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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

One Down, Nine to Go!

Last night I finished the first book from my 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge list, THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han! In case you don't know about the 10 in '10 Challenge, it's a reading challenge and contest being run by author and blogger Kay Cassidy (www.kaycassidy.com) and teen book blogger Jessica of www.chicklitteens.com All you have to do to be a part of it is come up with ten teen chick lit books you'd like to read this year, link to your list through Kay's site and start reading! You'll have an opportunity to share the books you've read, chat with authors online and win prizes, too!



I'm guessing I'm not eligible for prizes, but I'm doing it anyway. Because hey, I just like to read.

So back to the book.



THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY is the story of a soon-to-be-sixteen-year-old girl named Belly, who goes to the beach every summer with her mom, her brother Steven, her mom's best friend Susannah, and Susannah's sons Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has spent every minute of every summer with them, so they're basically her summer family. She's had a huge crush on Conrad since she was eleven, and Jeremiah has been her best friend since forever. Every summer is the same--late night swims in the pool, hanging at the boardwalk with the boys (who either ignore her or tease her) and eating, playing games and watching movies together in the big old summer house. But this year, everything's different. Because this year, Belly is a lot more grown up . . . pretty even . . . and her relationship with both Conrad and Jeremiah is about to change.

I absolutely loved this book. It's driven by Belly's complex connections with the various characters, all of which are beautifully drawn and realistically portrayed. The setting is fully realized and detailed, without banging you over the head with those details. I felt like I was right there at the beach with Belly, feeling the roasting sun, watching the waves roll in, smelling the musty saltiness of the house. It so made me long for summer--and for adorable summer boys--you have no idea. I highly recommend checking it out! And even better, it's got a sequel coming out in April called IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU.



Can't wait to read it!

Are YOU participating in the 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge? If so, let me know! I'd love to hear about what you're reading!

1 Comments:

Blogger Chick Lit Teens said...

Congratulations, Kieran! The Summer I Turned Pretty is on my list too. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. I've been a bit timid to read it because I haven't hear a lot about it from people who've read it. Since you liked it though, I'll have to pick it up next time I'm at the bookstore.

Good luck with the rest of the challenge!

January 20, 2010 at 10:56 AM  

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