Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood

What's this work that captured my attention all week (when I wasn't being good and reading my dreadfully dull book club selections)? Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood.

One of the things I love about Simon Pulse is that they don't shy away from actual teen issues--no "And then he offered me a sip of alcohol, but I remembered my D.A.R.E. instructor's words and refused it, all while lecturing him on just how bad it is for a developing brain" here.

Nope, the teen protagonists have a lot more wild fun than I did in my teenage years, but they're believable, quirky, and--as the very sweet editor who gave me this stack of books mentioned--wouldn't we rather our teenagers explore these issues in books, rather than real life?

Why yes, I think. Very good point.

Also, the covers are fantastic. The author, Eileen Cook, thanks the cover designer in her acknowledgments, writing that she's thankful for a book cover so pretty, she wants to lick it.

Yes, you read that right.

It's in candy-inspired hues, so I guess it kind of makes sense.

Anyway. On to GRoLW.

Should you have any worries about contemporary YA appearing boring when held up against YA paranormal and/or thrillers, this book will put your mind at ease.

You know how, in middle school, girls often turn on even their oldest friends in the pursuit of popularity? Helen goes through that and worse: her best friend not only ditches her, but frames her for getting all of the most popular seniors in trouble. Suddenly she's the least popular girl in her class, hated by everyone in her school.

Thankfully, her parents move her out of town--where she loses thirty pounds, gets in an accident and gets reconstructive facial surgery--and ends up looking like a different person. When her parents tell her she's going to move back to the same town for her senior year of high school, she convinces them to let her register under a different name.

And that's when the fun begins: Helen, now known as Claire, makes it her mission to take down her former best friend--who's since gone on to be head cheerleader, date the quarterback, and position herself as a front-runner for the lead in the school musical (which is, of course, My Fair Lady--clever, Ms. Cook, very clever).

Helen/Claire's great at reading her peers, which helps--and the author does a fabulous job of ensuring all the tiny, necessary pieces fit together. The whole work is very thoughtfully plotted and constructed--she must have been writing backwards and forwards to fit in every clue and coincidence.

Naturally, Helen/Claire has some major soul-searching at the end--which I feared would be cheesy, hence my not mentioning the work by name until I finished it. However, the ending is believable, satisfying, and doesn't ruin the fun of the rest of the book--all while turning the work into something adults can feel good about giving young women to read.

Yes. Highly recommended. And only 45 cents used on Amazon. Go to!