________________ CM . . . . Volume XXIV Number 1 . . . . September 8, 2017

cover

Wesley James Ruined My Life.

Jennifer Honeybourn.
New York, NY: Swoon Reads/Feiwel and Friends (Distibuted in Canada by Raincoast Books), 2017.
230 pp., trade pbk. & ebook, $15.99 (pbk.).
ISBN 978-1-250-12373-2 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-250-12374-9 (ebook).

Grades 9-12 / Ages 14-17.

Review by Teresa Iaizzo.

*** /4

   

excerpt:

What really gets me is that he's not even sorry about what happened between us five years ago. He hasn't even tried to apologize for ruining my life. It doesn't even matter to him.

By the time we play the first notes of Beethoven's Symphony no. 5, I'm really fuming. Wesley needs to be taught a lesson. He has to take responsibility for what he did.

And then suddenly it comes to me.

In Jennifer Honeybourn's debut novel, Wesley James Ruined My Life, readers meet Quinn, a high school senior who has some major problems. Her parents are divorced, her dad has a serious gambling addiction, and her beloved grandmother, who is suffering from Alzheimer's, is sent to live in a nursing home. Things just couldn't get worse. Enter Wesley James, her arch nemesis who just came back to town.

      Wesley and Quinn used to be friends years ago, but then Wesley did the unthinkable: he broke up Quinn's parents' marriage and now her life is completely ruined. What is a girl to do? Revenge, of course! Now that Wesley and Quinn are working together at the same Medieval Times themed restaurant, Quinn decides to get Wesley fired. What she didn't expect was to fall in love with him in the process.

      Now, I know that the plot is wholly unoriginal and highly predictable, but Wesley James Ruined My Life is a great summer read for young adults. It is a quick, fast-paced novel that will have young readers devouring its pages and wanting more. The characters are relatable, and, in particular, the issues that they experience are very relevant to today's teens. Moreover, the novel has a little bit of everything - topical issues, revenge, love, and romance.

      Wesley James Ruined My Life is recommended for young readers who are looking for an easy summer read.

Recommended.

Teresa Iaizzo is a librarian with the Toronto Public Library.



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