Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: Accent

Media Credit: Richard Payson The UnValentine, written by Sam Beeson and illustrated by Jesse Draper, follows the rhyme-laden journal entries of Lily, a young girl who despises all things Valentine. Included in the book are removable UnValentine cards to give to "loved" ones.

The UnValentine, a book written by Sam Beeson, is an ironic tale of valentines, love and a girl who hates them.

Sam Beeson is a teacher at American Fork High School.

He teaches creative writing, English and Shakespeare, according to the book.

Upon opening The UnValentine, one will likely first notice the parchment-like pages and the rich golden designs that cover them.

The illustrations that go along with the book are paintings by Jesse Draper, and each exquisite painting is shown in a different old-fashioned picture frame.

The story is conducted in rhyme and focuses on Lily, a sour little girl who doesn't believe in love. The clever rhymes are sure to put a smile on a reader's face.

"This ritual conducted under heart-shaped, crimson flag, does absolutely nothing for me, but to make me gag," Lily wrote in her journal.

Even as Lily sits and scribbles her disgust of Valentine's Day into her journal, her outlook is suddenly changed by a boy who also despises Valentine's Day, and who asks Lily if she likes black roses.

And so, of course, they both discover love while they continue to be annoyed with Valentine's Day.

Traditional enough to satisfy fans of the day and with enough of a twist to satisfy cynics, this book charmingly offers a different perspective on love, said Katherine Lowe of Shadow Mountain Publishing.

"Love and romance doesn't have to look a certain way; it comes in many forms and often when least expected," she said.

To help spread the love around, the book comes with six tear-out unvalentines in the back of the book, each with a different unvalentine message.

"When I want a box of chocolates, I buy it … then I eat it. All of it," reads one card, capturing the sentiment of The UnValentine.

Anna Cole is a reporter for the University Journal. She can be reached at acole@suujournal.com. Although she should, Anna does not currently have a date with the men's basketball team on Valentine's Day.

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