Customer Reviews

The Lonely Hearts Club

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Penny Lane (yes, as in The Beatles song) is just sick of guys. After one particularly nasty break-up with her childhood friend Nate, she forms The Lonely Hearts Club and resolves never to date another high school guy. After all, all they do is jerk you around, treat you like dirt, make you change who you are, and cause you to abandon your true friends. What Penny doesn't expect is most of the girls at her school happily flocking to her new club...and people (namely, the principal and the guys) getting angry at her. And then of course, there is the tiny matter of a certain very nice, very cute boy that Penny can't seem to get off of her mind...

The Lonely Hearts Club is a kick-butt, fun, and powerful read that isn't just about the romantic ups and downs of teen dating and swearing off guys, but about friendship and loyalty and never allowing a boyfriend to compromise who you are or make you give up your girlfriends. The many dating dynamics in the book are so, so true, which makes it an easy and enjoyable novel to get into, and Penny's witty voice will make you laugh and cringe with her at the same time, especially as the many girls share their dating woes (who knew guys could be so mean?). Penny's club is unconventional, but it is so fantastic to see how she turns her pain at rejection by guys into something positive and fun for the girls in her school, and it won't fail to entertain at the same time as despite her best intentions, Penny just can't stop liking guys. The Lonely Hearts Club is not about moping around; it's about boys, The Beatles, picking yourself back up again and coming out stronger, and being the better person (most of the time). It'll leave you downloading The Beatles' music and wanting to form your own Lonely Hearts Club. Thank you, Elizabeth Eulberg.

Cover Comments: I love, love, love this cover! The Abbey Road spin-off is cute, and it's very fitting considering all of the many, many Beatles references. I also like how the tastes of each girl are as varied as the characters. The only thing I don't really care for is the font of the title. It's just too swirly for me, and since the rest of the cover has such a presence and attitude, it just doesn't fit. Other than that, this book really stands out!

As the title says I wanted so badly to love this book. A girl who loves The Beatles and creates a "Lonely Hearts Club" hating boys?? The idea seems like a no miss! Unfortunately this book was so over the top, over dramatic and completely predictable, not to mention cheesy.

I just want to say now that no one has ever said or will ever say "What to the evs" its "Whatev" if anything...

I love The Beatles, I love them more than anything I have over 30 books about their career, about how they effect on society, about their music, about their lives, about everything so I was really, really excited when there was a book about someone who likes The Beatles and featured kids of "today" (I put this in quotes because of the "What to the evs" comment" liking The Beatles. I'm 24, I'm not ancient. I know a few things have changed since I was in high school but there is NOOO way that a club like The Lonely Hearts Club would and could ever exist. There were people my age in high school that had never heard of The Beatles. Not to mention the fact that they were too busy having sex with each other to want to give it up for some club.

Some reviewers have said that because there were curse words, I can think of two instances, that the book isn't appropriate for children. I'm sorry but that is not realistic. Kids in high school curse, even kids in elementary school curse. This book was just too immature, too unrealistic and too cheesy.

I actually completely got pissed off at the book for saying that Beatles tribute bands were not worthy of "true" Beatles fans attention. I'm sorry but I love Beatles tribute bands I've seen over 10 different Beatles tribute bands and those guys are awesome at what they do. Its harder to try to be someone else on stage and learn their quirks, voice and movements than it is to be your own artist. Especially good tribute bands like Rain, Fab Four, Liverpool Legends and so forth. I've toured with some of the bands even and I know the work that goes on behind the scenes and its not to be mocked. I almost stopped reading right then...

I gave this book 2 stars for a couple reasons, #1 because I actually finished the book. I only finished it because I truly believed it might have a good and unexpected ending. It did not. Fail.

#2 It featured The Beatles. I love The Beatles.

All in all I was greatly disappointed and bored almost out of my mind while reading. I hope someday someone can write a truly entertaining story featuring The Beatles.

Penny Lane, so named because of her parents' Beatles obsession, is sick of every boy except the four responsible for her namesake. So while she'll still listen to Beatles music, she's sworn off boys. That means no more dating and instead dedicating her time to herself. And so Penny becomes the first member of The Lonely Hearts Club (named because of the only boys allowed), but soon, everyone wants to know about it. It turns out, Penny's not the only girl fed up with letting boys be boys, and before long, girls are flocking to her growing club. It's about empowerment and not letting the other sex get in the way of real life. But despite all the good things the club has been doing for its members, Penny can't help but wonder if her original assumption, that all males are spawns of the devil, is really true and if not dating is really the way to go. Because despite how many times Penny tells herself that boys will only break her heart, there's still one boy Penny can't help but like.

