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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So Glad KB is writing YA now!, July 14, 2010
This review is from: Perfectly Dateless: A Universally Misunderstood Novel (Paperback)
I have been a big fan of Kristin Billerbeck's adult chick lit for years so I was really excited when I heard she was going to be writing a YA novel. Her style of writing is excellent and I've been able to introduce many Chick lit fans who normally don't read Christian fiction to her books. I was hoping that with this book I would be able to do the same with the YA crowd. That being said, we have a winner here. Ah prom. This book brought back to mind so many memories of that dreaded event. It makes me want to laugh at how much emphasis is placed on that night and how silly it all is. I could totally relate to Daisy and her quest to make it to that night and all the planning she wanted to put towards it. I remember being that age and thinking the exact same things she did. I've seen other reviews mention that they didn't like Daisy's character so much because of her attitude and the fact that she would be rude at times. Well if I had parents like she did, I would be the exact same way! Daisy also appears to be a bit in the dark about how to act in social situations. This can be blamed on her parents as well as they do not seem to encourage her being in social groups. Either way, it's realistic and gives off the feeling that she is not someone who is always doing what her parents say and has her own mind and feelings. Her feelings about boys in this book are genuine and realistic. I love her diary and the comments she made about them. It almost felt like reading my old teenage diary. While I really enjoyed the story and Daisy's character, I can't say the same thing about her parents. Everything is explained by the end, but that doesn't make up for their behavior for the majority of the book. Her parents are portrayed as stereotypical, over the top, controlling Christian types who I personally abhor. I really did NOT like the way they treated Daisy. Some of the things I could understand like clothes, make up and dating. Even though they are a little overbearing on those, she is still living in their house and I can see where she would need to respect their decisions. However, it really made me angry when her father refused to listen to her about her college choices. It's one thing to not like what your kid chooses to do for college but it's a complete opposite to forbid them to go simply because it's not what you would have done yourself. And what really got me was that Daisy's wants to study neuroscience which is an extremely advanced field AND she's totally capable of doing it. However her father thinks it's not Christian to study science and refuses to even listen to her. It just really floored me. Also the fact that they kept hiding so much stuff from her really got on my nerves. I was horribly embarrassed for her during the school assembly scene. Say what you want about them loving her, what they did was EMBARRASSING. I hope by the next book they will have changed. I just want to say I absolutely love the color of this book. It's so simple yet the colors and design really make it stand out. It's one of the best Christian YA covers I've seen and other publishers need to take note. If you want to get the attention of the general market crowd, this design is a keeper. This appears to be the first book in a series so I am looking forward to reading more of Daisy's adventures. This is definitely a series I will try to recommend to all YA readers.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Great Creation of Reailty, Grace, and Dreamy Adventure!, July 15, 2010
In classic Kristin Billerbeck style, this tale weaves wide and long... drawing you in, wringing you out, and lifting you up in the process! Aimed at young adults, yet readable for anyone who ever passed through that age as well. I not only felt kinship with the main character/s, I found myself questioning how I might respond differently... or accordingly, and can only imagine the impact such a novel could have on young women still in the throws of it all (especially with some guidance and great discussion as they plod along through the intricately woven tale/s. I will most certainly be recommending this to all the young ladies in my life or whom cross my path and allow such recommends. A winner, indeed.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Started out good and then..., July 17, 2010
This review is from: Perfectly Dateless: A Universally Misunderstood Novel (Paperback)
Perfectly Dateless by Kristin Billerbeck is a YA (Young Adult) novel about a high school senior named Daisy who is determined to find a date for the prom, despite her low social status. In an often amusing story, Billerbeck shows that she's in touch with teen culture, even if her tale derails at the end. Daisy Crispin lives in a world controlled entirely by her parents, who do not permit her to date or talk on the phone to boys. They have committed her to marriage by courtship. Not only that, but Daisy is forced to wear clothes homesewn by her mother to her elite Christian high school in California. As if that isn't bad enough (I mean, her clothes alone practically spell "social outcast"), Daisy feels invisible at her high school and her church youth group. Despite her circumstances, Daisy has hope that she will make it to the crowning event of her high school experiencer-her senior high school prom. She records her thoughts on prom, potential dates, and the like in her pink, frilly prom journal. While I thought this book might mirror my own Christian high school dorkdom, it was far from my own life. In fact, my small school didn't even have a prom; we had a junior/senior banquet (no dancing) and a dress code that eventually matriculated into uniforms. As far as I'm concerned, Daisy has it made, except her for the fact her parents don't allow her to experience any sort of freedom in Christ. Daisy's eccentric parents change their attitudes towards the end of the book with little explanation, which just seems like poor plot planning. Also, while the book appears to be a whimsical read, cutting is mentioned and there is a huge plot turn involving roofies and implied date rape. Is this a serious book or the equivalent of chick lit for teens? I don't know because the "serious" parts seem terribly out of place putting a dark backdrop on a pleasant little read. The truth about life as a Christian teenager, like cliques and bullying prove that Billerbeck is knows teens. Yet the plot derails towards the last third of the book, which is a big disappointment for this reader. And the characters don't seem all that realistic. Even as a teenage girl and youth leader, I never met boys who were quite so open with in declaring their feelings to girls, especially weird girls. Daisy's best friend, Claire, seems more like a mean girl than a gal pal. Plus, how did these kids not get expelled from Christian school for throwing a wild party that involved both drinking and drugs? Even for a YA book, Perfectly Dateless is entirely unbelievable with a shoddy plot development and undeveloped characters. And this is the thing--the book started out great; it just ended poorly. *With thanks for Revell for a review copy of this book!*
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