LA Dennison

Welcome to my first book review of 2012!

Back in December I was lucky enough to win an advanced copy of the YA contemporary Awkward by Marni Bates. (Many thanks to Kate Scott over at Kate Scott Writes for hosting the giveaway. Click on the link to check out her blog!)

Mackenzie Wellesley is happy to bide her time at Smith High School by studying and blending in to the background. But when a classmate posts one of her awkward moments on Youtube, she becomes an overnight Internet sensation. Chased by paparazzi , befriended by rock stars, and confused by an unexpected romance, Mackenzie struggles to survive the spotlight while staying true to herself.

Obviously, I love the title Awkward. (Glance up at the name of my blog.) But what I loved most about this book was the authentic teenage voice. Within the first few pages, the narrative whisked me back to high school. I connected with Mackenzie immediately, and the reader learns about her through her relationships with her friends, her family, and of course, her love interest Logan. The romance develops naturally, and the author does a wonderful job of keeping the story realistic, while also letting the reader live the fantasy of fifteen minutes of fame.

One of my favorite supporting characters was Kenzie’s best friend Jane. I would have loved to see more of her, so of course I was thrilled when I read that the follow up Invisible will be Jane’s story.

I really enjoyed Awkward, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes contemporary YA. I feel so lucky to have read this book before it was released and to have connected with the delightful Marni Bates on her blog and on twitter. Click on the link here or on the book cover to check out Marni’s site, where she has a trailer for the book and plenty of other neat stories.

Music for today: My pick today reminds me of the band ReadySet from the book – Helena Beat by Foster the People