A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Poppy

Pages: 304pgs

The Story

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorced dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancee and her kids. The fiancee's son? Whitley's one-niight stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great. Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who iis just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother . . . at least, not yet. It will take all three of tehm to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

The Review

Whitley Johnson's constant partying and flirtatious nature has certainly earned her quite a reputation around her fellow peers. But just when she's ready to escape on her only vacation with her sometimes distant father . . . things that were supposed to be so damn perfect end up turning into her worst nightmare ever! Not only does Whitley find out that her father has an almost too perfect fiance hanging off her every word, but she also finds out that she has a new pair of step-siblings in tow, and one just happens to be Whitley's one night stand from a party she wishes - and wants - to forget. But when Whitley begins to make some unexpected friends (even though she doesn't "do" friends) and when she begins to fall so helplessly in love with her soon-to-be stepbrother, Nathan, things are about to become even more nightmarish than she first anticipated!

Once again this talented young adult author has offered up yet another complicated, saucy teen heroine in her third book, A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHTMARE. Now I've been a fan of Kody Keplinger for quite some time now, what with her fantastic debut novel, The Duff, which was my favourite book of hers, and her second novel, Shut Out, which was also another superb read for me and for many readers I know. Some of the things I love most about Keplinger's writing is how imperfect her characters are, how she gets teenagers and all the many forms we seem to come in, how she continues to challenge her readers with some of the most daring subjects from sex to your ordinary friendships, and even how authentic these characters seem to be. For her third novel, I wouldn't go far to say it was my favourite of all of her books, mostly because I couldn't relate to her main character, but regardless of that fact, I can see many others relating to this book . . . a lot in fact and it was definitely a fun summer read for me.

Whitley Johnson, the main character, was needlessly to say a very complicated, rude, reckless, sometimes-stubborn and a sometimes-over-the-top young woman, whom has obviously lost her way somehow. I mean, let's face it - she's a complete and utter mess. Personally for me, Whitley is the kind of girl I would stay well away from in high school and that was probably a good thing in my books. I think the only reason why I didn't enjoy this character as much as I wanted to was because I couldn't relate to her at all. At all. She's so unlike me in so many ways: I'm not a partier, I'm not flirting my way through every guy I meet that gave me some of their attention and I'm certainly not a drinker. But despite those qualities in Whitley, that still doesn't mean she wasn't a fun nor a likable character. Because in all honestly she was - at least when we finally got to know her for her and learn the reasonings behind why she's acting out the way she is. So not to worry readers, you'll still love this main character despite her flaws!

As for the supporting characters, I thought they totally stole the show in this book. Nathan for one, the love interest and Whitley's soon-to-be stepbrother and whom she slept with prior to knowing he was going to be that soon-to-be step-brother of hers, was completely adored by me. He was utterly sweet, he was caring and he was nerdy . . . just like me. Sure, it was kind of weird witnessing his and Whitley's relationship grow into something far more than it should have considering they're going to be related by marriage and all, but I loved that forbidden aspect to their characters and it suited them. I mean, who doesn't love the forbidden no-no side? Even Nathan's little sister was such a delightful little treat . . . she was so, so sweet too. Even Whitley's soon-to-be stepmother was a great character to add in and cause some tension under one roof, and heck, even Whitley's actual father was a great character to add some further complications despite him always forgetting about Whitley and how she felt about his new living situation. Again, they were all so great!

Overall, like any book come across, it's always risky to write about taboo subjects and some really heavy issues for those young adults who read them, but for some reason Kody Keplinger's third novel, A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHTMARE, could get away with murder no matter what topic it explores and I love this writer for being able to do that and put a shock to your system! That's the whole fun part for me! So, if you're already a fan of this author like I am or have yet to find that perfect summer read with a great, refreshing teenage voice, then be sure to give this book a go ASAP!

The Rating

3 1/2 / 5 stars

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Release Date: 5th September, 2011

Publisher: Poppy

Pages: 273pgs

The Story

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a cival war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.

Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling . . .

The Review

Writing for young teens comes easily to Kody Keplinger - what with her being a young author herself. While I found some themes displayed in the novel a little out there than most young adult novels explore, but she still does a fantastic job in portraying the teenagers of today and the reality of what they experience in their everyday lives. Not to mention there are plenty of lessons to be learned from this book. But what I love most about Keplinger's two novels - this one and her debut novel The Duff - is how she writes in her down-to-earth and hilarious banter that is real and honest.

Loosely based on Lysistrata by Aristophanes, Kody Keplinger manages to pull her own twist to the story, modernize it and in the end make it her own tale. A twisty, sarcastic, high school battle of the sexes tale. What begins as a silly game of pranks to stop the rivalry between the football and soccer teams then turns into something completely out of the teenager's control . . . which then reflects towards the girls who want to put a stop to their boyfriends once and for all. In order to stop their boyfriends and the other teams from going too far, the girlfriends of the boys decide to go on a sex strike and you can imagine the boy's reactions when 'no-sex' is involved. *insert horror face here* I don't particularly want to compare this novel to Keplinger's debut, The Duff, but I can clearly see some similarities between the two novels as sex is the stronger theme in the novel. But with that said, SHUT OUT stands on its own and I enjoyed the majority of the novel.

There are several things that stood out to me in SHUT OUT. For one, it's the feminine power the girls have on their side and I'm all for it. Being a total feminist to the bone, I admire the way the girls handled things however withholding sex isn't exactly the way to go, considering most of their boyfriends were jerks to begin with and weren't exactly great boyfriends either. However, like I said before, I'm a full supporter of girl power. On the other hand, another element I enjoyed was how well-written the sex issue was explored. Most young adults completely shy away from this path of teenage sexuality and sometimes that's a good thing. We, after all, don't want too much raw details. In the novel SHUT OUT, sex was handled nicely however at times I didn't like how open the girls were about their sex lives but perhaps in American society they are less inclined to silence than what I've experienced with 'girl-talk' back here in Australia. We're different I guess. But on a whole, Keplinger handled it with enough grace and integrity to allow me to enjoy it.

When it comes to the cast, I don't mind admitting that I didn't particularly connect to the main character, Lissa. I did and then I didn't. If she were a real character, I know we wouldn't be friends . . . probably because of how she let's her boyfriend, Randy, treat her. If it were me and I had a boyfriend like that disrespectful jerk, he would've been ditched long ago. With her being a little blind-sided by Randy's ways and with her character also having a few negative parts about her, but Lissa was still a decent character and in this case my frustration with her was needed to understand the story better and her for that matter. You'll get what I mean when you eventually come to read this book yourself. With the other supporting cast, I didn't mind Lissa's friends and the jock's girlfriends. Much like Lissa, I wouldn't be friends with these crowds of girls but they were enjoyable to say the least. But let's talk about Cash - the boy everyone is going to love no matter what. Seeing the romance coming from a mile away, there's no denying how freaking hot Cash is. He has a cool name, he has some charm, he's funny, and unlike most jerk boys in the novel, he actually respects Lissa as a person. Thank the Lord. *bows to invisible people* I loved Cash completely and the romance between him and Lissa was really super sweet which readers will fall for immediately.

Overall, I highly recommend SHUT OUT to readers of Kody Keplinger's first novel or any readers who love a good old sometimes-funny and sometimes-sexy contemporary YA novel. While it didn't win my heart as much as Keplinger's The Duff novel, but it follows close behind and it will entertain you on many levels as you reach the final page. I'm definitely looking forward to see what Kody Keplinger comes up with next with her third novel, A Midsummer's Nightmare, which is due sometime this year!

