1 crush on your best friend +
1 gorgeous, scheming new girl +
1 Mathletics competition =
1 big mess
SIMPLIFY.
Ashley Price doesn’t have much in life after being bullied so hard she had to leave her old school to live with her aunt and uncle in Pittsburgh. But the camera she borrowed from her best friend and secret crush Brendan, and her off the charts math abilities, make things a lot more bearable. Plus, since Brendan is the captain, making the school Mathletes team should be easy.
But when gorgeous new girl Sofia rolls in and steals Brendan, Ashley's place on the team, and her fragile foothold on the Mansfield Park Prep social totem pole, it’s on. Sofia is everything Ashley left her old school to escape. The only thing Ashley didn’t count on is Sofia’s sexy twin brother Vincent.
Vincent is not only the hottest boy in school, he’s charming, sweet, and he’s got his eye on Ashley. He’s also not taking no for an answer. There's no real reason Ashley shouldn't like Vincent, but with the
battle lines being drawn between her and Sofia, Ashley’s not sure which side he’s on. Or which side she wants him to be on.
She does know Sofia is trouble with a capital T, and she’s determined to make Brendan see it.
SOLVING FOR EX is a YA contemporary romance that remixes Mansfield Park as Clueless meets Mean Girls in a crazy mix of high school society, mathletic competition, and teenage romance. (goodreads.com)
First I love how this book takes something that so many teens deem taboo (math) and mixes it with issues and problems that all teens experience. I just had to get that out :D
Now we move on to Ashley and the bullying. I hardly know where to begin. Bullying is such a prevalent problem in today's society and I almost broke out in tears when reading that Ashley was bullied so hard that she had to stop attending school and then leave town. It was interesting to see what her life was like after the bullying. Although Ashley was in a new town, and in a new school, the actions of the kids from her past really effected her, even once she'd physically left it all behind. Sofia wasn't much help either, not much to say except that I'll never understand why people who have it all, have to work so hard to make others feel low. It just makes no sense. Watching Ashley try to excel and find her niche with the mathletes and photography, while unconsciously letting her past run her by isolating herself from making friends at school (besides the one person she met on accident) not only reminded me of my own high school experience, but even some of my life now. (Longest sentence ever...oops.) Things don't always get easier once you reach your 20s, in fact, sometimes, it gets more confusing.
Although the life that Ashley was living isn't my own, I was able to connect to it, and I think that's what makes a great story, great characters and an ability to connect with them. 4 stars
P.S. As much as I wanted to shake the book (well my Nook) at the fact that neither Ashley nor Brendan could just open their mouths and communicate with each other,I still loved them!!!
Although I don't read much YA, this sounds like a good book. If the author has made you connect with the characters and care about them, then she has done her job very well.
ReplyDeleteMy Teaser is from THE CALICO HEART.
I agree, at the end of the day a book is only as good as it's characters (well and plot, but even if there's a great plot, if I don't connect, I don't care. lol)
DeleteThis sounds cute - a fun easy read and I love the cover! Great review :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, you should give it a try if you get the chance. The book is available on e-book, and print copies are available as of today!
DeleteSounds good! Here is mine.
DeleteI've been seeing this book around and it looks really cute. I do get a bit nervous about the lack of communication thing, though - it's a pet peeve of mine when the only obstacle that a couple faces is the fact that they won't just come out and tell each other how they feel!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction