Review: That's Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

Title: That's Not What Happened
Author: Kody Keplinger
Publisher: Scholastic
Release date: August 28th 2018
Pages: 336
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: Purchased
Add to Goodreads | Puchase from Bookshop

It's been three years since the Virgil County High School Massacre. Three years since my best friend, Sarah, was killed in a bathroom stall during the mass shooting. Everyone knows Sarah's story--that she died proclaiming her faith.

But it's not true.

I know because I was with her when she died. I didn't say anything then, and people got hurt because of it. Now Sarah's parents are publishing a book about her, so this might be my last chance to set the record straight . . . but I'm not the only survivor with a story to tell about what did--and didn't--happen that day.

Except Sarah's martyrdom is important to a lot of people, people who don't take kindly to what I'm trying to do. And the more I learn, the less certain I am about what's right. I don't know what will be worse: the guilt of staying silent or the consequences of speaking up . . .

I made the mistake of reading this book without taking a look at the description of it beforehand (if I already know I like an author, I will read their book without looking at any info on it because I like to go into a book not knowing anything), so I was expecting another fun, light-hearted read like the previous Kody Keplinger books I've read. And even though I had been in the mood for a fun, fluffy read, and that is absolutely not what I got with That's Not What Happened, it was a great read nonetheless, and I'm excited that Keplinger is trying something a little new!

That's Not What Happened is definitely an emotional read. I've read a few YA takes on school shootings, but none that were primarily about its survivors a few years after the fact. Being set so much later than the actual event does not make it any less heart-breaking; seeing how much the survivors are still suffering from having lost their friends and witnessed this traumatic event was a unique take on this issue and just as emotionally powerful. 

I'm split on what to make of the premise of this novel, which seems to be a fictionalized account of Cassie Bernall and Rachel Scott who were seen as Christian martyrs after Columbine. If the novel didn't have this resemblance to these real-life victims of a school shooting, I would have loved this story and its discussion of religion. The novel isn't explicitly critical of religion, but Christianity is not exactly portrayed in the best light, since many of the very religious characters are complete hypocrites who mistreat two young girls when they speak out against the story they've been holding onto. Parts of this seemed unrealistic to me--would they literally run a girl and her family out of town for speaking up and saying that part of the story they believe in is not true??--, but I don't know too much about small religious towns, so maybe I'm just naive. It definitely encourages an interesting discussion of organized religion.

However, since it does share this resemblance to these real-life people, I wasn't sure how to feel about this. Sarah's family, who seem to be a fictional version of Rachel Scott's family, are not portrayed particularly positively, which could be seen as disrespectful (since, to my knowledge, the real-life girls' declarations of faith have not been disproven?). To me, this didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the novel, but it does feel a little iffy thinking about it afterwards. 

Asides from this potentially problematic premise, I loved everything about this book. Lee is a great character; she's a little oblivious at times, and stubborn about insisting that others' mourning should look like hers and refusing to understand why it might not, but definitely a realistic and lovable character. The cast of Lee's friends/fellow survivors is also well done, and I especially loved the romance. Lee is asexual (which I don't think I've ever seen in YA before), and I really liked the way the discussion of this was integrated into the romance in ways that respected asexuality as a legitimate identity, introduced you to some of the issues asexual people might face while dating, and still made for a swoonworthy romance.

This was a very enjoyable read on many levels, and, even if the premise might be a little problematic, it would make for some very interesting discussion material!

Review: A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

Title: A Midsummer's Nightmare
Author: Kody Keplinger
Publisher: Little, Brown BYR
Release date: June 5th 2012
Pages: 304
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: Bought
Add to Goodreads | Purchase from Amazon

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorce dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancee and her kids. The fiancee's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.
Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I love Kody Keplinger's books! Her writing is addictive, her characters are engaging, and the way she addresses sexuality and real issues in such an honest way always impresses me. I had a couple of problems with the plot in A Midsummer's Nightmare, and the story is very predictable, but I still really enjoyed it.

