Author: Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: May 15th, 2012
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel
GoodReads Summary: KYLIE: Tijuana WHAT? I should be putting the finishing touches on my valedictorian speech. Graduation is TODAY, and is this a wedding band on my finger.
MAX: It all started with Kylie's laptop and a truck full of stolen electronics Okay, it was kind of hot, the way she broke us out like some chick in an action movie. But now we're stranded in Tijuana. WIth less than twenty-four hours before graduation. Awesome.
WILL: Saving Kylie Flores from herself is kind of a full-time occupation. Luckily, I, Will Bixby, was born for the job. And when I found out she was stuck in Mexico with dreamy Max Langston, sure, I agreed to bring thier passports across the border--but there's no reason to rush back home right away. This party is just getting started.
LILY: I just walked in on my boyfriend, Max Langston, canoodling with Kylie Flores, freak of the century. Still, I can't completely hold it against him. He NEEDS me. It's even clearer now. And I'm not giving him up without a fight.
What I Think: I stumbled across this book on NetGalley and when I started to read it, I became completely consumed with the story. I love all the characters and I love all the craziness! There are so many different stories going on but making sense at the same time. We get to see so many different perspectives. Once I started reading, I could not put it down...well, I had to, but with every free milli-second, I grabbed it again until I devoured the entire book.
If ever there was a book that reads like a wild, non-stop movie, this would be it. I love how the authors even mention how events that happen in the book are just like out of a movie...but at the same time unique to the story in the book. I'm glad this book is a book rather than a movie. Anyone who loves the movie The Breakfast Club or other John Hughes' movies will enjoy this book. The fact that chapters switch perspectives helps readers really see into what the characters are thinking and feeling. It's interesting to read about how the characters perceive each other and then to be in the characters' heads and to read what they are thinking and feeling on the inside and how that compares to the front the present to others.
The scenes between Max and Kylie are electric. In the end, the whole book is about going after your dreams and not letting life pass you by. I love it! I remember telling Kellee that she absolutely must get this book because it is awesome. And so should you!
As a teacher, I do have to add a disclaimer that there is possibly some non-parent-teacher-sanctioned teenage behavior in this book so I would read it first and be aware of that before recommending it to students. BUT, I think high school students will love the energy in this book while still getting an intense look at who the characters are and what motivates them.
Enough already! JUST GO READ THIS BOOK! It's the perfect book to kick of your summer reading!
Read Together: Grades 9 -12
Read Alone: Grades 9 -12
Read With: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John
Snatch of Text:
"How could I explain that my stories helped me escape the dreary sameness of my life - the same old TV shows, the same old questions from my parents, the same old mostaccioli on Thursdays and lasagna on Sundays? How could I tell her that for those few moments when I was telling the story, I slipped into a shinier world and lived the life I really wanted?
I just shrugged." -Max (taken from NetGalley - so I don't have page numbers)
"A bunch of people laugh. Ha-ha. So witty. He may be perfect on the outside but inside it's a different story. If he had a thought in his head, it would perish of loneliness. Max, as always, basks in the attention. He tips back in his chair and tosses his shaggy, sandy locks, like a preening bird.
Like everyone at Freiburg, Max is a spoiled rich kid, floating in a vapid sea of privilege, completely and blissfully ignorant of how the rest of the world lives. Everyone that is, except for Will. Thank God for Will. God knows, I wouldn't have survived without him." - Kylie (taken from NetGalley - so I don't have page numbers)
Mentor Text For: Characterization, Voice, Stereotypes, Mood, Visualization, Making Connections
Writing Prompts: After people watching, choose one person to write about - how might what you see on the outside be different from this person's story on the inside?
Topics Covered: Friendship, Adversity, Love, Adventure, Determination, Family, Honesty, Taking Risks, Stereotypes, Identity, Dreams, Being True to Yourself
Jen *hearts* It:
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