Book in Review: Don't Call Me Kit Kat by K.J Farnham

2015 books
Summary (via Goodreads)

Junior high is where things really start to happen. Cliques form and break apart. Couples are made and destroyed. And a reputation is solidified that you won’t ever be able to escape. Everything you do and say, and everyone you spend your time with, matters.

Katie Mills knows that. She gets it. That’s why she tried so hard to get in with the cool girls at school. And why she was so devastated when those efforts found her detained for shoplifting and laughed out of cheer squad tryouts.

But Katie has more to worry about than just fitting in. Her parents are divorced and always fighting. Her sister never has time for her. And her friends all seem to be drifting apart. Even worse? The boy she has a crush on is dating the mean girl at school.

Everything is a mess, and Katie doesn’t feel like she has control over any of it. Certainly not over her weight, which has always topped out at slightly pudgier than normal—at least, according to her mother.

So when she happens to catch one of the popular girls throwing up in the bathroom one day, it sparks an idea. A match that quickly engulfs her life in flames.

Is there any going back once she gets started down this path?

And would she even want to if she could?

At first, I thought this would just be an easy read containing some of the typical problems that teens undergo, but I was wrong. Don't Call Me Kit Kat is much more and much deeper . It tackles several difficult issues like smoking, drinking, bullying and eating disorders .

Katie, the main character struggles with the divorce of her parents and with trying to fit in. Like, what would it be like if she was part of the Orchard Hills clique? What would it be like if she just had the "perfect" body like her sister? These are some of the things she always thinks about and asks to herself, and I honestly can't blame her. 

Through the first person point of view, I was able to clearly understand what's going on and what Katie is undergoing. Most of the time, her reasons to binge are the small problems that when they're all together becomes a huge one. I was able to empathize with the main character simply because of K.J Farnham's writing style. It was just very smooth and uncomplicated  yet there's something in it that grasps you in every word.

I loved how the plot really focused on Katie, and how every character was there for a purpose. I also loved how organized and flawless the development was. When I was nearing the end of the book, I felt so relieved that Katie was able to speak out. Finally she was able to tell the people around what she was feeling all along. The beginning, the middle, and the ending worked great for me. It made me feel all kinds of emotions, but in the end, I was just happy that everything turned out that way.

I would definitely recommend this to all the teens out there. Especially if they're undergoing a similar thing with Katie. 

BOOK DETAILS:

Don't Call Me Kit Kat by K.J Farnham
Publication Date: May 15th, 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Format: ARC



Book in Review: Summer on the Short Bus by Bethany Crandell

5 star
                                                         
Title: Summer on the Short Bus
Author: Bethany Crandell
Format: ARC
Paperback: 272 pages
Publication Date: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Rating: 5/5
Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 
Cricket Montgomery is a rich and spoiled kid, who is sent by her father to a camp. She is already dreading the fact of going to a camp, but what makes her eventually faint is when she finds out that the campers are actually handicapped. The only thing keeping her in the camp is a Zac Efron look-a-like aka Quinn. How will Cricket get through that summer camp? Which will she choose, her Zac Efron look-a-like, or her luxurious life back home? 

This book has a unique beauty in it which is rare to all books. I absolutely agree with what others say that Bethany's writing style is funny and witty. It's also very blunt and clear which makes this book very easy to understand. The writing style made the book very suitable for its target readers. I wasn't exactly laughing out loud, but I definitely shared a few chuckles in my head. I couldn't put the book down when I started reading it. As a result, I finished reading the book in one sitting. I also liked how the book is a cliche, but still wonderfully amazing. Usually, when I read books with a cliche plot, I won't give it a 5 star rating. The difference with this book is that the author was able to write it well enough that I couldn't give it a lower rating.