Charming As A Verb by Ben Philippe

Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This 2nd book of Ben Philippe's is a must read; realistic, humorous but angst ridden about the college acceptance process, readers will love the saga of Henri and Corinne's friendship/romance. I loved Henri's dog walking job, his sneaker design obsession, his debate prowess, his friendship with Ming, and his popularity in school. BUT I did not like his obsession with Columbia and his all around weirdness! I loved Corinne's refreshing honesty, her index card system, her dog, Palm Tree and her blackmail of Henri. YA readers will love this book- the friendships, the family dynamics, the senior year drama will have them turning those pages! A must read! Highly recommended.

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Admission by Julie Buxbaum

Admission by Julie Buxbaum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s and Delacorte Press for the advance reader copy of Admission by awesome author, Julie Buxbaum, in exchange for an honest review. I was riveted by this ripped from the headlines novel dealing with the college admissions bribery scandal. Julie Buxbaum writes a compelling story to shed light on Chloe’s life THEN and Chloe’s life NOW as she unlocks her front door to the FBI one fateful morning. Senior Chloe was her own worst enemy at times. Her family has money, her mother is a TV star, but Chloe struggles in school, at home, and internally. As she worries over getting into a college and getting the grades she needs, her parents jump to pay for coaches to help her in writing and tutoring. Chloe’s best friend, Shola, was my favorite, a strong female character, she was always honest with Chloe and frank about her struggles as a product of Nigerian immigrant parents and their struggles with money. The THEN chapters reveal Chloe as very insecure, vacillating between trying to go along with her parents’ wishes and speaking up about what she wants. I could not stop turning the pages in the NOW as Chloe learns/lives the stark loneliness of being reviled by the world, her friends, her school. Throughout the scandal her younger, smarter sister, Isla, pushes Chloe to face reality and contemplate what exactly Chloe knew and when she knew it. Buxbaum’s novels packs a punch; I rooted for Chloe’s growth, maturity, and self-acceptance. In our world of fierce competition, what makes people do what they do, what makes people accept dishonesty? Readers will be sharing this book and talking about it often!

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Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a great ending to a series I thoroughly enjoyed! I love Jenny Han's way of writing, her characters, and the senior year & college application process for Lara Jean and Peter Kavinski. Lara Jean & Peter as a couple continued to make me fall even MORE in love with them. Lara Jean's family ties, baking of chocolate cookies, getting into college, and through it all, growing even deeper in love with Peter had me turning the pages...Peter, loved him because he was the real deal-- nice, kind, attentive, thoroughly into Lara Jean, pleasing her and her family, putting on face masks (haha), chowing down on her chocolate cookies all made him perfect to me. My son played lacrosse in high school & college, played against UVA for 4 years - so I really enjoyed Peter's love of the game, getting a scholarship, and working hard to be a better lacrosse player. Peter's page in Lara Jean's yearbook was awesome & Lara Jean's scrapbook of memories for Peter were very, very special.

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