The Land of 10,000 Madonnas

Cal, Trevor, Ben, Matt, and Lillian were the cousins, best friend, and girlfriend of the late Jesse Serrano, a boy born with a hole in his heart whose body finally succumbed to the inevitable. Heartbroken and lost, the five recent high school graduates head on a mission to Europe, plotted by Jesse, to find the mother who abandoned him as a baby. Resentment, confusion, and despair about losing Jesse threaten to upend the trip, as the teens squabble about their lost friend, his wishes, and their presence (or lack thereof) during the last months of his life. Hattemer’s vivid third-person narrative and occasional excerpts from Jesse’s journal create a layered story of big questions and intense relationships, new and old. Even as cousin Cal and ex-girlfriend Lillian bicker, the travel adventures are peppered with humor and quirky characters. Hattemer (The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy) never resorts to melodrama or sensationalizes anyone’s grief, making for a moving read for readers of all ages. Ages 12–up. [em]Agent: Uwe Stender, Triada U.S. Literary Agency. (Apr.) [/em]