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bookdevouringmisfit's review
4.0
My Actual Rating: 4. 5stars
(This is what happens when I don't expect much from a book and it ends up not disappointing even a tiny bit of me at all.)
Oh man, this book is just.. I don't know, I can't really elaborate further but it sure had its moments. The Reece Malcolm List is heartwarming and full of emotions and even though it had its flaws, wow did it sure hit me and made my heart hurt. (I admit, I may have shed a tear or two.)
The book isn't perfect and there were some shortcomings but the book really did leave me sated so that's why it gets a 4.5
A great and satisfying summer read for all you guys out there. :)
(This is what happens when I don't expect much from a book and it ends up not disappointing even a tiny bit of me at all.)
Oh man, this book is just.. I don't know, I can't really elaborate further but it sure had its moments. The Reece Malcolm List is heartwarming and full of emotions and even though it had its flaws, wow did it sure hit me and made my heart hurt. (I admit, I may have shed a tear or two.)
The book isn't perfect and there were some shortcomings but the book really did leave me sated so that's why it gets a 4.5
A great and satisfying summer read for all you guys out there. :)
mollywetta's review
3.0
Originally reviewed at wrapped up in books.
I never would have dreamed of reading this ARC if I hadn’t started following Amy Spalding on Twitter. She’s FUNNY. I don’t read enough funny YA, so I was excited for the opportunity to check it out.
And the book is funny, in its own way. I might not have been wowed to the extent that some other bloggers have been, but I thought it was cute.
Devan has grown up with her father and stepmother (who isn’t exactly her #1 fan). They moved frequently, and she’s never really settled in to a tight group of friends, though she has discovered her passion in life is musical theater. When her father dies and the lawyers sort out that she’s to go live with her mother whom she’s never met, she flys out to LA. And that’s how she meets her mom for the first time. At the airport.
I was surprised by how rich the character of Reece Malcolm was. She was constructed with great thought and does not read like a typical YA mother, which I guess means she’s a person in her own right, not simply a plot tool, and I appreciated that. I enjoyed her cute British boyfriend who knows how to cook, too. But what impressed me most about this novel was how well Amy Spalding was able to replicate the complex dynamic of a high school social network with so many players involved. Each of the new friends that Devan makes when she begins classes at her new posh LA performing arts high school contributed to the story.
Devan had an authentic teenage voice, to be sure. She was likable in that she wasn’t apologetic about her talent but was also not entirely confident in her own skin (as few high school students are). Still, I had trouble relating to her. This is entirely personal. Perhaps because I lost my father at the same age, her grief (or lack thereof) for her father rubbed me the wrong way. She reiterates throughout the novel that she was not close to her father, and admittedly, she is a character who likes to keep her emotions bottled up. So it’s not like it was completely unbelievable, I suppose. It just provoked a negative reaction in me. While Devan was very interested in her quest to find out more about her famous novelist mother, and that story arch was compelling and moving, she never really went through the grieving process after her father’s death, and I just plain didn’t like that it was entirely left out of the story. Completely personal, I know. I did enjoy that so much of the plot focused on her relationship with her mother. Not enough young adult novels explore family dynamics in this way.
I had some other quibbles with the plotting. I disliked that little time was spent on Sai (her major crush) and his relationship with his father, and thought the “twist” that revealed why Mira, the girl who is slow to warm to Reece, maintained her distance was lame/stereotypical/out of no where. These situations felt contrived to me.
As well done as the dialogue between the teenage characters was, some of the interactions between Reece and adults were awkward, and these passages threw me out of the story. While the “list” was the hook for the story, I didn’t find the revelations about Reece Malcolm at all quirky or clever. It felt like a gimmick.
