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El club de los corazones solitarios

(The Lonely Hearts Club #1)

Elizabeth Eulberg (Goodreads Author)

3.79 · Rating details · 25,304 ratings · 2,268 reviews

Esta historia comienza con un corazón roto, el de Penny Lane Bloom. Pero no le va a volver a pasar, ya que decide formar el Club de los Corazones Solitarios y no quedar con chicos nunca más. Poco a poco sus amigas se van sumando, y antes de decir “Beatles”, el Club se convierte en una auténtica revolución en su instituto, ya que saca lo mejor de las personas.

Lo malo es que ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Published February 8th 2012 by Punto de Lectura (first published 2010)

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May 03, 2014 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, romance, ya-contemporary, boring-main-character, revenge, mary-sue, high-school

"Oh, really?" Rosanna rolled her eyes dramatically, "How convenient that you decide to change the rules after you go on a date with the hottest guy in school! Maybe it shouldn't be called the Lonely Hearts Club -- maybe you should call it the Rules Will Change When Convenient For Penny Club!"

In the ancient Greek comedy, Lysistrata, fed up with all the warmongering, the women of Greece to withhold sex in a revolt to try to end the Peloponnesian War. If those intrepid women's mission to give up romance and love had lasted as short as the one waged by the main character within this book, the war might still be happening right now.

Because Penny Lane's vow to GIVE UP ALL THE BOYSES lasts all of 5 minutes. Yay. Bravo. Much endurance. Very patience. Such stoicism. Wow.

Not.

This book was terrible. I don't think Elizabeth Eulberg's YA comtemporary books are for me at all, because this is the third such I've read with disastrous consequences.

1. The heroine shows all the signs of being a contemporary Mary Sue including having a special name ("Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes"- The Beatles). She is beautiful without knowing it. ALL THE BOYSES FALL FOR HER. Etc.

2. The portrayal of teenaged females as completely shallow character whose lives revolve around that of their boyfriends and crushes

3. A theme of BOYS ARE NOT EVERYTHING that completely, utterly fails

4. An extremely juvenile way of viewing a group of people, in this case, boys, as EBIL EBIL EBIL creatures. It's so fucking 3rd grade.

He was a guy. A guy guy. As far as I was concerned, he probably had the dead bodies of small children and puppies hidden in his locker.

The Summary:

"Are you even kidding me? Every time you're around Ryan, you flirt up a storm."
Yeah, well, that was the old Penny. New Penny was done flirting. I'd be happy if I never had to speak to any guys for the rest of the year.

Penny Lane is done with boys. D. O. N. E. So she says. Her boyfriend Nate just dumped her because she won't put out.

And now that she's newly single, Penny is starting to see how HORRIBLE EVIL BAD boys are. I mean, they ruin everything they touch. They turn perfectly good, smart girls into mindless, devoted idiots, slave to their selfish EBIL EBIL EBIL needs. From the hipsters to the musicians to the jocks.

I couldn't help but wonder why it was that a guy could find two good girls to date at the same time, when we girls couldn't even find one decent guy.

Anything with a penis = trouble.

And it's not just the boys that are the problem, it's the girls, too. The girls at her school are so fucking shallow.

"The guys in the Elite Eight aren't the problem," Morgan said. "Those girls are so shallow and have zero -- and I mean zero -- things to discuss outside of their boyfriends."

So, fed up with boys, Penny decides to form the Lonely Hearts Club.

I would stop torturing myself by dating loser guys. I would enjoy the benefits of being single. I would, for once, focus on me. Junior year would be my year. It would be all about me, Penny Lane Bloom, sole member and founder of The Lonely Hearts Club.

Famous last words.

Word gets out, and the girls at school think this is a fab, fab (not to be confused with the Fab Four Beatles, with whom Penny's parents are obsessed) idea. Before she knows it, Penny is famous, and practically all the girls at her school are joining it. Giving up boys! Enjoying time with each other! What could be a better idea!

Well, for one, Penny's starting to notice her best friend Diane's ex, Ryan. Diane and Ryan are THE couple. A jock, a cheerleader. Super popular, they've been dating since 7th grade. That's a long fucking time in grade school years, and they've just broken up.

And now Penny's got her eyes on Ryan. So much for her vow of chastity, or, whatever. They go on a date. Or, well, not a date, because SHE'S NOT WEARING A FUCKING BLACK TOP

Rita and I had joked that guys always wore that on a first date while girls always wore jeans and a black top. Since I wasn't wearing a black top, this was clearly not a date.

Except Ryan sees it as a date.

"First date?"
I held my breath.
He smiled. "Yes, and what chance do you think I'd have with a second date if I made her pay?"

And then, well, maybe it's time to relax the rules.

"I started this club because I was sick of guys. But as the Club has grown, I've noticed that it's more about focusing on ourselves, and that we're really good at that. So now I think maybe our focus shouldn't be on never dating a guy, but on keeping true to your friends. if one of us wants to go --"

Are you fucking serious?

