This thread is for teen reviews.

Oh My Goth
by Gena Showalter
Young adult 256 pages MTV Books July 2006 Paperback

Jade Leigh is a teenage Goth girl trapped in a school full of Barbies. Along with her three other Goth friends, Jade is treated as an outcast, constantly ridiculed and bullied. Leading the ring of taunters is Mercedes, the most popular girl in the school.

During algebra one day, Jade is pushed too far. She lashes out at her math teacher and is sent to the principal's office yet again. Her principal comes up with an unusual punishment. In the spirit of teaching Jade a lesson, the principal conspires to send her into a virtual reality game where all the students are Goth just like Jade. Instead of being on the fringe of the social circle, she's the most popular girl in the school. Mercedes, Queen of the Barbies, is also sent into the game, where she takes Jade's place on the outside of the circle looking in. Because Jade and Mercedes are the only ones who realize how wrong things are, they have to work together to figure out a way out of the game and back to their normal lives.

While on the surface the story Gena Showalter has penned is engaging, if one looks deeper there are a fair amount of flaws to be found. It's obvious that Jade and Mercedes are supposed to learn a lesson as a result of being in the game, but it’s just not clear what that lesson is supposed to be. Is it that it's not okay to judge people that look different from you? That conformity is bad, and you should be true to your self? If it is, then Jade fails. She's upset that in the game all of the students love all things goth when in the real world she's ridiculed for being goth. But rather than proudly hold fast to her gothic style, she starts to dress like a Barbie. Perhaps it would have made a stronger statement to have Jade stay as goth because that was her true self. Dressing preppy now that it has become 'unfright' to be prep, shows that Jade was only interested in being different, with little regard as to what made her different.

Another big issue with the plot is that Jade's “punishment” doesn't seem to be the logical solution to her “crime.” She is disruptive in class, so she is sent to a virtual reality where she’s popular? How does one have anything to do with the other? Also, the reader never finds out why Mercedes was sent into the game as well, even though she, arguably, was the one who needed to be taught the popularity lesson.

My fear with this book was that it would end up being preachy and overpowering with a message about conformity as the author tried to impart a lesson to the reader. While it isn’t particularly preachy or overpowering, I'm not convinced that in the end the lesson the author sets the story up for is the lesson that Jade indeed learned. Despite these drawbacks, however, as a whole Oh My Goth is a fast, entertaining, and at times humorous story.

Giovanna Petrizzo claims the only thing Italian about her is her name, but she sure has the whole hothead/emotional thing down as well. When her twin brother, Dante, decides to run for student body president, he assumes (rightfully so!) that he can count on her for help. Giovanna, in turn, assumes that her boyfriend, Jesse, will also join Dante’s campaign team. After all, not only is he friends with Dante, he’s her boyfriend – that’s what boyfriends do, right? Apparently Jesse never got that memo, as he decides to become campaign manager for Dante’s rival, Wilson. When Giovanna finds out how Jesse has betrayed her and her brother, she dumps him on the spot.

After she’s wallowed in her blues for a couple of days, Giovanna’s girlfriends decide that what she needs is to start dating again. They set her up on a string of dates, all of which turn out disastrously. When Giovanna finds herself crawling on hands and knees out of a bar, leaving her date behind to stare at her like she’s just escaped from the loony bin, she realizes that she’s not looking for a new boyfriend – what she really wants is her old one back. But will she be able to swallow her pride and beg Jesse for another chance?

How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend is a cute book that will likely appeal to middle-school aged girls. Despite the title, the book isn’t just about how to get a boyfriend back – it’s about a host of issues including loyalty to family, dealing with stepparents, and yes, moving on from a breakup. The draw of this book is that Giovanna is a fun character and she constantly finds herself in the craziest situations. She also has a very “real” voice, which keeps the reader engaged in the story.

One minor drawback is that the book is billed as a romantic comedy, and that’s not the best description for it. Unfortunately, the story manages to be humorous without being particularly funny – for all of Giovanna’s antics, I never reached the point of outright laughter. And though the story does have a teen version of a “happily ever after,” the story in and of itself is not particularly romantic. Still, this is a fun read, perfect for a lazy weekend spent curled up on a couch.

Julie Kenner kicks off a new series for teens with The Good Ghoul's Guide to Getting Even. As the title suggests, this is another offering in the ever-growing paranormal trend, but Kenner’s twist on the story is one that hasn’t been done before.

