Bella Suartini

By the Book: A Novel of Prose and Cons

Book by Amanda Sellet

DETAILS

Publisher : Clarion Books (November 8, 2022) Language : English Paperback : 400 pages ISBN-10 : 0358668085 ISBN-13 : 978-0358668084 Reading age : 12 - 17 years Grade level : 7 - 9 Item Weight : 10.2 ounces , In this clever YA rom-com debut perfect for fans of Kasie West and Ashley Poston, a teen obsessed with nineteenth-century literature tries to cull advice on life and love from her favorite classic heroines to disastrous results—especially when she falls for the school’s resident Lothario. Mary Porter-Malcolm has prepared for high school in the one way she knows how: an extensive review of classic literature to help navigate the friendships, romantic liaisons, and overall drama she has come to expect from such an “esteemed” institution. When some new friends seem in danger of falling for the same tricks employed since the days of Austen and Tolstoy, Mary swoops in to create the Scoundrel Survival Guide, using archetypes of literature’s debonair bad boys to signal red flags. But despite her best efforts, she soon finds herself unable to listen to her own good advice and falling for a supposed cad—the same one she warned her friends away from. Without a convenient rain-swept moor to flee to, Mary is forced to admit that real life doesn’t follow the same rules as fiction and that if she wants a happy ending, she’s going to have to write it herself.  Read more

REVIEW

YA contemporary romances... not my thing. But what can I say, I was in the mood and this was the only one on my needs-to-be-tackled TBR, and of course it helps that both the premise and the cover are absolutely charming. The first issue I feared when diving into this book is content. Predictable, I know, but looking at a lot of the mainstream/secular contemporary books out there, I think I have a point. At any rate, I am so so happy that By the Book was freeeee of all the unnecessary icky stuff! Second fear: I was worried Mary would have one of those "utter transformation" good girl to bad girl character arcs. Shouldn't have worried. This girl was not only an extremely likable, very relatable protagonist, but she aCTUALLY HAD AN ARC (that wasn't nonexistent, redemption, or good-to-bad!). And she still retained so much of her blithe, bookish personality all the way to the end. Plus, she was a bookish character whose bookishness WASN'T annoying to death and that is one amazing accomplishment (we all love relatable heroines, but a good bookish one is darn hard to find). Third issue: I can count on one hand the number of books I've read containing romance that I actually, y'know, cared about. Usually I get tired of the love interest(s) around 15 minutes after they're introduced, unless it's an actual romance, and then I'm patient enough to last until during or after the "confessions" stage (by which I mean they confess to either each other, someone else, or themselves; or when another character very kindly points it out). In this book not only was I cheering for the two of them whom I equally adored, but I remained cheering for them all the way to the end-- that's right, folks, even through the confessions, the kissing, and the Dark Night of the Soul!! Writing this review now, I'm once again wowed. Also, let's give it up for the Porter-Malcolms, aka A Real Live Heathy Supportive Family in a YA Novel, Can You Believe It!! I love each of their distinct personalities, the family dynamics, and their individual relationships with Mary (not gonna lie, I'm pretty sure Jasper is my favorite character in this whole book, lol). Plus, Mary's friends and Alex were all so fun to read about! Yes, I did love Mary and Alex's banter-full scenes together, and how their relationship had very little to do with physical attraction. Take that, World of YA. The plot of the story was great. Mary and her friends' Scoundrel Survival Guide definitely made for some interesting events... but let's not spoil anything! There were some... minor dislikes. Content: One or two uses of d**n; G*d is used with 'thank' (only once I believe?); the MC makes a lot of comparisons with some of the less... proper examples of fictional scandals; some pretty detailed kissing scenes, but nothing inappropriate; some light innuendo. There's LGBTQ+ rep: the MC's sister is lesbian; a minor character is said to be gay; at some point the MC wonders if one of her female friends likes her sister; it's mentioned that a guy has the habit of "watching" his ex-boyfriend on dates (the stalking part is condemned. don't worry). All in al, this book left me feeling very happy. I'll definitely be watching for this author's next releases, and now I want to read more contemporary! Always be a happy camper!

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