A zany and satisfying story for fans of YA tales that pack as much humor as they do heart.
A grand misunderstanding disrupts the lives of high school sweethearts in this YA novel.
Sophy Sharpley has to concoct a case study for her social studies class. But her best friend, Julie, has bigger problems, like the list of pros and cons about her boyfriend, Freddie, who she contemplates breaking up with. Sophy’s relieved that her relationship with Russ is thriving, believing they “will get married (someday) and live happily…and sensibly (one child, one cat).” She figures out a swell case study: she’ll examine teen dating habits, starting with Julie’s messy list. But when the list falls into Russ’ hands, he becomes convinced that Sophy wrote it about him, expressing her displeasure (“Not a good kisser!!!”). He embarks on a campaign to change her mind. He writes his own list about Sophy (“Bossy”), which his sister Angelica steals. At school, Russ tries to parse the list that he thinks Sophy wrote, showing it to Darren and Mark. They add to the confusion by telling him that the last item, McRib, is not a sandwich but a fetish. Julie provides her list to Freddie, the bully Bonce steals Russ’ list from Angelica, and Mark plasters fake lists around the school. When the list about Sophy is unfurled as a banner in the auditorium, chaos ensues as she dumps Russ, and the token of apology Freddie purchased (a cactus) becomes a symbol of revenge. The former lovers fall into a dating free-for-all until the truth comes out. Then the parties must decide whether to embrace their pros and cons to find happiness. Sophy’s class project appears throughout as case studies of certain couples, although the comedy of errors that befalls the heroine is far more intriguing. Sharman (Ignorance Risk Hope, 2016, etc.) offers many characters to keep track of, but the plot gallops along with a perfect mix of inside jokes and hilarious high jinks (Freddie reinvents himself as The Gladiator, with cactuses his signature weapon). In this delightful, quirky book, Sophy’s parents are present enough to illustrate that these teens’ lives don’t exist in a vacuum. The multiple narrators sometimes cause confusion (it’s unclear who Tekfin is), even as they amusingly profit from said lists. But the heartwarming and original final chapter focuses on the novel’s heroes, Sophy and Russ.
A zany and satisfying story for fans of YA tales that pack as much humor as they do heart.Pub Date: May 17, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5328-0184-6
Page Count: 168
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A swift fable about navigating the perils of middle school.
A bossy middle school fashionista feels threatened by the new girl in Saii’s YA novel.
Vanessa Pocker and her friends Chelsea, Adrienne and Katie are the richest of the rich in their Santa Monica, Calif., middle school, and they comprise the Sassy Divas. Vanessa leads the pack and dictates whom the divas are allowed to talk to, what they’re allowed to wear and how they conduct themselves in public. Vanessa is so domineering that it’s a miracle she has any friends at all. Had Saii endowed her with an ounce of kindness, the loyalty of her minions might be more understandable. Vanessa’s militant nature finally alienates Katie, the diva who is too much of a bookworm, according to Vanessa. Katie befriends Flo, who’s on the Sassy Diva “do not speak to” list (Flo had once refused to hold Vanessa’s purse). Excommunicated from the Sassy Divas, Katie befriends the new girl at the school, Quinn. This infuriates Vanessa, and she declares war. A power play ensues among the adversarial lip-glossed sets, with Vanessa, Chelsea and Adrienne on one side and Katie, Quinn and Flo on the other. Vanessa turns to guy friend Ryan, who offers the only voice of reason when he admonishes her for obsessing over trivialities, such as revenge and makeovers, when there are starving children in the world. He seems to be nothing more than Vanessa’s sounding board, and it’s unclear what he gets out of the relationship. At least Vanessa buys clothes and makeup for her divas, on occasion. Mired in trendy youngster lingo, Saii’s tale accurately depicts girls’ power plays and the alienation that can result from simply owning jeans without a designer label. Fashion, gossip, popularity and shopping define these characters, and any threat of competition is cause for war. Vanessa’s parents rarely make appearances, except for a poignant scene when Vanessa’s mother engages her daughter in a heart-to-heart about her selfish behavior. It’s a relief to finally hear the mother speak and lead the story to an ending marked with humor and depth. Saii’s literary chops are inconsistently displayed and improve toward the conclusion. Although the average middle school girl may not wear Jimmy Choos or form private elitist groups, young readers might find themselves curious about these affluent trendsetters. At least Vanessa learns her lesson, which raises the novel a notch above teenybopper fluff.
A swift fable about navigating the perils of middle school.Pub Date: March 1, 2013
ISBN: 9781937675080
Page Count: 155
Publisher: Lekha Publishers
Review Posted Online: March 4, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An intriguing, if not always emotionally engaging, story of a serious teen problem.
Somers’ debut young-adult novel follows a teenage boy from sickness to tenuous health as he battles an eating disorder and the problems that helped create it.
Nathan is a typical teen with typical problems, including an unhappy family life and romantic disappointment, but he’s got an unhealthy “solution” for dealing with them: starving and purging himself. His descent into bulimia and anorexia occurs quite quickly; it starts with Nathan taking short bike rides to get away from his domineering father and alcoholic mother, and soon he’s inducing vomiting; not long afterward, he’s admitted to an eating-disorder program, at which point the book seems to find its center. Nathan is the only boy in his unit, a fact that his status-obsessed parents find it hard to understand; in fact, as the book makes clear, boys make up 10 percent of those who suffer from eating disorders. Somers’ novel never falls into “after-school special” territory, but it has a clear message. Nathan is depicted as a smart, cynical teenager, but his trials are sometimes more informative than heart-wrenching. The short chapters, complete with bad teenage poetry, keep the story moving, and Nathan’s dad, mom and nurse all get at least one chance to tell their side of the story. But although these multiple points of view are interesting, they may distract readers from Nathan’s personal trials. Also, the novel sometimes gets bogged down in eating-disorder program protocol; for example, a plan to interrupt Nathan’s family therapy takes two pages of emails, rather than a line or two of dialogue.
An intriguing, if not always emotionally engaging, story of a serious teen problem.Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2012
ISBN: 978-0988367203
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Rundy Hill Press LLC
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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