SK8ER BOY

Author: Mari Mancusi ISBN: 0843956046 10/2005 YOUNG ADULT Publisher: SMOOCH

Are you a good girl or a bad girl? Do you allow your parents to micromanage your life so you'll get into the "right college", or do you pierce random body parts (okay, just your bellybutton) and hope your parents don't notice? Do you hang out with fashion-obsessed Populars, or do you meet cool new people-like the headmaster's punk-rock daughter Starr? Do you date rich, obnoxious jocks like Brent Baker III-who are so cheesy you can't stomach them without crackers, or do you date an über-hot SK8ER BOY and fall in love with him-in a tragic, Romeo and Juliet (with text messaging) kind of way?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Dawn's the proverbial 'goody two shoes', but secretly longs to rebel against her uptight, controlling parents. Tired of her dad making decisions for her in every area of her life, Dawn decides to do a couple of things her way. Instead of hanging out with the popular kids that her dad approves of, Dawn befriends Starr, the new girl in school who prefers body piercing and punk rock over the latest fashions and being popular. With just a little encouragement from Starr, Dawn gets her belly button pierced and meets skater, Sean. Sean is about as different from parent-approved Brent as you can get, and Dawn realizes that nobody should judge by appearances.

An updated version of the classic story of good girl meets bad boy, SK8ER BOY, delighted me from start to finish. Dawn's complaining of her parents' (the Evil Ones) complete control over every aspect of her life rings true. By taking the first step in doing something she knows her parents won't like (making friends with Starr), Dawn finds each subsequent step of breaking free easier to take. Finding out that Sean has more going for him than meets the eye will come as no surprise to the reader, and makes him all the more charming. I devoured this one in one sitting and didn't want it to end. Fans of sweet teen romances will adore SK8ER BOY and beg for more from Ms. Mancusi. I will definitely be watching out for her novels in the future!

Kendra Patterson