Waiting on Wednesday

WoW is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

He's So Not Worth It by Kieran Scott
Simon & Schuster/6.7.2011
Description (from Goodreads):

Ally Ryan, come on down to the Jersey Shore and forget your troubles!

Have you recently been humiliated in front of your friends and family at your former best friend's birthday party? Was your almost boyfriend partly responsible for that humiliation by withholding some vital information about where your estranged father is? Did you come home to find said estranged father sitting on your stoop?

If so, then it sounds like you could use a vacation! The Jersey Shore is the place to be. Your mother may be living with her boyfriend of only a few months, but at least the stunt Shannen pulled has put some of your friends back in your court. Even so, you're still angry and what better way to get over Jake than to blow off some steam with local guy, Cooper? People will hardly recognize your new attitude, but the old one wasn't getting you anywhere, so who cares!

Jake Graydon, an exciting opportunity is waiting for you in the service industry!

Are your grades so low your parents have grounded you for the summer? Did you the girl you really like unceremoniously leave you behind? Would you rather eat dirt than see your friends again? Then a job at the local coffee shop is just the ticket! Surprisingly, Ally's father is the new manager so you get to be reminded of her nearly every day. Maybe it's time to start flirting with your best friend's ex or even taking school a bit more seriously. Especially when you finally see Ally and she's hanging around with some loser and it's couldn't be more clear that she is over you.

Have a great summer!

I love, love, loved SHE'S SO DEAD TO US, the first Ally Ryan book, and was so pumped when this popped up on my Goodreads feed. The cover is adorable and the description... well I think it's obvious how great the description is. Of course, after reading, my eyes went directly to the release date... June! How will I ever make it that long?

Huge Contest over at Kieran Scott's Blog!

Kieran Scott is hosting a huge contest over at her blog to celebrate the one month birthday of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US! I highly recommend Kieran's books, including those she's written under the pen names Kate Brian and Emma Harrison. Check out my review of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US here!






The prize pack up for grabs includes signed copies of:

She's So Dead to Us

Geek Magnet

and

I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader

PLUS

She's So Over Him (!!) - the sequel to She's So Dead to Us!

(This will be sent to the winner when it's released next summer!)

So what are you waiting for? Head over to Kieran's blog, here, for more details. The contest will close July 2nd, so hurry!

Review: She's So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott

Title: She's So Dead to Us
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.