Mini-reviews: Going Geek + Results May Vary

Going Geek by Charlotte Huang

pub 9/13/16 by Delacorte Press
YA - Contemporary

Charlotte Huang does a couple awesome things in Going Geek. First, it's filled with diverse characters (cultural, sexual orientation, economic, you name it). Second, she made me root for the mean girl. Skylar Hoffman attends a preppy boarding school. She's got the perfect boyfriend, she and her friends are super popular and they live in the best dorm. Now it's senior year and everything falls apart. She gets moved to a tiny secluded dorm and when a not-so-little lie she's been carrying on gets exposed, her boyfriend and friends drop her all too quickly. She's a normal teenager so she doesn't make the best of the situation right away. It takes her a while to realize the opportunity in front of her which meant that I spent a lot of time thinking Skylar was an entitled brat who needed a good kick in the butt. Luckily for her (and me!), the girls in her new dorm do exactly that. For whatever reason, they don't completely write her off. They try to pull her into their circle and slowly but surely, she opens up which often led her to step out of her comfort zone. And that's what made me root for her. We see glimpses of the person Skylar can be as she lets her previous assumptions about popularity and friendship go. I think we all have that eye-opening moment at some point in our lives. And Huang writes about this transformation in a way that's funny, heartwarming and yes, sometimes frustrating – but what can you expect from teenagers?

Do I recommend? I do! This is Huang's sophomore novel but the first I've read and I think she's someone to keep on your radar.

Results May Vary by Bethany Chase

pub 8/9/16 by Ballantine Books
Adult Fiction - Contemporary

Reading a Bethany Chase book has been on my to-do list since most of my blogger friends have been raving about her and I'm happy to say that not only did I finally do it, but I really enjoyed Results May Vary. We're introduced to happily married Caroline Hammond and just as suddenly, we find out that her husband has been having an affair with a man. It not only turns their marriage upside down but she's left to question their entire history. They'd been together since high school and not once did she ever suspect he'd ever cheat on her, much less be interested in men. It's a book that's filled with angst and rightfully so. Caroline constantly wavers between the deep love she feels for her husband in spite of everything and the question of whether or not she can ever trust him again. Every time she changed her mind or felt angry or sad, I connected to her even though I've never been in her shoes. But out of this crazy time, some good does happen. She reconnects with her younger sister and I loved watching their dynamic evolve. She also unexpectedly allows herself to feel attraction for another man. This could've easily seemed rushed but again, I got why it was important for Caroline to feel attractive and wanted. And more importantly, I just love the themes throughout the book as Caroline contemplates love, relationships, honesty, forgiveness and what she wants her life to be.

Do I recommend? Yes! I've been adding quite a few authors to my go-to list for adult contemporary and I'm pretty sure I found another one to add in Bethany Chase.