The Premise:

All members agree to stop dating men (or, if referring to the male population at McKinley High, "little boys") for the rest of thy high school existence.

Those be the rules of the Lonely Hearts Club. It's a pretty neat little club, because although it's not true for everyone, relationships tend to bring out the worst of us sometimes.

"And then when we do find someone we think is special, we forget about our friends." I tried not to look at Diane. "Or we change something about ourselves to please a guy instead of doing what makes us happy or what we know is right. Why do we do this? Why do we even bother?"

But this book vilifies relationships so much. It portrays all the girls within the book as desperate for boys, dependent on boys, and despite the fact that this book is about staying away from boys, it almost fails the Bechdel Test because almost ALL THE FUCKING CONVERSATIONS ARE ABOUT BOYS.

And it just fails in the premise. Not only does it has a very silly, juvenile attitude of Boys Have Cooties, the purpose of the book, that of making life more about girlfriends and yourself, just completely gets glossed over because Penny still cares so much about what guys think.

I spent more time than necessary hanging up the coats. the entire time I sensed Nate's eyes on my back. And I enjoyed it.

And not only that, the founder of the club completely goes against the club's rules.

I am on a date with Ryan Bauer.
My stomach did a somersault and I tried to catch my breath. Crap, I'm on a date with Ryan Bauer. I'm not supposed to be on a date! Not only that, I'd declared in front of the entire Lonely Hearts Club that I wasn't going on a date.

And NOT ONLY THAT, she ends up taking her little crush...way too far -_-

I blushed. I needed to take it down a notch before I started making decisions about our china pattern.

For fuck's sakes...

Penny Lane is Making Me Scratch My Eyes Out: No, that's not the lyrics to the actual Penny Lane song, but it should be, because that's how Penny Lane makes me feel. She is a fucking Mary Sue, y'all.

She is beautiful without knowing it. Her beautiful cheerleader friends are all jealous of her and she doesn't know it.

"I've always been a little bit jealous of you."
"Excuse me?" How could Miss Perfect, blond-hair, blue-eyes model Diane Monroe be jealous of me?
"Seriously, Penny --I mean, seriously! Look at you! Do you have any idea how hard I have to work to look like this? I mean, look at what I'm eating, for the love of carbs!" Diane motioned toward her garden salad with fat-free dressing and then looked over at my turkey sandwich with cheddar cheese and mayonnaise and potato chips.

Because she can eat eeeeeeeeverything. So many times in the book, her friends are all jealous of Penny Lane's body and how effortless it takes her to maintain it. All the other girls in the book are on a rabbit-food-starvation-camp diet except for her. And she has no idea.

She thinks she looks freakish but Penny's also got a great sense of style, without knowing it.

"AND you have the coolest style. I choose what I'm going to wear based on what magazines tell me. I look the same as everybody else. But you have your own funky style that nobody else could pull off You always have."
In other words, I was a freak because I preferred All Stars over stilettos.

Every girl in the book adores her with the exception of a few. They don't fucking mind if Penny date their ex-boyfriend. Fucking gag me please.

"You and Ryan are Diane's closest friends. She wants you both to be happy!"

Such generosity! So unbelievable!

All the boys fall in love with Penny. There's Ryan, of course, there's also ex-asshole Nate, and beloved asshole jock Todd. Naturally, she spurns them all. Except Ryan. RYYYYYYYYYYAN.

Overall: Cute premise. Utter failure. ...more

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Jan 30, 2015 Claudia Ramírez rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015

3.5 stars.

It was really cute and I enjoyed it, but I found it very predictable. I think my 15-year-old-self would have loved it, but almost ten years have passed since I was that age, so... hahaha.

Anyway, I'll definitely read the second part "We can work it out", expecting a light and bubbly read, as this one was :). ...more

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Apr 10, 2011 Kristy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: i-think-you-should-read-this

Yes, it was girly.
Yes, it was mushy.
Yes, it was predictable at times.

But seriously, how can you not love a book that gives so much lovin' to the Beatles?!?!? The main character's name is Penny Lane. Every chapter is a different Beatles song, and also a lyric from that song. There are countless Beatles references. Penny Lane makes a mixed CD for the guy she's digging and it's a Beatles mix. Penny and Ryan go to a Beatles tribute band concert. The cover of the book is a spin of the Beatles Abbey ...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Emma rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: gave-up-on, forgettable, library-or-borrowed, not-my-thing

I can't deal with vapid, insensitive and selfish girls like this. Sure they're immature 16/17 year olds, but I just can't deal with the plot in this book. It is not as cute and fluffy as the title makes out. I would think a Lonely Hearts Club would just be a nice little club of people who'd been heartbroken and need someone to talk to, but no, it's a group of gossipy, vain girls who have sworn off dating after a few guys were rotten to them, thus labelling all guys as pigs, morons etc.

What was ...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Arlene rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2011, ya-contemporary, young-adult

I wondered if it would've been too subtle to wear a T-shirt that said thank you for your interest, but I am no longer dating.

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg is a fun, fast, light YA contemporary romance that I finished in one sitting. The writing is engaging as are the characters in this story, and I was immediately drawn into this book from page one.