The Lonely Hearts Club doubles as a sweet romantic comedy and a self empowerment book for all girls. Eulberg gets down to business quickly by listing nearly all the transgressions guys have made against girls. It's practically a universally known fact that a girl will sometimes do anything to get a guy, usually to her own detriment, as shown through Tracy's and Diane's characters. Penny's character offers an interesting solution to this: swear off boys and everything will be better. Of course, things rarely turn out as planned, and this heartwarming story is the result. I just love how Eulberg encourages girls to become independent from boys and take back their lives while also entertaining them with a cute and amusing tale. I wouldn't say anything else in particular really stands out about this novel; the Beatles tributes and even the storyline have been tried before. Nonetheless, The Lonely Hearts Club is sure to bring a smile and a little hope into every girl's life.

The Lonely Hearts Club appeals to teen girls who enjoy young adult romance stories including Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway and The ABC's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro.

Penny's parents are Beatles fanatics - in fact, they love the Beatles, so much, they named their daughters Lucy (in the Sky with Diamonds), Rita (the Lovely Meter Maid) and Penny Lane after Beatles songs.

When Penny discovers her boyfriend cheating on her, she decides she's sick of boys and all the aggravation they cause her. She swears off boys (until she's out of high school, anyway) and decides to form a club. What better name than The Lonely Hearts Club since she's grown up in a Beatles culture? To be a member you must:

* stop dating boys while you're in high school
* attend all couple events (such as Homecoming, parties, etc) as a group
* attend Saturday night meetings
* be supportive of friends, even when they make bad choices

The Lonely Hearts Club turns out to be more popular than Penny ever imagined, but it also causes problems. The boys at her high school aren't crazy about it and the principal thinks it's disruptive. Things really start to heat up for Penny, though, when she starts to like a certain boy. Penny and her club learn a lot about life in just a few months.

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg is delightful YA book! I thought Penny was a great character. Sure, she makes mistakes, but she picks herself up and moves on with her life when she does. Her friends are great, too - each with their own strengths and weaknesses. I really enjoyed the time I spent with the members of The Lonely Hearts Club. I also enjoyed all the Beatles references throughout the book. Having said that, you don't need to know a lot about the Beatles to enjoy this book.

I love the message that this book gives young girls. It lets them know that it's great to have a guy in your life, but it's fine if you don't. It encourages them to be themselves and not try to be who they think someone else wants them to be. It tells them they should support each other and not abandon their girlfriends when a guy comes along.

There is a little bit of talk about sex in The Lonely Hearts Club, so I would probably recommend it for 7th or 8th grade and up. (I may be off on this, though, since it's been a while since I've been around a middle schooler.)

At some pivotal moment in their life, every teenage girl will come to the point where she will become fed up with boys and their typical immature shenanigans. Some might even go so far as to completely swear off the male sex for a certain period of time. A very few others will possibly not only stop dating boys, but they will encourage all their friends to do so and will then create a club where they can celebrate their self-induced single-ness with other like-minded females. Our hero, Penny Lane Bloom belongs to the last category.

After finding herself with a broken heart yet again, Penny decides to swear off boys (except the Beatles) until after high school, choosing instead to focus on herself and her girlfriends by creating The Lonely Hearts Club (so named after the Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album). Penny couldn't be happier with her new found freedom, even if she is only a club of one. But word of Penny's new club spreads quickly among the girls of her school who are also eager to shed their boy-troubles and Penny quickly finds herself on the outs with nearly every boy, some particularly catty girls, and even her principal.

There were several things to love about Elizabeth Eulberg's debut novel The Lonely Hearts Club. First off, any novel that takes not only its title but several character names and a 'date' to a Beatles impersonators concert from the Fab Four cannot help but be entertaining. Additionally, I adore the lighthearted cover with its modern girly Abbey Road inspired cover. I also applaud Eulberg for creating some strong female characters who recognize the futility of centering their lives around the whims of immature males who go on to get good grades, join sports teams, and who understand the value of female friendship. Thank you for that.

