Saturday, November 20, 2010

Perfectly Dateless by Kristin Billerbeck


In Kristin Billerbeck's first YA book, she shares the story of Daisy, a sheltered teen, who just wants a prom date. I was very excited about this book since I have been a fan of Kristin's for several years and since YA books are my favorite (teaching middle school does that to you). I was slightly disappointed. The plot line of a sheltered young girl wanting to fit in is a great start, but the book didn't have much spark. It took me a few weeks to finish because I just wasn't that interested in the characters or what would happen to them.
The qualities that make Kristin such a great writer (unique voice and colorful characters) aren't in this book. Daisy isn't well-developed, and the high school private school is unrealistic (at least compared to my private high school experience).
Another reason Kristin is one of my favorite authors is that she doesn't "preach" in her books, but this book felt like there was an agenda, which is annoying, especially to teens.
Overall, the book is pretty good. Writing adult chick lit is different from writing YA books, and I think Kristin's second YA book will be much better!

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