"Teen fiction at its best!"

Hannah O'Brian, irreverently called Beaner by her family, is floundering in her 15th year. Outclassed (in her opinion) by a beautiful young stepmother and a gorgeous older sister whose wedding plans are overwhelming her life, Hannah is struggling for her identity. Of course, as a teenager, she doesn't quite put it that way -- no, it's more along the lines of: "Okay, let's face it. Boys pretty basically suck."

Struggling with a creative paper assigned over the summer by a high school teacher, Hannah is trying to get a handle on this boy-love-like thing. And it just may turn out all right as she's noticed (and asked out!) by a member of the most popular boy band "in the history of the western world."

Her date, though, doesn't go as she planned and Hannah finds her mind wandering toward another man in her life. Nope, it isn't easy being a teenager.

But Hannah does it with class and Ms. Nash brings humor and grace to a subject that will cause most older readers to cringe at least once with memories of their own teen years. As for teenagers, well, I hesitate to say what they will or won't like, but I do plan to buy a copy of this book for my almost-teenage niece for Christmas. It was a great read -- all you older readers, it might be fun to pick up a teen book. They ain't what they used to be and the changes bring a new style to this genre.

Reviewed by Morgan Chilson
Posted November 17, 2004