I wasn’t in love with this book like so many others have been, but I didn’t hate it. It was a quick read that was both light and funny and even moving at times. Readers who like musical theater and LA will certainly enjoy it, but this is not the book to recommend to a teenager who just lost her father…or an adult who lost her father as a teenager, in my opinion. This novel is cute, but not much more substantial than that, in my opinion. I’d recommend it to fans of [b:Being Friends with Boys|12022847|Being Friends with Boys|Terra Elan McVoy|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1323055890s/12022847.jpg|16988662] by Terra McElvoy (which I had similarly mixed feelings about), as it has the same focus on music, a semi (but realistic) love triangle that didn’t annoy me and felt believable, and similarly complicated family dynamics.
I never would have dreamed of reading this ARC if I hadn’t started following Amy Spalding on Twitter. She’s FUNNY. I don’t read enough funny YA, so I was excited for the opportunity to check it out.
And the book is funny, in its own way. I might not have been wowed to the extent that some other bloggers have been, but I thought it was cute.
Devan has grown up with her father and stepmother (who isn’t exactly her #1 fan). They moved frequently, and she’s never really settled in to a tight group of friends, though she has discovered her passion in life is musical theater. When her father dies and the lawyers sort out that she’s to go live with her mother whom she’s never met, she flys out to LA. And that’s how she meets her mom for the first time. At the airport.
I was surprised by how rich the character of Reece Malcolm was. She was constructed with great thought and does not read like a typical YA mother, which I guess means she’s a person in her own right, not simply a plot tool, and I appreciated that. I enjoyed her cute British boyfriend who knows how to cook, too. But what impressed me most about this novel was how well Amy Spalding was able to replicate the complex dynamic of a high school social network with so many players involved. Each of the new friends that Devan makes when she begins classes at her new posh LA performing arts high school contributed to the story.
Devan had an authentic teenage voice, to be sure. She was likable in that she wasn’t apologetic about her talent but was also not entirely confident in her own skin (as few high school students are). Still, I had trouble relating to her. This is entirely personal. Perhaps because I lost my father at the same age, her grief (or lack thereof) for her father rubbed me the wrong way. She reiterates throughout the novel that she was not close to her father, and admittedly, she is a character who likes to keep her emotions bottled up. So it’s not like it was completely unbelievable, I suppose. It just provoked a negative reaction in me. While Devan was very interested in her quest to find out more about her famous novelist mother, and that story arch was compelling and moving, she never really went through the grieving process after her father’s death, and I just plain didn’t like that it was entirely left out of the story. Completely personal, I know. I did enjoy that so much of the plot focused on her relationship with her mother. Not enough young adult novels explore family dynamics in this way.
I had some other quibbles with the plotting. I disliked that little time was spent on Sai (her major crush) and his relationship with his father, and thought the “twist” that revealed why Mira, the girl who is slow to warm to Reece, maintained her distance was lame/stereotypical/out of no where. These situations felt contrived to me.
As well done as the dialogue between the teenage characters was, some of the interactions between Reece and adults were awkward, and these passages threw me out of the story. While the “list” was the hook for the story, I didn’t find the revelations about Reece Malcolm at all quirky or clever. It felt like a gimmick.
I wasn’t in love with this book like so many others have been, but I didn’t hate it. It was a quick read that was both light and funny and even moving at times. Readers who like musical theater and LA will certainly enjoy it, but this is not the book to recommend to a teenager who just lost her father…or an adult who lost her father as a teenager, in my opinion. This novel is cute, but not much more substantial than that, in my opinion. I’d recommend it to fans of [b:Being Friends with Boys|12022847|Being Friends with Boys|Terra Elan McVoy|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1323055890s/12022847.jpg|16988662] by Terra McElvoy (which I had similarly mixed feelings about), as it has the same focus on music, a semi (but realistic) love triangle that didn’t annoy me and felt believable, and similarly complicated family dynamics.
captkaty's review
5.0
How great of a character is Devan? She is who I wish I could have been in high school -- cool and geeky and fashionable and learning to be brave. When I think about one thing that really defines adolescence, I think it's the redefinition of the parent/child relationship, and it's kind of strange that more YA doesn't address this subject. Parents are usually absent or stock characters, so I think it's refreshing and awesome to have this dynamic explored so beautifully in a teen novel.
