The Loser's Guide to Life and Love

I bought this book then had a wonderful two days of neglecting every thing I could to read it. After finishing, I couldn't stop thinking about it. What a smart book with great characters.

Ed McIff works at Reel Life Movies where he has to dress in frilly shirts and wear a name tag that doesn't even say his own name, but that of Sergio. Often, to pass the time, Ed and his best friend, Scout, like to imagine who the mysterious "Sergio" really is. One day, when a beautiful girl comes in named Ellie, Ed pretends to not be his loser-self, but the super-cool and suave Brazilian Sergio. While pursuing Ellie, Ed finds that he actually has feelings for his longtime best friend, Scout. But the only problem is that Ed's other best friend, Quark, also wants to be with Scout. What will happen when Ellie finds out that Ed is really Sergio? What will happen when Quark and Ed battle for the same girl? What will come of this complicated love square? Cannon creates truly entertaining characters in this very fast-paced story about a teenage boy finding out who he is and what he wants. While the story is somewhat clichéd, the reader is sure to be entranced by this romantic comedy. The main character of Ed is hilarious in a dorky way that makes him the favorite of any reader. Overall, this book is a great read for teen readers wanting a little Days of Our Lives mixed with Boy Meets World. Reviewed by: Steph

Thoroughly entertaining. This book kept me laughing, especially when the story was told from Ed's perspective. Thanks for the great read!

Ed, alias Sergio, creates a problem when he lets the beautiful Ellie believe that he is indeed the Sergio on his name tag that his strangely powerful boss, Ali, has given him at Reel Life Movies. With the new name, and a ten-word Portuguese vocabulary, he becomes Brazilian and taller! Or so it seems. His intensely awkward friend, Quark, meanwhile, falls for his best female friend, Scout. There is a light magic at work as in Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, only here the fairies are dragonflies that flit lightly through the story. The resolution takes place not at a court in Athens, but at a party in a house covered in colorful tiles across the street from the Salt Lake Cemetary. It's the stuff dreams are made of, a book about summer love for summer.

At Ed's summer job at a Reel Life Movies, he is required to wear a very odd-looking uniform and a name tag displaying an incorrect name, Sergio. But things aren't as bad as they could be. He gets to hand out with his two best friends, Scout and Quark, and a very beautiful girl named Ellie might be interested in him. The only problems are that Ellie thinks Ed is a Brazilian guy named Sergio, Scout likes Ed, and Quark likes Scout. It's a complicated love tangle that will test friendships and loyalties. The Loser's Guide to Life and Love was quite a hilarious novel that I truly enjoyed. It was really funny watching Ed get caught in his lies and Quarks social ineptness. All the characters are lovable, even the intimidating Ali who owns Reel Life Movies. But what I liked best about the characters, especially Ed/Sergio was how they knew they had to work things out and do the right thing. In a way, it made the story unrealistic, but it provided for a much happier ending. The Loser's Guide to Life and Love is based on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, which I appreciated because I love Shakespeare. I also liked the abundance of allusions to various movies as well as novels. I thought it was funny how certain characters started out liking the wrong person only to then start liking the right one, but it made the ending fun and happy.