Beth Frasier is a high school junior who has her life figured out. She’s already been accepted to college via early admission. She’s got the valedictorian gig in the bag. She also just accepted a date from the hottest football player in the school. Could life get any better?

What Beth doesn’t know is that going on that date is the last thing she’ll do. Next thing she knows, she’s waking up as a vampire. The football player isn’t what he seems - he’s actually a centuries-old vampire, and now he’s Beth’s master! He’s also got a very special reason for turning Beth: he wants Beth to figure out a way for vampires to walk out in the sunlight. What’s a ghoul to do?

What makes Good Ghoul's Guide different from all of the other paranormal YA books out there is that Beth is motivated by revenge. While this premise has the potential to make the main character bitter and whiny, Kenner deftly creates a character for the reader to both root for and empathize with. Yes, Beth is focused on getting revenge on the people who turned her into a vampire. But she’s dealing with the fact that she was turned into a vampire against her will. I find this reaction more realistic than having her take her turning in stride as if becoming a vampire were a daily occurrence. Unfortunately, Beth doesn’t quite get the revenge she wants by the end of the book – though not for a lack of trying. Kenner ends on a cliffhanger; luckily the next book in the series, Good Ghouls Do, is waiting in the wings.

Platinum
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Ages 12+ 224 pages Delacorte September 2007 Paperback

Lilah Covington is a Golden among Goldens. She’s so Golden, in fact, that she’s Platinum – untouchable. Everyone knows it, and that’s why everyone at Emory High wants to be like her. However, ever since her neighbors Lissy and Lexie James arrived in town, weird things have been happening. Lilah is willing to believe that Lissy and Lexie have unexplainable powers, but why is she starting to have visions? More importantly, who is the hot boy that only she can see? And why do her visions of him always show someone dying?

Barnes’ Platinum picks up where Golden left off. Lissy, Lexie and the rest of the characters from Golden are still here, just shown from Lilah’s point of view. Lilah has to enlist the help of the James sisters to help decipher her visions. Meanwhile, she’s also fighting to stay at the top of the Golden pack and has to contend with her best friend trying to steal her boyfriend. Needless to say, there’s a lot going on in this book, but the story moves quickly and Barnes does a really good job of keeping the reader engaged and interested in the story.

The mystery of the visions is twofold: what do they mean, and why does Lilah have them. While the fist part of the mystery is explained well – and makes for most of the action in the last quarter of the book – the second part of the mystery is not explained nearly as well. While Barnes does give a definitive reason for why Lilah has the visions, this reason only spawns more questions. Perhaps this was her attempt to set up for another book in the series, though that seems unlikely. These two books seem to wrap up the storyline nicely.

Barnes’ next books (The Squad and Killer Spirit) start a new series about cheerleading spies. They will be released in February 2008.

*Hacking Harvard* by Robin Wasserman- young adult book review
Hacking Harvard
by Robin Wasserman
Grades 10-12 336 pages Simon Pulse September 2007 Paperback

Robin Wasserman departs from her popular “Seven Deadly Sins” series to write an original teen novel that has the characters hacking into one of the most elite universities in the country.

Eric, Max and Schwarz have been best friends for years. Schwarz is the boy genius, 16 and a freshman at Harvard. Max is the ringleader, always coming up with new trouble for the boys to get into. Eric is the voice of reason – or at least he tries to be. Together they think of themselves as hackers (never to be confused with pranksters). When Max announces that a pair of rival hackers has challenged the group to hack into Harvard, the other boys can’t believe it. When it’s revealed that the target is none other than the school slacker, the other boys want no part of the bet. When Max announces that his plan is fool-proof and they’ll win $25,000, though, the other boys are all in. What Max, Eric and Schwarz don’t realize is that although their plan may seem fool-proof, the rival hackers have a few tricks up their sleeves and don’t plan on losing $25,000 without a fight.

The back cover says Hacking Harvard is like Ocean’s 11 meets The Princeton Review, and that’s a pretty apt description. Seeing the boys try to implement each phase of their plan without being caught keeps the tension running high and makes the reader root for their success. Wasserman also keeps the identity of the narrator secret for a portion of the book, which also increases the tension as all the reader knows is that the narrator is aware of the plan but isn’t one of the boys.

