Undercover

Book: Undercover
Author: Beth Kephart
Audience: Tween to Teen
In a Nutshell: Cyrano girl learns how not to be invisible

Elisa is a poet, but nobody knows it. Or at least, only a select few. The guys at school know that if they're serious about wooing the girl of their dreams, Elisa is the one to go to. Like a high school Cyrano de Bergerac, she ghost writes poetry that wins hearts. She is an expert at being undercover, at staying invisible while she observes the world around her, both in nature and the social order of high school. Now she is writing poems from Theo, who she likes, to Lila, who is a beautiful but horrible girl. Elisa is also coping with the absence of her father on extended business, which is straining her parents' marriage. She's also teaching herself to skate in the privacy of her own hidden pond, but she won't stay hidden for long, either on the pond or from Theo.

This is a lovely little book, poetic and sensitive with lots of poetry incorporated, but I honestly had a hard time getting into it. Probably because the last book I read was a rollicking good time, and it was hard to downshift that fast. But if you're in the mood for poetic and sensitive, look no further.