Penny Lane is tainted when it comes to guys. She’s just been cheated on by her long time love Nate, and as she reflects on all her pas I wondered if it would've been too subtle to wear a T-shirt that said thank you for your interest, but I am no longer dating.

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg is a fun, fast, light YA contemporary romance that I finished in one sitting. The writing is engaging as are the characters in this story, and I was immediately drawn into this book from page one.

Penny Lane is tainted when it comes to guys. She’s just been cheated on by her long time love Nate, and as she reflects on all her past heartbreaks, she decides to give up on this boy business and start The Lonely Hearts Club. The club begins to take momentum as she and her friends realize that you don’t need a guy to have a good time at a dance, on a Saturday night or around school. All of a sudden though, Penny finds herself in a boy triangle. There’s Nate who is begging her to take him back, Todd the player who’s called dibbs on her to the entire basketball team, and Ryan her friend and locker neighbor that seems to be there as times get tough.

Ryan was by far my favorite of the guy line up for obvious reasons. I loved his honestly and attempts to show Penny how he felt. He took some tough punches, and too-good-to-be-true responses had me aww’ing his every word. I enjoyed their times together and their banter was LOL funny.

I liked the Beatles music tie-in as well as the events as they unfolded. It was a fun book to pass the time. I’ll definitely keep my eye out for other books by Eulberg. Great debut!

Funny quotes and moments
Was there some sort of secret class where they taught boys to become himbos?

No, no, no, for the love of all that is pure, you can’t be ordering a salad, you’re a sixteen-year-old boy! “…with ranch dressing to start, then a double cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake.” That’s my boy…. Well, not technically my boy.

“Penny, this means so much, coming from you. Please don’t be upset.” He placed his hand around my neck and leaned in farther so his chin was resting on my forehead.

"And Nate? You kiss like a slobbering dog, you have bad breath, and you wouldn't know how to punch the right buttons on a girl if we came with manuals. Happy Thanksgiving, Jackass."

“You know, you being nice and all isn’t helping.” I tell him. Ryan stared at me intensely for a few seconds before a smile crept over his face and he says, “Okay, stop your blubbering, woman. You’re being a big tear whore.”

Song Choice
I couldn’t really come up with a song that paralleled this storyline, unless I go with the Beatles songs that are included throughout the story, so I’ll just include this song that crept in my head for random reasons.
What the Hell – Avril Lavigne ...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Sita rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: teen-romance, reviewed, young-adult

3.5 bumped up from 2.5

The only reason I bumped this one up is because of the musical aspect of the book. I thought it was interesting and it was something that I had not read a lot of. So... this book got wonderful reviews. Why were you, Sita going to give it a mere 2.5. Well I will tell you why. I will tell you why in the form of a song, no a list. Because the book has enough songs in it.

(1) Annoying main character, that is all - annoying like, no other word to describe it.
(2) The concept was g ...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Tiff at Mostly YA Lit rated it liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 02, 2010 Kate Chien rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-teen, recommended-to-me, romance, my-recommendations, contemporary, woman-author, woman-protagonist

So, one of my friends recommended this for me and, I must say, I was a little skeptical. It is so different from what I usually read. I mean, no magic, science fiction, time travel, historical fiction, etc. It is a completely realistic. But, she was so insistent that I promised I would read it.

I couldn't have been more wrong. This book was so amazing. I read it in one day. I love the Beatles, but I don't know nearly as much about them as I should. I really loved all the references to them. One ...more

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Sep 20, 2013 Mizuki rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: nothing-special, disappointment, what-the-hell, no-hell-no, only-when-it-is-for-free, are-you-kidding-me, read-only-when-running-out-of-book, young-adult-books, bad-bad-bad-romance, recommended-by-stephenie-meyer

Warning: This book got a recommendation from Stephanie Meyer.

Actually this book gets bigger problems than having the honor to be recommended by Stephanie Meyer (Can anything else be more like a Kiss of Death for a self respecting author?) I am going to mention a few reasons why I can't enjoy The Lonely Hearts Club like I did Eulberg's other book: Prom and Prejudice.

But first let's get to the good parts: I like how Penny Lane's friends manage to gain some maturity as the story progresses---but s Warning: This book got a recommendation from Stephanie Meyer.

Actually this book gets bigger problems than having the honor to be recommended by Stephanie Meyer (Can anything else be more like a Kiss of Death for a self respecting author?) I am going to mention a few reasons why I can't enjoy The Lonely Hearts Club like I did Eulberg's other book: Prom and Prejudice.

But first let's get to the good parts: I like how Penny Lane's friends manage to gain some maturity as the story progresses---but sadly I can't see Penny Lane herself going through a similar progress. Anyway, I love Penny Lane's parents who are a pair of over-the-top die-hard Beatles devotees. They are so funny and awesome. Said parents' interactions with their daughters are great as well. Some of the parts about Penny Lane's school life are humorous as well.

My main concern is, why isn't this book about this pair of interesting parents?