Hacking Harvard should appeal to both boys and girls equally as they are taken along for the ride, cheering for the boys as they try to pull off their hacking capers. While the premise may require a certain suspension of disbelief, this does not detract from the fact that this is a fun book. I would rewatch Ocean’s 11 for the thrill of the chase; I’d reread Hacking Harvard for the same reason.

*How Not to Be Popular* by Jennifer Ziegler- young adult book review
How Not to Be Popular
by Jennifer Ziegler
Grades 7+ 352 pages Delacorte January 2008 Hardcover

Sugar Magnolia (“Maggie”) Dempsey is just about to start her senior year of high school after moving to Austin, Texas, from Oregon. She’s no stranger to moving around a lot, but this time she’s left behind a bevy of friends and her boyfriend, Travis. Maggie moves so much because her parents are hippies who tend to go wherever the wind takes them. When she was younger, Maggie loved seeing new places and making new friends everywhere she went – now all she wants is to stay put.

Given that her parents have moved to Austin so that her mother can attend a six-month masseuse class, Maggie knows that once the class is over, the family will be packing up their stuff and moving again. Rather than making new friends only to have to leave them before the year is even over, Maggie resolves to not make any friends. She comes up with a plan guaranteed to keep her from being popular - by doing things like carrying a Star Wars lunch box to school and wearing a dirty mechanic’s jumpsuit. Unfortunately for Maggie, her plan starts to go awry when the things she does to keep her from being popular have the opposite effect.

How Not to Be Popular is a fun and funny read for anyone who knows what it is like to have to try and make new friends. Since Maggie’s family moves so much, she’s become quite adept at getting in with the in crowd at her new schools. However, each time her parents decide to move, it gets harder and harder for Maggie to leave her new friends. This time Maggie decides to forego friends – it will be easier on her heart this way. What she doesn’t count on, though, is that popularity seems to follow her, despite her best efforts to become a social outcast.

Maggie is a well-developed character, and although the reader can see the flaws in her plan, it’s still fun to see how hard she tries to keep from making friends. her parents, Les and Rosie, are also sources of comedy as they visit the school and do embarrassing things. Though How Not to Be Popular has brief mentions of adult subject matter, it is nonetheless more than appropriate for the YA crowd.

The Luxe
by Anna Godbersen
Ages 14+ 448 pages HarperCollins November 2007 Hardcover

The Luxe is set in 1899, the turn of the century where old money meets new. This is the story of four teens who live the high life, and two who live to serve the other four.

Elizabeth Holland is the perfect girl, loved by society, adored by all – but would everyone still want to be like her if they knew she was in love with a stable boy? Or if they found out the other, even more scandalous secret she was hiding?

Diana Holland is Elizabeth’s little sister, who just wants to have some fun and excitement in her life. She’s bored by all of the balls where everyone must show up but no one has any fun. She’s tired by all of the suitors calling to take her on walks around the pond in Central Park – what she really wants is someone to pull her behind the shade of trees and kiss her silly. She eventually gets what she wants, but how will society react when they all find out who she’s been dallying with? Scandal will erupt, and Diana can’t wait!

Penelope Hayes is Elizabeth’s best friend. As part of the nouveau-riche, her family is constantly trying to prove that they belong in society. This means lots of lavish parties and redecorating. Penelope’s relationship with Elizabeth is characterized by jealousy and constant one-upmanship. When Penelope starts dating the most eligible bachelor in all of New York City, she thinks that she has finally bested Elizabeth, who doesn’t seem to have any suitors knocking down her door. Little does she know that her world is about to be turned upside down, and Elizabeth will be the cause.

The Luxe is a captivating tale revolving around these three young women, and their lives and loves. Backstabbing and cattiness abound, and it’s all readers can do to hold on for the ride. Godbersen does an excellent job of crafting interesting characters and her detail of life in 1899 is richly drawn. She manages to capture the sort of juicy drama normally found in a “Gossip Girl” novel and surround it in the maids and masquerade balls of the 19th century. There’s a mystery that the reader is likely to figure out before the last page, but that doesn’t make the tale any less enjoyable. The Luxe is the kind of book that you won’t be able to put down and won’t want to end. Luckily it’s a hefty tale, so it won’t be over in a matter of hours. The sequel to The Luxe, Rumors, will be published in June.