As much as I enjoyed Penny and the girls, I often found myself wondering if The Lonely Hearts Club had been written about eight years ago after listening to Penny's best friend repeatedly say "what to the ev" (gag) or how the girls applied shimmer powder before going to party. Shimmer powder? Yeah, that kind of stopped happening with anyone over the age of 10 after 2006. And those are only a few small details. I had issues with the basically nonexistent parents who were essentially present only to lend Penny her Beatles infatuation and the unbelievably unsupportive Principal who would have been slapped with several lawsuits quicker than you can say "advanced placement." And as much as I was rooting for Penny, though many of her exchanges with friends could sometimes be described as light and fun, they were usually awkward and extremely after-school-special unrealistic. Which I found extremely sad since all the components for making The Lonely Hearts Club into something really entertaining were right there. In the end, Penny and her club just failed to turn it into something more than a predictable 90's sitcom.

When Penny Lane Bloom's heart is broken by the one person she never suspected, she swears off guys ... forever. Or at least until she's out of high school, which ever comes first. Enter The Lonely Hearts Club - a club that focuses more on strengthening the bonds between friends than strengthening relationships with the opposite sex.

Penny Lane doesn't set out to make a statement, instead she sets out to find out who she really is, and to make the most of her remaining time in high school. But when the word of The Lonely Heart Club spreads, she has more club members than her basement could fit, a statement is exactly what she makes.

But when romantic sparks start to flare between Penny Lane and a friend, will it mean the end of The Lonely Hearts Club, or will it mean the end of the Penny Lane we've all come to know and love?

Elizabeth Eulberg's debut novel is unforgettable. Its full of honest emotions, laugh out loud moments, and most of all a lot of heart. The Lonely Hearts Club is extremely well written, and is full of characters that are insightful, smart, and one of a kind. Readers will be able to identify and sympathize with Penny Lane and her fellow Lonely Hearts Club members.

It's a real girl powered read, and one that any music fan - especially a Beatles fan - could really appreciate!

"Think for yourself 'cause I won't be there with you." -- George Harrison, 1965

You've just got to love the cover, which is a spoof of the Beatles' 1969 Abbey Road album cover. They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but I think I did when I judged that this would be one I would like! It's a riot!

Penny Lane, who shares her name with a 1967 Paul McCartney with the Beatles classic is so over boys. (Her two sisters are Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds and Lovely Rita. I'm surprised one wasn't named Michelle). After a traumatic breakup with her former boyfriend Nate, she forms The Lonely Hearts Club minus Sgt. Pepper. She swears off high school boys as she feels they don't show proper respect for women. Other girls join her club in droves. Her school principal, who is a man naturally chafes at the club as do the male students. Penny Lane does have a change of lonely heart when she meets a boy with a Beatle haircut. Something in the way he moves, perhaps? "I left you far behind/The ruins of the life that you have in mind./And though you still can't see/I know your mind's made up/You're gonna cause more misery." George Harrison, 1965 from "Think For Yourself"

Penny and her Hearts are in-your face and live by John Lennon's credo in "Instant Karma" about how Instant Karma's gonna get you, gonna knock you right in the face. She is somewhat Lennonesque with her in-your-face rebellion and delightfully zany wit. Like John Lennon, she and her fellow Hearts refuse to compromise their true voices and identity and swear off pretending to agree with someone just to win them over or pacify them. Any time somebody gives up their honest voice by pretending to be something they are not and by saying they agree with something they do not, they are stifling their identity. I hate that kind of toadying behavior and Penny and her Hearts wisely empower themselves to dodge that self-defeatist behavior. John Lennon's 1971 "Crippled Inside" is a good anti-toady song. At no time do the Hearts sacrifice their voices. That makes one think of John Lennon's greeting, "John here, speaking with his voice!" from the 1963 Beatles' Christmas album. What an empowering statement!

The Hearts' theme song could be Paul McCartney's late 1977 hit, "I've Had Enough! (I can't put up with any more)." All Long & Winding Roads lead to the Beatles and that is what makes this book such a treat.

"Although your mind's opaque, try thinking more if just for your own sake.
The future still looks good and you've got time to rectify all the things that you should." -- George Harrison, 1965 from "Think For Yourself"

The sheer genius of this book, with its empowering story, strong characters and WONDERFUL plethora of Beatle references will delight readers, whether they are Beatle fans or not. Beatle fans will especially enjoy this because not only will they "get" the Beatle references, they will love them!