But I have problem with how cliched and juvenile the whole idea about a school girl deciding that all boys are jerks (after one boyfriend cheated on her...) and deciding to start a club to tell other girls dating and boys suckass and they should avoid dating and boys to save themselves some problems.

The whole thing feels very much like a little 8 years old girl getting fed up and/or annoyed by her little boyfriend of the same age, and then she tells her little girl friends: "Boys are gross, let's not play with them!" After that all the little girls just go playing among themselves and ignoring the boys---for a while.

I actually like how Penny Lane's talking about girls should stand together to support each other and how they should avoid jerks who don't know how to value them, how it's more ideal to spend time with her friends instead of spending every single waking second to try attracting boys and keeping their boyfriends happy, but starting a club over 'not dating'? That's silly.

Okay, I really like the positive messages the author is trying to express, but I dislike how those messages are carried out.

Just equally as silly and cliched is Penny Lane's romance with her ex best friend's boyfriend. My goodness...it's so cheesy that I can't bring myself to mention any detail...

But I am not saying this book is irredeemably bad, I guess the main problem is, it doesn't measure up as a chick-lit, it is silly as a YA, the main idea is cliched in a much-ado-for-nothing sort of way; and it's not my cup of tea. ...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Michelle (Pink Polka Dot Books) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: a-z-challenge

I'm sorry but this book is bad. Just because it comes from a place where the idea is cute, doesn't mean the author wrote it well. As soon as I read "What to the Evs" I knew I was in for it. The cover is cute and the idea of a Lonely Hearts Club is cute, but the Beatle references were bad. They were so forced. I get that she grew up on the The Beatles, but she acted like that was the only music she could ever stand to listen to. I doubt a teenager is going to be like that, especially if their par ...more

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Mar 13, 2010 Brooke rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fun-fun-fun, tugged-the-heartstrings, lovey-mushy-stuff, cover-love, i-own-a-copy, favourites, realistic-fiction

One word - Awh!

The Lonely Hearts Club was just what I needed. Sure, it wasn't the most amazing book I've read in terms of action and plot complexity - perhaps not my usual type for a 5 star rating, but it was just... I don't know, all I know is loved it.

It was filled with laugh-out-loud moments, the characters were witty and so easy to love (go Tracy!), and i found the emotions to be very relatable. It had a great message for younger and older girls alike, about loving who you are and not chang ...more

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Jun 15, 2017 Brittany S. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemp-realistic-ya, currently-own-fc, ya, audiobook

Initial Impressions 6/14/17 and full review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 8/21/17: This book was very cute! I’ve really enjoyed all of Elizabeth Eulberg’s books, some more than others, so I knew I would enjoy THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB pretty much no matter what! It turned out not to be my favorite of Elizabeth Eulberg’s, since I think she’s had some deeper stories and cuter romances, but she just has such a fun voice that makes her books so easy to read!

I loved the Girl Power Initial Impressions 6/14/17 and full review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 8/21/17: This book was very cute! I’ve really enjoyed all of Elizabeth Eulberg’s books, some more than others, so I knew I would enjoy THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB pretty much no matter what! It turned out not to be my favorite of Elizabeth Eulberg’s, since I think she’s had some deeper stories and cuter romances, but she just has such a fun voice that makes her books so easy to read!

I loved the Girl Power in this book and the encouragement of female friendships instead of witnessing so many cat fights or frenemies. It was girls standing up for their friends, sticking together, and being okay with not being in a relationship, which is a nice change of pace! I do adore romances in books but I kind of loved that this was about not being in a relationship. The focus on being single allowed the girls to really get to know themselves and not try to be who they thought a crush wanted them to be and really helped foster beautiful friendships in the absence of the boy-crazy talk. I also liked how crushes and relationships still came about in this book because everyone swearing a vow of single-dom is also not really realistic. The plot adjusted based on what was best for each individual girl and I loved that it didn’t stick to the rules simply for the sake of sticking to them!

Some of the characters were a little over-the-top BUT we are reading about high school characters so teenagers are allowed to be a little over-the-top. I always feel like I wasn’t super melodramatic when I was a teenager… buuuut I’m pretty sure I actually was. (Bad teenage poetry and sappy love songs? Oh, yeah. I was so there.) I think it’s harder reading some of that drama because I’m an adult now and so far removed from those more volatile and new emotions that it can be a little much but I also don’t think it was unrealistic!

I really liked that what I thought would turn into a Mean Girl situation actually went directly in the opposite direction and turned into a wonderful friendship. There was a Mean Girl or two in the book but they were quickly squashed as unsupportive and the characters didn’t allow them to take over or run their emotions. This book was all about bonding and finding your true self and I thought the message was really lovely!

Overall, this was fun, quick, and delightful! Elizabeth Eulberg’s books continue to be quick and fun contemporary reads for me and I love the levity while still conveying a great message. ...more

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Jan 16, 2011 Nikita rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novel, owned

I loved every bit of this book! I didn't even realize that I was about to finish it!

