet is the kind of girl who’s mostly interested in herself, Scarlet finds herself becoming quite interested in Hayden, who is unrequitedly devoted to Juliet. There are familiar elements here, but Caletti executes them exceedingly well. Scarlet’s adoration of Hayden is both poignant and realistic, her devotion tempered by hopes and fears for the baby. Juliet’s pursuit of an old boyfriend, a bad boy, rings true, especially considering the family history. Still, other elements are over the top, like the subplot about neighbors who seem to have found the one Nigerian e-mailer who wants to make good on a business proposition. Caletti is at her best as she makes the case for the “Rules of Maybe,” how to hope, ways to persist, when to give up, and how to go on. Grades 8-12. --Ilene Cooper