Stupid Cupid

Author: Rhonda Stapleton

Pages: 243

Published: December 22 2009, Simon Pulse

Genre: Contemporary fiction

Cover Score: B+

Overall Grade: B+

Source: Publisher/Author

debut author

Summary: Felicity Walker desperately needs a job. So when she applies for a gig at Cupid's Hollow Matchmaking Company, she doesn't know what she's getting herself into...until she learns that she's a modern-day cupid (there's more than one, of course!), complete with the latest cupid technology: love arrows shot through email (via her hot pink cupid Blackberry device). But when Felicity bends the rules and matches her quiet, band geek best friend, Maya, with three different guys, total chaos ensues. Can Felicity sort everything out before she ends up losing her job--and before Maya's heart is totally broken?

My thoughts: Stupid Cupid was a fun, satisfying, and totally clever debut. I loved all of the creativity put into the plotline: it's not every day that you find a book about teenage cupids! All of the shenanigans that ensued after Felicity's disastrous tri-love match were absolutely hilarious, and I was rooting for her all the way, eagerly waiting to see how it all turned out in the end. Felicity herself was a strong character with a good head on her shoulders and a hysterical sense of humor. I felt like I could really relate to her.

On the other hand, Maya's love match really frustrated me at times. It just felt so slow and after a while, the cringe-worthy mayhem wasn't so funny anymore. As well as this, the dialogue and narration (first-person) felt unnecessary at times and a bit too simple.

However, I loved all of the mini-plotlines/matches: the Maya match, Felicity's parents, and DeShawn matches moved the plot right along, making me enthusiastic to see how it would all turn out. Ms. Stapleton definitely has the teen-girl narration down--she really got into Felicity's head!

Not a difficult read, Stupid Cupid was fun, light, quick and easy to dive in to. I can't wait to see what's next for Felicity (and her love matches) in the sequel, Flirting With Disaster, which will be released next year!