[Review] The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Title: The Lonely Hearts Club

Author: Elizabeth Eulberg

Publication: 3 May 2010 (AU)

Publisher: Penguin AU

Source: For review, thanks Penguin!
Age:14+, some sexual references but nothing too serious

Pages: 300

My Rating:

Blurb:

Love is all you need . . . or is it?

Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating, so she vows: No more. She's had one too many bad dates, and has been hurt by one too many bad boys.

It's a personal choice . . . and soon everybody wants to know about it. It seems that Penny's not the only girl who's tired of the way girls change themselves (most of the time for the worse) in order to get their guys . . . or the way their guys don't really care.

Girls are soon thronging to The Lonely Hearts Club, and Penny finds herself near legendary for her non-dating ways – which is too bad, since the leader of The Lonely Hearts Club has found a certain boy she can't help but like . . .

In The Lonely Hearts Club, debut author Elizabeth Eulberg tells a very funny, very relatable romantic story for anyone who's ever sworn off love . . . and then found it anyway.

My thoughts: 

Any fan of The Beatles would instantly recognise the crossover appeal for this book--look at the cover (or look to the right ;))! Not only is the title, The Lonely Hearts Club named after one of the hit band's songs; the main character's name is Penny Lane Bloom (also named after a song); her and her parents are The Beatles die-hard fans, and The Beatles references and song titles appear and resonate time and time again.

Skipping a book synopsis-thingy (the blurb tells all), The Lonely Hearts Club was a whole bunch of fun. It was a real thrill to read this one, and I'm very glad I finally got around to reading it. Despite not being a fan of The Beatles, I found all the references to the band so unbelievably refreshing.

This book is, at its core, about friendship, about breaking barriers and living outside the lines. The Lonely Hearts Club was fun, and it was just the book I needed to read. Eulberg's debut novel may not be the most complicated novels out there, but it stood up for feminist values that seem to be ignored in this day--that girls can stand on their own and be independent and their own women. I don't know why some girls these days throw themselves at guys and feel they need to be with a man to be happy.

I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars because, after 2 weeks, I actually don't remember what happens, who the characters are--basically, nothing really sticks in my mind, nothing was incredibly impressionable unto me. Sorry for the really brief review, but this is all I have to say about The Lonely Hearts Club. It is definitely worth a read though. This debut is fun and quick, and something that I could relate to. I really do with there had been a Lonely Hearts club in my high school!

Quotes:

"I felt lost. I needed to hide away. Escape.

     There was only one thing I could do to ease the pain. I turned to the only four guys who'd never let me down. The only four guys who'd never broken my heart, who'd dissapointed me.

     John, Paul, George and Ringo." (p. 16)

" 'You've joined a club, honey! That's great,' Mum said as she took a sip of her water.

'Yes, what kind of club, kiddo?' Dad leaned in, interested.

'Well, um, it's not really a club '

'Penny started it. It's called The Lonely Hearts Club,' Rita [Penny's sister] chimed in.

'Oh, oh, Penny Lane, that's so wonderful!' Mum put her hand up to her chest, thrilled that I'd named something after the Beatles, although she had no idea what the Club stood for. I could've started a club called the Yellow Submariners that went out into the ocean and clubbed baby seals and they still would've been proud." (p. 111)

Buy:

Live in Australia?

Fishpond | Readings | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson | Borders | The Nile

Live elsewhere?

Amazon | The Book Depository

I have received this review copy in return for an honest review.

Challenge: --

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