A cupid doll comes to life and offers romantic assistance to A.J., a teenage photographer suffering from unrequited love. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Bauer's (Squashed) lighthearted (literally) story subtly delivers a meaningful statement to its YA audience. A.J., a high school senior who is very serious about her future career as a photographer, is quickly approaching the final deadline for a big assignment: to take the cover photo for the Valentine's Day issue of her school paper. As it turns out, her inspiration for that task comes from a most unusual source. Driving home one day she almost runs over a box, out of which rolls a stuffed cupid. He comes to life, setting A.J.'s existence onto an amusing-if obviously unbelievable-roller-coaster of a ride. Not only does he lead her to the site of the ideal photo op for the paper, but he shoots his arrow into the heart of the drop-dead gorgeous Peter Terris, whom A.J. has long ogled from afar. Peter asks her out and then, much to A.J.'s embarrassment, insists on proclaiming his undying love in public-loudly. Catapulted into Peter's popular, decidedly vapid crowd, A.J. discovers that what she has wished for is more likely to suffocate her than to bring her happiness. Bauer's buoyant narrative will elicit chuckles as it delivers its message (thwonk!) with the accuracy of a well-aimed arrow from Cupid. Ages 12-up. (Feb.) From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 7-10‘This silly, offbeat novel warns all readers: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR! A.J. McCreary, photographer extraordinaire, lovelorn, and invisible to school hunk, Peter Terris, is unable to capture a fitting cover shot for the school paper's special Valentine's Day edition. Then, she stumbles upon a stuffed cupid who comes to life and offers her one of three alluring choices: artistic, academic, or romantic assistance. In spite of the cupid's vehement protests against the last and his admitted previous failure in the arena of teen love, A.J. follows her heart. After Peter is smitten, and her date for the King of Hearts dance is secure, she finds that his slathering, abject devotion and unrestrained attention embarrass her, and that he is boring. Like Ellie in Bauer's Squashed (Delacorte, 1992), A.J. is a witty, intelligent protagonist whose fresh perceptions of her peers keep readers chuckling. In the end, a brilliant newspaper cover shot convinces her former-filmmaker father of her talent and makes the novel's ultimate statement about young romance. Thwonk revels in the vagaries, insecurities, and uncomfortable realities of teen love.‘Alice Casey Smith, Monmouth County Library Headquarters, Manalapan, NJ From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 7-10. "Thwonk." That's the sound made by Jonathan Cupid's bow when he fulfills A. J. McCreary's wish that hunky Peter Terris become hers and hers alone. Unfortunately, A. J. soon finds that Peter's total adoration is more than she bargained for, especially since there's not the slightest bit of depth (or interest in A. J.'s beloved photography) beneath Peter's handsome face. The question then becomes, Can a spell invoked become a spell broken? Although this novel isn't as substantial as Squashed (1992), which dealt particularly well with the question of self-image, Bauer decks out a comfortably familiar scenario with some good comic flourishes and gives strong, full voice to A. J.'s character. It's a novel YAs will read just for fun. ~--Stephanie Zvirin From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.