THIS MUST BE LOVE
Tui T. Sutherland
HarperCollins
Fiction
ISBN: 006056475X
256 pages

Most of this story, based on Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, is told though correspondence: emails, instant messages, notes, diary entries, and so on. Hermia and her best friend, Helena, are totally into theater. Helena, blond and brainy, gets the star roles while curvy, bubbly Hermia is stuck with commandeering the spotlight or playing a tree. Both girls are smitten with guys. Hermia secretly pines for her friend Alex, while Helena is gaga over the new guy, Dmitri. Hermia has dated a lot while Helena is waiting for that special soulmate, and she believes fervently that Dmitri is The One.

The plot quickens when Dmitri tries out for "Romeo and Juliet." Surely Helena will play Juliet, while Dmitri will be Romeo. Yet, Helena sometimes finds herself thinking about an ex-friend, Nick, who now hates her (or does he?). Helena would never even consider dating a popular football jock like Nick, even when her friends point out how nice and cute he is.

Hermia has problems of her own. Her drama teacher doesn't recognize that Hermia will someday be a famous actress, and should be treated accordingly. Her single-parent dad is way too controlling (one might consider the fact that her mother has left the family for another woman to be a big problem also, but the situation doesn't faze Hermia in the slightest). The drool-worthy Alex doesn't seem to consider her girlfriend material, but he does hatch a mysterious "secret plot" with Helena's help. And Helena becomes furious with her when Dmitri starts being a bit too attentive to Hermia.

Hermia and Helena each have a unique and distinct voice. Hermia's rapid-fire stand-up comic delivery contrasts nicely with Helena's languid romantic poet manner. Except for a few brief bits that I felt were redundant (notably, Helena's rather long-winded dramatic pining for Dmitri), the plot moves along rapidly and humorously, with lots of entertaining twists in the tale, making for an enjoyable light read.

   --- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon (terryms2001@yahoo.com)

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