First, I so love the main character, Penny Lane. She's just a typical high school girl going on a typical high school life. She wasn't special or anything. Just ordinary. But then made an extraordinary leap in her life by starting up a club, the 'Lonely Hearts Club.' She was actually inspired by the bunch of guys who didn't treat her well, especially her supposed 'man of her dreams.'

At first the club was just ab I loved every bit of this book! I didn't even realize that I was about to finish it!

First, I so love the main character, Penny Lane. She's just a typical high school girl going on a typical high school life. She wasn't special or anything. Just ordinary. But then made an extraordinary leap in her life by starting up a club, the 'Lonely Hearts Club.' She was actually inspired by the bunch of guys who didn't treat her well, especially her supposed 'man of her dreams.'

At first the club was just about not dating guys for the rest of their high school life. I actually thought it was petty. But then I loved how it turned out to be about friendship. The importance of having true friends who accept you as who you are and not as someone who you are not. Friends who are there for you always, supporting you in every way not minding what others might think. Friends whom you can lean on to when some bitches would bully you or when you're in total despair. Friends who would never leave you through the good times and especially the hard times. Friends who simply made your life wonderful.

Second, I loved this book because it wasn't full of drama like the other books I've been reading lately. I fell in love together with the book and made me smile all throughout while reading it. When a moment would come where Penny and Ryan would be there, I was totally suppressing every emotion I felt. Trying very very hard not to scream and giggle while reading the book in class! (haha!) I just couldn't stop reading it!

Third, I like how the book showed that women can always stand up from heartaches and boy problems. Also, that boys can't just step on our hearts like we're just some garbage who got thrown in the trash after being used. I'm not really a feminist. I have a lot of guy friends and they're very cool. Except some who thought that they could just treat women like trash! I absolutely loved how the author showed that women are strong.

Fourth, I suddenly miss my high school life, although it wasn't really full of boy-stuff like in the book. I miss my friends who have different types of personalities, and yet, we managed to be together, hang out and forget the MANY differences we have. Somehow, a typical teenager like me can relate myself to Penny who encounters common problems in life.

P.S. The title actually struck me as a little corny. But then I gave it a shot and I don't regret reading it. Totally recommended for everyone! Especially if you're looking for a light read.

Love it!!! ...more

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Apr 09, 2015 isabelle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Cute but unrealistic. Rtc.

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Oct 04, 2015 Adriana Romero rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars
I really like it but i like more
Better of friends maybe the reason is that
It remind me when harry meets sally but was really fun i cant wait to read the Next one

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Feb 23, 2011 Laura Martinelli rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

This is one of those cases where I like the idea of the book in general, but once I sit down and read it, the course bugs me. A lot. I enjoyed parts of it, but the characterization and plotting are too problematic to ignore.

For the baby step that the premise takes forward—high school girls taking the time to reevaluate and spend on themselves instead of getting and keeping boyfriends; I can swing with this—it takes two humongous steps back past where we started. Every girl in this book ends up b This is one of those cases where I like the idea of the book in general, but once I sit down and read it, the course bugs me. A lot. I enjoyed parts of it, but the characterization and plotting are too problematic to ignore.

For the baby step that the premise takes forward—high school girls taking the time to reevaluate and spend on themselves instead of getting and keeping boyfriends; I can swing with this—it takes two humongous steps back past where we started. Every girl in this book ends up being a stereotype and their major problems still revolve around boys. There are some good scenes sprinkled throughout, such as the Lonely Hearts Club’s first public outing to Homecoming, or the Club leading a cheer for member Diane during an important game, and I liked these scenes. They felt genuine, and I got the sense that these girls were supporting each other and having fun while doing it. But for the majority of the book, there’s a massive lack of this show of friendship that it feels like Penny’s friends are friends of convenience. It also doesn’t help that throughout the book, the positive aspects of the Club are glossed over and subject to the writerly sin of telling not showing. For example, one of the many friends in the Club is mentioned having an eating disorder/body image issues. Halfway through, it’s revealed (and I paraphrase heavily), “Oh, well, Kara’s going to a weekend-long program to take care of her 'problem.' But enough about that, Penny, let’s talk about you and Ryan.” This isn’t even touching the fact that every girl in the book is, by default, SWASP, so there’s not any mention that some girls in the club may not feel like dating boys because they like girls, or aren’t interested at all.

The major conflicts that pop up are largely the product of high school sexism—it’s mentioned that the principal favors the boys’ teams over the girls’ and he reacts to complaints from the boys about the club. (Also interesting that no female teachers get in on this, now that I think about it. They’re definitely mentioned, but the only involved member of the administration is the principal.) Unfortunately, the whole sexism angle is boiled down to “Well, that’s because men think women can’t live without them!” Um…bit more complicated than that, especially since it feels like it’s stripping away years of social change between the sexes. (There’s a moment when someone calls Penny a feminist. Cue hollow laugh from me.) I kept thinking throughout the whole time I read this that Eulberg wanted to address issues like sexism, and feminism, but decided to shove the romance angle down the reader’s throats instead.

