One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin

Finn knows she's an outcast. She only has one friend (although sometimes Audrey feels like an extention of her) and nothing close to a boyfriend. Admittedly, after The Party, she doesn't intend to change the latter status.

Everything changes when Jersy, the Beautiful Boy that she knew as a kid, moves back into town. The changes are infinitesimal, but definitely there. Despite haunting memories of The Party, she finds herself liking Jersy and then liking Jersy - a huge taboo since he's dating Audrey. And when Audrey goes away for the summer... Finn's resolve quickly begins to fail.

Adding Finn's emotional trauma to an already uncertain love relationship adds that much more depth to One Lonely Degree. Fans of Laurie Halse Anderson will recognize the source of her pain, but Martin's presentation is unique. And combined with all of that drama, Finn must also deal with her parent's imminent separation, leaving her alone when she needs advice the most.

Cover comments: Totally perfect for the book. That hand on the left leads to a picture of Jersy on the back cover. I love how their fingers are just barely touching - it's a perfect snapshot of their relationship.

My only disappointment was the ending. It felt very...unfinished to me, like there should be several more pages in there. It was probably pretty realistic (not that I would know), but it felt like it was missing something definite. However, it was still totally worth the read.