Thursday, April 10, 2014

Review of 'Ta Ta For Now (Stories About Melissa)' by Bethany Lopez


Blurb:

Melissa begins her freshman year with one goal in mind, getting Brian Jackson to be her boyfriend. She will soon learn that things don't necessarily turn out the way you plan them, the value of true friendship, and the importance of family.
**My thoughts**
This book was really cute! It is written as a bunch of journal entries by Melissa, a fourteen year-old girl who has just entered her freshman year of high school. She is the oldest of four children, with two younger sisters and a younger brother. Closest in age is her sister Megan, who is the polar opposite of Melissa. Melissa is really into fashion, boys, and looking good. Megan, on the other hand, doesn't care what she looks like and hangs out with the boys. She makes Melissa absolutely crazy!

Melissa gets herself into a bit of trouble when she finally starts dating Brian. For the first time ever, she is getting into fights, exposed to alcohol, and being heavily impacted emotionally by the choices of her new friends. She is not the same person!

But, Megan learns some good life lessons as she learns how to cope with all of these issues. 

It's a positive voice in the world of young adult literature, that would be appropriate enough for even middle schoolers to read. I probably would have even loved this book around the age of 9, looking ahead to those high school years. Situations seem pretty realistic, and the journal idea is one that speaks to girls as readers, I think. The characters also seem realistic, though some of their conversations are almost "After School Special" -ish. That's okay, though, because it teaches kids how they SHOULD be communicating with each other, and some of them may actually do it in real life. I am looking forward to reading the next installment!

Buy links

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

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