Review: It was okay...
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 29, 2013
Rating: 3 starsIt's been a long time since I've read a YA read,  Usually, all of my YA reading is either paranormal romance or fantasy, so this book was without a doubt putting me outside of my comfort zone.  I'm glad I was given the opportunity to read it though because there were so many times I thought to myself, 'Wow, this is all so familiar'- going back to my high school days.  This generation of teenagers lead totally different lives than the average teenager led 20-30 years ago.  Templeton puts many issues into perspective here and writes about several obstacles Kenzie, the main character of the story, Brooke, her cousin, and their friends overcome.Sex, drugs, rock-n-roll-- speed, weed, and birth control!  How many times did I say that as a teen?  Too many! I thought I was oh so cool, fitting in with all different crowds of kids- the stoners, the preps, the geeks, the athletes, and even occasionally the 'nobodies'.  I was a cute teenage girl who loved her pot and liquor.  I got good grades and ALWAYS had a fiction book in hand, worked a full-time job after school and still managed to be involved in at least one sport per season. I found myself relating to Brooke the most because of her 'won't take anyone's shit' attitude, her drug use, her relationship with Curtis, etc.Kenzie is forced to move from her private school life in San Diego, California to Vancouver, Washington where she attends public school, meets new people, develops a totally different persona, goes wild, experiments, and falls in love- just to name a few.  Eager to fit in but also knowing right from wrong, Kenzie encounters many different dilemmas and is forced to make decisions she thought she would never have to make.  Until one day, everything turns around.  She's questioned by her brother about her behavior, her mother and friends notice a change in her, and she deals with fighting off her own demons.  With overwhelming feelings of jealousy, hatred, lust, loathing, euphoria, depression, and so on- this is Kenzie's journey through her new high school, friends, boys, parties, drugs\alcohol, and family issues.Although I never personally had to experience infidelity or a divorce/separation between my parents as a teen, I saw so many of my friends go through it.  Some parents don't realize the impact this has on their children and in Kenzie's case, she is hurt and angry.  She finds ways to channel her depression and loneliness that are self destructive, leading her down a path going nowhere.  Almost losing a family member wakes her up and makes her realize the terrible things she is doing.  All the while, she has an unfaithful boyfriend and fantasizes about a boy that is so close, yet so far away.I enjoyed this book up until the ending.  It was just so cliche.  I think I would've rather it conclude with a cliffhanger versus the HEA.  With all of the struggles that Kenzie and her friends encounter in this story, it is unrealistic that everything falls back into place and is perfect at the end.  Of course everyone loves a happy ending- but there is always some flaws left somewhere.  This book is ideal for ages 13+ and it projects an educational lesson to teens who struggle with the same issues Kenzie and Brooke have.