The big contribution to this is the characterization. I did generally like Penny. She recognized when she screwed up, she makes mistakes and has to deal with most of them (I do wish that she would have come clean about her relationship with Nate to her parents), and she realizes that she’s grossly misjudged people. Penny’s a little hard to like initially, but throughout the book, she grows into a normal teen girl who I could seen myself have related to if I read this when I was fifteen. I also really liked Diane—she’s my favorite character mainly because she has the biggest character arc . Aside from two cringe-inducing lines (including the nonironic “I’m eating complex carbs!” Really?), I liked that she wanted to do things for herself and supporting her friends. That said, all of the other girls in book are portrayed as gossipy, vindictive, boy-obsessed with very little personality or characterization. This is not helped when Penny’s so-called best friend Tracy is characterized this way. Her reaction to Penny swearing off boys is to automatically tell her that she’s crazy and after joining the Lonely Hearts Club, declares that all of the club members will end up old maids. All of the freshman girls are nothing more than vapid stereotypes who are labeled sluts, and as I mentioned before, there’s not really a variety of girls mentioned in the book aside from medium popular and jocks. (Ethnicities and varying sexualities aside, where the hell are the unpopular girls and the nerds? We exist, damnit!) The boys aren’t much better, aside from our main love interest Ryan and one minor character, every male is a crude, perverted, budding misogynist, which is supposed to be shocking to Penny.

And the whole Beatles thing is a gimmick. The beginning does show Penny as being a fan, but honestly, name-dropping names and famous song titles/lyrics don’t make the character a fan. Show me why this family loves the Beatles, not just being rabid name-droppers. (Hell, if you want to impress me, name a song like “I’m Looking Through You,” not “I Am the Walrus.”)

There’s a good idea and concept to this, but it’s completely wasted. There could have been so much more that Eulberg could explore, but she just pounded out 280 pages of meebling romance while she sticks her toe into the baby-end of the issues pool. If you just want to read the mindless romcom, that’s fine, I actually did like the romance plot between Ryan and Penny. But because she does bring up and promptly ignore a lot of the larger issues that could have been explored, you’re honestly better off reading something like Sister Mischief or The Bermudez Triangle or Beauty Queens (yes, I’m still shamelessly shilling).
...more

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Feb 24, 2010 Michelle rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: contemp, ya, 2010

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 Lan 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. ...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Cesca rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I read this about a year ago, so I don't remember too many details and honestly, this book does not stay with you. I expected a light, fun--even pointless--read, but this book is just trash. Horrible. The writing is decent; the plot is predictable, bland, EXTREMELY CHEESY, and TRES CORNY. It takes a lot of cheesiness in a novel to make me dislike it because I actually like cheesy and corny.

The biggest issue I have with this book besides its cheese is ANNOYANCE. Oh golly, was I annoyed! Two reaso ...more

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Jul 19, 2010 ~Tina~ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, lib

The Lonely Hearts Club is a really cute and sweet story about what one girl did when the love of her life and childhood sweetheart burned her in a way that she swore off men and decided to start her very own club.
Soon as her friends get there own share of heartache decide to join as well, leading a theme of strong girl power as they are set out to prove that they don't need a guy to have fun.
So what happens when the right guy comes along and makes your heart want to trust again?
Lonely seems to t ...more

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Nov 15, 2014 elin rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary

probably more like 3.5 stars I'M SO CONFLICTED ABOUT THIS THO it was such a great concept with a lot of potential but it could have been a lot better. penny annoyed me to no end (and many other characters too) and they were all very immature at times. it did have some great girl power moments tho and i liked the friendships between the members of the club. it also got a bit better towards the end, as the characters started to develop more and more ...more

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Dec 09, 2014 Maike rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, contemporary, bookclub, 3-stars

Finally done. The last quarter of the book was okay but overall I was so annoyed by pretty much all of the characters. I could not connect to them at all, which I guess is because I'm so much older than them, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have identified with them at age 15-16 either. Jfc, grow up, please. There's more to life than boys. ...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Sarah rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: lols, slice-of-life, chick-lit

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
While I myself am not much of a fan of this pink and flowery genre (or sub-genre?) called "chick-lit," I would have to say I enjoyed some books in this category. I very much prefer reading dystopian novels or some intensely psychological/twisted books over reading the womanly woes of teenage drama queens, but I guess one can never be truly faithful; I sometimes needed breaks from death, murder, gloom and overall psycho-ness. And when I needed those breaks, chick-lit books would be there at some
While I myself am not much of a fan of this pink and flowery genre (or sub-genre?) called "chick-lit," I would have to say I enjoyed some books in this category. I very much prefer reading dystopian novels or some intensely psychological/twisted books over reading the womanly woes of teenage drama queens, but I guess one can never be truly faithful; I sometimes needed breaks from death, murder, gloom and overall psycho-ness. And when I needed those breaks, chick-lit books would be there at some hidden corners of my bookshelf, waiting to be opened, a hidden but never forgotten mistress. Kind of like a guilty pleasure. So I guess, in a way, I'm also kind of a fan of chick-lit. However, this book, The Lonely Hearts Club, disappointed me. I think this is a lot, coming from someone who's capable of loving every book she encounters. I loved How To Date Like A Guy (by Clarksley). I enjoyed You Wish (by Hubbard). I adored Flipped (by Van Draanen), and I absolutely gorged on the feast that is The Karma Club (by Brody). I even liked the Twilight saga (by Meyer), for the simple reason that it gets kids started on their reading habits.

