Love, Life and the List

Love, Life and the List
by Kasie West

From the publisher,
"Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings Abby isn’t going to take any chances.

Which is where the list comes in.

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems… and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.

This is the first in a set of three standalone books with crossover characters."

I love this author (Kasie West) for middle school students who love romance and like to read up in age. The characters are always upper high school, but she avoids things like bad teenage behavior and graphic making out. They are fun and frothy to read, with romance, humor and heart. That being said, I have noticed that almost all of her contemporary books remind me of other author's books. This one reminded me of Morgan Matson's Since You've Been Gone, which I loved. Kasie and I have had a little slump lately, and although this one wasn't my favorite, it was definitely a step above some of her others that I have read lately. 
Things I liked:
*The main character was snarky and funny.
*A loving, supportive, albeit slightly dysfunctional family unit.
*Cooper and Abby and their friendship.
*The main character experienced a lot of growth throughout the book.
*Deep emotions towards the end that were written so well I felt every emotion right along with Abby.

Things I didn't like:
*Abby and Cooper were amazing as best friends, but I didn't feel any chemistry between them.
*Cooper could be a real jerk. 
*The list played an important role and then just sort of petered out.
*I didn't love the ending and was actually rooting for it to end a completely different way. 

Suggested Ages:

Kirkus Reviews - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 7+

The Start of You and Me

The Start of You and Me
by Emery Lord

From the publisher:
"It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?"

So many things to love about this book!  It didn't tick any of my YA pet peeve boxes, and that is really saying something.  Some of my favorite things about this book:
*No insta-love! 
That's right, these characters get to know each other and become good friends before anything else happens. What?! Does that really happen in life?! I loved their friendship and the fun they had together.
*Loving, over-protective parents. 
So often in YA, authors further the story by having completely absent parents (one character had that, but the main character definitely had involved parents). Paige's parents are divorced but both very involved in her life. I was also glad to see her grow closer to her little sister by the end of the book. 
*Supportive, fun, and loving girl friends. 
I'm so over mean girls. It was very refreshing to read about a close group of friends who were always there for each other. A favorite quote from the book:

“In friendship we are all debtors. We all owe each other for a thousand small kindnesses, for little moments of grace in the chaos.” 

*A loving, albeit forgetful-because-of-Alzheimer's grandmother. 
I loved that Paige was so close to her grandmother and told her everything. Her grandmother was a role model for her because she had continued to live a full life even after losing her husband. How important that was to Paige who had lost her first boyfriend and was struggling to move on with her life.
*The eventual love interest is not an amazing athlete, definitely not the coolest kid in school, is always compared to his much cooler cousin.... He is a Quiz Bowl nerd and I loved that!
*Caring and inspiring teachers. 
I hate books that have teachers ignoring bad behavior, or even encouraging it. I know so many good and wonderful teachers who have made differences in lives, so that is good to see portrayed in a YA book.
*I love that Paige is a goal-setter. 
She knows what she wants and knows what she needs to do to accomplish it (although she was mistaken about some things), so she makes her list of goals and sticks to it.
*This is my nerdiness coming out, but I loved the Pride and Prejudice references. 
Paige and Max's argument over who the better character was - Jane or Elizabeth - was perfect, and actually made me rethink some of my views on the subject. 
*And oh, so many good quotes in this one! Here are a few of my favorites:

“In books, sometimes the foreshadowing is so obvious that you know what’s going to happen. But knowing what happens isn’t the same as knowing how it happens.  Getting there is the best part.” 

In speaking of why we reread books we know don't end well ( Romeo and Juliet ,Wuthering Heights ... ):

“The point is that we already know it doesn’t work out, but we reread them anyway, because the good stuff that comes before the ending is worth it.” 

And one last one on friendship:

“Because with true friends, no one is keeping score. But it still feels good to repay them – even in the tiniest increments.” 

I'm sure I could come up with many more lovable things about this book, but the ones I've listed should convince anyone to read it. I enjoyed it immensely! I will definitely be recommending this one to my middle schoolers, and look forward to more from this author.

Areas of concern:
*A small amount of bad language. 3 uses of the *s* word, 1 of *bs*, and one of *h*.
*Some talk of teenage partying, but nothing inappropriate by the main characters.
*Death of 2 people very important to the main character.
*Main character sneaks out at night to go help a friend.
*A couple of sweet kisses.

Suggested Ages:
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+
School Library Journal - Grades 7+

The Truth About Faking

The Truth About Faking
by Leigh T. Moore

From the publisher:
"Jason just wants a date with Harley. 
Harley just wants a date with Trent. 
Trent's still getting over Stephanie.

When Harley and Jason decide to fake date, they uncover a school of deceptions. Trent's got a secret, but so does Jason. And the more time Harley spends secretly kissing her fake boyfriend, the further she gets from her dreams with Trent. 

Worst of all, Harley's mom is getting cozy with her hot massage therapy student, and even Harley's Reverend Dad can't fake not being bothered by it. But when the masks finally come off, can everyone handle the real truth?"

This is a pretty good YA book for those middle schoolers who love the YA books. The main character, Harley, is the daughter of a minister, and while some of her friends cuss and party too hard, she doesn't agree with those things and has no problem telling her friends not to swear. Their family is careful about how Harley talks, how she dresses, they keep tabs on where she is, and they have high expectations for her behavior. Her parents are in a very loving and strong relationship. All of those things can be all too rare in a YA book. I also really appreciated how the author dealt with the topics of religion and homosexuality and was very respectful and kind about both. The story itself is cute and the characters are very likeable - with one exception for me, and that was the character of the best friend. She went off the deep end after her parents divorced and went from boy to boy to boy, and didn't seem to be a very good friend to Harley. At the end it wrapped up her story all too neatly and I didn't buy it at all. Other than that, I quite liked this book and think my older middle schoolers will enjoy it.

Areas of concern:
*The *s* word and a few others were used a little too frequently, but the main character never said them and she disapproved.
*The best friend wants to make out with every guy she meets.
*There is suspected adultery.
*There is kissing and tongues are mentioned.
*Homosexuality is discussed.
*Religion is discussed.