This new teen novel by Sara Zarr is as appealing as her National Book Award finalist, Story of a Girl. Sweethearts is the story of two elementary age misfits, Jennifer and Cameron. They are best pals and stick up for each other when the bullies at school torment them. They also spend a lot of time together after school when Jennifer’s single-mother is unavailable because of long hours working. One day they share a scary experience involving Cameron’s father and then Cameron just disappears. The mean girls at school tell Jennifer that Cameron died. Her mother does nothing to refute that story so Jennifer slowly accepts that she has lost her only friend. She is determined to change herself so that she can fit in at school even if it means completely remaking herself. Fast forward eight years when Jennifer – now known as Jenna – has a completely different life with a lot of friends and new boyfriend and has adjusted just fine as long as no one finds out what she used to be like. Then Cameron walks back into her life, which forces both of them to reexamine who they were back then and who they are now. Zarr continues to establish herself as a teen author to watch.