A lot of times there are books that can draw you in and keep you interested until the end. Even if the story premise is not too interesting to you, the writing alone can be so interesting and enjoyable that you can’t stop reading.
That was the case with me in regards to Cameron Lund’s The Best Laid Plans.
Keely is a senior In high school who is only a few months shy of graduation and a new life in L.A. There is just one thing though. She is still a virgin. Keely is determined to make that change soon especially after meeting an older college boy who is not only interested in her, but believes she has had sex already. Keely begins to hatch a plan that even involves her best friend Andrew’s help. Things don’t always go expected though especially when it comes to sex, love, and high school.
As I said before this story first of all has terrific writing. I felt like what was being said was realistic and true to being a teenage especially in today’s world. The book discusses sex positivity, first jobs, first loves, first time, getting ready to move on from high school to college and what that feeling is like for 17 and 18 year olds. The characters talk & act like teens. They curse, they drink, they play video games, they have sex, they talk about sex, and more. This story is not trying to sugar coat anything and I really love that the author made that decision.
Something else I enjoyed in the book was the competing romances. The story shows us the two sides of Andrew and Dean. We get to see Keely really interact with both and see the good and the bad between them. While I wasn’t exactly a huge fan of Andrew (I will get to that in a minute), I still could see the relationship between Keely and Andrew as well as the relationship between Keely and Dean. While we do get answers in the end who she ends up with and all that, it doesn’t try to make one worse than the other right off the bat (though you’ll probably be able to guess what happens in the end). We see both relationships develop and evolve both in good and bad ways.
Finally, I really liked some of the parallels and call backs in this book. Without giving too much away there is one with a card that is really sweet and a scene at the end that parallels a scene at the beginning of the book. You’ll need to read it to find out what I am talking about, but both are really well done.
Something I did not like in this book was the romantic comedy ending aspect. The entire book is the perfect teen romantic comedy which is what makes it great. However, when it comes to the ending I really did not like the person that Keely ends up with. Throughout the book we learn more and more things about this person that I did not really like and things that made me really not as interested in the particular relationship as I wished I had been. While these two characters have their moments one thing I learn in particular, that Keely does at least call out, is something that I wished would have put an end to this relationship and something I really did not like. I think I would have liked this book even more if the typical 1 of 2 endings had not happened. However, it is something you have to deal with that I do see at least some readers enjoying. I just wasn’t one of them.
Overall, this is a perfect YA romantic comedy novel. It is fun, realistic for teens, and very well written. Whether you like the romantic outcome or not, I think that there is no denying this books appeal and enjoyment once you start reading it. Pick up a copy of your own in April and see what I am talking about.
4 out of 5 stars
**** out of *****
That was the case with me in regards to Cameron Lund’s The Best Laid Plans.
Keely is a senior In high school who is only a few months shy of graduation and a new life in L.A. There is just one thing though. She is still a virgin. Keely is determined to make that change soon especially after meeting an older college boy who is not only interested in her, but believes she has had sex already. Keely begins to hatch a plan that even involves her best friend Andrew’s help. Things don’t always go expected though especially when it comes to sex, love, and high school.
As I said before this story first of all has terrific writing. I felt like what was being said was realistic and true to being a teenage especially in today’s world. The book discusses sex positivity, first jobs, first loves, first time, getting ready to move on from high school to college and what that feeling is like for 17 and 18 year olds. The characters talk & act like teens. They curse, they drink, they play video games, they have sex, they talk about sex, and more. This story is not trying to sugar coat anything and I really love that the author made that decision.
Something else I enjoyed in the book was the competing romances. The story shows us the two sides of Andrew and Dean. We get to see Keely really interact with both and see the good and the bad between them. While I wasn’t exactly a huge fan of Andrew (I will get to that in a minute), I still could see the relationship between Keely and Andrew as well as the relationship between Keely and Dean. While we do get answers in the end who she ends up with and all that, it doesn’t try to make one worse than the other right off the bat (though you’ll probably be able to guess what happens in the end). We see both relationships develop and evolve both in good and bad ways.
Finally, I really liked some of the parallels and call backs in this book. Without giving too much away there is one with a card that is really sweet and a scene at the end that parallels a scene at the beginning of the book. You’ll need to read it to find out what I am talking about, but both are really well done.
Something I did not like in this book was the romantic comedy ending aspect. The entire book is the perfect teen romantic comedy which is what makes it great. However, when it comes to the ending I really did not like the person that Keely ends up with. Throughout the book we learn more and more things about this person that I did not really like and things that made me really not as interested in the particular relationship as I wished I had been. While these two characters have their moments one thing I learn in particular, that Keely does at least call out, is something that I wished would have put an end to this relationship and something I really did not like. I think I would have liked this book even more if the typical 1 of 2 endings had not happened. However, it is something you have to deal with that I do see at least some readers enjoying. I just wasn’t one of them.
Overall, this is a perfect YA romantic comedy novel. It is fun, realistic for teens, and very well written. Whether you like the romantic outcome or not, I think that there is no denying this books appeal and enjoyment once you start reading it. Pick up a copy of your own in April and see what I am talking about.
4 out of 5 stars
**** out of *****