Through to You

May 5, 2014
Former baseball star Penn Mattingly can have any girl he wants at school, while Harper Fairbanks is a nice, smart girl who always does the right thing—like staying away from boys like Penn. On a whim, Penn tosses Harper a flirty note, and suddenly the two are involved in a romance. Penn intrigues Harper, but she’s skeptical about his interest in her and nervous about what might happen between them. Penn tries not to fall for Harper (he has problems at home with his father and is mourning a lost future in baseball after an injury), but each time he pushes her away, he finds himself begging her to forgive him. Writing in alternating points of view, Barnholdt (Sometimes It Happens) sets up romantic situations—batting lessons, evening picnics, carnivals—that are the stuff of high school dreams. Despite the characters’ reluctance to fall for the other, Penn turns out to be a guy to root for, while Harper remains kind, confident, and intelligent. A sweet, straightforward romance with the expected bumps along the way. Ages 14–up. Agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident
Media Group.

June 1, 2014
On an impulse, the senior heartthrob drops a flirty note on a classmate's desk, sparking a surprising romance."I like your sparkle," reads the note from Penn Mattingly to Harper Fairbanks referring to the tinsel she has worn in her hair to celebrate school-spirit day. Penn's the perennial love-'em-and-leave-'em bad boy-which is why the levelheaded Harper finds her attraction to him both surprising and deliciously dangerous. Likewise, Penn thinks Harper's not good for him since she's too good for him. Soon, they're hanging out, and their playful banter grows serious as they draw closer. But Harper is increasingly stung, mystified and enraged by Penn's hot-and-cold moods. When she asks him questions like why he doesn't play baseball anymore and why he rages at his former best friend and teammate, he's distant and cold-but other times, he melts her heart. The author lets readers in on what else Harper doesn't know: that Penn is terrified that his promising baseball career is over and that his dispiriting home life includes an alcoholic father, pot-smoking brother and emotionally debilitated mother. Chapters alternate between the two characters' vantage points, providing an insightful and humorous look into the complex connections among feelings, actions and words and how easily they can be misconstrued.An absorbing, skillfully written depiction of two teens caught in a vortex of doubt, insecurity and miscommunication. (Romance. 14-18)

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September 15, 2014
Grades 9-12 I like your sparkle. Harper Fairbanks can't imagine why baseball star Penn Mattingly dropped the note on her desk. Penn can't either, as she is not his usual type. The latest from author Barnholdt (Right of Way, 2013) explores the reluctant romance between Penn and Harper. In alternating-voice chapters, Penn, who has suffered a potential career-ending injury and has a chaotic home life with an alcoholic father and emotionally crippled mother, unsuccessfully tries to convince himself that he isn't good enough for Harper. She, meanwhile, is puzzled by his moodiness and inconsistent attentions. As you might expect, Penn's refusal to let Harper in on his fears results in disaster for the couple, as Harper finally decides to take him at his word and cut him out of her life. Despite the standard-issue nature of the plot, the well-drawn characters, humorous and emotionally honest writing, and tidy conclusion will satisfy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2015
After bad boy Penn leaves a note on Harper's desk, they discover they are attracted to each other and quickly become inseparable. But their relationship is volatile: Penn is moody, and reluctant to open up about his family problems and baseball-career-ending injury. The predictable story arc, told from both perspectives, is made livelier by the protagonists' authentic emotions and obvious chemistry.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)