MY LIFE AS A SNOW BUNNY

Kaz Delaney ISBN: 0843952962 12/2003 YOUNG ADULT Publisher: SMOOCH/DORCESTER

*LERVE: LOVE WITH A SWISS ACCENT. IT CAN: Warm up the chilly ski slopes. Who knew Colorado was Hunk Heaven? Not Jo Vincent. Provide a fun distraction. It's not like Jo's going to get any attention from her dad. He brought his own apres-ski entertainment-her name is Kate. Happen with Hans. Every girl should experience one in her life: a Swiss guy as smooth as chocolate and just as sweet ... So European! So regal! So mysterious! Like ... what's all this stuff about kangaroos?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

In this fast-paced teen romance, Jo reluctantly agrees to go on a skiing vacation with her dad and his latest girlfriend. While left to roam on her own on the slopes, she meets “Hans”, a gorgeous ski instructor from Switzerland. She soon discovers that there is more to Hans than she first thought and his name may not be Hans after all!

I enjoyed the zany antics of Jo and found Hans/Frew quite charming. Every teen girl dreams of meeting such a guy while on vacation! Jo’s rocky relationship with her father gives the story a touch of realism that will ring true for many teens. I found SNOW BUNNY to be an entertaining read, but my least favorite of the Smooch line. One thing that glared at me was Jo’s use of Australian slang. Being an American teen, I’m sure that Jo would phone or call her mom, rather than ring her. While a minor editing mistake, it pulled me out of the story.

Overall, I think fans of the Smooch line will find SNOW BUNNY likable, but if you have to choose one, pick up Maxwell’s THE YEAR MY LIFE WENT DOWN THE LOO instead.

Kendra Patterson