Customer Reviews

The Dating Game #1 (No. 1)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Three sophomore girls try to figure out love and relationship in this first installment of "teen" books.

I have to say that I am an adult who loves to read teen lit. There are so many wonderful books written now for this age group. However, I had some serious issues about this book.

While the storyline was fair, the whole premise of the book was kind of scary. If I had found my teenage daughter reading this, I would have been upset.

The basic storyline of three girls looking for love is not new. However, what is new is that they are 15 and 16 years old and while they are not portrayed as delinquents, the author gives them no life at all except when it comes to parties, booze and sex.

These girl spend the entire book drinking beer (when did this become ok at 15?) they keep trying to make out with older guys (I thought this was illegal) and through all of this, while there is mention of parents, NONE of them are even remotely important to the plot. These issues seem to be treated as a mere means to a result (to get the guy to like them).

I am not that old that I don't know what is going on with the teens today, however, do I want to hand them over books that promote this kind of behaviour. NOPE.

There are many, many teen books out there that explore these very same subject matters in a much more enlightened way. Buy those and skip this one.

This book's a fine book to read, for fun, but I wouldn't go as far to say it was great. To me, it felt like the author had very little sense of how teenage girls would talk, feel, or what they would do. Some ideas seemed obviously horrible, and when the girls went ahead and did them, they were humiliated and teased, which didn't seem to matter anyway because they showed no emotional reaction.

BAD IDEAS INCLUDE:
- trying to have sex with someone just so you can have
'experience'
- writing a poem that says you love a teacher, then handing it
to him specifically
- Answering quizzes jokingly and then, in an attempt to
befriend and popular girl, emailing it to her

Although the book describes more mature topics such as drinking, smoking, and sex, the writing never seems to rise above the level of a sixth grader. Perhaps it was chic lit for a younger era. Being in highschool, I didn't appreciate it.

Overall I felt this book tried to be like GOSSIP GIRL, but didn't approach it correctly. It is, by no means, a horrible book, I just felt it seemed a little too young for highschoolers

The Dating Game-The book the dating game by Natalie Standford was a very interesting book. The main points never rush into love. I think that a girl would want to read this and not a guy. The reason why is that it talks about things about girls and not as much as to guys. But that is my own opinion. The characters are well explained. They have minds of there own. The book is based on the teens and not the adults and teachers but only one guy teacher Dan. Every girl has a crush on him.
The three main characters are Holly, Mads, and Lina. They are best friends. This book kind of relates to me but not as much. It really didn't interest me, it wasn't a pull me in kind of book. But that is what I think. It might be different for other girls. So I wouldn't read it again. Other girls who love reading "Love" books would want to read this

The Dating Game by Natalie Standiford rides the wave of alternative writing styles in young adult literature. Each chapter in this book opens with a whimsical horoscope followed by a mix of dialog, emails, instant message text, and quizzes that will appeal to teenage girls.
The story is set in a California high school for gifted students. Sophomores Madison, Holly and Lina need a project for their Interpersonal Human Development (IHD) class. They conceive the idea of creating and managing an on-line quiz for their fellow students hoping to prove their theory that boys are more obsessed with sexual thoughts than girls. The quiz is also designed as a matchmaking service to help the three girls meet their dream dates.
No complex issues are addressed in this story. Each girl works through a problem with little resolution in the end. Lina has a crush on the IHD teacher that blinds her to a senior boy who is pursuing her. Madison feels she is the last 15 year old virgin in California and sets out to change her image. Holly is the subject of rumors that depict her as a sex crazed wild woman and finds it almost impossible to get her classmates to believe her side of the story.
The characters are two dimensional but the high school setting and the weekend parties are believable. Although the writing style has high appeal for young adult readers I don't recommend this book because of the causal attitude toward teenage drinking and sexual behavior.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I found that it did talk about the tough issues of teenage life, like having the hots for a teacher or being called a slut. And overall I found this book to be a promising new series for teen girls. But there were also some things that I didn't really like.
There was a bit in this book about smoking pot, and beer, and even sex, so I wouldn't encourage anyone who is not a teenager yet to read this book. It's not to be considered a children's book and should be found in the YA or TEEN section of bookstores and libraries.
Anyway, this book is about three girls who are having to do a project for their sex ed class. So, they decide to set up a blog that they can post quizzes on to answer the question: Are boys more obsessed with sex? They soon find themselves learning that the answer may not be as obvious as it seems.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and didn't want to put it down, so that I could see what would happen to the characters next. I wouldn't suggest it to anyone under my age, but for anyone who is a fan of Gossip Girl or A List, this is a must. I can't wait to read the second one!

This book is so good. A must read for all fans of the Gossip Girl books, A list books and the Clique books.This is about a group of girls who set up a website for there class. The participants answer questions and if they want they can get set up on a date. They also do this with themseves with many surprises. You must read this its awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When three best friends, Mads, Lina, and Holly, are given a project in their sex-ed class, they decide to start a school-sponsored web-site called The Dating Game, where teens can fill out profiles for themselves, vote on polls, fill out questionnaires, and much more. Besides their boost in popularity, the web-site helps the girls get to know their crushes. The Dating Game is a good start to the series.

Now I seriously must ponder this question, what person, at 15, desperatley wants to have sex with anyone just to have experience to impress a boy that doesn't even like her. One other main character is pathetically and hopelessly in love with her teacher and basically stalks him.

These characters were so annoying! No one is that stupid or desperate. I put this book down several times and seriously contemplated whether I should keep reading or not.

I thought the plot was stupid and the main characters were idiots in denial...

Yet, maybe someone out there will enjoy it, not me though.

I will not be reading the sequel.

This book kept me reading throughout the entire novel but there were some things that bothered me:
1. Are teenagers really this sex crazed?
2. Would a High school teacher really allow a student to make a project about sex?!
3. I went to high school once and usually at least a couple of parents cared about the safety of their children (sex, drugs etc.)
This book maybe even promote sex and therefore a book written like this should maybe take place out of high school.

Fifteen-year-olds Madison "Mads" Markowitz and Lina Ozu, along with sixteen-year-old Holly Anderson, are the best of friends. The three of them have been through thick and thin together as sophomores at RSAGE - Rosewood School for Alternative Gifted Education. However, this year, as sophomores, the three girls are expected to do a project for IHD - Interpersonal Human Development - which is nothing more than a fancy name for sex education. Unfortunately, the project has them stumped. Until inspiration strikes, and they decide to set up a blog specifically for RSAGE students, filled with quizzes, and questionnaires, that will help the three girls prove their point: that guys think about sex way more than girls do. The blog becomes a hit, and soon Mads, Lina and Holly have created a matchmaking service, which even they have tried out - not to great results, however. Soon the three girls are the hottest thing in school, but maybe that's not the greatest thing, for Holly is quickly labeled as a tramp, Mads is labeled as a little kid with no-experience, and Lina is madly in love with her IHD teacher, Dan Shulman. Obviously, the dating game is much more complicated than anyone truly anticipated.

I have read many teen lit novels, but I rarely enjoy them as much as I enjoyed Natalie Standiford's effort THE DATING GAME. The premise of the novel, and now, series, was wonderful, and really brings a lot of questions to the minds of teen readers - especially females - such as: what do guys really expect from girls and vice versa? The characters - Mads, Holly and Lina - were entertaining, and all bring their own quirks to the novel, promising for much more fun and excitement in the sequel BREAKING UP IS REALLY, REALLY HARD TO DO. Overall this was a wonderful addition to the teen genre, that will be scooped up by females quicker than a bowl full of chocolate.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper