About the Book
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Author:
- Becca Fitzpatrick
BFF Charm: Yay!
Talky Talk: 2 Legit 2 Quit
Bonus Factors: Maine! Tasty Business, Angels
Relationship Status: Friends With Benefits
The Deal:
Nora is your typical teenage girl living in a a farmhouse in Coldwater, Maine. Her best friend Vee Sky is a buxom, potty-mouthed crazy pants, and the two of them are convinced they are soul twins, just like BFF’s should be. The two of them also work on the school’s eZine, and do things like review plays and stuff that I never heard of high school students doing, but it makes them cool and literary, so I’m all for it.
Our story begins on a fateful day in biology class when Coach McConaughy decides to mix things up in sex-ed class and splits up our two best friends – seating Nora next to Patch, a tall, dark and dangerous student who transferred to the school earlier in the year. Patch unsettles Nora, what with all of his ‘ooh, I’m super sexy and mysterious’ -ness. So, she decides to do what any red-blooded teenage girl would: she’s going to find out all of his secrets.
However, things begin happening to Nora that soon have her questioning her sanity. Who is the clearly dangerous person in the ski mask that seems to be following her? What happened that night in the car- she could swear someone jumped out at her. And, most importantly, what’s she to do about her growing feelings for Patch?
BFF Charm: Yay
Nora is awesome. She’s confused and suspicious and cautious, which is the perfect balance for Vee, ’cause THAT girl is trouble! In fact, although I was glad that Nora and Vee had each other, Vee was not what I’d call a ‘good’ friend. She got the two of them in all kinds of trouble, and put Nora in some pretty embarrassing- not to mention dangerous -situations.
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Nora KNOWS Patch is an uber bad boy, but just like any good girl, he gets her hot and bothered. Of course, hot and bothered- translated into teenaged girl -turns into her feeling that somehow, someway, he’s trustworthy. Even though all signs point to ‘no’. Things get moderately steamy between our couple, but the mysterious circumstances surrounding them is the driving force of the story.
Talky Talk: 2 Legit 2 Quit
Becca Fitzpatrick has found an easy balance in telling her story and being convincing as Nora’s voice. I thoroughly enjoyed Nora’s thoughts and found this an easy read. The mystery was very clever – almost too good. At times the story felt like it was being set up as a series, because the mysteries were not forthcoming, and there were some questions I had that went unanswered. I don’t know if there is a series in the works, but I’d kind of like there to be.
Bonus Factors: Maine!
Hey, anybody who sets their story in Maine gets some sort of tough gold star made of ice.
Bonus Factor: Tasty Business
These girls like their food, and spend a fair amount of time talking about it, and ordering at the Mexican restaurant that it just so happens is where Patch works.
Bonus Factors: (Mysterious Loner) Angels
So we’ve noticed here on FYA that angels are the new vampire. I like this. There’s all sorts of mythology that can be tapped into, and this particular book about angels is solid.
Relationship Status: Friends With Benefits
I kept seeing this book in the store, and I have to admit, I was really intrigued. Just like all attraction, I was drawn to the cover, and thought that not only was it appealing to look at, but that it at least seemed to have substance. I looked away shyly when the book made eye contact with me, and left the store quickly. This became a pattern with me and the book over the next month, in part because I didn’t want to drop money going dutch on the hard cover, since it was the new book in town. Attraction won out, though, and I plunked down my $17.99 for a date. There were sparks, and this book and I got it on, but ultimately we weren’t relationship material. Still, as long as we’re both single…