I stumbled upon The Lonely Hearts Club while I was reading reviews of The Karma Club, actually. Some reviewers said that TLHC was similar to TKC, so being the book glutton that I am, I ended up reading it.

So, about this book called The Lonely Hearts Club...

I didn't really like Penny, the protagonist. I mean, except for the fact that she has a lame name (she said so herself), she didn't show much character development throughout the story. At the end of the book, she was still every bit the inconsiderate, self-absorbed girl that she was at the beginning. I am now going to confess that I finished this book more for Diane than for Penny. Diane's a jewel. She defied odds, went against society, went against the image of her faux-self, and recreated her sense of self. She went for new goals. She's sweet, was pretty much the backbone of the story, and was the most awesome character. I had wasted days wondering why she wasn't the main character of this book.

But back to Penny Lane Bloom.

Since the book was Penny-centric, I guess I just wasn't able to ignore her flaws. She was using the club as an excuse to withdraw to her own shell and just give up on Ryan Bauer. I didn't like how her friends (mostly DIANE) did everything for her. I know you might think I'm bashing Penny, but really, I'm not. Honestly, I hated Missy for being such a bitch.

Penny was pretty smart to come up with something like the club. And she had a cool sense of style. So she's stylish, smart, not afraid to just say "fuck it all", and had a rocking body. She had a lot in her to be admired. But I just can't help but think that a lot of her good points were, if you would notice, purely aesthetic. ..... And she just had to be insecure. I mean, I get that at the beginning protagonists have to be insecure, or maybe at some point in the middle of the story, but Penny Lane Bloom was an insecure and paranoid girl throughout the book. Or at least until the part where she asked Ryan out, which was wholly due to Tracy's and Diane's efforts. And that was like, what, at the last page?

Sigh.

Now that I think about it, maybe Penny's okay. I mean, if you're pretty, smart, fit and stylish, you can't possibly have the perfect personality too, right? That makes Penny real. I just wish Penny had a backbone. And not just in those last few pages, but on other parts of the book as well. She would have made an awesome ass-kicker.

Oh well. I guess you can't have everything.

Poor Ryan Bauer. ...more

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Nov 27, 2010 Katya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

It's been a while since I read a book in one sitting. I'd forgotten what it was like, to completely immerse yourself into it and fall just a little bit in love.

Penny Lane is just your typical teenager... well, if you don't count her parents' religious obsession with the Beatles. Oddly enough, I can relate to that particular aspect, being an ABBA kid myself. When she finds her childhood friend turned boyfriend with another girl, though, she decides to rethink her position on dating and boys, and It's been a while since I read a book in one sitting. I'd forgotten what it was like, to completely immerse yourself into it and fall just a little bit in love.

Penny Lane is just your typical teenager... well, if you don't count her parents' religious obsession with the Beatles. Oddly enough, I can relate to that particular aspect, being an ABBA kid myself. When she finds her childhood friend turned boyfriend with another girl, though, she decides to rethink her position on dating and boys, and decides to give it up for the next two years. Thus, the Lonely Hearts Club is born, and as it slowly gains popularity, Penny begins to realize she has more going on than just a ban on boys.

What I love, love, loved about this book is probably how friendship is slowly being rediscovered throughout the girls' experiences. I know it sounds cheesy and dramatic, but in a literature where friendships are highly unlikely due to the fact that they will not do good in the Stockholm Syndrome relationships that substitute 'love' (no example needed), it's very rare to see a book which highlights the fact that above love, girls need their friends' support to get along.

Penny is charming. She's sweet, she's quirky, she's naturally embarrassed by her parents, and she's a little bit too intense (but try finding a teenager that isn't). Some might argue that she becomes annoying when she turns into this semi-Christ figure for the jilted girls in school, or that she stresses over it too much, but in my opinion, it was very realistically portrayed. It took me back a few years, when no word spoken didn't inflict some damage, when no action went unnoticed and unscrutinized, if not by the peers, than by myself. It was refreshing, and I loved the book for it.

Also:

I loved how important issues were brought up without hitting the reader across the head with a Bible.

I loved how girls discovered that it was not a boyfriendless life they needed, but a supportive group of friends.

I loved how boyfriends could make it into that group.

But most of all...

I loved the walrus! ...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Tammi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

You know how the term ‘feel-good’ is applied to certain movies? I don’t know how often it’s used to describe books, but if any book were to fit the definition, it would be The Lonely Hearts Club. This is totally a feel-good book. I had a smile on my face almost the entire time I was reading it, laughed out loud in a few places and may have even punched the air once or twice. Mostly because of the…

Female empowerment and solidarity! Woo-hoo! It was so great to read a book that promotes and celebr ...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Mansi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: good-young-adult, very-well-written, laugh-out-loud-funny, read-in-2012

- Have you ever had a disastrous almost relationship?
- Do you have resentful feelings towards boys?
- Are you looking to feel empowered by inspirational women?

