November 13, 2012

Meant to Be - Lauren Morrill






Young Adult
Pages: 304
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: November 13, 2012

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

This book has SO MUCH awesome. Seriously. A class trip to England for Spring Break? How come my school did not have one? This trip was so freaking cool! I have not read such a fun romance since Anna and the French Kiss... and they both happen abroad. So, double love!  

This novel was funny from page 1. Somehow, poor Julia is always in the worst situations and has something hilarious going on. Her voice was super spot-on, the dialogue was smart and the adventures kept coming. And the romance! Julia and Jason were the perfect characters. Morrill knows how to do her characters perfectly. Every situation, every dialogue, every page was adorable and fun and just full of entertainment!

The background was rich and brought so much more to the story. The encounters, the cell phones and the typical drama situations faced when big groups are put together. It felt like I was there with them, very atmospheric, even just in the hotel. Never a dull moment! This is one of my favorite covers this year too.

This is the kind of realistic contemporary fiction that manages to attract other readers. So you don't have to love contemporary YA to love this one. But if you are a contemporary reader, what are you waiting for? This will cheer up your whole month. Honestly, one of the most refreshing and cute reads of 2012.



3 comments:

  1. This book is getting a lot of praise and sounds totally adorable. I can't wait to read it!

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  2. Sounds really good. I'll be reading this book next! Great review.

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  3. I wish my school had gone to England as well (there was a trip to Ireland but it would have involved a lot of James Joyce, who I absolutely loathe). Loved the setting!

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