As the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life for sixteen-year-old Alice Amorous should be pretty good. But ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness, Alice has been forced to maintain a brave front--lying to her new crush, Tony, answering fan letters, forging her mother's signature, telling the publisher that all is well. Now time is running out and so is their money. The next book is overdue and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs to deliver a new novel for h er mother--and she needs to come up with one fast. That's when she meets Errol, a strange guy claiming to be Cupid, who insists that Alice must write about his tragic romance with Psyche--the greatest love story of all time. Only, Alice doesn't believe in Cupid....
"Alice ’s mother, a writer who is the “Queen of Romance,” suffers from bipolar disorder, and sixteen-year-old Alice struggles almost alone to cover up her mother’s illness. The tenants in their small apartment building understand and help as best they can. Alice is having quite a week: she crushes on a new boy in town, copes with blackmail from the girl upstairs, tries to write a romance novel to fulfill her mother’s commitment to a publisher, and then meets Cupid. The real Cupid. And things get weird. The main chunk of the story takes place over the course of one week, and the author packs a lot into that time. The pace is breakneck, but readers will enjoy being swept along for the ride, and the story concludes, much like a modern romance novel, with a complicated, but happy, ending.
There are serious issues here—bipolar and eating disorders—just under a layer of madcap, paranormal fun: Alice ’s surname is Amorous, and some action takes place at an over-the-top pink beauty salon run by “Velvet,” who provides wisdom as well as a bit of comic relief. There’s a bit of mythology, a bit of romance, a bit of the paranormal, and some real-life problems, but Selfors juggles them all assuredly. Serious ideas are handled carefully, while real humor is spread throughout the whole book. This book has real charm with great depth."
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VOYA
"The daughter of a bestselling romance novelist feels forced to keep a terrible secret when her mother is hospitalized with bipolar disorder in this unique, heartfelt and fantastical romance."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"Selfors is adept at making Alice a sympathetic and believable character. She keeps the pace going with the near-miss moments between Alice and her love interest, Tony. The story takes place in Seattle in the midst of a stifling, humid summer, which creates an atmosphere appropriate for Alice's situation. The story may seem like a lighthearted teen romance novel, but at moments it turns contemplative when dealing with Belinda's mental and Errol's physical illness. The author leaves readers wondering whether or not Errol is mad for believing that he is, in fact, Cupid or whether there is some magic in the world after all."
-- School Library Journal
 "This story adeptly touches on mental illness and its effect on a family. Selfors's proclivity for giving characters quirky names adds to an overall feeling of whimsy, and things are further enlivened by a dash of real-life romantic interest and well-meaning neighbors for the lonely, stressed-out Alice."
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Publisher's Weekly
"Selfors weaves real life, problems and romance, with some supernatural elements that combine for a book I thoroughly enjoyed reading."
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Kiss The Book
"If you are a fan of any of Suzanne's other books, I'd definitely recommend MAD LOVE. It has the same tone and feel as her others. She is an author that if she wrote a book and didn't put her name on it, I'd still know it was one of hers."
-- Must Love Books
"I like this book for my library because readers who enjoy realistic fiction will also enjoy it as much as those fantasy lovers!"
-- Library Lounge Lizard
"Alice was a great character; in fact, all the characters were great. They all flowed (and clashed) when they needed to, and I found myself very engrossed with them. The idea was very unique and was executed well. Tons of emotions were put into the book, and you feel every one of them as if you were really there."
-- Flamingnet Reviews (16-year-old reviewer)
"I really liked Alice and enjoyed her foray into the world of romance writing very much."
-- Charlotte's Library
"What does a person do when confronted with a situation that is either madness or magic?" This is the very question that 16-year-old Alice Amorous asks herself. As the daughter of novelist Belinda Amorous, the Queen of Romance, things had been going so well. Then Belinda has a nervous breakdown and is hospitalized for bipolar disorder. Now not only must Alice fend for herself, but the publishing company is also threatening to take back the $100,000 advance unless a new romance novel appears before the August 31st deadline. Enter a pale boy named Errol who claims to be Cupid himself, insisting that Alice must pen the veritable version of the greatest love story ever told: his romance with Psyche. Alice may have just stumbled upon her mother's latest novel. Selfors is adept at making Alice a sympathetic and believable character. She keeps the pace going with the near-miss moments between Alice and her love interest, Tony. The story takes place in Seattle in the midst of a stifling, humid summer, which creates an atmosphere appropriate for Alice's situation. The story may seem like a lighthearted teen romance novel, but at moments it turns contemplative when dealing with Belinda's mental and Errol's physical illness. The author leaves readers wondering whether or not Errol is mad for believing that he is, in fact, Cupid or whether there is some magic in the world after all."
-- Kimberly Castle, School Library Journal
 
Release Date: January 4, 2011
Published by: Walker Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780802784506 |
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