Whitney is my favorite thing about this novel - she's such an intriguing character! The party girl with daddy issues may not be the most original character in all of literature, movies, and TV, but she is unique in YA, where the quiet-nerd trope is so common. Whitney doesn't always make the best decisions, and she does complain a lot, but that never bothered me because it makes her character realistic, and because Whitney will be the first to admit it when she's acting selfish. I found her very easy to relate to, and her cynical voice provided an entertaining narrative.

The plot is somewhat formularic and the events are mostly predictable, but I didn't really mind that much. It was enjoyable to accompany Whitney on her journey, even if it was obvious from the start where that journey would end. Kody Keplinger's style is always entertaining and makes up for a predictable story. The addictive style is what kept me turning the pages and made me finish this book within a day.

The only storyline I didn't enjoy as much is the romance. Part of it is the fact that the romance is a budding relationship between future stepsiblings, which didn't sit right with me, not just because they will be stepsiblings soon but also because of the consequences of them potentially breaking up. The chemistry between them is pretty good, but definitely not good enough to justify that. Even more so than the stepsibling aspect, though, the implied message of their relationship bugged me. I really wanted to see Whitley work out her issues by herself, or at least relying on her family and friends instead of needing attention from guys. The fact that romance is such a big part of her character growth didn't sit right with me. The development of the plot conveys the message that in order to become a better person, Whitley needs to stop hooking up with random guys and be in a committed relationship instead. That's a message I can't agree with - drinking and hooking up with people isn't intrinsically bad; to me, the problem is rooted in Whitley's issues that motivate her to do these things, and the way that she thinks she can use alcohol and her sexuality to solve her problems. I had hoped that Kody Keplinger - who usually addresses issues like this in such a great way - had emphasized a message like that more, instead of antagonizing Whitley's lifestyle itself.

Those issues aside, A Midsummer's Nightmare is a great book. It's not the most original or unpredictable story, but with addictive writing, engaging characters, and a somewhat-positive message, it's a book I really enjoyed. I can't wait for the next book by Kody Keplinger!

Review: Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Title: Shut Out
Author: Kody Keplinger
Publisher: Poppy
Release date: September 5th 2011
Pages: 273
Genre: Young Adult contemporary romance
Source: Bought
Add to Goodreads | Purchase from Amazon

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.
Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: she and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And Lissa never sees her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling, coming.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I loved Kody Keplinger's The DUFF, and Shut Out sounded like another fun, empowering read. But while there were parts that I really enjoyed, I found myself a little disappointed; in comparison to The DUFF, Shut Out felt underwhelming to me.

One aspect I did like is the way the topic of sexuality is addressed. That's what I liked best about The DUFF, and it's the best thing about Shut Out, too. Kody Keplinger has a very mature and realistic view of teenage sexuality; her portrayal is honest and empowering. The sleepovers and the scenes in which the girls discuss what is normal and what is not were probably my favorite scenes in the novel.

However, I'm not sure what to make of the characters. I did like the diversity, the different views of sex that Lissa, Chloe, Mary, Ellen, Kelsey, and the rest of them represent. But, in a way, that's the problem - they represent different views on sex, and that's it. They're limited to their opinion on sex, instead of having personalities and interests unrelated to the main topic, which I thought was disappointing. They made for a fun cast and I really liked the relationships between them, but I was underwhelmed by the actual character development.

To me, there was just something missing about Shut Out - I wanted... more. The whole sex strike idea sounded really fun at first, but the execution was kind of... meh. I wanted more battle-of-the-sexes type of stuff, more drama, just... more. Instead, Shut Out ended up focusing more on the romance storyline, which I just wasn't a big fan of. The romance is completely predictable; the love interests' characters are underdeveloped and too obviously of the good-guy/bad-guy variety. I found that whole storyline predictable and cheesy.