Also, I have to confess, I loved the LA setting and it made me extremely homesick for California.
Also, I have to confess, I loved the LA setting and it made me extremely homesick for California.
brandypainter's review
4.0
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding surprised me. Enough people I trust enjoyed it so I knew I would like it, but wasn't expecting to like it as much as I do. It is a really great book that is fun and has real heart and soul too.
The thing I like about The Reece Malcolm List the most is its realism. Now some people may question here whether I've lost my mind, because there is a lot of wish fulfillment sort of stuff in this book. Still I say realism, because the characters are so real. I don't often read contemporary novels with difficult situations I haven't experienced where I feel the characters act exactly the way I would in said situation. So yes, for me this book was perfect. If I had to go live with a mom I had never met at age 16 I would react like Devan. If I had a 16 year old daughter I never expected to see again drop in my life I would react exactly like Reece. I really like how much alike they were and also that they had very real differences. The whole development of their relationship happened very naturally as well. Devan's behavior as a new girl in school is highly relateable too. I moved around a lot and I had her same expectations and patterns of behavior. Still do actually. I loved how she was so happy to find a group of real friends-what she always wanted-and yet was also frustrated by her lack of space for herself. Yes.
My one quibble with the book was the romantic element. I would have liked this book even more without that, but I freely admit that teen readers will probably like that part. It wasn't that I thought it was handled badly, I just didn't care as much. Also I feel like Devan's guy has issues he needs to work out before he dates anyone, but at least Devan seems to understand she is getting a not-entirely-together boyfriend. I did like the relationship between Reece and Brad. It is a rare thing to see healthy adult romantic relationships in YA novels.
I don't know how this book will work for readers who aren't interested in theater and music. Musical theater specifically. Having been a part of the drama/music crowd in high school myself I loved that aspect. It is filled with details of auditions and productions which made it all the more real and alive. It also made me want to listen to all the Sondheim. And that's never a bad thing because Sondheim is amazing.
Note for Concerned Parents: Strong language and some mention of sex
The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding surprised me. Enough people I trust enjoyed it so I knew I would like it, but wasn't expecting to like it as much as I do. It is a really great book that is fun and has real heart and soul too.
The thing I like about The Reece Malcolm List the most is its realism. Now some people may question here whether I've lost my mind, because there is a lot of wish fulfillment sort of stuff in this book. Still I say realism, because the characters are so real. I don't often read contemporary novels with difficult situations I haven't experienced where I feel the characters act exactly the way I would in said situation. So yes, for me this book was perfect. If I had to go live with a mom I had never met at age 16 I would react like Devan. If I had a 16 year old daughter I never expected to see again drop in my life I would react exactly like Reece. I really like how much alike they were and also that they had very real differences. The whole development of their relationship happened very naturally as well. Devan's behavior as a new girl in school is highly relateable too. I moved around a lot and I had her same expectations and patterns of behavior. Still do actually. I loved how she was so happy to find a group of real friends-what she always wanted-and yet was also frustrated by her lack of space for herself. Yes.
My one quibble with the book was the romantic element. I would have liked this book even more without that, but I freely admit that teen readers will probably like that part. It wasn't that I thought it was handled badly, I just didn't care as much. Also I feel like Devan's guy has issues he needs to work out before he dates anyone, but at least Devan seems to understand she is getting a not-entirely-together boyfriend. I did like the relationship between Reece and Brad. It is a rare thing to see healthy adult romantic relationships in YA novels.
I don't know how this book will work for readers who aren't interested in theater and music. Musical theater specifically. Having been a part of the drama/music crowd in high school myself I loved that aspect. It is filled with details of auditions and productions which made it all the more real and alive. It also made me want to listen to all the Sondheim. And that's never a bad thing because Sondheim is amazing.