The Rating

4/5 stars

The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Release Date: 7th September, 2010

Publisher: Little Brown/Poppy

Pages: 280pgs

The Story

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "the Duff", she throws a Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly wrong. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

The Review

Bianca Piper is quite content with her everyday life. Being pretty smart, unafraid to speak her mind, having two best friends that she cares a lot about and having an innocent long-time crush on a boy who doesn't know she exists, that being Toby Tucker, there's no reason to change anything in her life right now. But that's until Wesley comes into the picture. Already feeling overshadowed by her two good-looking best friends, Casey and Jessica, Bianca is disgusted when man-whore (pardon my term but it is true because the terms relates to the character so well) Wesley comes along and calls her 'the Duff' - the designated ugly fat friend. And as much as Bianca wants to hate him and tear him into tiny little pieces - by ignoring and continuing to hate him - she's also drawn to him but for all the wrong reasons. And, as it turns out, Wesley isn't as bad as he seems and not all that he appears to be which complicates Bianca's life much, much more.

When I first read reviews on THE DUFF and read many mixed opinions concerning the novel, I wasn't entirely sure whether to have a crack at it or not. For one, some people had said it wasn't enjoyable as they hoped, and two, some said they couldn't connect to any of the character. But I'm so glad that I changed my mind and bought this novel. While I understand readers concerns, I didn't see anything super wrong with this novel. Personally for me, the major appeal of this novel is that it's written by a very young author, someone close to my age, and that alone held great inspiration to me since I too want to become an author. With that being said, I actually loved this book and I loved Kody Keplinger's writing style - its simplicity and rawness in details. THE DUFF examines insecurities in teenage girls (including the whole deal of body image issues), dealing with boys, and not to mention the heavily explored issue of teen sexuality. Sex is the main element of this book and the way Keplinger writes it . . . she sure doesn't shy away from it. Which I admire also. Reading about Bianca and Wesley's sexscapades - while it being a little unrealistic at times, but I appreicated the way it was written and it was pretty dawn sexy.

Okay let's talk about the characters. Bianca Piper was great character. With her heart being broken in the past, it has turned her into a very smart, cynical and sarcastic young lady. I couldn't exactly say I 'related' to Bianca on a personal level, but I did see why she did what she did. A lot of teenagers in dire family situations want to escape from their lives and nowadays kids do pretty crazy things. Sex . . . drugs . . . you name it. Bianca's life isn't exactly a happy picnic and I totally understand why she thought Wesley Rush was the solution to all her problems. But let's just say, Wesley himself would be the last person I would want to deal with but I loved him anyway.

Wesley Rush get's a lot of love and praise from me. I admit, I wasn't sure what to expect from him nor understand why so many people loved him. Or hated him. When you first met this character, readers will know straight off that Wesley is a complete jerk, because he likes to sleep around no matter the girl he's with and clearly he's not a nice guy at the beginning by the way he treats Bianca and calling her the famous words of 'the Duff'. But once the many layers are removed from Wesley, you finally get to see why he acts the way he does and why Bianca fell in love with him. He's dealing with issues much like her's - trying to find some way of coping with his everyday life. His relationship - if that's what you would call it - with Bianca was very intense and sometimes irritating, but I loved the way this relationship reminded me so much of Gossip Girl's Blair and Chuck relationship. There's outwitting of each other. Steamy kisses and love scenes. And like most YA novels, there's plenty of teen angst to go around. However, despite my love for these two teens, the only flaw I had with this book was how Wesley changed his ways. Some people can change others bad ways, but in Wesley's case I found it a little bit unbelievable and for me it happened rather too quickly. Other than that, Wes and Bianca were fantastic characters to have.

Overall, by the time you finish this novel and learn from the characters common mistakes, readers will come to the realisation that everyone can be a 'Duff'. It could be your gorgeous best friend or just plain old you. And whether you're a Duff or not, it doesn't matter because you should love yourself for who you are no matter the ugly sides of us. We all have them. On a whole, THE DUFF is brilliant debut novel for Kody Keplinger and she's captured the beautiful essence of teenage experiences: peer pressure, problematic families and friendships themselves. If you love something a little gritty for a YA novel, then be sure to pick this book up! It's one of the angsty novels you're ever going to read and one of the best at that!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars