Review: Short, Sweet, and Cute
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 7, 2011
Title: Borrowing Abby Grace (Episode 1) and Girl Steals Guy (Episode 2)Author: Kelly GreenPublisher: Back Lit FictionPublication Date: 2011Source: Author/Publisher (Received copy of books in exchange for honest review)Cover: I completely dig them. They catch your attention and make you go "hmm?" And isn't that just what every cover is supposed to do? I approve.Genre: YA Episodic Mystery. You get a complete little mystery in every episode, from when Abby drops into the story to when the case comes to an end.Plot: The chapters are short, making the story move really quickly. Since it's written in episode form (i.e. you get a full-slightly-longer-than-short story in each hit), the story progresses quick enough to keep you interested but is short enough to make you want more when it's done. The story also makes sense to be given in episodes. At first, I worried it'd be like a chapter being sold one at a time, but the story lends itself to a format, and each episode is complete enough to be on its own (as opposed to it being a chapter of a large novel). I don't think it would really work if they were put together.Romantic Element: There are hints of romance, enough to make you want to read later episodes. BUT, and this is huge for me, I was more than okay with reading the story without Abby running after anyone. Girl Steals Guy is especially good in this aspect. (Psst, still read Borrowing Abby Grace first for context--they could be read separately, but they're cheap enough for you to start from the beginning and get the full picture).Overall: These episodes are worth getting into. There's enough mystery to keep you interested; enough twists to keep you from getting bored; and it moves quickly enough that you can feel accomplished after reading each episode. What's not to like about that? Fair warning, Abby may sound a little robotic in the beginning of Borrowing Abby Grace, but she does grow on you, and by the time you read Girl Steals Guy, you should like her. It's a good snack mystery--a.k.a. a full mystery in a little package with a YA twist. Green gives great authentic teen analogies, and I fully support these episodes as being awesome for younger YA and up. (Note: Borrowing Abby Grace is PG-ish, and Girl Steals Guy is more late-PG-13)