Synopsis: Worry no more! Letty Chubb's guide to the passion and pain of lurve will help all teenage worriers find happiness. Deliciously funny as well as tackling serious issues, this is the ultimate handbook for affairs of the heart. From romance to pregnancy and quarrels to valentines, there's nothing more you'll need to know. Follow Letty's own tumultuous love life along the way. Will she succeed in her quest to win the heart of the elusive Daniel Hope? The brilliantly funny sequel to I Was a Teenage Worrier.

Review: First written in 1996 along with several other editions in the teenage worriers guide, this title dealing with lurve is still as relevant in 2005 and has probably received a few editorial updates.

Ros Asquith writes with empathy and knowledge on the topic of teenage love through the voice of Letty Chubb, her fifteen year old teenage love guru. The opening pages introduce the reader to Letty’s family and all their quirks and eccentricities – of which there are many. The reader is also informed about Letty’s friends and possible boyfriends, as she says ‘hope springs eternal’.

Asquith uses the familiar form of the alphabet to structure her guide, some entries make sense under the general subject of love and others are simply odd but highly amusing. “AARDVARK: I start with this gentle creature, dear reader, firstly to put off all you salacious, seedy types who just bought this book for NOOKY, SNOGGING, Etck, heh heh.”

There are illustrations throughout also by Ros Asquith, which lend the book the casual feel of a comic or cartoon strip in parts, which will appeal to those who like their text broken up with pictures and drawings. At 310 pages, this is a complete guide to the topic of love. Asquith leaves no area uncovered including difficult areas such as sex, sperm, terminations, STDs and even suicide. This is not a book for the feint hearted, that said there is plenty of humour and light heartedness to the guide too.

The Teenage Worrier's Guide to Lurve is just that, a guide for teenagers who seek advice but often don’t know where to turn to receive it. This book is an ideal agony aunt who can answer all those embarrassing questions that are too difficult to voice, whilst providing the reader with a laugh or two. And finally on the topic of love, Letty Chubb ends with her words of wisdom. “…only one thing makes me proud. I stood by my cat.”

2006-10-07