The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Penny Lane, so named because of her parents’ Beatles obsession, is sick of every boy except the four responsible for her namesake. So while she’ll still listen to Beatles music, she’s sworn off boys. That means no more dating and instead dedicating her time to herself. And so Penny becomes the first member of The Lonely Hearts Club (named because of the only boys allowed), but soon, everyone wants to know about it. It turns out, Penny’s not the only girl fed up with letting boys be boys, and before long, girls are flocking to her growing club. It’s about empowerment and not letting the other sex get in the way of real life. But despite all the good things the club has been doing for its members, Penny can’t help but wonder if her original assumption, that all males are spawns of the devil, is really true and if not dating is really the way to go. Because despite how many times Penny tells herself that boys will only break her heart, there’s still one boy Penny can’t help but like.

The Lonely Hearts Club doubles as a sweet romantic comedy and a self empowerment book for all girls. Eulberg gets down to business quickly by listing nearly all the transgressions guys have made against girls. It’s practically a universally known fact that a girl will sometimes do anything to get a guy, usually to her own detriment, as shown through Tracy’s and Diane’s characters. Penny’s character offers an interesting solution to this: swear off boys and everything will be better. Of course, things rarely turn out as planned, and this heartwarming story is the result. I just love how Eulberg encourages girls to become independent from boys and take back their lives while also entertaining them with a cute and amusing tale. I wouldn’t say anything else in particular really stands out about this novel; the Beatles tributes and even the storyline have been tried before. Nonetheless, The Lonely Hearts Club is sure to bring a smile and a little hope into every girl’s life.

The Lonely Hearts Club appeals to teen girls who enjoy young adult romance stories including Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway and The ABC’s of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro.

Rating: 4.0

Review copies from publisher Scholastic and Big Honcho Media