Customer Reviews

Unexpected Development

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The narrator promises in the first few paragraphs that this is a book about sex, which it isn't really (it's about much more). But it IS a funny, franky, and refreshingly honest look at teenagers, and teen sexuality. Recommended!

Megan is an overly-voluptuous girl, especially in the chest area. In Unexpected Development, Megan narrates her summer vacation in an assignment for Honors English.
Readers learn from Megan that being top-heavy is not exactly ideal - she recounts the verbal and sexual harassments she endures from various males in her life - especially an obnoxious boy who can't seem to leave her alone, and not to mention her boss, Mr. Cooper, who is just a creepy pervert.
Megan also explores her true first love - and all the things that come along with it, including sex. She is not sure if she can trust Jake Darrow, the boy she has been crushing on for years, and who is now just starting to show interest in her. Does he like her for who she is or just her body?

Megan endures her summer vacation with her best friend Jilly, who seems like the perfect best friend - always quick to come to Megan's defense and fiercely loyal. Megan also contemplates getting breast reduction surgery.

All in all, Unexpected Development is a fabulous novel, especially for teen girls. It really clears up some myths that most teen girls are deceived by - namely, that having large breasts is not all glamour and glitz. Megan addresses these issues honestly and poignantly.
Megan's relationship with Jake is also very interesting.
Perez has a wonderful writing voice. It actually seemed like a teenager was writing this book - it is just so authentic.
Unexpected Development is a fantastic coming-of-age novel that explores body perception, boys, friends, and love. I highly recommend this book to teen girls looking for an engaging book to read.

This book has to be one of the best books I've read in a long time. Not only is it refreshing but it adds a new dimension to the whole writing scheme. It is the typical teen romance story but it has not been done this tenderly in quite some time. It was like a breath of fresh air for myself. Being an avid reader and a teenaged girl I recommend this one to any! I can't wait until Marlene Perez comes out with another. I wouldn't even mind a sequal as cheesy as they are!

The main character is a well-developed (pun intended) teenage waitress. She learns to love herself over the course of an event-filled summer, and we readers come to love her too. The book contains thought-provoking issues of body image, sex, friendship, and love. And it's funny, romantic, and fast-paced. I reccomend it highly.

Megan is a funny, insightful girl who can rattle off a couple dozen slang terms for "breasts" because she's heard them all, over and over, well before she started high school. Now she's about to be a senior in a small Iowa town and her long-term crush, Jake, seems to be crushing right back to her. Most guys don't look above Megan's chest, but Jake actually looks in her eyes. Still, she wonders about his motivations. I love the small Midwestern town setting of this novel and how a restaurant called the Pancake Palace is the center of high cuisine. This novel has the perfect blend of wit and angst for me. If you like books by Carolyn Mackler, Rachel Cohn, and Sarah Dessen, then you'll love this!

Are guys only attracted to Megan because of her bra size? Can she trust her crush's attentions and intentions? I absolutely devoured this humorous, touching story. I loved Megan's "in your face" attitude and voice. The author has a gift for creating quirky/delightful characters, and her insightful take on body image is original and inventive. Highly recommended.

From the very first page Megan's voice pulls you in and doesn't let you go. She is fresh, funny, sarcastic, vulnerable, and so believable. I loved Unexpected Development and can't wait to read Marlene Perez's next book. Highly recommended!

Well the book is written to a teacher so it's very general ,in the way it dosen't have many details. SO, it'll be like we had a great date at the park. But what did they do at the park? And the connection between the girl and the boy dosen't seem very strong to end up where they end up at the end of the book. It's an OK book, but nothing special.

I generally do not write book reviews, but this book was so beyond horrible I had to share. What I find so perplexing is that I purchased this book based on the high recommendations of other readers who reviewed it. We couldn't possibly be reading the same book. The dialogue sounds like it was the author's first draft and she never went back to revise it. The characters have no depth, they lack description, the plot does not flow well at all and the main character is so indecisive it's painful to read.
I realize this is the author's first novel, but I question how she ever got it published at all. As a writer of young adult fiction myself, I read young adult material often to keep informed and inspired by what is popular among young adult readers, but I find it hard to believe readers settle for such poor writing. Perhaps I had my expections set higher after recently finishing the novel 'The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things' by Carolyn Mackler. It was well written with intelligent dialogue and detailed characters. It earned several awards and after reading Ms. Perez book, I understand why. I'm perplexed by the fact that both mentioned books received 4 1/2 star ratings. They aren't comparable in any way. I recommend you don't waste your precious reading time on this book.