The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

Title: The Fill-In Boyfriend
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: 5 May 2015
Rating: 5 STARS!!!!

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship. - Summary from Goodreads

I've been noticing lately that I'm seriously lacking in the "cheerful book" department. I know it's my own fault, but I've never been a huge fan of contemporaries so I don't try out many. But I've had a bit of a sweet tooth lately and wanted something, well, sweet to read so I got this. I'm so glad I did! I needed this book in my life. I needed the cute fluffy romance and the funny lighthearted story... I could have done without Jules, but hey, every story needs a villain. Now all of Kasie West's books are on my TBR list.

The Fill-In Boyfriend begins with Gia being dumped by Bradley because she's more interested in her friends seeing him than him actually being there. She then convinces a guy to pretend to be her date. She is controlling and slightly eccentric in the beginning, but she isn't mean. Gia is kind of clueless and doesn't understand how others see her, but her character grows throughout the novel and I love her for it.

And, of course, there is Fill-In Bradley. He's so dreamy! I totally fell in love with him. He's just so nice and sweet and he wears nerdy t-shirts that Gia doesn't understand. They create a strong friendship out of these odd circumstances and it shows how much they belong together. Gia also becomes friends with his sister, Bec. Even though things are rough for them at the beginning they end up getting along really well.

Many aspects of the plot become themes but none that take center stage and shout "Hey! I'm the main theme!" at the reader. Instead, ideas are casually introduced which become more important later. It doesn't call attention to itself, it is simple and realistic. It makes it feel like real life.

The Fill-In Boyfriend is perfect for a rainy day or a day at the beach. Let's be honest here, it's pretty much perfect for any day you are looking for a short adorable romance to brighten your day.
     -Christina

Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff

Title: Fiendish
Author: Brenna Yovanoff
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: August 14, 2014
Rating: 3.5 stars

Clementine DeVore spent ten years trapped in a cellar, pinned down by willow roots, silenced and forgotten.

Now she’s out and determined to uncover who put her in that cellar and why.

When Clementine was a child, dangerous and inexplicable things started happening in New South Bend. The townsfolk blamed the fiendish people out in the Willows and burned their homes to the ground. But magic kept Clementine alive, walled up in the cellar for ten years, until a boy named Fisher sets her free. Back in the world, Clementine sets out to discover what happened all those years ago. But the truth gets muddled in her dangerous attraction to Fisher, the politics of New South Bend, and the Hollow, a fickle and terrifying place that seems increasingly temperamental ever since Clementine reemerged. -Summary from Goodreads

            Fiendish is set in a small town in the Midwest where normal and “crooked” (people who have fiends in their family tree) live side by side. Naturally a lot of tension builds up between these two groups. Prejudice and dislike abound, but, for the most part, besides the Reckoning, people keep their pitchforks in their closets. The town itself is like an important side character. It has its own culture and personality, and its journey is vital to the story. The natural world is infused with magic creating an awesome setting. The magic itself isn’t explained, it just is, which makes it seem wild and natural. You get the sense that although people sometimes use it, there’s really no way to control it. It is its own being.

            I loved the beginning of the book, it is so creepy and beautiful at the same time (the beauty comes from Yovanoff's writing). Clementine has been stuck in the cellar of her house for 10 years when Fisher finds her and gets her out. One issue I have with the book is that even though she has been under a spell for all that time, it doesn’t seem like her mind is affected. It said that she was aware of the world during that time and she watched it somehow, but it is very vague. I thought she adjusted to the world a little too easily. The only thing that seemed to throw her off was the change in her cousin and aunt, other than that she seemed very self-assured for someone who has been out of the world for a decade. Overall, her character just felt underdeveloped.

            I thought that the romance was also kind of flat. There’s nothing I hated about it, but there wasn’t anything I liked about it either. I guess I just couldn’t understand what Clementine and Fisher saw in each other besides the fact that they’re both strange. 

            The best thing about this book is the beautiful writing style and the amazing setting. Yovanoff brings this world to life through her words, and the terrifying and ugly within it are also at the same time intriguing and beautiful. Even the normal things she describes seem magical. If you’re looking for a good stand-alone book for Halloween, Fiendish may be for you.

           -Christina