Victoria Fulton

This novel kind of played out like a typical teen horror movie. There was a group of friends: the obsessive leader, the popular, carismatic infulencer, the tech genius, and one in touch with the spirit world (against her will). The plot kept my interest, and I enjoyed the characters. I especially enjoyed hearing multiple narrators. Even though they didn't do simultaneously or multi-narration, it was cool hearing different narrators for all of the main characters. I wish it had been scarier, but I can only expect so much from YA. All-in-all, it was an enjoyable listen.… (mehr)

I got a free copy on NetGalley.

This book centers on Ellie, a writer for a popular teen show set in high school. She loves being a writer but doesn’t love her current project and her writing has started suffering. Her boss finds out that she has an upcoming high school reunion and tells her that she needs to go or she won’t get a promotion. She tells her two closest friends and coworkers about this and they create a list of tasks she must complete while there. Her boss finds out and agrees. The last item on the list involves her high school crush Mark. Which leads to the romance.

I liked Mark just fine but Ellie was not my favorite character. She was pretty mean to just about everyone. The whole conflict centered on her being afraid to face reality and just wanting to live in her fantasy. So thinking about dating Mark was fine but actually trying to date him was not. Instead, she would purposely be mean to him. When she was in high school, fine, but as a 28 year old, it felt super immature of her. I also just don’t really see them together. They felt more like friends to me than romantic interests.

I also didn’t love her ex best friend storyline. Roxy was not a great person and the ‘reasoning’ behind that was the fact that her family life was really bad. I hate when books use the bad upbringing as the reason a person is mean, hateful, etc. to everyone around them. There are so many people that have horrible childhoods that are good people. I think I would’ve enjoyed this book more if Roxy had been left behind in the high school flashbacks.… (mehr)

Ellie writes for a teen drama but is cynical about high school. Her boss tells her she must go to her 10-year reunion and get a fresh perspective. Her friends set up a game for her to do while back home for her reunion--10 things to accomplish during the reunion. Ellie is not thrilled to go back as her ex-best friend hooked up with her crush on graduation night. But she goes back because her boss dangles the carrot of a promotion for her to attend her reunion. Can she do it? Does her perspective change?

I enjoyed this book. It was fun no matter what you think of high school reunions. People are not what she remembers them being. Ellie does run into her ex-best friend, Roxy, and her crush, Michael. She tries to live down the drunken message she sent to Michael in college where she is not supportive at all. She is snarky with Roxy but also supportive. They cannot go back and get those 10 years back, but they mend what they can. When Ellie gets back to California her boss has several surprises for her.

This is a fun read. You know all these people.… (mehr)

Ellie is now a write on a very popular high school-based TV show. But years ago, she was in high school and in that in-between group of not popular, but not, not popular group. Her producer finds out about her class reunion and thinks this would be a great idea to reignite Ellie's writing and if she goes the result will potentially be a promotion to co-executive producer. With the help of two friends, Ellie is given a list of things to accomplish with her high school classmates - based on what they were voted in high school. While home, Ellie first runs into her high school crush, Mark, and then her former best friend, Roxy. Ellie begins crossing things off her list with her Mark, but also while discovering that no one is the same as they were in high school. I very much enjoyed this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Forever publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.… (mehr)