The Star Shack

June 21, 2010
The summer before their senior year, Annabelle and Pete are looking forward to reuniting on rainy Gingerbread Beach and continuing their summer romance—they're not yet an official couple. However, Annabelle's new obsession with astrology, stemming from the success it brought her fantasy baseball team, drives pragmatic Pete nuts ("I just sat there on my bed listening to Annabelle go on and on about how Jeter had Saturn in his sixth house or something equally insane"). Annabelle is hurt, but determined to prove that her faith in the stars isn't a joke, so she dares him to run a boardwalk astrology business with her, predicting people's love lives and offering advice. It's a huge success and Pete turns out to be a natural, but the tension between Pete and Annabelle moves beyond their Yankees vs. Red Sox rivalry when he begins dating a tattooed college girl. Castle's debut is fluffy, but the characters' alternating perspectives provide convincing teenage voices. The preface to each chapter employs a horoscope to describe new characters (who are otherwise only lightly developed), but the interpretation of astrological principles is intelligent and absorbing. Ages 12–17.

July 1, 2010
Gr 7–10—-nnabelle and Pete share a passion for baseball, but when she develops an obsession with astrology, it derails their deepening relationship. Incessant references to the hobby aggravate Pete, while his increasingly uncommunicative behavior troubles Annabelle. When the stars say she should move ahead with a business venture, she dares Pete to join her in establishing a romantic-advice astrology booth on Gingerbread Beach's boardwalk, even though he is being pursued by, and starts dating, Sarah, an older and more sophisticated teen whose passive-aggressive remarks and condescending behavior unsettle Annabelle. If the booth's a bust, Annabelle promises never to talk about astrology with Pete again. Never one to decline a dare, Pete accepts, and quickly wins over customers with his charisma and his wide knowledge of astrology, attained during cram sessions and aided by his photographic memory. The narration switches between the two protagonists effectively. Characterizations are realistic and natural, including Annabelle's post-breakup emotions and Sarah's aggressively flirtatious and catty attitude. Pete's excitement over being noticed by an older girl is authentic, while his conflicting feelings regarding his relationship with Annabelle are plausible. The ending is predictable yet not overly cheesy, and the love stories set in motion by the duo's advice are sweet. Not an essential purchase, but an enjoyable summer read.—"Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2010
Grades 7-10 Annabelle and Pete have been true loves since they met at Gingerbread Beach when they were 12. Each summer they continue their romance, only this time theres a problem: Annabelles obsession with astrology is driving Pete batty! With their relationship on the rocks, Annabelle dares Pete to open an astrology booth with her. Its a classic light-romance setup bolstered by Castles impressive grasp of the science of the stars. Given the predictable results, the story wrings a good deal of pleasure from the emotional hand-wringing. Especially fun is Petes unexpected skill at reading fortunes. Well, he does have a Capricorn rising, after all.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)