COURTESY OF CUPID

A hyperorganized tween’s plans are derailed when her orchestrated love connections go awry.

Erin Johnson is an ambitious biracial Black girl who’s obsessed with being the best academically and wants to follow in the footsteps of her hero, Marie Curie. Her goal for eighth grade is to be elected president of the Multicultural Leadership Club, finally beating archnemesis Trevor Jin, who’s Korean American. Trevor’s been a thorn in Erin’s side ever since kindergarten and is constantly edging her out in every competition. Right after Erin’s 13th birthday, her mother finally reveals her father’s identity: Cupid, the God of Love, a redheaded white man, who wrote letters to help Erin prepare for the powers that will manifest now that she’s 13. He even left her a Cupid manual. Erin’s mom makes her promise not to use her powers until she understands them better, but while Erin believes romantic love is a trivial distraction, she realizes her matchmaking powers might give her the edge she needs. Her single-minded focus on achievement, however, leads to friendship troubles—and other unintended consequences. The humor and strong character development drive this tender story about different types of love and our inability to see the ways they affect our lives. The rivalry between Erin and Trevor and the complex relationships among the kids and adults will resonate with readers. Erin’s first-person voice is enhanced by the wry observations in her footnotes, which appear throughout the novel.

A sweetly romantic coming-of-age story with fun, magical touches.