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liralen 's review for:
The Boy Next Door
by Katie Van Ark
Note: Untagged spoilers below the fold.
Skating's in that category of subjects that don't have anything to do with my life but that I'm always happy to read about. That being said, the more I think about this book, the more I think that romantic drama ran roughshod over the plot to the detriment of everything else. Not all that uncommon in YA fiction, unfortunately, but I'd hoped for more here.
It's like this: Maddy and Gabe are pairs skaters. Good pairs skaters—not only have they basically grown up on the ice, and with each other, but they have a shot at making it to the world championships and, perhaps, to the Olympics. There's a lot else going on in their lives, too: Maddy's father, a politician, is running for re-election...and behind his super-honest persona, he seems to be telling some lies. Their friend Kate, also a pairs skater, is acting odd. And, oh yes, Maddy's been in love with Gabe forever and is finally gunning for a relationship with him, despite the fact that his MO is to sleep with a girl and then get Maddy to dump her for him.
But the breakdown of all those plot points goes something like this:
Amount of time spent on Maddy's father's lies, which turn out to be about cancer: 5%
Amount of time spend on Kate having relationship drama with her boyfriend-slash-pairs-partner, which turns into a pregnancy plot: 3%
Amount of time spent on Maddy finding out that her family can't actually afford skating lessons or private school and other people are footing the bill: 2%
Amount of time spent on ice skating: 10%
Amount of time spent on Maddy and Gabe going we should be in a relationship / we should just keep it on the ice / should we sleep together / you don't get to re-try your first time / let's pretend to get married / let's sleep together / let's not / omg sex yay / oh hey relationship miscommunication / all zee drama / we're meant for each other / we're doomed / Romeo and Juliet died, babe, and I'm bad for you / omg sex yay: 80%
It's just, those proportions seem a little off, no?
Skating's in that category of subjects that don't have anything to do with my life but that I'm always happy to read about. That being said, the more I think about this book, the more I think that romantic drama ran roughshod over the plot to the detriment of everything else. Not all that uncommon in YA fiction, unfortunately, but I'd hoped for more here.
It's like this: Maddy and Gabe are pairs skaters. Good pairs skaters—not only have they basically grown up on the ice, and with each other, but they have a shot at making it to the world championships and, perhaps, to the Olympics. There's a lot else going on in their lives, too: Maddy's father, a politician, is running for re-election...and behind his super-honest persona, he seems to be telling some lies. Their friend Kate, also a pairs skater, is acting odd. And, oh yes, Maddy's been in love with Gabe forever and is finally gunning for a relationship with him, despite the fact that his MO is to sleep with a girl and then get Maddy to dump her for him.
But the breakdown of all those plot points goes something like this:
Amount of time spent on Maddy's father's lies, which turn out to be about cancer: 5%
Amount of time spend on Kate having relationship drama with her boyfriend-slash-pairs-partner, which turns into a pregnancy plot: 3%
Amount of time spent on Maddy finding out that her family can't actually afford skating lessons or private school and other people are footing the bill: 2%
Amount of time spent on ice skating: 10%
Amount of time spent on Maddy and Gabe going we should be in a relationship / we should just keep it on the ice / should we sleep together / you don't get to re-try your first time / let's pretend to get married / let's sleep together / let's not / omg sex yay / oh hey relationship miscommunication / all zee drama / we're meant for each other / we're doomed / Romeo and Juliet died, babe, and I'm bad for you / omg sex yay: 80%
It's just, those proportions seem a little off, no?