Book Review - She's So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott

Synopsis:  When having money is all that matters, what happens when you lose it all?

Perfect, picturesque Orchard Hill. It was the last thing Ally Ryan saw in the rearview mirror as her mother drove them out of town and away from the shame of the scandal her father caused when his hedge fund went south and practically bankrupted all their friends. Friends that liked having trust funds and new cars and friends that didn’t like constant reminders they had been swindled. So it was adios, Orchard Hill. Thanks for nothing.

Now two years later, Ally’s mother has landed a job back in the site of their downfall. Despite Ally’s new low key, happy life, it’ll be back into the snake pit with the likes of Chloe Appleby and Hammond Ross.

But then there’s Jake Graydon. Handsome, wealthy, bored Jake Graydon. He moved to town after Ally left and knows nothing of her scandal, but does know that he likes her. And she likes him. So off into the sunset they can go, right? Too bad Jake’s friends have a problem with his new crush since it would mean he could make Ally Ryan happy. And if anyone deserves to be unhappy it’s her.

Ally was hoping to have left all the drama in the past but some things just can’t be forgotten. Aren’t there more important things than money?

First Line:  "Oh my God."

Random Quote:  "Her lips screwed up in disgust as she looked me up and down.  I felt nauseous as the memory of that night swirled through me."

Review:  When I was 10 or 11 I remember reading these books that were written in the fifties for teenagers.  I don't remember the author or the name of them, but I do remember that they had a basic plot:  New girl arrives at the high school.  She's a nice girl, you know, the kind who wears saddle shoes and circle skirts.  The other kids are mean to her, especially the cheerleader types, and she has a crush on the cutest, most popular boy in school who is also a football player, too.  He likes her, too, but their various friends get in the way.  One thing leads to another, she and the popular boy are thrown together, and he asks her to the prom.  The books end with them at the prom and everything is happily ever after and even the cheerleaders have to admit she's a nice girl.  Grease has essentially the same plot except that the desirable crowd in it is the "bad" kids.

Cover of Grease (Rockin' Rydell Edition)

Why am I telling you all of this?  Because this book is basically those books, although updated to sort of more accurately reflect the world today.  Sort of.  I'm pretty sure that most kids aren't going to school with people whose parents built them a mini-basketball stadium on their Property.  I'm equally sure that most kids aren't going to school in such a vanilla way - working at the drugstore, arranging carnivals to help the homeless, a little drinking, a little petting, but nothing more major than not getting the car you wanted when you hit 17.

The writing in this is pretty good and I like how sassy the heroine is, but this isn't any more realistic a picture of high school than those fifties-era romance books for teens that I read when I was a kid.  That's okay, by the way, there's place for all kinds of books in most kids' lives.  This was smart and entertaining and a pretty good fantasy and there's a lot to be said for that.

Last, but definitely not least, it was great to read a book geared towards teenage girls that isn't 90210 with fangs, claws, or wings.  Even greater to read a book geared towards teenage girls that doesn't tell them that they a) need a boy to be an actual person, b) should do whatever they need to do to grab said boy, and c) that abusive relationships with people who are dangerous for you are the way to go.  Thanks for that, Kieran Scott!

Reading Challenges:  ARC Reading Challenge 2010, 2010 100+ Reaading Challenge