Customer Reviews

Harsh Pink: Color Me Burned (TrueColors Series #12)

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4 star:		(1)
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2 star:		(2)
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It's tough going to a new school, with a new set of cliques to figure out, but Regan Mercer knows how it works. She and her best friend from her former school developed a clissification system for rating friends. A, B, or C, with C being another word for desperation, and Regan's never been all that desperate.

She tries out for cheerleading and beats Kendra Farnsworth, who apparently considers herself the reigning queen of Belmont High. Now Regan has real problems. Kendra isn't the kind to lose gracefully, and she sets out to make life miserable for her new enemy. Then suddenly Kendra changes and decides to be friendly, but most things carry a price tag, and this friendship is no exception. Regan has some serious choices to make.
This is my first book in Melody Carlson's True Color series, and it's a book teenage girls will love. She gets her faith message across without being preachy, and the readers guide in the back of the book can open the way to a great discussion. I strongly recommend this one.

It's hard enough being a teen girl, but even harder when you've just moved cross-country and you make the cheerleading squad, knocking Miss Popularity from her long-time spot.

Reagan Mercer has problems at home as well. Her grandmother has Alzheimers, and it's up to Reagan to take care of her while her single mom works long hours.

In time, Reagan is invited into the inner circle, yet there's a steep price to pay for this mean-girl lifestyle. When a drinking party goes too far, Reagan has a choice to make - and having a new Christian friend helps.

This is the last book in Melody Carlson's amazing True Colors series, touching on topics that connect with postmodern teens, showing them the power of real faith in a tough world.

--Christian Women Online Book Buzz

OK maybe this was a little my fault for not being familiar with the author (who is apparently a big religious advocate for teens). I downloaded this as it was free and I expected it to be a typical teen book about dealing with catty girls in high school. To a certain extent I was right. It was pretty OK, not that engaging but not really off putting. I found the main character to be a bit annoying and incredibly self centered, but that is pretty typical for a teenager.

I did NOT except the heavy religious overtones in the last third of the book. Basically (spoiler I guess?) everyone accepts Jesus into their hearts and is better because of it blah blah blah. It kind of blindsided me and I didn't like the way the author presented the point that you can't change without God in your life.

If you're religious, or don't mind it, and are looking for a moderately decent teen book, then this is good for you. It, however, was NOT good for me.

I confess, I expected this to be one of those "homework" books (one I only read to round out my reading experience). It's inspirational, so I was expecting nobody to fall in love, and even worse, it's an "issue" book. But Carlson's characters are solid and her tale is well-told.

Harsh Pink is #12 (the last) of Carlson's True Colors series. Each book deals with a different "teen issue," and in this case, it was mean girls.

The book opens with main character Reagan moving to a new school and inadvertently bouncing the most popular girl there from the varsity cheerleader squad. Sort of.

Apparently, Miss Popular blew off practicing for tryouts, and there's also a sophomore, the former JV cheer captain, who made the squad.

So Reagan's one of two new cheerleaders Miss Popular, as first alternate, takes aim at getting off the squad. Ultimately, Reagan gets pulled into Miss Popular's circle and former JV captain becomes the target of MP's stunts.

What I liked about Harsh Pink is the way Carlson demonstrates both the power of one popular person over the actions of many (weaker) others, and the pressure to conform when that popular person chooses to take you under her wing.

It's a very real experience most kids and adults can relate to, and Carlson captures the dynamics of school politics beautifully. Reagan's a sympathetic character. She's not the one pulling the pranks or leaving people out, but she often stands by and watches the events unfold--it's not her deal, right? The book isn't preachy. It's well-done.

At times, I found the writing a bit repetitive and there wasn't a lot going on outside the mean girl dynamic, but at 210 pages, that's OK. And knowing there's a tragedy by book's end keeps the tension high.

Shew! The teenage years are tough. I applaud Carlson for tackling this thorny subject.

I encourage my teen followers to give it a read--especially if you're in the position of victim or the one feeling pressured to conform. It's got some good insights. Heck, even if you're not a teen it has some good insights.

Melody Carlson has long been known for her excellent fiction and this series is no exception. HARSH PINK is the last in the TRUECOLORS series. Originally from Boston, Reagan Mercer finds herself the new girl at Belmont High and quickly learns that making the cheerleading squad is about to cause her a whole lot of grief. Kendra Farnsworth doesn't take being bumped from the cherished spot very gracefully and does her best to make life at Belmont High miserable for Reagan. But then Kendra has a change of heart and starts being nice to Reagan, but what price will she have to pay to be accepted into the mean girls' club? In addition to her high school troubles, Reagan must help care for her aging grandmother who has been diagnosed with Alzheimers. Will having a Christian friend help Reagan make the right choices when push comes to shove?

Teen girls will love the TrueColors series with its gripping storylines and humor. Ms. Carlson gets the Christian message out without smacking the reader over the head with it. Realistic characters and situations make each story come to life and helps encourage teens to survive tough situations in a rough world.

Highly recommended!

I really loved this book! The main character was so, so, so funny! I really loved the high school experience and thought that the read was just so amazing. I could honestly read this time and time again. While it isn't what I would typically read, I did thoroughly enjoy it because the main character was just so... unique! In a good way. Breathtaking.

I thought the book was okay. The main character was pretty shallow throughout most of it, so it was good that she changed at the end. I think the author used the word "actually" at least 500 times. It got to where I couldn't stop noticing it.