Author: Kieran Scott
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
Pub. Date: 5.25.10
Genre: YA
Keywords: Family, Love, Friendship, Class, Drama
Pages: 288
Description (from arc):
Ally Ryan would rather be in Maryland. She would rather be anywhere, in fact, than Orchard Hill, site of her downfall. Well, not hers exactly, but when your father's hedge fund goes south and all of your friends lose their trust funds, things don't look so sunny for you. So her mother moved them away to flee the shame. But now they're moving back. Back to the country club, new car every year, family came over on the Mayflower lifestyle that Ally has outgrown. But there are bright sides. Like gorgeous Jake Graydon. Ally and Jake instantly like each other, but it won't be easy for them to be together - not if his friends (her former friends) have anything to say about it. Is Ally ready to get thrown back into the drama of the life she left behind?
This book, even with its familiar plot, was completely addicting. When I started it, I only planned on reading a couple chapters, but I just couldn't set it aside.
From the start, the reader knows what's going to happen, but the characters are so engaging that it doesn't seem to matter. The novel is told in alternating chapters by Ally and Jake. I liked Ally right from the start; the reader can see that she's a good person, regardless of her questionable past. Jake, on the other hand, did not immediately gain my favor. Ally might worry about the opinions of her abandoned friends, but Jake is completely ruled by them. He has absolutely no desire to go against the grain, which is monumentally frustrating throughout most of the novel. Despite this horrible trait, Jake managed to win me over. I can only attribute this to the realism of his character; many teenage boys would rather follow mutely than rock the boat and, in the end, Jake does do the right thing. He is by no means perfect, but he has grown, which I can appreciate.
My favorite aspect of the novel was Ally and Jake's relationship. The emotions and little details of their romance were vibrantly written. Kieran Scott perfectly captured the emotions of an all-consuming crush; the kind of crush that leaves you incessantly daydreaming, prone to love struck gazing, and completely frustrated. The fact that their relationship is taboo added to the intensity.
She's So Dead to Us isn't deep and it doesn't impart any great wisdom to the reader, but it is fun and gave me that fluttery feeling that's only caused when two characters have undeniable chemistry.
Grade: A
Cover Comments:
I think the cover is extremely cute and fits the novel well. The snapped strand of pearls is an apt representation of Ally's fall from the "It" crowd.