Then this book is for you!

A light, pretty predictable read - bonus points for the creative idea and wit, though.

Angry and heartbroken Penny Lane swears off boys and starts 'The Lonely Hearts Club' (she's a Beatles fan) after her sort-of childhood boyfriend Nate pressures her for sex and cheats on her. Her best friends and a many other boy- ...more

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Mar 04, 2011 Emily rated it liked it · review of another edition

Most of the time these "High School" genre books blur into one big mass of lip gloss and "whatevers." This one, stands apart....a little. There is at least an attempt to depart from the usual plot, although, you do end up at the same place as all the others. What I thought was interesting about this one was my realization from it. That I truly am a social misfit. In the beginning, as Penny is swearing off men for good, and glorifying in the simplicity of her new life, I found myself nodding my h ...more

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Feb 04, 2014 ♥ Innocent Lamb ~ Forever Reading ♥ - AKA Smarties rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: meh-it-was-okay

It was girly.
It was mushy.
It was predictable.

There are so many reasons why this was bad.

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Mar 21, 2019 Jenna J rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 17, 2011 Valerie rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg
1 star out of 5

Originally posted at http://stuckinbooks.blogspot.com/2011...

Summary:
Penny Lane, so named, by her Beatle crazed parents, after the song. Pen has been fantasying about the same boy since, well forever. Nate is the son of a family friend and they grew up together. They even walked down the aisle together at a cousins wedding, cute picture. Nate turns out to be a jerk, though, as he cheats on her soon after they are a couple. Pen is devasta ...more

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Jul 21, 2009 Steph Su rated it liked it · review of another edition

Elizabeth Eulberg’s debut novel THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB is undeniably fluff—but it’s the best kind of fluff, with a likable and realistic protagonist, a predictable yet sweet romance, and an avoidance of typical fluff gender stereotypes.

Penny’s character was deep, no-nonsense, and thus extremely enjoyable. Unlike the typical protagonist in this genre of YA, Penny is happily free of the tendency to obsess over boys or freak out over every little mishap. In fact, the very concept of this novel made Elizabeth Eulberg’s debut novel THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB is undeniably fluff—but it’s the best kind of fluff, with a likable and realistic protagonist, a predictable yet sweet romance, and an avoidance of typical fluff gender stereotypes.

Penny’s character was deep, no-nonsense, and thus extremely enjoyable. Unlike the typical protagonist in this genre of YA, Penny is happily free of the tendency to obsess over boys or freak out over every little mishap. In fact, the very concept of this novel made sure that it was fluff without the usual “I am nothing without a guy” feel of this genre. Freed of this trope, Penny becomes a remarkably astute, clever, and strong girl, and we like her so much as a result.

The secondary female characters were mostly flat stereotypes and rather annoying. They fail to act as nice counterparts to Penny’s well-developed character. (For the record, “what to the ev” is NOT spoken in real life. And if it is, please stop.) On the other hand, I thought that most of the male characters were interesting to read about, even if their negative qualities tended to be slightly exaggerated in order to justify the formation of the Lonely Hearts Club.

Readers can probably almost instantly pick out Penny’s eventual love interest, but thankfully Penny is not the “love/lust at first swoon” kind of protagonist, and instead we can see the cute, gradual development of their romance and her realization that the original rules of the Lonely Hearts Club can be modified. Most of the plot points contributing to Penny’s eventual eye-opening are cheesy and clichéd, but the strength of the main characters makes sure that this book does not disintegrate into another tries-too-hard-to-be-hip-and-YA chick lit feel-good novel.

Despite the fact that the characters and the plot are rather forgettable, the feeling that this book elicits will stay with you. The core of it is, after all, a story of staying true to yourself and not giving up your identity for the sake of a boy. If anyone wants a quick and easy lighthearted read, I will not hesitate to recommend THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB. A great “fluff” debut! ...more

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About Elizabeth Eulberg

Elizabeth Eulberg

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The short and sweet version:
Elizabeth Eulberg was born and raised in Wisconsin before heading off to college at Syracuse University and making a career in the New York City book biz. Now a full-time writer, she is the author of The Lonely Hearts Club, Prom & Prejudice, Take a Bow, Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality, Better Off Friends, We Can Work it Out, Just Another Girl, Past Perfec ...more

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The Lonely Hearts Club (2 books)

Books by Elizabeth Eulberg

Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality

We Can Work It Out (The Lonely Hearts Club, #2)

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“And anything that might hurt me would just make me stronger in the end.” — 240 likes

“And Nate? You kiss like a slobbering dog, you have bad breath, and you wouldn't know how to punch the right buttons on a girl if we came with manuals. Happy Thanksgiving, Jackass.” — 179 likes

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