Review: Guyaholic by Carolyn Mackler

Title: Guyaholic
Author: Carolyn Mackler
Publisher: Candlewick
Date published: 2007
Type of book: Young Adult
Pages: 179

Ideas expressed/message/plot: From inside cover: “V Valentine is the queen of meaningless hookups. Ever since her mom dumped her with her grandparents, she has bounced from guy to guy. Bu then, in the spring of senior year, a fateful hockey puck lands her in the lap of Sam Almond. Right from the start, things with Sam are different. V is terrified to admit it, but his might be meaningful after all.
On the afternoon of graduation, V receives some shocking news. Later, at a party, she makes an irreversible mistake and risks losing Sam forever. So when her mom invites her to Texas, V embarks on a cross-country road tip with the hopes of putting two thousand miles between herself, Sam, and the wreckage of that night.”

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I was expecting it to be a short, cute read (based on the cover and title), but it actually was a deeper, more honest portrayal of first love and mistakes than I ever would have expected. I definitely want to read more of Mackler’s books. I like the brutal honesty – there was no dancing around unsavory descriptions in this book. Other books to read by this author include The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, Vegan Virgin Valentine, Love and Other Four-Letter Words.

I found myself liking V - even though she was the cliche slut, that in real life most girls would hate. This book shows that you can't judge people only by their action or at face value - V had motivations that observers wouldn't be able to understand from their point-of-view. I liked that Sam wasn't present in the novel - she found her way back to him on her own, this is more true to life than a lot of other YA love stories.

Ratings (Out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 10
Writing style: 10
Romance: 10
Memorable: 8
Total: 48/50 (A)

I recommend getting this book from the library. I liked it, but I probably wouldn't read it again.