Laguna Cove by Alyson Noel Grades 10-12 224 pages St. Martin's Griffin July 2006 Paperback     When Anne moves to Laguna Beach, California from Connecticut, her entire life changes. Anne doesn’t quite know how to fit into the laid-back California surfer culture. She’s never surfed before, and this sets her apart even more from the other people at school. She finally is able to meet some friends at a Hollywood screening and also decides to give surfing a try. A gorgeous guy named Chris offers to teach her the basics. Most of the others accept her into their group, but one girl named Ellie (who happens to be Chris’s girlfriend) just will not give Anne a break. To make matters worse, Anne seems to be a natural at surfing and is turning Chris’s head in more ways than one. How can she break through Ellie’s icy demeanor? Laguna Cove is a fun teen novel with an excellent cast of characters. The short chapters make the book flow quickly and smoothly. Readers will definitely be able to relate to Anne and everything she goes through trying to fit in to her new surroundings. The information about surfing is interesting, and you will learn a thing or two about how difficult competitive surfing is and what it takes in terms of practice and commitment. Alyson Noel has a unique style and way to communicate with readers. Some of the romance elements are a bit unbelievable and things tie up too neatly in the end. Those are fairly minor annoyances, though, and readers who enjoy a good character-driven story will warm to Laguna Cove.   web reviews   Melissa Parcel/2007 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)