Note for Concerned Parents: Strong language and some mention of sex
amibunk's review
4.0
This was lovely: great characters, interesting plot, and strong, honest emotions. I love how Amy Spalding writes teenage dialogue that reads realistically but without dumbing down her characters. It was a treat to read something so ordinarily real but written in an extraordinary way.
cstoeger's review
4.0
This book was a surprise hit for me. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did.
Devan gets shipped off to Los Angeles to live with the mother she's never met after her father dies. Devan and her father weren't particularly close either. While in LA, Devan enrolls in a performing arts high school.
Devan gets shipped off to Los Angeles to live with the mother she's never met after her father dies. Devan and her father weren't particularly close either. While in LA, Devan enrolls in a performing arts high school.
maggiemaggio's review
4.0
Re-read December 2017 and I love it just as much as I did the first time I read it. I would love for a book just about Reese Malcolm.
4.5 stars
I found this book to be so utterly charming. There's probably not a topic in this book I can relate to at all; I have great parents who are still married, my mother had me at age 30, I can't stand musical theater; and I've never moved around a lot. But despite not being able to relate to the book I still completely loved it.
Devan was a great character. She was (obviously) completely relateable and she had such a strong voice. A voice that's a real stand out in contemporary YA, in my opinion. While there were things about Devan that really frustrated me (her relationship with Sai being the main one) I still rooted for her the entire time.
Reece Malcolm was hands down my favorite character. I kept wishing there were less about Devan's life at school and more about her life at home with Reece. I love a reclusive writer and I thought Reece was just perfect.
What didn't I like about the book? I already said Devan's relationship with Sai, but I also craved more background information. I wanted to know why Devan and her dad weren't close any more, why Devan's dad wanted to move around so much, and why Devan's father let her stepmom treat her so badly. Ultimately I didn't get answers to those questions, but neither will Devan so I guess it's kind of fair.
The cover of this book is also great. The image on the cover and the descriptions of Devan throughout the book gave me the perfect picture of her. I will say this is a book where I feel like all the supporting characters, and there were a bunch, served a purpose. All of Devan's friends at school showed different sides of Devan, Reece was great as I said, Brad, Reece's boyfriend, showed a different side of Reece, and Kate also showed a different side of Reece and helped Devan with singing. The only character that was kind of unnecessary was Vaughn, but he was Kate's husband and his blog helped Devan find things about about Reece.
This is a great YA contemporary that I highly recommend. I'm excited to read more from Amy Spalding.
4.5 stars
I found this book to be so utterly charming. There's probably not a topic in this book I can relate to at all; I have great parents who are still married, my mother had me at age 30, I can't stand musical theater; and I've never moved around a lot. But despite not being able to relate to the book I still completely loved it.
Devan was a great character. She was (obviously) completely relateable and she had such a strong voice. A voice that's a real stand out in contemporary YA, in my opinion. While there were things about Devan that really frustrated me (her relationship with Sai being the main one) I still rooted for her the entire time.
Reece Malcolm was hands down my favorite character. I kept wishing there were less about Devan's life at school and more about her life at home with Reece. I love a reclusive writer and I thought Reece was just perfect.
What didn't I like about the book? I already said Devan's relationship with Sai, but I also craved more background information. I wanted to know why Devan and her dad weren't close any more, why Devan's dad wanted to move around so much, and why Devan's father let her stepmom treat her so badly. Ultimately I didn't get answers to those questions, but neither will Devan so I guess it's kind of fair.
The cover of this book is also great. The image on the cover and the descriptions of Devan throughout the book gave me the perfect picture of her. I will say this is a book where I feel like all the supporting characters, and there were a bunch, served a purpose. All of Devan's friends at school showed different sides of Devan, Reece was great as I said, Brad, Reece's boyfriend, showed a different side of Reece, and Kate also showed a different side of Reece and helped Devan with singing. The only character that was kind of unnecessary was Vaughn, but he was Kate's husband and his blog helped Devan find things about about Reece.
This is a great YA contemporary that I highly recommend. I'm excited to read more from Amy Spalding.