How to Meet Boys by Catherine Clark
Find out what happens when you fall for your best friend's worst enemy in this timeless and hilarious story of a forbidden first love and forever friendship.GR
Lucy can't wait to spend the summer at the lake with her best friend, Mikayla. But when Jackson, the boy she's been avoiding ever since he rejected her, reappears in her life, Lucy wonders if this summer to remember is one she'd rather forget.
Mikayla's never had much luck talking to boys, but when she (literally) runs into the cutest guy she's ever seen, and sparks fly, she thinks things might be looking up...until she realizes the adorable stranger is the same boy who broke her best friend's heart.
As things begin to heat up between Mikayla and the one guy she should avoid, will Lucy be able to keep her cool or will the girls' perfect summer turn into one hot mess?
Catherine Clark, the author of beach-read favorites Maine Squeeze and Love and Other Things I'm Bad At, has once again crafted a hilarious and spot-on portrayal of what it's really like to be a teenager. Readers will love this irreverent coming-of-age story…and will be breathlessly turning the pages to find out what happens next.
Publishes in US: May 6th 2014 by HarperTeen
Genre: Ya Contemp
Source: Harper Teen via edelweiss
Series? No
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I wanted to read How to Meet Boys because I really liked the idea of a summer romance that sounded pretty light with just enough emotion and conflict to balance.
I totally envied Lucy and Mikayla. They were best friends and they had a house to themselves in a summer town with jobs and lots of time to have fun together. I would have loved that as a teen. But they have been responsible teens and its a great way to set off the story.
Lucy has past that at first I thouht it was pretty over-dramatic, but we do find out there is a bit more to the story. She feels awkward and neither her or Mikayla are used to or good at talking to boys. Lucy was changed by trying to kiss Jackson and being rejected, and Mikayla just isn't good at talking to boys.
When Mikayla meets a boy and then discovers who he actually is, she has to fight her attraction and she keeps the fact that it is Jackson she met. I can see how Lucy would be hurt by it but I think that the secretiveness made it worse.
It was also a different set up because I felt the awkwardness between Lucy and Jackson when they find out they work together for the summer. They end up resolving some of the issues and while they never have a stellar friendship they are able to get through the long days together.
I liked the setting and the small town with tourists mixes it up. Lucy has an old friend--because her grandparents live there and she's been there on vacation- Claire. Mikayla meets a whole crew that livens up their summer at the club as well as running into a mystery guy. There was a huge mix of feelings, attractions and boys.
I liked who Lucy ended up getting a crush on. He is so sweet and seems nerdy but in the good way. The scenes they spent together were cute and fun to read. I liked their conclusion and the hope of future things working out.
While there is a bit of drama between Lucy and Mikayla, I was glad that Ava, their third best friend showed up when she did. She didn't really deal with the nonsense. She listened, validated feelings and empathized and then pushed for the two to fix it, talk it out and not let boys come in between a solid and lasting friendship.
Fun, forgiveness, friendship and learning to break out of your shell were really the themes of this one. How to Meet Boys was an enjoyable, well paced and fun read.
My question to you, my lovely readers:
Did you ever get to vacation with your friends?
