At seventeen, Lucy has more to worry about than prom dates and college applications. She lives a happy life with her foster parents, Soledad and Leo, who adopted her when her biological mother, Miranda, went mad just after giving birth to Lucy. Miranda has been dubbed the crazy bag lady by Lucy. But lately Miranda—dubbed the crazy bag lady by Lucy’s friends—has been keeping a close eye on Lucy, both at school and at home.
The Curse
After attending prom with her seemingly innocent date, Lucy turns up pregnant. Then she discovers the terrible curse that was set upon the women of the Scarborough family many generations ago. The curse states that, at eighteen, each of the women will give birth to a daughter and then surrender to madness. But there is a way to escape the curse, a challenge so impossible that none of the Scarborough women have completed it.
The Challenge
To break the curse, Lucy must perform three seemingly impossible tasks found in the old ballad “Scarborough Fair.” But unlike her ancestors, Lucy doesn’t have to face the challenge alone. Her foster parents and childhood friend Zach are more than eager to help. But with every passing day, Lucy’s baby grows, and so does her relationship with Zach. But is their growing love enough to break the curse and save Lucy from a lifetime of madness?
The Review
This book combines the classic plotline of a family curse with modern teenage issues—prom, love interests and teen pregnancy. The writing is simple, interesting and easy to follow, but the author made a few unrealistic choices in the plot. The most detrimental mistake was the progress of Lucy and Zach’s relationship. One minute they're childhood friends, and the next he’s in love with her. And with only a moment’s hesitation, Lucy realizes or perhaps convinces herself that she loves him back. Within weeks of her baby’s due date, Lucy accepts Zach’s unrealistically selfless marriage proposal. Unfortunately, the author couldn’t avoid making these unrealistic plot choices without compromising the ending of her story.
All in all, the book is decent, but it reads more like a TV movie novelization than an original teen novel.
About Nancy Werlin
Known for her psychological thrillers, Nancy Werlin has written many novels for teens, including Are You Alone on Purpose?, Double Helix and Black Mirror. Her novel The Rules of Survival was one of five finalists for the National Book Award in 2006. Check out her website.
