Book Review: 7 Clues to Winning You by Kristin Walker

When a humiliating picture of Blythe goes viral, she's instantly the target of ridicule at her new school. To salvage her reputation, Blythe teams up with Luke to win the Senior Scramble scavenger hunt. But Luke is an unlikely ally and potentially can't be trusted.

Perhaps it's his Shakespearean witticisms that reel Blythe in despite her better judgment . . . or maybe she just craves the thrill of the game. But as the hunt progresses, their relationship heats up. Soon their madcap mischief spirals out of control. Blythe is faced with arrest and expulsion, among other catastrophes - until Luke shows her what the Scramble (and love) is really about.

Best Bits: This one was cute, just like Walker's previous novel. Blythe was a great character, and I really felt for her. It's not easy to take the high road when you're forced to leave everything you know and start a school where you're mocked by everyone. She also makes plenty of mistakes throughout the book. Hurrah for a character who isn't perfect, and realizes it! She sets out to fix things, and in the process I think she learns quite a bit about herself (and aren't those the best reads). 

Nit picks: So, I think this might be due to my age, but I really wanted more focus on the family aspect of this book. Blythe's parents don't include her in discussions about moving the family. While I understand it might be silly to think that people in their 40's are really going to listen to input of their teens...shouldn't they? I mean, the motivations behind this move have more to do with Blythe's dad's issues. If he wanted to save more money for them to go to college...why not let her in on their finances?  I'm not sure that this was resolved enough for me either. I don't think saying "I'm sorry" toward the end of the book is enough to make up for what Blythe had to go through at the start of the book. 

7 Clues to Winning You
By Kristin Walker
Published by Razorbill
317 Pages
Rating: B

Teaser Tuesday (August 14)

What is teaser tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

"Dad was a bit of a radical at the time, and he had a big mouth. A freethinker leftover from the seventies. An also, to Grandad's horror, a democrat." 
-7 Clues to Winning You, Page 43, by Kristin Walker

I'm finding this one hilarious so far! 

In My Mailbox (July 15)

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren. Here's what I got this week:



All links go to Goodreads

Books Mentioned:
Bitter End by Jennifer Brown
Hush by Donna Jo Napoli
Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
Size 12 and Ready to Rock by Meg Cabot
7 Clues to Winning You by Kristin Walker
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin
Won from Epic Reads: A Midsummer Tights Dream by Lousie Rennison

Book Review: A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

When the principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program, Fiona Sheehan believes that her life can't get any worse. Then she marries her "husband": Jerky jock Todd, whose cheerleader girlfriend, Amanda, has had it in for Fiona since day one of second grade. Even worse? Amanda is paired with Fiona's long-term crush, Gabe. At least Fiona is doing better than her best friend, Marcie, who is paired up with the very quiet, very mysterious Johnny Mercer. Pranks, fights, misunderstandings, and reconciliations ensue in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors about mistaken first impressions, convoluted coupling, and hidden crushes.

A Match Made in High School was a funny, light read. I picked it up during a break between paranormal books, and I was pleasantly surprised with it.

A Match Made in High School focuses on a "Marriage Education" program that pairs every senior up into a couple. In all honestly, this reminded me of some of the worst classes I've taken in high school/college. The ones I'm talking about are the ones that are meant to teach students some sort of "valuable life lesson", but fail to think of ways to connect with the students. In the book, it's obvious that certain members of the administration have some underlying issues that led to the implementation of this program.

Walker did a good job of showing how thin the line is between prank, and just being mean. At the start of the book, Todd's pranks were rather cruel. In fact, I would consider him to be somewhat of a bully. So, it was nice to see those pranks and insults become more like inside jokes, and a way of communicating with Fiona. I also appreciated that this book didn't take the typical teen romance route. When I received the book, I was worried that Fiona was going to end up with Todd the jock/jerk. The synopsis makes it obvious that there's more to him than just mean pranks and sports, and in many YA books this would mean that Fiona/Todd would be the natural pairing. I'm happy to say it didn't happen here, which made the characters a bit more realistic.

Overall, it's a great summer read! I can't wait to read more from Walker.

A Match Made in High School
By Kristin Walker
Published by Razorbill
278 Pages
Rating: C+/B-

Teaser Tuesday (June 8)

What is Teaser Tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers

"Gabe Webber--the secret love of my life since third grade when I'd twisted my ankle during field day and he'd put his arm around me an helped me all the way to the nurse's office. How could I not fall for a guy who rescued me?"

-A Match Made in High School, Page 5, by Kristin Walker