Post by saewod on Nov 11, 2011 21:58:06 GMT -5
Book Title: Boyfriend from Hell
Author: E Van Lowe
Published By: White Whisker Books
Recommended Age: 13+
Reviewed By: Saewod
Blog Reviewed For: Great Minds Think Aloud
Rating: 2 Ravens
“Fifteen year-old Megan Barnett and her single mom, Suze, have a special relationship—they are friends, close friends, who do almost everything together.
“But come on, guys, she’s my mother… Can I really tell her that while we’re snuggled up on the sofa watching Spider Man Three, I’m secretly undressing James Franco with my eyes? Of course not…”
The special bond takes a turn for the worse when Suze decides to start dating again. She hasn’t had a man in her life since Megan’s father left ten years ago.
Enter two mysterious young men, Megan’s new classmate, sinfully attractive bad boy, Guy Matson, and the dangerously handsome art dealer, Armando. Before long Megan and Suze both wind up in steamy relationships.
But neither of the handsome pair is quite what he seems. In fact, one of them is Satan, with his sights set on a new bride. Megan has precious little time to figure out how to stop him. If she doesn’t, either Megan or Suze are quite literally going to HELL”.
The premise of this book drew me in. The idea of your mother’s new boyfriend being Satan was such a nice little spin. Especially for those of us who in our teenage years had a single mother who dated – Every new boyfriend could possibly be ‘the devil’. So, I was immediately enticed.
Boyfriend from Hell was a cute, quick read that I think young readers will enjoy. For an adult who likes to read young adult – such as myself, it felt rushed, almost like it wasn’t fully hashed out.
Our protagonist, Megan, is funny, but a bit difficult to like. Yes, she’s a teenager and hates the world, but there was something that turned me off from being able to truly like her. Then you have Suze, Megan’s mother. Sometimes her reactions weren’t believable and she often felt disconnected from the character we are introduced to in the beginning.
The mother daughter relationship between Megan and Suze was refreshing. Too often you have the neglected teen of a selfish single parent or an overly protective single parent. This was a nice combination of the two.
But the relationship seems less believable by mid book. No longer do they have an open, communicative relationship you’re led to believe in the beginning. Now, Megan goes head first into some pretty big secrets and lies. The Mother sort of sides with others over her daughter, instead of being the open minded mother she was in the beginning.
Then there were a few other minor elements that seemed unnecessary. The Guy character could have practically been left out of the story. There’s no connection to him for a reader. The ‘best friends’ didn’t have much depth. And Armando was a bit too flat for such a prominent character.
At the end, Boyfriend from Hell seemed a bit rushed and unfulfilling. Boyfriend from Hell had the premise and the promise to be great, but just missed it for me.
Available at: Amazon & Barnes and Noble
Author: E Van Lowe
Published By: White Whisker Books
Recommended Age: 13+
Reviewed By: Saewod
Blog Reviewed For: Great Minds Think Aloud
Rating: 2 Ravens
“Fifteen year-old Megan Barnett and her single mom, Suze, have a special relationship—they are friends, close friends, who do almost everything together.
“But come on, guys, she’s my mother… Can I really tell her that while we’re snuggled up on the sofa watching Spider Man Three, I’m secretly undressing James Franco with my eyes? Of course not…”
The special bond takes a turn for the worse when Suze decides to start dating again. She hasn’t had a man in her life since Megan’s father left ten years ago.
Enter two mysterious young men, Megan’s new classmate, sinfully attractive bad boy, Guy Matson, and the dangerously handsome art dealer, Armando. Before long Megan and Suze both wind up in steamy relationships.
But neither of the handsome pair is quite what he seems. In fact, one of them is Satan, with his sights set on a new bride. Megan has precious little time to figure out how to stop him. If she doesn’t, either Megan or Suze are quite literally going to HELL”.
The premise of this book drew me in. The idea of your mother’s new boyfriend being Satan was such a nice little spin. Especially for those of us who in our teenage years had a single mother who dated – Every new boyfriend could possibly be ‘the devil’. So, I was immediately enticed.
Boyfriend from Hell was a cute, quick read that I think young readers will enjoy. For an adult who likes to read young adult – such as myself, it felt rushed, almost like it wasn’t fully hashed out.
Our protagonist, Megan, is funny, but a bit difficult to like. Yes, she’s a teenager and hates the world, but there was something that turned me off from being able to truly like her. Then you have Suze, Megan’s mother. Sometimes her reactions weren’t believable and she often felt disconnected from the character we are introduced to in the beginning.
The mother daughter relationship between Megan and Suze was refreshing. Too often you have the neglected teen of a selfish single parent or an overly protective single parent. This was a nice combination of the two.
But the relationship seems less believable by mid book. No longer do they have an open, communicative relationship you’re led to believe in the beginning. Now, Megan goes head first into some pretty big secrets and lies. The Mother sort of sides with others over her daughter, instead of being the open minded mother she was in the beginning.
Then there were a few other minor elements that seemed unnecessary. The Guy character could have practically been left out of the story. There’s no connection to him for a reader. The ‘best friends’ didn’t have much depth. And Armando was a bit too flat for such a prominent character.
At the end, Boyfriend from Hell seemed a bit rushed and unfulfilling. Boyfriend from Hell had the premise and the promise to be great, but just missed it for me.
Available at: Amazon & Barnes and Noble