Penny is delightfully funny and she bravely shares some horrific experiences. To make a good thing even better, she was born on Beatles' Day, February 7, the anniversary of the day the Beatles came to America! The daughter of two ardent inveterate Beatle fans, Penny develops a love for the Beatles early and even wants a Hey Bulldog for a pet. The social dynamics and social hierchy are given in plain terms and the story is one that pulls you in right away. You will travel down the Long & Winding Road with Penny Lane and her fellow Hearts as they get by with a little help from their friends as they learn that in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make. The Hearts convert "A Hard Day's Night" into a "Good Day Sunshine" and soon are singing "I Feel Fine." The Beatles remain a comforting presence throughout the book and a driving force that impels Penny and her fellow Hearts as well.

A heartfelt kudos and thank you to Elizabeth Eulberg. These delightful characters are wonderfully empowering and the Beatle humor brings big smiles to readers' faces. No doubt readers will take some ideas away after having read this book. If you listen to the Beatles while reading this work by this gifted Paperback Writer, you will increase your reading pleasure.

John Lennon's 1970 "Instant Karma," Paul McCartney's 1977 "I've Had Enough" and George Harrison's 1965 "Think For Yourself" underscore a good portion of this book. So do these Beatle classics: "I'll Be Back," "She Loves You," "This Boy," "It Won't Be Long" and "The Long & Winding Road" which are the soundtrack of this book together with "I Want to Tell You," a 1966 George Harrison classic. This gets a high endorsement and a hearty yeah, yeah, yeah from me! I love this book!

Beatles Forever!

I loved the idea of the book and Penny was awsome. But Ryan was definitly not the guy i had in mind. And the fact that he dated her ex BFF just hit me the wonrg way. Like that is something that def shoudnt happen in real life. If the side plots were different it may have been more enjoyable. And when she got assauted. Defintly not realistic. Half the quotes she was saying when she got mad at Ryan for not sticking up for her just sounded weird. The beatles thing was really cool though.

Penny Lane's parents are obsessed with the Beatles, in case you couldn't tell by her name. Penny has been burned by love for the last time, when her summer crush cheats on her. Penny decides what she needs is to declare herself the sole member of her own Lonely Hearts Club. Penny will not date any boys for the remainder of her high school career. Some other students end up being mistreated by guys too and decide they want to join up. Soon enough there are over 40 girls meeting at Penny's house and cementing their females relationships. The school principal and many of the high school boys aren't too keen on the club. Penny holds her ground, these girls really need a support system and they all want to stick together. The club starts to become more about friendship and improving yourself and grades instead of an actual Lonely Hearts Club.

This novel was complete fab. I could not stop laughing out loud throughout it. Penny Lane is a fantastic character and a great leader to the girls. She is just such a real person, shy about taking control, but does what needs to be done. I would have loved something like this when I was in high school, a huge support system of friends who have your back no matter what. It was nice to see all these girls for-going cliques and class years to band together to better themselves. Penny had mentioned at one point that they should all study together, since the older girls had already had a lot of the classes the younger ones were taking and therefore could help them out. Now, this book was definitely not all about grades and bettering oneself. There was plenty of boy drama. I could see why Penny would have to give up boys, they were all up in her stuff this whole book. All the characters were really great, even though Penny was really the primary focus of the book. Her two best friends made a good team and evened each other out. Really though this book was just a great, funny read about a club that ends up being more than it was supposed to be. This is up there in funny-ness with the Georgia Nicolson series, so seriously check this book out!

First Line:
"When I was five years old, I walked down the aisle with the man of my dreams."

Favorite Line:
"'Right! I remember that you had to be John and I was Paul and we had stuffed animals be Ringo and George.'"

This is one of those books that I saw everywhere and everyone seemed to love it. Unfortunately I never managed to get my hands on it until now~ and boy, was I missing out! This book was just as great as I'd heard!
Penny is an amazing character. She has flaws, so she felt real. But she has a heart of gold. I just loved her! And they way she got so many girls to bond together and really realize how much girls could have each others backs was awesome. Of course there are still those petty girls that try to mess it up, and boys who pick on them, but they always had each others backs, even when things were changing. I really loved that.
I loved that all of the characters were important. Not just Penny, but her friends, Tracy and Diane, her parents, her sister, the list goes on. They all had an important role no matter how short it was, they shaped the story quite a lot.
I love the romance in the book and how they were friends and realized the importance of their friendship before they ever considered a relationship. I think that was an important lesson to teenage girls. Heck, the whole book is great for teenage girls. Just to remind them that their life doesn't have to evolve around boys. And that your friends are the most important thing.

This review was first published on my blog at [...]