I've been wanting to get to this one for a while, but I've been fighting the urge because my reason for wanting to pick it up was so silly:
I really like her shoes*.
Anyway, I finally broke down yesterday evening, and then I got hooked and zoomed through and finished it this morning.
Sophomore year is not going well. Kate's best friend came back from her summer in Maine skinny, blonde, suddenly popular and very different. And by 'different', I mean that she doesn't seem to notice that Kate exists. Kate's brother has just graduated college, and rather than, you know, finding a job, he's moved back home and spends the majority of his time channel-surfing. Kate's father saw a Sign (cue up the choir and bright lights), quit his job, cashed in his retirement and rented a booth at the mall, where he hawks Perfect You infomercial vitamins while wearing a carrot hat. Her mother is understandably stressed out.
Then there's Will. He's got a reputation as the king of hook-ups, and Kate can't stand him. Well, she acts like she can't stand him. But, in truth, he kind of makes her knees weak. And now they're both working at the mall...
This is a fun one. Kate's family is the most seriously dysfunctional one I've run into in quite a while -- and I'm not even counting her Grandma. I liked Kate a lot, even though I wanted to strangle her sometimes. She's very quick-witted in some ways (especially with the comebacks), but when it came to Will, I kept thinking, "YOU SILLY GIRL. HE'S CLEARLY A GOOD EGG! ONLY A GOOD EGG WOULD BE IN A SCENE LIKE THIS!":
"Check it out. I got a new name tag today." He unclipped it and held it toward me.
I looked at it. "A. GUY."
He grinned. "Someone actually asked me what the A stood for," he said, his hand brushing mine as he took the tag back, sliding it into his pocket. "I said Larry."
While I did get frustrated with her, I could understand her motivations -- no one wants to get hurt.
My only real problem with the book was the what with the slow build of everything -- family issues, her relationship with Anna, her relationship with Will -- the last few chapters felt rushed and a little too packed with Big Epiphanies (and Advice From Others). But other than that, I really enjoyed it -- so much that I went and pulled Elizabeth Scott's other book off my shelf. I'm planning to start it this morning.
Definitely a good pick for those who're always looking for more of the modern romantic realistic YA fiction with loads of family issues. (That's a real genre, right? Of course it is.)
*I even found a large-ish image of the cover so you could seem 'em better.
Oh, wow, that's a great scene.
Posted by: Erin | 01 April 2008 at 12:01 PM
Oh, "Bloom" is a great novel; I just read it about a month ago. I'll have to check this one out now.
Posted by: heather | 01 April 2008 at 02:13 PM
I liked Bloom (it had such a pretty cover) but I never picked this book up. I think it has to do with the way the cover only shows their legs. I'm sorry, but is there a reason YA book covers rarely show faces?
Posted by: Mairi | 01 April 2008 at 03:08 PM
Omigod, I HAVE those shoes!
Posted by: Mary | 01 April 2008 at 03:49 PM
Mary: LUCKY!!
Mairi: I've always thought it's so people can more easily associate themselves with the characters. Maybe? But it seems like cover art comes in waves. The headless teens seem to have (mostly) petered out, thankfully.
Posted by: Leila | 01 April 2008 at 04:11 PM
I've heard worse reasons for reading a book! I have to admit those shoes are cute though.
Posted by: Ladytink_534 | 01 April 2008 at 08:32 PM
You are very very very very very bad for my totally groaning tbr pile.
It's going to be third on my list after I finish Unaccustomed Earth. After A Curse Dark as Gold and How Not to be Popular.
Posted by: shayera | 02 April 2008 at 12:12 AM
Her new one, STEALING HEAVEN is also really good. I think it comes out in a month or so...
Posted by: bmad | 02 April 2008 at 02:47 AM
Her new one, STEALING HEAVEN, is also really good. I think it comes out in a month or so...
Posted by: bmad | 02 April 2008 at 02:47 AM
this is my all time favourite book i loved every page it was really hard to put down !!!! love love love !!!
Posted by: | 06 November 2008 at 09:08 PM
help meee i really want to read this book if you have it please email it to zezeoe22@yahoo.com
i have ordered it but it takes like a month to arrive
Posted by: Zoe | 10 July 2009 at 07:15 PM