jenna & jonah’s fauxmance

Last summer Brendan Halpin and Trish Cook's funny, self-aware characters made me fall in love with Notes from the Blender. I've been on the lookout for more of the same ever since. Enter a 99 cent Kindle ebook sale, Halpin teamed with Emily Franklin, and I found myself reading a book with a very PINK cover (something I wouldn't be caught dead with in real life) on my iPhone. Result? I spent a contented evening curled up on the couch with Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance. Totally worth my one dollar investment.

Fans of romance don't need to look any further than the fauxmance brewing between teen idols Charlie Tracker and Fielding Withers-known on their hit TV show as Jenna and Jonah, next-door neighbors flush with the excitement of first love. But it's their off-screen relationship that has helped cement their fame, as passionate fans follow their every PDA. They grace the covers of magazines week after week. Their fan club has chapters all over the country.

The only problem is their off-screen romance is one big publicity stunt, and Charlie and Fielding can't stand to be in the same room. Still, it's a great gig, so even when the cameras stop rolling, the show must go on, and on, and on…Until the pesky paparazzi blow their cover, and Charlie and Fielding must disappear to weather the media storm. It's not until they're far off the grid of the Hollywood circuit that they realize that there's more to each of them than shiny hair and a winning smile.

Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance takes a cliché and makes something fun and funny out of it. Character development and relationship tension are the order of the day, though it is fairly obvious where the characters will end up. The book's plot is, in part, homage to Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, and the titular protagonists are meant to be Benedick & Beatrice. This injection of the Bard seemed to come out of left field, but in the end that part of it worked – and it should get the curious to at least look up the film version with a young Denzel, which would be a VERY GOOD LIFE CHOICE (in case you were wondering).

The dialogue and banter between Charlie and Fielding was strong throughout, but the plot seemed to lack substance, especially when it came to explaining Fielding's past, Charlie's anxiety, and the whole 'set-up' involved in creating a fauxmance. While this didn't detract from the book's compulsive readability, it did make for awkward segues in the text, and after finishing the novel I still had some questions unanswered (and not of the cliffhanger variety, mind you).

In all, Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance is a light-hearted read with enough charm to carry it safely past the shoals of mediocre YA contemporary.

Recommended for: those who enjoy YA contemporary with a generous helping of romance, fans of Claire LaZebnik's Epic Fail, Halpin and Cook's Notes from the Blender, and anyone in the mood for a romp set in Hollywood (genuine fun included).

NOTE: If you'd like to win a copy of Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance, enter the giveaway!

notes from the blender

I seem to be on a contemporary YA kick. Maybe because it’s summertime. Or maybe I’ve gotten sick of fantasy (not likely)? Whatever the case, I’ve been lucky and enjoyed some top-notch reading in the genre this year, including Don't Stop Now, Sean Griswold’s Head, Epic Fail, and today’s pick, Notes from the Blender.

Two things drew me to this book: the contrast presented in the cover art, and the summary. Okay, so mostly it was the summary. But a cute cover that ‘matches’ the tone of the book never hurts, either, and this one certainly captures the quirky/fun/hilarious vibe of the novel. Aside from both of those things, Princess Bookie’s review caught my eye last week. Sometimes that is all it takes.

Declan loves death metal – particularly from Finland. And video games – violent ones. And internet porn – any kind, really. He goes to school with Neilly Foster and spends most of his classroom time wondering what it might be like to know her, to talk to her, maybe even to graze against her sweater in the hallway.

Neilly is an accomplished gymnast, naturally beautiful, and a constant presence at all the best parties (to which Declan is never invited). She's the queen of cool, the princess of poker face, and her rule is uncontested – or it was until today, when she's dumped by her boyfriend, betrayed by her former BFF Lulu, and then informed she's getting a new brother – of the freaky fellow classmate variety. Declan's dad is marrying Neilly's mom. Soon. Which means they'll be moving in together.

Notes from the Blender is a funny, crazy, angsty, REAL book. It’s the kind of thing I read now as an adult and appreciate, but wish with all my heart I’d picked up in high school, when I was so busy judging everyone and everything. It’s heartfelt and sweet, and it made me laugh out loud multiple times. It’s the kind of book that I’d read aloud to my roommate in bits just so I could see her eyebrows fly up. It’s special.

The book is narrated in two voices – Neilly and Declan take turns telling their story. Both of these kids are going through rough spots, and they’re dealing with adjustment to a blended family at the same time. Just like in real life, there are poor decisions, combustible situations, and a lot of odd and hilarious moments.  Neilly is insecure and guarded, Declan is a little pervy.  In other words, they're *gasp* normal.

There are several strong side characters in addition to Declan and Neilly, and one that I identified with was Declan’s Aunt Sarah, a lesbian Unitarian minister. Her part in the plot is small, but she’s still a fun, loving woman dedicated to helping others heal. She’s the sort of character you want to meet in real life. Not perfect, but kind and helpful (the person you'd be if you put more effort into it, maybe). Notes made me reflect on multiple paths of personal development when it wasn’t making me snort with laughter. And that combo is a very good thing.

Recommended for: older teens, guys AND girls, readers who have experienced blended families (and who hasn’t these days?), those looking for a strong dose of humor in their contemporary YA lit, and anyone who has caught themselves wondering what an authentic male teen voice sounds like (horny and all).

teaser tuesday (66)

It's Teaser Tuesday, a bookish blog meme hosted every week by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here's how it works:

Grab your current read and let it fall open to a random page (or if you're reading on an electronic device, pick a random number and scroll to that section). Post two or more sentences from that page, along with the book title and author. Share your find with others in the comments at Should Be Reading, and don't give anything vital away!

“‘I’ll totally beat you if you tell anyone this, but sometimes I actually think that part might be a tiny bit fun. You know, moving into a bizarro new house, having a bizarro new baby brother to torture – ’”

40% on kindle of Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin’s Notes from the Blender