Girlfriend Material »

If Kate were Lady Brett Ashley, the devastating heroine of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, she'd spend her summers careering around the Riviera in her coup, breaking hearts by the dozen—because why not? In reality, Kate's never even had a boyfriend, and she'll be spending the summer abetting her mom's lame ploy to make her dad jealous: running off to Cape Cod and crashing at the seaside home of her wealthy friends, the Cooper-Melnicks. To add to the shame, the Cooper-Melnicks' gorgeous daughter is a bit like Lady Brett, and she seems less than thrilled to hang out with her new houseguest. Any dreams Kate once had of a perfect summer are ruined.

That is, until Sarah's cute, witty friend Adam starts drawing Kate into the fold—and seems intrigued. With Adam around, Kate feels like she just might have a bit of heart-breaker potential after all. But when a breezy summer romance quickly grows more complicated, can Kate keep pretending her relationship with Adam is just a carefree fling? Or will she take the risk and tell him her real feelings? Suddenly Kate is asking herself a question she thought she'd never stoop to: Is she girlfriend material?

Publishers Weekly

Kantor (The Breakup Bible) writes a funny and intimate story of summer romance and family conflict featuring 16-year-old Kate, who wishes she could be more like the independent heroine of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, Lady Brett Ashley ("without a doubt the coolest woman in the world"). But Kate's plans to spend a peaceful summer writing, reading and playing tennis go awry when her mother, wanting a temporary separation from Kate's father, whisks Kate away to stay with old friends at their summer house in Cape Cod. Besides resenting being uprooted, Kate feels uncomfortable around the friends' daughter, Sarah, who is less than pleased to have Kate tagging along. Amusingly neurotic as a narrator, Kate gradually gains confidence as she cultivates friendships with other teenagers, especially cute Adam ("Was it my imagination, or did he say big serious relationship as if it were a repugnant political party"). The changes in Kate are both gradual and realistic, as she learns painful lessons about love, her parents' failing marriage and her own needs. Her emotional journey and acute self-consciousness are likely to strike a chord. Ages 12-up. (May)

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