Then there's the family storyline, which I think had potential but didn't end up getting used enough. What we know about Lissa's coping with her mom's death, and her relationship with her dad and brother, stays very superficial; if we'd gotten to know more about this, I think the family storyline could have given us great insight into Lissa's character. The way it is, it didn't contribute enough to our overall view of the main character.

I know my review sounds very negative, but really, Shut Out is not a bad book. There were many things I enjoyed about it; it's a quick, fun, fluff read with a positive message. Sadly, there were other aspects, like the lack of drama and the cliched romance storyline, that I just didn't love, making Shut Out an underwhelming read for me. However, I'm still going to be reading Kody Keplinger's next books, just because I love her portrayal of sexuality, and am hoping to love A Midsummer's Nightmare as much as The DUFF.

Review: The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Title: The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend)
Author: Kody Keplinger
Publisher: Little Brown/Poppy
Pages: 288
Release date: September 7th 2011
Genre: Contemporary YA
Source: Bought at The Book Depository
Find out more: Amazon ; Goodreads

Goodreads description:

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face. But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

First sentence:

This was getting old.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I had pretty high expectations for The DUFF because of the huge buzz around it. I'd gotten kind of wary of books with that big of a hype because I'd been disappointed quite a few times, but The DUFF is definitely worth the hype - I don't even know how to describe it, it's just so real! It's fast-paced, fun and entertaining, but it's also subtle and emotional.

I loved the whole idea of the Designated Ugly Fat Friend. I guess it's kind of offensive, but I think it's a great concept. It's not something I'd thought about before, but that could really be true - I feel like the Duff all the time. I really liked the whole message of this novel.

What I loved most about The DUFF are the characters. Bianca is probably one of my favorite main characters ever. She's different from the girls I usually read about, but still really easy to relate to. She's actually the kind of girl I could really dislike if I met her in real life just because of her attitude - I think she'd come off as rude and unfriendly. But being able to know her thoughts and feelings made me understand where she's coming from, and I ended up loving her.

I loved how multi-dimensional the secondary characters are. In the beginning, Casey and Jessica (Bianca's best girlfriends) seemed kind of superficial and boring, but later on, when the reader finds out about their history and how their friendship developed, I really liked them, too, and enjoyed reading about them and the ups and downs in their friendship.

At first, I didn't get Wesley's and Bianca's relationship. Her hatred for Wesley (albeit fun to read about), seemed a little overdone to me. I didn't really get the transition from the hatred to their friends-with-benefits relationship. That change is too sudden, in my opinion, and should have been elaborated on more. Later on, though, I loved Bianca's and Wesley's relationship. Their chemistry is hot - the way they interact isn't the normal romance-type, but it's so much fun to read about. Wesley, the man-whore, would be the kind of guy I'd normally hate, but I really liked how the author made him a sympathetic character. He has problems, too, and I felt for him. It's adorable how sweet he is to Bianca, and the romance is definitely swoon-worthy.

The style of The DUFF is great. The way Bianca narrates is hilarious and touching at the same time. What I loved most is how honest it is - the whole novel is just such a realistic portrayal of teen life, and the emotions are honest and raw.

***The next paragraph contains spoilers.***
I'm not sure what to make of the family storyline. I really liked the unique idea, and how things get worse is described really well. I also loved how Bianca dealt with her family's issues. My problem, though, is the resolution - it just seemed too easy, in my opinion. Her dad goes too quickly from the raging alcoholic to the loving father who'd do anything to get better. Bianca's relationship with her mom is a little strange, too - she goes back and forth between being angry at her and understanding her, and I would have liked to see some kind of confrontation between Bianca and her mom.

The DUFF really is as good as everyone's been saying it is - honest and real with a great message, lovable characters and hot romance. I didn't like the resolution for the family storyline all that much, but it's still a great, fun read. If you haven't read this one yet, you should - it's definitely worth it!