Review: Let this be your Friday Night Alibi!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 30, 2013
There is something about the way that Cassie Mae writes which causes my mouth to curve up into the most unattractive of gummy grins. It's like I smile so hard, it hurts. Her characters are so likable and the story-lines are innocent yet complex. She has me on the edge of my seat with butterflies flapping (or if I were trying to mimic this book, popcorn popping) all up in my tummy over a stinkin' kiss! I've read some pretty intense love scenes, and this chick gets me all crazy over some lip lock action. And in Friday Night Alibi, there is quite a bit of kissing.Kelli Pinkins is not your average 18 year old. First off, she's super smart and has graduated from high school earlier than her peers. She doesn't boast many friends, never goes out on a Friday night and is quite content playing Halo in her decked out bedroom. She lives in Sundale, Georgia - Christian country club capital of the world. (Okay, that may not be true, but it sounded good to me.) You see, in Sundale, it's looked down upon to date outside of your social class. If you fall in love with someone from the wrong side of the tracks or even dare I say, middle class *gasp,* you run the risk of losing your trust fund, which would otherwise be handed over to you at the ripe old age of 21. That's where Kelli comes in. She's your Friday Night Alibi! You want to go out, but Mommy and Daddy don't approve? Easy! Call Kelli. You pay a couple hundred bucks (chump change to these folks) and wham bam, you have yourself covered. You just have to memorize some information about the date package you've selected. Easy enough right?"One thing about Sundale, image is everything. If your churchgoing, button-up, I'm-going-to-run-a-charity-for-sick-kids son or daughter doesn't live up to all of that, bye-bye trust fund, hello working at Dairy Queen. And heaven forbid they want to date someone outside of our perfect little community. There goes your college money. Sorry guys, it's not what Mommy and Daddy had envisioned for you."Everything goes along smashingly until Kelli meets Chase (Moron) Moroney. He's different from everyone else in her life. He's the only person who isn't trying to get something out of Kelli. Well, I guess that's not true. He's kinda jonesing for a kiss. Imagine Kelli's surprise when the all black wearing, bad pick up line slinging, Joseph Gordon-Levitt look-a-like happens to be the same guy she's been playing X-box live with for months. Right from the start, Kelli finds Chase less than appealing, or at least she's tried to convince herself of that. When no one is there, Chase is. And as time goes by they grow closer eventually so close that their lips smack right into one another. Now Kelli must decide if being an alibi is worth losing an "epic romance"."He knows. Chase the freaking manwhore-Moron! He knows how pathetic my life really is. How I spend every Friday night playing video games and pretending to be out on dates with other people. Getting his body hair waxed off will be nothing compared to what's coming to me, I'm sure of it. He could ruin it all."I've said it once and I'll say it again; I thoroughly enjoy the way that Cassie writes. I feel like my best friend is filling me in on her life as I read the pages in front of me. Yes, this is most definitely YA fiction. There's not a whole lot of naughty stuff going on. If that's what you're looking for, don't look here. You'll find a good wholesome story that you wouldn't mind your son or daughter reading. Not a romp between the sheets. To tell you the truth though, it's kind of refreshing. Kelli is obviously striving to be loved, needed, and appreciated - even if she doesn't realize it. She doesn't get it from her parents who are too busy living their lives - working too hard or traipsing across the world on vacation. Her best friend Sadie has her own life to live, other friends to spend time with and possible love interests of her own. So that leaves Kelli with Chaztazxx4(Chase's X-box live name), her X-box and the satisfaction of being someone's alibi. But let's get real for a minute, how long can being someone's alibi really appeal to a person. Don't you eventually want to live your own life?I absolutely loved watching Kelli come into her own as the book progressed. She started out kind of insecure and overtime with the help of a moron, she begins to see more in herself and want more out of her life. She shifts her priorities.The only issue I had with the book was the lack of...drama. There wasn't much angst, I guess. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and it just seemed to hover in the air the whole book. I do have to say that Kelli's relationship with her dad hit me hard. I am a complete Daddy's girl, and I also had a time in my life when my dad and I weren't close at all; It kind of mirrored Kelli's experience minus the millions of dollars. Ha! I liked seeing them mend their relationship and in turn watching Kelli begin to piece herself and self-worth together.Okay, I'll say it. I love Cassie Mae. I love her as an author and just as a pretty rad person in general. Her writing style always leaves me coming away wanting more. She hits on the things we women feel. Especially in high school when we're battling hormones, stupid girls and dumb boys. Her books always seem to have some deeper message. It's like the pages whisper to its reader that they're worth more than they think they are; that we all deserve to feel love and need to find beauty within ourselves.This is a YA author you don't want to miss. If you haven't read Reasons I Fell for the Fat Funny Friend, you should pick it up immediately and then be sure you follow on its heels with Friday Night Alibi. They're both extremely sweet reads that will leave a perma smile on your face.