Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Release Date: June 29, 2010
Source: The Teen {Book} Scene
Language: English

Synopsis: Claire is a #hopelessromantic.
Lottie is determined to set up her BFF with Mr. Perfect.
Will wants his #secretcrush to finally notice him.
Bennett is a man with a plan.

Claire can’t believe it when her dream guy starts following her on Twitter. She never thought he noticed her, and suddenly he seems to understand her better than almost anyone. But the Twitterverse can be a confusing place, especially when friends act differently online than they do in person. Things get even more complicated when Claire realizes she’s falling for someone else, the last person she ever would have expected….

Told in an innovate format combining tweets, emails, and blogs, Tweet Heart is a contemporary romantic comedy that will set your heart atwitter.

This isn't the first time I've read a novel written through emails and blog posts but Elizabeth Rudnick has added an original, new twist to the few epistolary novels floating around-Tweet Heart, Rudnick's debut novel, is a fun and relatable story combining emails, blogs and tweets. (as in Twitter!) The four narrators of the story each have distinct voices so there's no danger of confusing one for the other and the reader (especially if they're not familiar with how Twitter works) will quickly adapt to the layout of the story. Although there are four main characters, Claire and Will's voices are the prominent ones and their actions are the reason for the story's swift pace. Claire is kind, a loyal friend and completely oblivious to the fact that her close friend, Will, is desperately in love with her. Will is funny, sweet and perfect for Claire-he's willing to do anything to make her smile and the lengths he goes to to make her happy might seem a little crazy to the reader (especially when he ends up having disastrous results!) but his misguided attempts to genuinely make Claire happy will melt the reader's heart with how devoted he is. Lottie and Bennet are a little bit more behind the scenes but their interactions with Claire and Will are hilarious! They're great foils to the more serious personalities that Claire and Will possess. Bennett and Lottie, however, aren't so fond of each other in the beginning. Their relationship actually reminded me a little of Beatrice and Benedick* from Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. They make digs at each other but gradually they become more civil to each other and end up a little like Beatrice and Benedick. Tweet Heart really surprised me with how much I enjoyed it-I cared about all of the characters and what they would do once everything was out in the open.

Light, comical and absolutely adorable, Tweet Heart is a fast read that, while a little predictable, leaves the reader satisfied with its hopeful ending. Rudnick's debut showcases her talent for creating believable characters and her novel is the perfect choice for someone that needs to read something that'll pull them out of a dark mood.

Rating: 4.5

*Anyone who's read Much Ado knows what I'm talkin' about! ;)