By the Book review

Hello Internet!

Another book review for you, this one is the first book I actual read in the month of July: By the Book by Amanda Sellet. I read this book from 29 May 2020 and 9 July 2020. This is a young adult contemporary romance that I rented from the library and gave a 4/5 stars. As always spoilers abound. 

This book is about a girl named Mary who is going to public high school for the first time after her private school, that was through the college her parents teach at, closes. Her only friend ditches her on the first day in public school but afterwards Mary saves a group of three other girls from making a mistake on a player of a guy with her knowledge of classic literature (dubbing him a Vronsky from Anna Karenina) and they take her into their group. While the four girls come up what they dub the “Scoundrel Survival Guide”. They make a guide to avoid the bad guys using Mary’s knowledge of literature and the bad boy archetypes. In return, the other girls teach her how to navigate high school and real life. As navigates high school and friendships, Mary keeps crossing paths with the bad boy “Vronsky” who it turns out she’s been misjudging based on assumptions. Things come to a head when he dances with her at the winter formal and then kisses her. Her friends are initially mad at what seems like a deception, but she makes up with them and everything works out for the best: she has friends and gets the guy.

As a huge fan of classic literature and stories (my all-time favorite book is Persuasion by Jane Austen), I loved this book. I felt a deep kinship with Mary down to being an introverted bookish little weirdo with very few friends. I liked how she grew over the course of the book, how her friends changed her, and how she was willing to reevaluate her preconceived notions. There was some nice solid lesbian representation with Mary’s sister, and I liked how everyone in her family is weird and unique, but her parents completely support their kids and anything they decide to do. It was a solid contemporary story that is more about friendship and being yourself rather than romance.

In conclusion, solid read, definitely recommended. I might get a copy of my own. Solid 4/5 read.

Happy Reading!

Richelle and Emma